"Is this what you care about now? Your husband is about to face an Admiral, and you're worried about the streets?"
Kaito sighed silently. For a brief moment, he didn't know how to respond. Still, he could only force a small smile, trying to mask his frustration. "Alright… I'll take this red dog to a deserted island nearby," he said, his voice calm but resolute.
"Good. Kaito-kun, teach that fool a lesson for disturbing our shopping," Kaguya replied coldly, her eyes briefly sweeping over Akainu before her form dissolved into a vortex, merging back into Kaito's body.
Akainu froze, eyes narrowing. With all his battle experience, he hadn't even noticed how she vanished. "That woman… who's she?" he muttered, his tone uneasy.
Kaito didn't care what the Marine thought. He spread his senses outward, Observation Haki pulsing like an invisible wave. His awareness stretched far and wide—one kilometer, ten, a hundred, until his perception reached distant islands scattered across the open sea.
He found one—uninhabited and strong enough to withstand their battle. "This place isn't suitable for fighting," he said coolly, rising into the air, his chakra flickering like a storm. "Follow me."
Akainu didn't hesitate, leaping into the sky using Geppo to pursue him. From afar, Momousagi and her companions noticed and quickly followed, while on the shores of Water 7, Iceberg arrived with Kalifa in tow.
"Captain Penn! I heard Admiral Akainu is here! I came to greet him personally!" Iceberg said between gasps, his face red from the run.
Penn gave him a polite smile. "You're a bit late, Iceberg-san. Admiral Akainu and the others have already departed."
"What a pity," Iceberg sighed, visibly disappointed.
Penn nodded briefly and turned toward the port with his Marines, ending the brief encounter as abruptly as it began.
Meanwhile, aboard a distant ship, Kid and Hawkins watched the horizon.
"There's no way that fight ended so easily," Kid muttered.
Hawkins nodded. "Agreed. Let's find out where they're really clashing."
Far from the city, Kaito landed on a barren island, the air humming with power. Akainu descended moments later, his molten aura distorting the air around him. The two locked eyes, and for an instant, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Without warning, Akainu moved first. Lava surged across his body, glowing red and hot enough to melt stone. In the next heartbeat, it twisted into the shape of a snarling hound.
"Hellhound Bite!" he roared, launching the molten beast forward.
The searing creature lunged, jaws wide, rushing toward Kaito like a blazing comet.
Kaito didn't flinch. His fist darkened with Armament Haki, pure black energy gathering until it hummed with destructive force. With a single, precise strike, he met the lava hound head-on.
BOOM!
The resulting shockwave shattered the air. The fiery beast disintegrated instantly, flames scattering like sparks in a storm.
A blinding white beam of energy burst from Kaito's fist, racing upward toward Akainu.
Akainu's eyes narrowed. Then he growled. "Then try this, Great Eruption!"
His massive arm ignited as he hurled a colossal lava fist downward, clashing with the white beam midair. The explosion rocked the sky. Heat and force tore through the air like a hurricane. Akainu's molten attack shattered against the beam's energy, forcing him to retreat instantly with a burst of speed using Soru.
The beam carved through the clouds before fading into the heavens.
Kaito's eyes glowed faintly as his Observation Haki traced Akainu's movements through the air. The moment Akainu reappeared, Kaito was already behind him, space distorting for a fraction of a second as he stepped through reality itself.
Akainu reacted on instinct, arm turning metallic as he swung around with a hardened punch. Their fists collided with a thunderous crack, shockwaves splitting the air.
Kaito caught Akainu's hand effortlessly, his other palm slamming against the Admiral's chest. "Shinra Tensei."
The repulsive force exploded outward.
Akainu was hurled from the sky like a meteor, crashing into the ground with earth-shattering force. The impact left a crater so vast the island trembled, debris shooting into the sky.
Moments later, Akainu burst from the pit, magma dripping from his fists, eyes blazing with fury. "I'll bring you down, for justice!" he bellowed. "Meteor Volcano!"
His fists erupted, releasing molten spheres into the air. Two blazing suns formed overhead, turning the sky crimson and choking it with heat. The sulfur stung the air, and the ground began to melt.
With a cruel smile, Akainu brought his hands down. "Let's see you survive this!"
The twin suns detonated, releasing a torrential rain of molten fists that descended upon the island.
Momousagi and the others immediately leapt into the sky, retreating with Geppo before the storm hit. Kaito, standing alone in the heart of the bombardment, exhaled slowly.
"So this is how you want to play it," he murmured.
He raised his hand, and from the swirling chakra behind him, black orbs materialized—Truth-Seeking Balls reshaped into a solid sphere of defense. They expanded and merged, forming a dome-like barrier that surrounded him completely.
The lava storm struck a second later.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Each impact echoed like thunder, but the black barrier held firm, untouched by molten fire or shockwaves. Inside, Kaito stood motionless, his gaze calm and unwavering.
No matter how much destruction rained from above, not a single attack could pierce the shield born from his will and mastery.
______
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