A thunderous blast tore a deep crater into the ground. Dust billowed into the sky, and a tall figure was faintly visible through it.
Luffy kept attacking. Suspended in midair, he stretched one rubbery leg into the distance, coated it in Conqueror's Haki, and whipped it toward Kizaru's silhouette in the smoke.
"Gum-Gum Eagle Whip!"
Luffy's leg lashed out like a long whip. The wind pressure ripped through the smoke, revealing Kizaru's upper body as the kick struck him with full force.
Clang!
A collision rang out, but Kizaru did not budge. As the smoke blew away, everyone saw that he had blocked Luffy's attack with his right hand alone.
"Huh? He blocked it?" Luffy froze for an instant, then snapped his leg back. As he did, he sensed danger behind him.
He did not look back. Kizaru had vanished from in front of him, so he had to be behind him. Luffy's expression turned grave as a dazzling light flashed at the edge of his vision.
"Luffy, watch out!"
A flash lit up Kizaru's foot. He could have grabbed Luffy's leg just now and attacked him.
But he had not. For one thing, he was too fast to need to. For another, it would have been beneath him and damaged his image.
In the distance, Kizaru saw that Zephyr seemed to have recovered his strength and was advancing toward the Dyna Stone. Remembering his duty, he looked down at Luffy and said slowly, "Looks like break time is over. Time to get to work. Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy, let this old man send you on your way."
The light beneath Kizaru's foot suddenly blazed so brightly that everyone nearby had to avert their eyes. An overwhelming force erupted as he kicked at Luffy.
Luffy bristled. "Break time? You