Kizaru's arrival was like a ladle of ice water poured into an already boiling vat of oil.
It made the situation even more unpredictable, even closer to exploding.
His seemingly languid appearance, hands in his pockets and a cigarette between his lips, stood in stark contrast to the shattered walls and ruins of the battlefield, where lightning still lingered. Yet no one dared relax in the slightest because of his posture. One of the Marines' greatest fighting forces, "Kizaru" Borsalino-the name alone represented a deterrent among the greatest on the seas, enough to strike terror even into the great pirates of the New World.
He stood there without deliberately releasing any terrifying aura, yet the strange pressure that naturally spread from him, as though even space and time had grown thick and sluggish, was more unnerving than any flamboyant display of Conqueror's Haki.
"Ooh~ How frightening~" Kizaru repeated his signature catchphrase. His gaze swept over the panting Gion, then Zhou Yu, poised for battle, before finally settling on Ma Chao. It lingered for a moment on the Thunder Wings radiating destructive energy all around him. "To push Gion this far... Hua Country's Thunder Dragon General certainly lives up to his reputation~ Just what you'd expect from someone who survived Fleet Admiral Sengoku before, hmm? What a nuisance~"
His voice remained drawn-out, carrying a peculiar teasing note, as though he were merely complaining about the weather. But the eyes hidden behind his brown-tinted sunglasses were as sharp as a hawk's, fixed firmly on Ma Chao.
Ma Chao slowly turned to face Kizaru squarely. Confronted with this long-renowned Marine Admiral whose might shook the seas, his expression barely changed. Only the lightning-like fighting spirit in his sharp eyes burned hotter. He raised the Dragon Rider Spear slightly, pointing its tip toward Kizaru.