Chapter 213: Golden Flash

A few hours ago.

In a stretch of sea along the Grand Line, several warships pressed straight ahead, racing toward Alabasta at full speed.

"No matter how you put it, having a Warlord of the Sea detained outright is a bit of a tall order for an old man like me~"

"The World Government side won't be easy to answer to~"

"Besides, those fellows — every last one of them is wild and unruly, and on top of that, they're strong as monsters."

Kizaru sat on the deck, looking at the Den Den Mushi on his wrist, his whole face scrunched into a helpless grimace.

"Ah lah lah~"

From the other end of the line came Aokiji's languid voice:

"This is the old man's request."

"You know that."

"Lately the atmosphere at Marine Headquarters has been getting stranger and stranger, because of the conflict between Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the old man."

"If it isn't resolved, something big will happen sooner or later — I have that premonition."

Kizaru fell silent at once. He raised a hand and pushed up his glasses, and what met his eyes were a few new recruits who had just graduated from the Marine officer academy.

They were meticulously inspecting the warship's weapons and emergency equipment — a state utterly unlike the lazy, easygoing old-timers standing off to one side.

But that earnestness, so plainly green, left Kizaru momentarily wistful, and he sighed:

"Back when I first graduated, I was just like these rookies — serious, responsible—!"

"Cut the crap."

Aokiji didn't hesitate to puncture Kizaru's lie:

"Even if we weren't in the same class, the legend of skipping nine out of ten classes, still acing every exam, and making the old man cough up blood — ask anyone who graduated from the officer academy, who hasn't heard of it?"

"You really don't leave me a shred of face!"

Kizaru shook his head, but his heart softened at that moment:

"I'll give it a try on this one. No guarantees, though — after all, the opponent is that monster rookie, terrifyingly strong~"

"Ah lah~ thanks, next time I'm back I'll treat you to a drink."

"Maa maa~ while you're at it, when are you going to have a talk with Sakazuki—"

"Moshi moshi?"

"He hung up?"

Kizaru looked at the Den Den Mushi that had closed its eyes and withdrawn into its shell, and a rare flicker of worry crossed his gaze:

"The problem between you and Sakazuki — if that isn't resolved, it's what will truly threaten the future of the Marines."

"Admiral Borsalino!"

Suddenly, a slightly flustered voice rang out from a distant cabin.

"CP has suddenly sent back intel — a civil war has broken out in Alabasta, likely the work of Crocodile."

"Now dozens of towns, including the capital Alubarna, have already been dragged into the fighting."

"If this isn't dealt with in time, the consequences will be extremely severe."

Kizaru raised a hand, took a few documents from the messenger, and after a cursory glance, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes:

"First Jin Shizi shows up, now Crocodile sparks a civil war in Alabasta…"

"That fellow really knows how to stir up trouble — how could someone like him have caught the old man's attention?"

Kizaru reached up and scratched his head, then turned to look at the subordinate beside him and said lightly:

"What a hassle~"

"By the time this warship reaches Alabasta, it'll probably be far too late."

"Leave things here to you — I'm off to Alabasta first!"

The words had barely fallen.

Kizaru reached into his coat and drew out an Eternal Log Pose. After confirming the direction of Alabasta, in an instant he became a blinding streak of golden light and vanished at the edge of the horizon.

On the deck.

The new recruits stared at the empty space before them, momentarily at a loss.

"Admiral Borsalino, he…"

A veteran with a casual air — clearly having inherited a good deal of Kizaru's style — clapped him on the shoulder and said:

"You'll get used to it."

"After all, Admiral Borsalino is the fastest man in the world!"

……

……

……

Several hours later.

Amid a skyful of yellow sand.

Kizaru's figure slowly took shape within the windblown dust, and he regarded the pale-faced Crocodile in the distance with calm composure:

"So this is what they call… a Warlord of the Sea?"

"Taking this kind of heavy damage and still being able to move freely — truly… the monster I expected."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Crocodile's face had turned ugly beyond measure.

He had assumed that, with the delay bought by that last move, shaking off Xiang Gaowen would be the easiest thing in the world — yet what awaited him ahead was Kizaru.

One of the three Admirals, the Marines' peak fighting force — his strength was unquestionably above Xiang Gaowen's, and even the Jin Shizi, now in his twilight years with both qi and blood in decline, would likely be no match for this man.

Facing such an enemy, Crocodile hesitated not a whit; only one thought occupied his mind.

Flee!

Only by fleeing could he have a chance to make a comeback, a chance to take Whitebeard's head, a chance to seize the illusory throne...

Or even to build an utopia!

After all, that fellow Mr. 1 had a keen interest in such boring matters!

The next instant.

Sand and wind surged up again around him, turning pitch-black due to the Armament Haki clinging to them, shrouding the surroundings.

So much so that beneath the scorching sun, the sky around turned gloomy in that very moment!

"Hmm?"

Kizaru hummed in puzzlement, looking up only to discover that Crocodile had long vanished from the distance, while the sky-filling yellow sand around him suddenly swept forth...

"Whether it's Armament Haki or the degree of development of his abilities, both are far stronger than the intelligence obtained within the Navy~"

"Even after twenty years, his combat strength has not declined much, has it?"

"Ko~wa~i~ne~"

The endless sand and wind passed through Kizaru's body, yet no sound of striking solid matter emerged.

Armament Haki can strike the real body of a Logia user, but the user can also evade by elementalizing in advance.

Just like Kizaru at this moment.

He pushed up his glasses with his hand, fixed his gaze on the sprinting Crocodile in the distance, and said mockingly:

"Have you ever felt the weight of light?"

As soon as the words landed.

Kizaru placed both hands before his chest, aiming directly at Crocodile's position in the distance; the latter only had time to turn his head back before a beam of golden light already struck:

"Yata no Kagami!"

By the time that lazy voice reached Crocodile's ears, the kick accelerated to extreme speed by the Glint-Glint Fruit had already precisely hit Crocodile's chest.

Even though his Observation Haki had sensed Kizaru's attack in advance, his weakened body could not make the slightest reaction.

Fast!

A speed surpassing naked-eye perception, even transcending the perception of Observation Haki!

Even... a speed surpassing that monster!

Boom!

The instant this thought flashed through Crocodile's mind, his body was already like a cannonball, smashing into the desert below.

Sand and dust filled the sky, only to be blown away by the wind and sand in the next instant.

Crocodile lay flat at the bottom of the sand pit, blood overflowing from his mouth and nose, unconscious.

"Having suffered such severe injuries, yet still retaining such combat strength, truly a monster~"

Kizaru's posture was relaxed, and not a trace of change appeared on his face.

The wind and sand gradually rose.

Yet Kizaru's gaze fell upon the distance.

For a figure with wings growing from its back and its body covered in a layer of fine dragon scales came whistling forth from afar.

"Ara~"

"I didn't expect to meet here a Zoan type even rarer than a Logia..."

"A Mythical Zoan!"

Accompanying Kizaru's sigh, Xiang Gaowen's figure slammed onto the ground; he glanced at the unconscious Crocodile in the sand pit, then looked at Kizaru in the distance, instantly understanding what had happened.

For a moment.

Even a hint of pity appeared in Xiang Gaowen's eyes as he looked at Crocodile:

"It seems you no longer have a chance to make a comeback."

Only then did he raise his head to look at Kizaru.

Sensing the aura on the latter, an aura no weaker than, and even surpassing, that of the now frail and aging Jin Shizi, Xiang Gaowen stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

If I fight this fellow, how much will my Conqueror's Haki grow?

Six thousand, seven thousand, or... even more?

"Hey, hey, hey~"

"Don't look at me with such a dangerous gaze!"

Kizaru murmured, lowering his eyes to look at Xiang Gaowen.

Dazzling golden light shone forth, completely hiding Kizaru's eyes behind his glasses.

Even though it was their first meeting, even though the face before him did not match the face on the wanted poster.

Yet in that instant, he understood: the man before him was indeed the knight Xiang Gaowen who had caused such a tremendous change in Zephyr.

Kizaru remained outwardly calm, his posture languid:

"Young man over there, could you explain to me what is going on?"

"As one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, engaging in unauthorized internal strife is a violation of the World Government's regulations."

"Even you will not become an exception."

Sensing the dangerous aura emanating from Kizaru's entire body, Xiang Gaowen indifferently sheathed Guanshi Zhengzong.

Zing!

The sound of the blade grinding against the scabbard seemed exceptionally ear-piercing at this moment.

"Crocodile was secretly plotting to overthrow the regime of Alabasta; I was hired by Princess Vivi of Alabasta to assist in handling this matter."

"Is that so?"

Kizaru tilted his head, a playful smile curling across his face:

"The intelligence I received doesn't seem to say that."

"Knight Xiang Gaowen of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, captured Princess Vivi of Alabasta, and used her to demand compensation from Alabasta's royal family, Cobra."

"Seven Warlords of the Sea Crocodile, in order to rescue Princess Vivi, fought a great battle against you at the rapeseed-blossom port…"

"It even drew out that monster, Jin Shizi!"

Xiang Gaowen's brow furrowed.

He knew that, with the Navy's intelligence apparatus, an error like this was absolutely impossible.

Even if Gabra and the others had sent back intelligence from Alabasta, it shouldn't have been this kind of information—after all, they had no reason to sabotage themselves.

Which meant…

"It was aimed at me?"

"Don't put it so harshly~"

Before the sound of Kizaru's voice had even faded, the long blade in Xiang Gaowen's hand had already slashed into his body.

The terrifying speed that erupted in an instant startled even Kizaru's heart for a moment.

As the oldest of the Navy's three current Admirals, Kizaru had crossed blades with countless powerful figures, and had even personally lived through the era when the three legends contended for supremacy.

But those who could push speed to such a level through sheer physical body alone—he had seen no more than a handful in his entire life!

Swish!

The Guanshi Zhengzong swept past Kizaru's body; Xiang Gaowen felt not the slightest sense of having struck solid matter. He turned his head back, only to discover that Kizaru's figure had, at some unknown moment, already reached the distance.

Hum—!

Accompanied by a piercing noise, a golden beam of light condensed in Kizaru's hand, transforming into a longsword—fierce to the extreme, yet brimming with a strange, domineering aura.

But when Kizaru opened his mouth, his voice carried utter helplessness:

"Although I don't much want to fight a monster like you, and my relationship with the old man isn't all that great either."

"But…"

"Could I trouble you to stay here and assist me with the investigation?"

"Otherwise, whether it's the World Government side or the old man, neither will be easy to answer to~"

Battle intent rose in Xiang Gaowen's eyes.

He did not know what Kizaru's purpose was, but what he did know was that staying here held no benefit for him whatsoever.

Once the follow-up Navy forces entered the fray, should they choose to move against him, things would become difficult then.

Moreover, to enhance Conqueror's Haki, one relies more on tempering one's own will; the corresponding 'leeks' to be found are still nowhere in sight, so it would be better to rely on himself!

"Fight first, talk later!"

Boom!

The sand beneath Xiang Gaowen's feet exploded in an instant, and his figure vanished directly into the air.

Soru, Shigan, plus the exaggerated boost the Magma Form gave to his physique—Xiang Gaowen's speed had now reached a level even he himself could not comprehend!

He did not know exactly how fast it was, but what he did know was that, in the previous battles, by the time the sound of the eruption reached his own ears, the blade had already cleaved the opponent in two.

But this time…

Clang!

A laser longsword abruptly parried Xiang Gaowen's slash.

Kizaru steadily absorbed the impact of the Soru eruption, not even retreating a single step!

"This kind of speed…"

"ko~wa~i~ne~"

Kizaru's expression remained as unserious as ever, but in his heart he was already half-convinced.

If the Zephyr of back then had faced the Xiang Gaowen before him—no, he wouldn't even need to reach Xiang Gaowen's current combat power; even half of it would have been enough to crush the Zephyr of that time, whose body and mind were both failing.

But…

"Come to think of it, you're quite unlucky."

"If it had been Kuzan or Sakazuki who came, you could have escaped on speed alone, but as luck would have it, your opponent… is me!"

Kizaru's playful, languid voice vanished; his footstep shifted back slightly, and under the augmentation of his Glint-Glint powers, he shot toward Xiang Gaowen!

Swish!

The light sword swept past Xiang Gaowen's face, grazing the dragon scales and sending a shower of sparks flying.

It also drew a cold sweat from Xiang Gaowen.

In the more than a year since transmigrating, Xiang Gaowen had crossed blades with a total of three legendary—or rather, Emperor-level—powerful figures.

If Hawk-Eye's sword force was sharp and fierce, carrying the momentum to cut down everything before him, one blade breaking ten thousand laws.

Jin Shizi was domineering and violent, centered on the Float-Float Fruit, at every turn stirring anomalies in the heavens, his techniques further displaying absolute control.

Then what Kizaru wielded was absolute speed—speed beyond imagination, speed that stood above all living things!

This was also the first time in battle, apart from his initial encounter with Xiang Keluo, that Xiang Gaowen had been directly overwhelmed in speed by someone.

"So this is… an Admiral?"

"Interesting!"

Xiang Gaowen's lips curled.

If at the very beginning he had only suspected it, then now he was absolutely certain—Kizaru was stronger than Jin Shizi had been back then!

Then how much of a boost to Conqueror's Haki could he bring me?

As he pondered.

Xiang Gaowen's body crackled with sparks; the Huang Yuan's strikes landed repeatedly on Xiang Gaowen's form, yet could not breach the battle armor's defense.

"Ah, my~"

"More troublesome than I imagined~"

"Looks like I'll have to put a bit more force into it."

(End of this chapter)