Bang!
Boom!
After unleashing dozens of lightning bolts, the ink-black cloud in the sky was gradually dissipating. Everyone stared toward Kizaru, but billowing smoke had swallowed the entire area and blocked their view.
Gulp.
"D-did we get him?" Usopp forced down his nerves and swallowed hard. He turned to his crewmates, only to find Luffy and the others grim-faced and tense. Putting on a strained smile, he said, "We must have beaten him, right? After an attack like that, we had to."
Usopp looked around for someone to agree with him. His smile was so forced it looked more like a grimace. He seemed to be trying to convince himself to hope for the best. But that was a Marine Admiral. Could he really be defeated so easily?
Usopp did not believe it himself. He just did not want to face reality.
"Ah... heh heh. An Admiral isn't so easily beaten," Brook said. "It would be wonderful if we had defeated him, of course, but the chances are almost nonexistent." His Soul-Slaying Sword radiated a chill that seeped into the soul. He gathered his strength, spiritual power coiling around the blade, ready to fight at any moment.
The bony hand gripping his sword trembled slightly. Even his soul seemed to quiver as his fighting spirit stirred. The events of two years ago were still fresh in his mind. Facing Marine Admiral Kizaru again would test everything they had gained from two years of training, though their examiner was a formidable one.
Sanji held an unlit cigarette between his lips. "Brook's right," he said gravely. "Kizaru won't go down that easily. Stay sharp. Don't let your guard down for a second, and be ready for an attack from anywhere."
Usopp nodded frantically. "We're much stronger than we were two years ago.