Just as Rojen was thinking, the overhead illumination across Marine Headquarters suddenly surged to full, blinding power.
It was still broad daylight, yet a streak of pure, flowing light instantly ripped through the sky. It flared into dazzling brilliance, like a miniature sun bursting into existence, radiating both blinding light and searing heat that caused the air temperature to spike.
"Good thing I made it in time!" A lazy voice called out.
At that very moment, the figure in the sky loosened his grip, and a different voice, stern and thundering, crashed down from above.
"Dai Funka!"
A harsh, icy command spread outward, and in the blink of an eye, the temperature skyrocketed once more.
Scorching magma erupted from the hands of the figure who had landed, shooting up into the high altitude like a meteor. It solidified into an immense, fist-shaped mass that collided directly with the cluster of pirate ships hovering in the sky.
Boom!
With a violent explosion, five pirate ships detonated simultaneously. The pirates' faces twisted in panic as screams echoed. Vast sheets of flame rained down from the air, crashing onto the ground and burning fiercely. In moments, the sky above Marine Headquarters became a chaotic canvas of blood and fire.
The figure who had just landed remained crouched, his right fist pressed into the earth, as he slowly lifted his head.
As the molten flames clinging to his body gradually subsided, a burly silhouette was revealed: a Marine cap, the coat of Justice billowing behind him, and a stern, square, rugged face. There was no mistaking him. This was a Marine.
"Pirates who defy justice deserve death!"
Even while looking up at the sky, this Marine gave the impression that he was looking down upon everything. It was an innate sense of cold, imposing authority, grim, yet upright and utterly dignified.
It was Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral, Sakazuki.
Though currently a Rear Admiral, he possessed the combat strength of an Admiral, with a promotion to the highest rank imminent.
Sakazuki's arrival instantly silenced the battlefield, ushering in an immense shift in the entire situation.
Just as his punch was thrown, a mighty voice echoed from the figure glowing with golden light in the sky above.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
In an instant, countless light bullets materialized, filling the air and surging forward like a torrent.
"Hong! Hong! Hong!"
The dense barrage struck the remaining Flying Pirate ships in a flash, once again triggering chaos and desperate screams.
When the light bullets had all detonated, the figure of Kizaru was revealed in the air.
Marine Headquarters Admiral, Borsalino, code name: Kizaru!
The arrival of another Admiral sent a wave of exhilaration through the Marines, while the pirates' expressions grew instantly grim.
On the high platform, Kong, who had already stood up in alarm, slowly settled back down. Sengoku also let out a secret sigh of relief. If these top-tier combatants hadn't arrived, he truly wouldn't have known how to handle the situation.
Now, only Garp and Kuzan remained absent.
The battlefield fell into an uneasy hush with the arrival of two Admiral-level Marine forces. But Kizaru did not stop moving. He turned, his gaze locking directly onto the figure soaring into the sky toward the southeast.
"Rojen!"
Kizaru's pupils contracted, turning cold.
"Yata no Kagami!"
Between his hands, a mirror of golden light rapidly formed. In the next moment, it refracted again and again, creating a straight path of light leading directly to Rojen's position.
Kizaru's figure vanished, instantly transmitting along the beam of light.
In a terrifying blink, dazzling golden light erupted directly in front of Rojen.
Seeing that blinding radiance, Rojen instantly understood what was happening, and his expression changed drastically.
"Kizaru!"
"Lightspeed Kick!"
From within the golden light came a calm, indifferent voice. Just as Rojen managed to raise the Seven Stars blade to block, an incomparably massive force slammed violently into the weapon.
Boom!
Rojen was kicked straight out of the sky like a cannonball.
After his initial trajectory, he smashed through thirteen successive Marine buildings before finally being buried beneath a mountain of rubble.
Only then did Kizaru's radiant, golden-light form reappear in the air.
"It's Admiral Kizaru, excellent!" The Marines cheered in delight. That pirate was impossibly strong to them, yet in front of Kizaru, he seemed utterly insufficient.
Beneath the ruins, Rojen lay pinned under rocks and earth, feeling a trace of profound helplessness.
"As expected… it's still not enough!"
Even after achieving his current level of power, compared to Kizaru, he was still far too inferior in overall strength. This wasn't a gap in just one aspect, either; he lagged far behind Kizaru in every category.
Unlike Zephyr, Kizaru was a pure Devil Fruit master. He also certainly possessed Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), the fundamental Marine combat techniques, and the accumulated experience of countless battles.
Speed, brute strength, reaction time, experience… across all these aspects, Rojen was vastly outmatched.
With just one strike, he had been instantly defeated!
Yes, facing the terrifying speed of the Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit), he didn't even have the chance to activate Tsukuyomi. Even the 0.2 seconds predicted by the Prediction-Prediction Fruit had become utterly meaningless. What use was seeing the attack if he couldn't dodge it?
Under that single blow, his body was covered in deep abrasions, three ribs were broken, the bone joint in his left arm was dislocated, and both legs had completely lost all sensation.
This was the power of an Admiral-class fighter. After their previous encounter, Kizaru's strength had surged, and one kick from him was now devastating.
"Speed is weight," Kizaru stated calmly from the air.
He extended his right index finger and pointed forward. Against an enemy like Rojen, he would not show the slightest contempt.
"Laser Ray."
A thin golden line rapidly stretched out, shooting toward the ruins beneath which Rojen lay.
At the very moment Kizaru pointed his finger, Rojen, buried beneath the rubble, also realized that against Kizaru, he stood absolutely no chance in his current state.
"System, spend 600 million to summon."
The mysterious power within him responded instantly. An immense roulette wheel appeared, and from it stepped a figure dressed in black, holding a pitch-black great blade, with distinctive orange-yellow hair. The figure instantly merged into Rojen's body.
When Rojen recognized who had entered him, a faint smile blossomed at the corner of his lips.
"My luck… seems pretty good!"
At the same moment, a streak of golden light slammed into the rubble above his position.
Hong… Long… Long…!
A massive explosion erupted instantly, spreading outward in all directions. Layer after layer of rocks and dust pressing down on Rojen began to melt away under the high temperature formed by the blazing golden light.
The power of the Laser Ray was terrifying, seeming capable of melting anything it touched!
Very soon, that golden, melting force reached the space directly above Rojen; only a thin layer of debris remained between them.
Lying there, Rojen's fingers twitched slightly. Under the transformation of a mysterious, potent power, his body began to recover rapidly.
Pitch-black clothing replaced his original attire, and at some unknown moment, a jet-black long blade appeared in his right hand—broad like a guillotine, overwhelmingly heavy.
Golden light flooded in, already surging into Rojen's eyes.
Suddenly, he moved.
Still flat on the ground, he slid parallel across the surface, and then vanished in an instant.
(End Of This Chapter)
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New Novels- 1. One Piece- Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki!
2. One Piece- Master Of Devil Fruits
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