"Hehahaha! The seas say Akainu is a monster bull—no matter how many times you hit him, he won't go down. His recovery rivals even awakened Zoan users.
But now, it seems your regeneration is just as monstrous!"
Souta Kiryuu watched Kuzan's aura rapidly recover, unsurprised. After all, this was the same man who once fought Akainu for ten straight days and nights.
Even Kizaru, often scolded by Black Arm Zephyr for neglecting his Haki, was still a monster among the Admirals.
Zephyr's criticisms that Kizaru didn't train Armament Haki enough were only valid compared to the likes of the Four Emperors, the Admirals, or Garp himself. To ordinary Marines and pirates, even Kizaru—supposedly the weakest in Armament—was an overwhelming nightmare.
Kizaru's swordsmanship could clash evenly with Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King. His disciple, Sentomaru, had mastered Armament Haki projection under his casual instruction. How weak could such a man truly be?
Kizaru's preemptive elementalization was sharper than Akainu's or Kuzan's. During the Marineford War, he didn't even dirty his clothes—a testament to his unmatched Observation Haki.
Yes, in raw Armament, he trailed the other Admirals, and his lazy personality drew Zephyr's ire. But among the three Admirals, his Observation Haki was the strongest.
The truth was, the Pika Pika no Mi's immense penetrating and long-range destructive power made close-quarters Armament less necessary. His fruit wasn't naturally compatible with heavy Armament techniques. Even so, Kizaru had mastered external Armament projection flawlessly.
With only his light-based attacks, he could slaughter Supernovas at will—or even slay Zephyr himself, who left the Marines to form the Neo Navy.
"You're the true monster here."
Kuzan stood, brushing sand from his uniform, voice icy.
Recently, the Marines had considered recruiting Whitebeard's so-called "son," Edward Weevil, to replace fallen Warlords. Rumor said he wielded strength rivaling Whitebeard in his youth.
But now, compared to Souta Kiryuu, Weevil seemed laughable. Souta had surpassed even Kaido's might—his strength rivaled or exceeded Whitebeard's titanic power.
If Souta truly intended to hunt down the remaining Warlords, could any of them withstand the onslaught of his crew?
Even the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, would struggle against the united might of Souta's Dragon Crew. And Souta himself could already face Mihawk alone.
"Do me a favor and give my subordinates a proper lesson."
Souta didn't press his attack. Instead, as his words fell, Bartholomew Kuma appeared beside Kuzan in an instant. The towering giant swung his colossal paw straight down.
BOOOOM!
The ground beneath Kuzan collapsed into a crater a hundred meters wide, dust exploding skyward.
"Ararara… another rare breed with monstrous strength."
Through the haze, Kuzan's form reformed from solid ice, his expression grave. Kuma's pressure was even greater than Jozu's, the Diamond-bodied commander of Whitebeard's crew.
This rare Buccaneer survivor wielded power surpassing even that monstrous giant.
The World Government and Marine Headquarters had clearly underestimated Kuma's true combat ability.
With the Paw-Paw Fruit, he'd made Souta's crew untouchable. But beyond teleportation, his raw combat power was terrifying. His single-strike speed and destruction even outstripped Enel's.
"Kehehe! Against one Marine Admiral, we've got this covered!"
"Shadow Box!"
"Shadow Clone!"
Gecko Moria shrieked with manic laughter. Countless black bats surged, engulfing Kuzan. A massive shadow double emerged, wielding giant scissors, stabbing down into the shadowy prison.
BOOM!
But within the box, blackened fists clad in Armament Haki seized the scissors and shattered the construct with a single punch.
"Damn it!"
Moria cursed, his attack utterly useless. His weakness stung bitterly.
"Five Hundred Million Volts: Thunder God!"
"Take this—one of my spears!"
Enel, having steadied himself, unleashed his ultimate form. His body expanded into a thunderous giant over a hundred meters tall, wielding a massive lightning spear. He thrust it at Kuzan with devastating force.
"What terrifying power…"
Kuzan's eyes hardened. The immense spear covered such a vast area he couldn't evade, even with preemptive elementalization. His only choice was to meet it head-on with Armament Haki.
Elementalization couldn't nullify lightning—its heat and paralysis bypassed such defenses.
The spear crashed down. Kuzan, body armored in Armament, was blasted away, carving a massive crater in the desert.
As the dust cleared, ice spread across the sand, and Kuzan reappeared, breath steaming.
"One Admiral alone can't restrain you all… if I stay, I'll just take a pointless beating. I could even fall here."
He studied Souta's crew with narrowed eyes. His calculations were clear: one Admiral wasn't enough. He needed to withdraw and regroup with Garp and Akainu.
"Don't leave yet. Fight a while longer, and I'll tell you something about Saul."
Souta darted ahead, blocking Kuzan's retreat. His Conqueror's Haki surged violently, even halting Kuzan's attempt to escape through elementalization.
"What? How does a young experiment like you know about Saul? Did Nico Robin tell you?"
Kuzan's face tightened. Souta shouldn't know that name. During Ohara's destruction, Souta hadn't even been born.
"Saul isn't dead. If you ever leave the Marines, join us—I'll take you to him."
Souta's smile widened. Behind him, Kuma, Enel, and Moria pressed in, ready to treat Kuzan as the ultimate sparring partner.
Trafalgar Law and Capone Bege joined the assault as well, surrounding the Admiral.
"So you plan to use me as a whetstone?"
Kuzan's expression darkened, the flicker of hope from Saul's name drowned by fury.
"This Haki… I can't move him at all!"
Inside his ROOM, Law tried again and again to swap Kuzan's position with the Ope Ope no Mi—but the Admiral stood immovable, like a mountain.
Law clenched his jaw. He had to know the limits. If he couldn't shift Kuzan, how could he hope to move someone like Doflamingo in Dressrosa?
"Kuzan, relax a little. Before Garp and Akainu arrive, we'll already be gone."
Souta's calm words landed like thunder. He knew of the Marine reinforcements on their way.
Kuzan's face darkened further. For Souta to know their deployment so precisely…
Did the Dragon Crew truly have spies planted among the World Government and Marine Headquarters?
...
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