"Flour, seasonings... yep, take 'em, i take 'em all!"
...
Kizaru's face was so dark it looked like it was about to blow up.
He was silently doing the math in his head.
If the old geezers at the top got word of a pirate so blantanly using his signature abilities, he'd be buried in paperwork for months.
By the time they were done with him, his long-awaited vacation would go up in smoke, and they'd probably slash his current salary in half just for the insult.
The thought was seriously killing his vibe.
His gaze shifted to Jozu, and a hot flash of fury surged through him.
He wanted nothing more than to charge forward and slice the arrogant punk in two.
However, the towering figure of Whitebeard stood in his way, exuding an aura of such absolute intimidation that Kizaru was forced to keep himself in check.
He eyed the Yonko cautiously.
"Whitebeard, where in the hell did you pop out from?"
"Gurararara! Borsalino, you really think I'd tell you?" Whitebeard looked at Kizaru as if he were a complete idiot.
"..."
Kizaru slowly drew the Ama no Murakumo sword from his palm again, its blade of light gleaming.
A trace of mockery flickered in his eyes. "If your commander wants to take supplies, he can take as much as he wants. I doubt one man can carry very much. Ooh, what a terrifying pirate, underestimating the Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters like this."
Whitebeard just watched him with amusement, completely unfazed by the taunt.
"'Take as much as he want?'" he repeated Kizaru's words, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, since you're being so generous, I've changed my mind. I'll just go easy on you."
"???" Kizaru was completely baffled, still trying to process Whitebeard's words when the Emperor struck.
Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki erupted.
The once-clear sky instantly darkened as ominous clouds boiled overhead.
Streaks of crimson-black lightning tore through the sky, and the entire battlefield was enveloped in an oppressive, suffocating atmosphere.
Nature itself seemed to tremble in the face of his wrath.
In that moment, Kizaru felt an overwhelming pressure crash down on him.
He looked up to see Whitebeard's figure, crackling with lightning, descending on him like a god of wrath.
Gripping his naginata with both hands, Whitebeard swung it down with earth-shattering force.
"Divine Wrath!" he roared, his voice deafening.
Kizaru's expression twisted in alarm.
"This old fossil is opening with an ultimate attack?!"
Knowing he couldn't hesitate, he hastily raised his own light sword and slashed upward.
Even though it was made of light, Whitebeard's naginata was coated in Haki, allowing it to hit his real body.
BOOM!
The two colossal forces collided.
In a single exchange, Kizaru was blasted backward, stumbling a dozen steps and nearly losing his balance.
A numbing sensation shot up his entire arm, and he hissed in a sharp breath.
"Whitebeard... you've gotten stronger..." Kizaru's face darkened, unwilling to accept it.
But the persistent numbness in his arm was a cold, hard dose of reality.
"Gurararara! No, Borsalino. You've just gotten weaker."
Whitebeard stared at Kizaru, his eyes burning with battle intent, and pressed his attack, forcing the Admiral back step by agonizing step.
The surrounding Marines watched, their hearts clenching in their chests.
"I thought Whitebeard was some old geezer hooked up to an IV! He looks healthier than me!" one exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"IV drip my ass!" another retorted, his voice full of awe.
"He's a three-fruit user! What the hell would he need a drip for?!"
They were all realizing it at once.
Not only was Whitebeard not sick, but his strength far exceeded even the most terrifying rumors.
"We're so screwed... I didn't believe the rumors, but they were true!" someone sighed, his voice full of dread.
"Even Admiral Kizaru is no match for him? This is a nightmare!"
"Why hasn't Vice Admiral Momonga come out yet? Did something happen?"
"No way, he went to stop that Jozu guy. He must have succeeded..."
They listened intently for any sound from the warship, but there was nothing.
The air grew thick with tension.
Just as they were about to rush in, a streak of golden light shot out from the ship's interior.
It was Jozu.
He looked absolutely thrilled, with a grin stretching from ear to ear.
He casually rubbed the ring on his finger and spoke in a light, teasing tone that carried across the water.
"Momonga, don't bother resisting. Just think about how much the Marines are gonna have to pay to ransom you."
Then, Jozu looked over and saw his Pops forcing Kizaru into a desperate retreat.
He burst into laughter and cheered loudly.
"Pops! Ron says 'Kizaru's' running low on stock!"
No sooner had he spoken than he transformed back into a streak of golden light, darting toward the next warship to continue his shopping spree.
Mid-air, Kizaru shuddered at Jozu's words.
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Low on stock?!
The next moment, he understood.
Whitebeard's attacks became even more ferocious, even sharper.
The overwhelming pressure seemed to be everywhere at once, leaving him no room to escape.
A single moment of carelessness was all it took.
A slash cut deep into his thigh.
Blood sprayed into the air like a crimson flower.
'Oh, what a terrifying old man' Kizaru thought, gritting his teeth against the searing pain.
Just then, as his blood arced through the air, Whitebeard instantly produced a large, empty barrel and charged forward, wreathed in lightning.
With impossible speed, he deftly caught every single falling drop of blood in the barrel, not wasting a single precious sample.
The moment he saw Whitebeard charging, Kizaru had already begun to flee.
But when he realized the Emperor was only after his blood, his face somehow darkened even further.
He was worth less than his own blood!
The thought lingered on his mind, a humiliation like he'd never felt before.
But it was precisely that humiliation that bought him a precious second to escape Whitebeard's relentless assault.
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