The once-bustling port of Ambri Island had fallen silent. The air was thick with tension, stretched tight like a bowstring ready to snap at any moment.
Dressed in a flexible, custom-made black combat suit, Tesoro stood at the highest point of the port, his expression grim as he stared at the distant horizon. Behind him, hundreds of members of the Ambri Island Guard stood ready for battle. While nervousness was visible on their faces, their eyes held a firm resolve to defend their home. These people had once been slaves and poor citizens, their lives seemingly trapped in despair. But since Takero's arrival, everything had changed. He had dealt with the island's tyrants, abolished slavery, and made sure they all had enough food to eat and clothes to wear, allowing their families to finally live in peace. They knew that Takero had brought them this new life, and they would not let even the Marines take it away.
"They're here!" a lookout's sharp, trembling cry cut through the morning quiet.
On the horizon, a black fleet appeared like a dark cloud slowly moving toward Ambri Island. It gave off a terrifying pressure, as if it could crush everything in its path. The Marine flag whipped in the morning breeze, a grim banner calling souls to battle.
"Everyone! Prepare for battle!" Tesoro's voice boomed across the port. "Remember! Our home is behind us! Even if we die, we can't let these Marine dogs set one foot on our island!"
"ROAR—!!!" The guards roared back in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.
Just as their morale hit its peak, a lazy voice drifted through the air like a gentle breeze, scattering the murderous atmosphere. "Alright, alright, no need to be so tense."
Takero had appeared beside Tesoro without anyone noticing. He let out a yawn as if he had just woken up, showing absolutely no concern for the massive fleet before him—a force capable of destroying an entire country.
"Boss!" Tesoro said urgently. "The enemy is coming in full force! Their leader is the former Admiral, 'Black Arm' Zephyr! We have to—"
"I know," Takero interrupted him impatiently, a wide, excited smile spreading across his face. "An opponent this fun is all mine. If you small fry get involved, you'll just be in the way."
"Uh..." Tesoro was left speechless. Surely he wasn't included in the "small fry" category?
Takero stretched his arms and back, his bones letting out a series of loud cracks. "You guys just wait here. I'll be right back."
Before Tesoro could say another word, a dark red aura exploded from Takero with a loud 'boom'! He shot into the sky, becoming a crimson meteor that tore through the air, heading straight for the approaching Marine fleet.
...
Aboard the Marine flagship, Zephyr was observing Ambri Island's defenses through a telescope.
"Hmph, just a mob of rebels putting up a stubborn fight," he snorted, lowering the device.
But in the very next second, his sharp, hawk-like eyes narrowed. A brilliant crimson streak of light was shooting out from Ambri Island at a speed that was beyond his imagination.
"What is that?!" Hina exclaimed, noticing the strange sight.
Smoker had already partially transformed his body into smoke, ready for combat, as he stared intently at the rapidly approaching streak of light. In just a few seconds, the light had crossed several kilometers of sea. It came to a sudden halt, hovering steadily in the air directly above the Marine fleet. A powerful gust of wind spread out from the figure, making the flagship's main sail flap wildly.
Takero floated with his arms crossed, his pure black eyes looking down like a god upon the heavily armed fleet below. His gaze cut through the ranks of Marine soldiers and locked onto the purple-haired man on the bridge, the one with the deepest and most immense aura.
He then grinned, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth. In a tone that was almost a taunt, he asked, "So, you're the 'former' Admiral they call Zephyr, right? The last flashy guy I fought wasn't much fun. I hope you can give me a better fight."
Zephyr slowly raised his head, his expression extremely serious as he looked at the spiky-haired young man with a tail floating in the sky. He responded in a deep voice, "Then you must be 'Strange Tail' Takero, the one who dared to attack the Celestial Dragons and disrupt the peace in the North Blue."
"'Strange Tail'? What kind of weird nickname is that?" Takero said with a frown. "I'm a Saiyan, you got it?"
"It won't matter who you are once you're locked up in Impel Down," Zephyr stated coldly.
Their gazes clashed in mid-air, like invisible sparks flying between them. A second later, Zephyr wasted no more time with words.
"Brat! You'll pay for that arrogance!"
With a furious roar, the deck beneath his feet instantly shattered. He launched himself into the sky like a black cannonball. His famous 'Black Arm', covered in pitch-black Armament Haki and capable of crushing anything, shot towards Takero with the force of a thunderclap.
"Armament Haki: Crush!"
The punch contained all of Zephyr's immense power. As his fist flew through the air, it compressed the very atmosphere, causing it to groan under the unbearable pressure.
Faced with a terrifying attack that could level a small mountain in a single blow, Takero's smile only grew wider and more eager. "Now this is a little more interesting."
He didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his own right fist to meet the attack head-on.
BOOM—!!!!
The moment their fists collided, a deafening roar exploded above the fleet, as if the sky itself was being torn apart. A violently powerful shockwave spread out in a visible ring. The surface of the sea below was slammed down, creating a huge crater over ten meters wide. The surrounding water churned into giant waves that crashed against the warships, causing the entire fleet to shake violently. The Marine soldiers on the decks were thrown off their feet by the fierce wind, unable to even stand.
"This guy... what in the world is he?!"
"I heard he's from the Mink Tribe..."
Smoker, Hina, and the other Marines stared in disbelief at the world-shaking scene in the sky, their faces filled with shock. A single exchange of blows had caused such terrifying destruction. However, the sight that truly made their eyes widen was that the young man called 'Strange Tail' Takero had completely stopped Zephyr-sensei's 'Black Arm'.
Takero's lips curved into a slight smile, his black eyes burning with a pure, thrilling fighting spirit.
"This is definitely more satisfying!"
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