Mixing up Den Den Mushi was nothing new for Admiral Kizaru—it wasn't just a rare mistake; it was something he did often.
Everyone around him had long since given up trying to correct him. They could only sigh in helpless resignation, while Admiral Kizaru himself didn't think much of it—he'd never even considered changing.
Eventually, everyone simply got used to it.
Now, after finally fishing out the right Den Den Mushi, he at last contacted his field partner for this mission—Sentomaru.
Sentomaru's voice came through, firm and a little anxious:
"Old man, latest intel says those two criminals just clashed with the marines stationed on Grove Island. The entire garrison's been wiped out! Their strength isn't to be underestimated. Whatever you do, don't hold back this time! We have to rescue the Celestial Dragon and capture those two for them to handle, or the World Government won't let us off easy!"
"I got it, I got it… you're so long-winded," Admiral Kizaru replied lazily, his tone full of disinterest.
"You—! I…"
Sentomaru's mouth twitched on the other end, completely speechless.
Still, this wasn't the first time he'd had to work with this unreliable old man. He'd learned to take Admiral Kizaru's nonsense in stride.
After all, despite his many quirks, Admiral Kizaru did get things done—and there was a reason he was one of the Marines's three Marine Admirals.
Though he kept complaining, once the call ended, Admiral Kizaru moved swiftly. After confirming Lin Xuan and Uchiha Madara's location, his body shimmered—and in the next instant, he shot off like a beam of light toward them.
As the wielder of the Pika Pika no Mi, his speed was beyond human comprehension. In mere moments, he appeared just a hundred meters from Lin Xuan and Madara.
The two stopped walking at once.
Lin Xuan immediately recognized him and grinned. "Looks like we don't need to go any farther. The opponent you've been waiting for has arrived."
Beside him, Uchiha Madara stared at Admiral Kizaru, battlelust igniting in his cracked, Impure World Reincarnation face.
Admiral Kizaru, for his part, was slightly surprised when he finally laid eyes on the pair.
He hadn't expected the two culprits he was sent to deal with to look so young. And judging from their direction of approach, it seemed they had deliberately come toward him—almost as if they were waiting for him to show up.
"These two aren't going to be easy," he thought immediately.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Blackbeard and the battered remnants of the marines trailing behind Lin Xuan and Madara erupted in cheers the moment they spotted Admiral Kizaru.
"It's Admiral Admiral Kizaru!"
"Thank goodness—Admiral Admiral Kizaru's here!"
"Those criminals are done for now! This man's the strongest of Marine Headquarters!"
Even Blackbeard himself exhaled in relief, joy and confidence washing over his face.
With Admiral Kizaru's arrival, the situation would be resolved for sure—the Celestial Dragon would be rescued, and these two monsters would be suppressed without question.
Lin Xuan, however, noticed something unexpected—Madara wasn't rushing in immediately.
Instead, before making a move, he asked calmly, "That man—what kind of Devil Fruit user is he? You should know."
Lin Xuan smirked. "Of course. He's an Admiral of Marine Headquarters—Admiral Kizaru, wielder of the Pika Pika no Mi. His ability is all about speed—his attacks are said to reach the speed of light."
"Oh?"
Madara's eyes narrowed, but there wasn't a hint of fear—only growing excitement.
Admiral Kizaru, who had clearly overheard, chuckled lazily. "Oh my, you seem to know quite a bit about me, little one. Honestly, I find you kind of adorable… but why must you do such troublesome things?"
Lin Xuan grinned. "Heh, we just captured three Celestial Dragon. You all make it sound like the end of the world. If that's enough to scare you, what'll you do when we pull off something bigger?"
Hearing that, Admiral Kizaru squinted, his smile never fading. "Oh? You sound confident. So scary~."
But inside, he couldn't help thinking: This brat thinks kidnapping Celestial Dragon is a minor offense? What bigger thing could he possibly mean? Declare war on the World Government?
He brushed off the thought almost immediately. Clearly, the kid was just mouthing off.
His real focus was on rescuing the Celestial Dragon as quickly as possible—that was the top priority.
He had no idea that his casual guess was uncomfortably close to the truth.
Lin Xuan really was planning to start a war with the World Government.
Beside him, Madara grew impatient. "Are you done talking yet? If you are, I'm starting."
That single sentence sent the nearby marines—who idolized Admiral Kizaru—into a frenzy.
"Unbelievable! How dare they talk to Admiral Admiral Kizaru like that?!"
"They're completely insane!"
"Just wait—Admiral Admiral Kizaru's going to make them regret ever being born!"
"Hah! Talking about doing something bigger? They won't even have time to blink before they're dead!"
Feeling the sea of eager eyes on him, Admiral Kizaru sighed helplessly. Then he looked at Madara and said in his usual languid tone,
"Well, looks like I don't have much choice but to fight, huh? Careful now, young man… tell me—"
"—have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, his body blurred into pure radiance—
and in the blink of an eye, he shot straight toward Uchiha Madara like a beam of golden light!
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