Staring at the man with the rough stubble who had suddenly appeared, Amon's eyes narrowed.
On the surface he looked calm, but inside his heart was already surging like a stormy sea. If he was not mistaken, this man should be the admiral dispatched from Marine Headquarters, Kizaru, Borsalino.
Kizaru, admiral of Marine Headquarters, user of the Glint-Glint Fruit. In the world of pirates, the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit absolutely ranked in the top five.
As a logia-type Devil Fruit, it was not only unbelievably fast, it also granted full elementalization. Unless one possessed Armament Haki, seastone, or the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, it was almost impossible to hurt him.
Sure enough, what had to come still came. After punching a Celestial Dragon, it was inevitable that an admiral from Marine Headquarters would personally appear to "maintain order."
Yet Amon did not feel the slightest fear because of the admiral's arrival. Instead, he felt a faint excitement rising.
Ever since he had drawn that Level 8 martial arts technique last time, Amon had been itching to find a proper opponent to test its power.
It was just that along the way, all he kept running into were small fries and trash. Now he had finally met a true powerhouse. Of course he had to give this power a proper test.
...
Ahead of him, after descending, Kizaru did not rush to make a move. He glanced lazily over the rubble and wreckage Amon had created, curled his lips in mild distaste, then pulled out a black Den Den Mushi from his hand.
"Oh, hello, Sengoku? This is Kizaru. I have already arrived in the East Blue, and I have already located the target. Awaiting instructions."
"Hello? Hmm, looks like I picked up the wrong transponder snail again."
Kizaru stared at the silent black Den Den Mushi with that infuriating face of his, then finally realized he had grabbed the wrong one.
He continued, as if no one else existed, reaching into his clothes and casually taking out another Den Den Mushi, leisurely dialing again.
On the ship, the chefs of Baratie were all staring at Kizaru who had appeared out of nowhere. When they saw the coat hanging from his shoulders, the one with the character for "Justice" on the back, their expressions became even more panicked.
Most of the people here had once been pirates. They had a natural fear of the Marines, and this time, the one who had come was even an admiral of Marine Headquarters, Kizaru.
That made them all the more terrified. They wanted to slip away, but since the other side had not spoken, they did not dare to move recklessly.
"Oh, hello, Sengoku? This is Admiral Kizaru. I have arrived in the East Blue and have already confirmed the target. Please advise~"
After taking out yet another Den Den Mushi, Kizaru simply repeated his previous words.
"Oh, such a scary man has to be captured alive? What a troublesome assignment."
Kizaru twisted his already punchable face, putting on an exaggerated expression of annoyance.
...
In the distance, watching Kizaru act like no one else was around, that lazy, mocking demeanor on full display, Amon's lips twitched. This guy really was exactly the same as in the anime.
No matter what he did, he had that unhurried, lazy attitude. That perpetual look of bored contempt on his face just begged for a beating.
However, Amon did not underestimate him because of his appearance. As a hardcore fan of the series, Amon knew very clearly how strong Kizaru actually was.
Back then on Sabaody Archipelago, this bastard kept saying "how scary, how scary," but his feet were anything but honest. Every kick sent a Supernova flying.
He had directly kicked the high-spirited Straw Hat Pirates, who were ready to charge into the New World and make a name for themselves, into utter despair.
That was the first time since setting sail that Luffy truly felt powerless, the first time he realized that there was a towering wall between him and the New World that he could not simply punch through.
It was also the moment when they first truly understood the gap between themselves and a Marine admiral.
Precisely because of that, Luffy later decided to train under Dark King Rayleigh, and let his crewmates train for two whole years before setting out again.
Because they understood that with their strength at the time, stepping into the New World would be nothing but suicide.
After that, every time Kizaru made a move, his performance was extraordinary. Whether it was during the war at Marineford or when he crossed blades with Silvers Rayleigh, he always looked like he was just fooling around, as if everything was a game.
Even so, the power he casually displayed was enough to leave countless people stunned.
Facing such a terrifying figure, Amon did not dare to be careless in the slightest.
...
While Amon was recalling Kizaru's record, the admiral finished his call. After stowing away the Den Den Mushi, he looked toward Amon with clear interest in his eyes.
"Oh, so you are called Amon, right? I heard you punched a Celestial Dragon back in the Goa Kingdom."
"I have long heard that the Marines are nothing but lapdogs for the Celestial Dragons. As long as someone provokes those so-called nobles, an admiral from Marine Headquarters will personally come running. I thought it was only a rumor. I did not expect it to be true after all. What a disappointment."
Amon stared at Kizaru's face and mocked him mercilessly.
"Oh, the Celestial Dragons are the World Nobles. Marine Headquarters is the executive arm of the World Government. Of course we must protect the noble status of the Celestial Dragons in this world."
Kizaru did not get angry at Amon's words. He had heard things like this far too many times.
"In that case, there is no need for more nonsense. I am very interested in witnessing the strongest combat force of Marine Headquarters. Do not let me down."
As Amon spoke, the aura around him surged once again. A moment ago he had still seemed relaxed and calm, but the instant his words fell, an invisible, majestic pressure erupted from him like a tidal wave.
Although Amon did not make any extra movement, this invisible aura alone made everyone present feel a heavy, indescribable weight settle in their hearts.
"Such a frightening presence. This really is a troublesome assignment."
Standing opposite Amon, Kizaru felt that invisible, overwhelming aura pressing down on him. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the carefree expression he wore before finally grew a shade more serious.
As his last word fell, Kizaru's figure flickered and vanished from where he had stood.
The next second, whoosh.
A faint tearing sound of air rang out. Kizaru's body reappeared before Amon like a ghost, his right leg wrapped in golden light as it whipped toward Amon in a vicious kick.
Before Kizaru's foot even arrived, a razor-sharp pressure had already slashed toward Amon's body.
This move was Kizaru's signature technique, the Light Speed Kick.
The moment Kizaru moved, Amon moved as well.
Kizaru's speed was fast, unimaginably fast, but Amon possessed mid-level Observation Haki. Under the expanding field of his Haki, Kizaru's attack route was already laid bare in his mind.
Watching Kizaru's leg swing in, Amon did not move at all at first. He stood calmly in place, and it was only when that glowing foot was about to reach him that his own leg suddenly shot up, cleaving through the air with the roar of wind and thunder, slamming toward Kizaru's Light Speed Kick. His speed was even three points faster than Kizaru's.
Under the coating of Armament Haki, Amon's leg turned a deep, metallic purple-black.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, the gold-gleaming leg and the purple-black leg smashed together.
Boom!
As the two forces collided, a destructive shockwave erupted from the point of impact, sweeping out in all directions. The wrecked ships nearby were instantly blasted apart, reduced to drifting fragments.
Fortunately, everyone was standing on Amon's ship. Its defensive power was astonishing. Faced with such a terrifying shockwave, there was not a single crack in its hull. The little ship simply rocked a few times with the waves of force, as if it, too, was calmly watching the clash of an admiral and a monster.