"Huh! That was dangerous! Uncle, what are you doing? You didn't even say hello!"
Luffy glanced at his smoldering arm. Despite his complaint, a wide, excited grin spread across his face.
"Oh? You actually blocked my attack? Impressive!" Kizaru said casually, appearing above Luffy's head in an instant.
"Second Gear!"
Luffy activated Second Gear, steam rising from his body. Using Observation Haki, he tracked Kizaru's movements, quickly stepping back to dodge the attack before countering with a Jet Pistol to Kizaru's stomach.
But it hit nothing.
Kizaru's torso turned into tiny specks of light, letting Luffy's rubber fist pass right through.
"Why didn't it work? I used Haki!"
Luffy couldn't believe it, so he kept attacking.
"Rubber-Rubber Jet Gatling!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His rapid punches fired off like a machine gun, but every strike passed through Kizaru's light-formed body, doing nothing.
In a flash, a glowing foot appeared behind Luffy's head.
Boom!
Luffy was sent flying.
Luckily, he flipped mid-air and landed, breathing heavily. "I get it now… You're an Admiral, after all. You saw my attack coming and turned into light before I could hit you!"
Even after just a few exchanges, the gap between them was clear.
Kizaru wasn't just faster than Luffy—his Observation Haki was superior too.
Of course, Kizaru had been an Admiral for years. If a rookie like Luffy could surpass him so easily, it would be ridiculous. But while Luffy was still slightly weaker, he wouldn't go down without a fight.
Zoro, Sanji, and the others watching were stunned.
"Hey, moss head, did you see that clearly?" Sanji asked, his hands trembling as he lit a cigarette.
"It was too fast… I couldn't keep up at all, even with Observation Haki," Zoro admitted, his face darkening.
The more powerful opponents he encountered, the more Zoro realized how far he still had to go. He hated how slow his growth felt. But there was no shortcut—getting stronger took time.
Before, Mihawk and the Golden Lion had shown them what true power was. Now, Kizaru was showing them what true speed was.
Just like Carl had said—Kizaru's speed was something even Whitebeard struggled to match. And right now, Luffy simply wasn't fast enough.
Still, everyone believed in Luffy.
And Carl should be arriving soon!
"Give it up, Straw Hat Crew! Vice Admiral Hina will send you all to Impel Down!"
A bearded man with a cigar in his mouth dropped from the sky using Moonwalk, aiming a strike at Sanji, who was closest to him. Seeing this, Zoro was about to step in, but suddenly, his instincts flared. His swords, Sandai Kitetsu and Shusui, were already drawn in defense.
Clang!
His blades clashed against not two, but eight swords!
Vice Admiral Onigumo descended, wielding six additional swords using his hair. His blades slashed across Zoro's body, drawing deep wounds. Zoro gritted his teeth, letting out only a low grunt as he quickly retreated.
"Chlorella head!"
Sanji's eyes widened in alarm, but in that moment of distraction, Vice Admiral Hina seized the opportunity. She landed a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him flying.
Both Zoro and Sanji struggled to their feet. Bloodied and battered, they still stood firm.
"Zoro! Sanji!"
Nami, Usopp, and Jango watched anxiously.
Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette, then exhaled slowly. "Nami-san, you, Jango, Usopp, and Luffy—protect the Merry. Don't let those Marine shells sink her. Leave these two Vice Admirals to me and moss head!"
Zoro wordlessly unsheathed Wado Ichimonji, gripping it between his teeth as he took his Three-Sword Style stance.
Seeing their resolve, Nami and the others didn't argue.
With the Marine fleet closing in, they rushed toward the Merry.
But these Vice Admirals were both fearless and highly skilled.
The warship was still far from the port, yet they had dared to advance alone using Moonwalk.
Maybe it was anger—the fury of being tricked by the Straw Hat Pirates.
"You two really think you can handle both of us?"
Onigumo scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Vice Admiral Hina, leave these two to me. You go after the others!"
Hina didn't hesitate, immediately dashing after Nami and the rest.
Zoro and Sanji tried to intercept, but Onigumo's eight blades blocked their path. Forced into battle, they were quickly covered in wounds, struggling against the Vice Admiral's relentless assault.
"As expected of a Marine Vice Admiral… his strength is no joke!" Sanji muttered.
"Oi, love-cook! Work with me—I'll use this pressure to push past my limits!" Zoro said, his voice steady despite the blood dripping from his body.
"Don't die."
"Oh! I won't die until I fulfill my dream!"
With that, Zoro and Sanji charged at Onigumo together.
Zoro led the attack with a 72-Pound Phoenix, but Onigumo easily blocked it with just a few of his swords. Taking the opening, Sanji launched a powerful kick combo.
But Onigumo didn't even flinch. His eight swords spun like a whirlwind, effortlessly deflecting their attacks while continuously landing fresh cuts on both of them. As the battle dragged on, Onigumo started to grow irritated.
"Tch… You two are tougher than I expected! But that's as far as you go!"
His killing intent surged.
Meanwhile, on the Going Merry, Nami and the others had just boarded when Vice Admiral Hina caught up.
Jango immediately hurled a pair of spinning saw blades, but Hina dodged with ease. However, attacking wasn't Jango's real plan—he was setting up for Hypnosis.
"Secret Technique! Hypnosis—Double Ring Strike!"
As the spinning blades returned to Jango's hands, Hina's movements slowed, her eyes dazed.
"Nice one, Jango!" Nami and Usopp cheered.
"Haha! Of course! Who am I? I'm the number one—huh?!?!"
Before Jango could finish his bragging, Hina suddenly shook her head and snapped out of the trance.
His face went pale.
"Oh crap…"
Only now did Jango fully understand what Carl had warned him about—if Hypnosis failed, he had no backup plan.
Hina tilted her head, looking at him curiously. "Impressive. Even I almost got hypnotized."
Jango forced an awkward laugh. "Hehehe… just a small trick!"
"Is now really the time to be embarrassed?!" Nami and Usopp yelled in frustration.
But there weren't many options left. Hina was blocking the port, and the Marine fleet was approaching fast. They were completely trapped.
Why did we even come to Loguetown?!
Carl, where are you?!
With no other choice, Usopp stepped forward.
"Well, well… I never thought I'd have to take on a Vice Admiral so soon. You guys are way too dependent on me, Captain Usopp!"
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