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Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: Life Card Burns, Three People in Doubt

"EMPEROR SWORD: PROMETHEUS CASCADE!"

Big Mom's thunderous voice echoed across the battlefield as she brought Napoleon down in a devastating arc, flames and soul energy swirling around the massive blade.

Faced with the Emperor's overwhelming attack, Kizaru considered attempting to parry—for approximately half a second. His realistic assessment of the situation quickly overrode any notion of standing his ground.

"If I take even one direct hit from that," he thought, "I'll definitely be sent flying farther than Sakazuki was. No, better to get out of the way."

In the fraction of a moment before Big Mom's attack could connect, Kizaru dissolved into particles of light, his Logia abilities allowing him to evade the giant sword completely. Big Mom's blade carved through empty air where he had stood just milliseconds earlier.

This tactical retreat granted Kizaru a perfect vantage point to witness the terrifying destructive power of the Emperor's strike. Though her sword had touched nothing but air, the sheer force of the swing created a pressure wave that sliced through the sea itself, carving a trench several hundred meters long in the water's surface.

Kizaru's eyebrows rose above his tinted glasses as he observed the aftermath. This wasn't even a flying slash technique—the damage had been caused solely by the air pressure generated by her sword's movement.

If the mere wind from her sword can cause such devastation, he thought with a rare moment of genuine concern, I don't even want to imagine what would happen if that blade actually landed on me.

Regret began to settle in. Why had he thought challenging an Emperor to a sword duel was a good idea? So what if Sakazuki had been knocked away? He wasn't dead—in fact, the magma-man was already visible in the distance, using Moon Walk to make his way back to the battlefield.

There's no need for me to risk my life out of some misplaced sense of guilt, Kizaru reasoned. Besides, the government never explicitly ordered us to kill Big Mom. I could just fire lasers from a safe distance until Garp arrives with reinforcements, then call it a day.

In typical fashion, Kizaru's mind rapidly generated excuses to justify a strategic withdrawal. He had already begun contemplating how to frame his retreat as "providing tactical support to other Marine units" when Sakazuki finally returned, landing on a nearby piece of floating wreckage.

The lava Admiral had initially intended to confront Kizaru about the earlier "accident" that had sent him flying into danger. However, having witnessed the exchange of blows between his colleague and Big Mom, Sakazuki's anger was temporarily replaced by strategic calculation.

Despite Kizaru's notorious laziness, the effort he'd displayed in facing Big Mom suggested he was genuinely committed to the fight. This realization delighted Sakazuki, who quickly set aside his grievances in favor of seizing the tactical advantage.

"Borsalino!" he called out, his deep voice carrying across the water. "I'll help you—let's take her down together!"

As he spoke, Sakazuki thrust both fists forward, magma bubbling around his forearms as he prepared to launch a barrage of lava projectiles.

Kizaru's internal reaction was one of stunned disbelief.

Wait, what? You want ME to be the primary attacker while YOU provide support? he thought incredulously. Shouldn't YOU be on the front lines trading blows with this monster? Why am I the one who has to face her directly while you attack from a distance?

Please—I don't have your resilience or raw power!

Despite these internal protests, Kizaru maintained his usual neutral expression, making no move to follow Sakazuki's implied battle plan.

Noticing his colleague's hesitation, Sakazuki frowned and opened his mouth to press the issue.

Before he could speak, however, something unexpected happened. Big Mom, who had been keeping a wary eye on both Admirals, suddenly froze in place. Her expression shifted from battle-ready to shocked as she reached into the folds of her dress, withdrawing a small piece of paper that was rapidly burning away before their eyes.

The paper had already diminished to half its original size, blackened edges crumbling to ash that scattered in the wind.

The Emperor's face contorted with disbelief as she stared at the disintegrating object.

"Kaido? How is this possible?!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of shock and denial.

Her outcry immediately captured the attention of both Admirals.

Sakazuki instantly recognized what she held—a Vivre Card, created through a special technique using a portion of the owner's fingernail. These magical papers represented the life force of their owners and could guide the bearer toward whoever the card was linked to.

Seeing the Vivre Card burning almost completely away, and hearing Big Mom's words, Sakazuki arrived at an unthinkable conclusion. His body tensed involuntarily as his face mirrored the Emperor's expression of shock.

Kizaru reached the same realization simultaneously. The implications were staggering. After his initial surprise, he turned to Sakazuki, seeking confirmation of what seemed impossible.

"Hey, Sakazuki," he drawled, though there was an uncharacteristic edge to his normally lazy tone. "Are you absolutely sure that the only ones facing Kaido were Luffy and his ragtag group of women?"

He paused, then offered an alternative explanation—one that even he didn't find convincing.

"Perhaps Garp was more concerned than we thought and headed there alone? If it was him, it wouldn't be entirely impossible for him to reach Wano using Moon Walk, right?"

Sakazuki finally snapped out of his stunned silence at Kizaru's words. He frowned deeply, shaking his head in firm denial.

"Impossible," he muttered. "Even for that old monster, reaching Wano so quickly would be beyond his capabilities."

His scowl deepened as he considered other possibilities.

"What's really going on here? Could Fleet Admiral Sengoku have withheld information from us? He wouldn't have secretly deployed Kuzan to Wano, would he?"

Kizaru continued searching for any reasonable explanation that might make sense of what they were witnessing.

Neither Admiral considered for a moment that Luffy might be responsible for what had happened to Kaido. It wasn't that they underestimated the young pirate's abilities—both had personally witnessed his formidable strength and acknowledged his potential.

But to their minds, regardless of talent or power, he was still essentially a teenager.

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