Facing Admiral Kizaru

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

"Buru, buru, buru..."

"Click."

"Hello, this is Sengoku."

"This is the Five Elders!"

"What? You're saying a Celestial Dragon was attacked in the East Blue?" Sengoku hung up and looked at the two photographs faxed over.

One showed a black-haired youth of about seventeen, with an utterly indifferent gaze. He stood around six feet tall and wore brown shorts, a sky-blue T-shirt, and a particularly eye-catching pair of flip-flops. He was dressed for the heat and was quite handsome.

The other had green hair and stood about five foot three, wearing a green T-shirt with three swords at his waist. He looked around fifteen.

Sengoku paused at the photographs. "Aren't these two bounty hunters from the East Blue? How did they run into the Celestial Dragons?"

At that moment, an old man on the other side of the desk tossed a rice cracker into his mouth and crunched away. "Wahahaha! A Celestial Dragon actually got killed! How satisfying!"

"Garp! You're a Marine! Watch your words." With that, Sengoku snatched the rice crackers from Garp's hand and poured them all into his own mouth.

"Ah! I was trying to break my record for eating rice crackers without sleeping!" Garp reached out but failed to stop him, looking ready to cry.

It happened every time. Just when he was about to succeed, Sengoku would ruin it for one reason or another.

Looking at his unreliable old partner, Sengoku wanted to smack him flying. Didn't he deserve some dignity as Fleet Admiral?

"Shut up, Garp! A Celestial Dragon was attacked in the East Blue! That's your home! Your jurisdiction!"

"Pwahahaha! Sorry, sorry!" Whenever Garp thought about the attack on the Celestial Dragon, the corners of his mouth became as hard to keep down as an AK-47.

Sengoku stopped dwelling on Garp's attitude and turned to instruct the soldier at the door. "Go get Kizaru here, now!"

Garp, meanwhile, had lost interest. Since his "eat rice crackers nonstop without sleeping challenge" had been interrupted, he simply lay back in his chair and went to sleep.

The moment he closed his eyes, a bubble began blowing from his nose. Clearly, he hadn't slept for a long time while attempting that record.

A few more minutes passed before a tall figure slowly walked into the Fleet Admiral's Office, wearing yellow-striped clothes and yellow sunglasses, his face bearing its signature sleazy expression.

It was none other than one of Marine Headquarters' greatest fighting forces-Admiral Kizaru.

Kizaru looked at the photographs in his hand, his sleazy expression turning somewhat shocked.

"How scaaary! Someone actually dared attack a Celestial Dragon, and in the East Blue, at that," Kizaru drawled, pursing his lips.

"Understood, Mr. Sengoku. I'll be right back!"

With that, he put on his "Justice" cape and walked out of the office.

East Blue.

The Skybreaker.

A ball of flame streaked through the air and slowly landed on the deck without damaging any of the grass growing there.

"Captain, I've settled all those slaves." As the voice rang out, the flames gradually took the form of a red-haired girl. Who else could it have been but Ling'er?

The slaves had been successfully rescued. Apart from two billion Beli and a sword, the ship's hold contained countless pieces of jewelry.

Of course, Lott hadn't killed everyone. The remaining Marines had been left aboard, though the propulsion system and masts had been destroyed. They were probably still drifting at sea.

"How scaaary! You really are so young!" With a dazzling flash of golden light, a tall figure appeared at the bow.

[Ding. Choice triggered:

A: Fight Kizaru and successfully escape the Admiral's pursuit. Rewards: advanced physique card ×1, Kizaru-brand sunglasses ×1, Senzu Beans ×1,000.

B: Flee without fighting. Reward: none.

C: Kneel and admit your wrongdoing, and accept recruitment. Reward: Marine lieutenant commander rank.]

I choose A!

Lott narrowed his eyes slightly. "Well, well, an Admiral really showed up. What are you here for?"

"I didn't want to come either, but you went and attacked a Celestial Dragon, young man. I only wanted to clock in..." Kizaru's tone remained slow and somewhat casual.

Lott could guess what Kizaru wanted to say. It seemed he really was just as many One Piece fans thought.

Among the Three Admirals, Akainu upheld absolute justice and cared only about results; Kuzan's justice was more humane but heavily constrained; only Kizaru resembled an office worker, doing nothing each day but clocking in and out.

"Ling'er, Zoro, keep your distance. This is Admiral Kizaru, one of Marine Headquarters' greatest fighting forces!"

Even without Lott's warning, Zoro and Ling'er could feel the overwhelming pressure coming from that sleazy middle-aged man. It was no less intense than Lott's.

"Hey! Lott, let me..." Ling'er's face was full of worry.

She made to step forward, but Zoro quickly grabbed her and pulled her away. "Stop. This isn't a fight we can take part in right now. We should focus on getting stronger."

Zoro had his pride, but he wasn't a mindless brute.

"Oh dear, I got sidetracked. Tell me, young man... have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"

The moment he finished speaking, Kizaru appeared beside Lott, raising his leg and turning it into a streak of light as he kicked at Lott's head.

Holy shit! So fast! Lott raised both arms to block Kizaru's attack. In an instant, that powerful kick sent him flying toward the sea.

Just before he fell into the water, Lott hurriedly activated his Electromagnetic Fruit ability and hovered above the surface. He pouted. "That kick worked, old man. It really hurt!"

He shook his sore arms. Looks like when people say Kizaru relies too much on his Devil Fruit powers, it's just that his Devil Fruit powers shine so brightly they overshadow his physical arts and Haki. The Three Admirals' physical arts and Haki are probably among the best in the world too.

Lott slowly rose to Kizaru's height and unleashed his full aura.

Kizaru looked at Lott in some surprise, resisting the powerful aura emanating from him.

His thoughts churned. He's an ability user too? What a terrifying aura. To think the East Blue had someone this strong.

"Come on, then. Let me see what a Marine Admiral can do."

Lott teleported in front of Kizaru, spun around, and kicked at his face, only for Kizaru to block it with a bent arm.

Kizaru was secretly shocked. So fast!

"Mmm, what a powerful kick!" A trace of surprise appeared on Kizaru's sleazy face.

After a brief stalemate, Kizaru became a streak of light and shot toward a nearby island, smashing a small hill to pieces and sending up clouds of dust.

Lott used Electromagnetic Instantaneous Movement to reach the island. He knew that attack wouldn't do much damage to Kizaru.

"Oh my, what a frightening young man. No respect for the old or the young." A beam of golden light shot out of the dust and arrived in front of Lott in an instant.

He looked slightly disheveled, but his sleazy expression remained largely unchanged.

Lott walked slowly toward Kizaru. "As an Admiral, surely you know what those so-called descendants of the creators are like? Is being their lackeys what you Marines call justice?"

At Lott's unsparing words, a trace of disgust crossed Kizaru's face, though his sleazy expression quickly concealed it.

But with the Electromagnetic Fruit, Lott naturally caught that slight change in expression.

Looks like even Marine Admirals can't do whatever they want. Maybe the higher your position, the more restricted you are.

"I'm just a Marine. I don't care to know about anything else. All I know is that if I don't bring you back today, things will be rather difficult for me." As his words fell, Kizaru turned into light and rose into the air.

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

Countless flashes of light shot toward Lott.

Using electromagnetic force to alter the paths of the flashes approaching him, combined with Observation Haki, Lott darted through the light bullets like a fish.

With Electromagnetic Instantaneous Movement, he appeared before Kizaru. "I say, Comrade Admiral, aren't you underestimating me?"

With that, he threw a punch at Kizaru's face.

Bang!

Kizaru was driven dozens of meters backward through the air.

He shook his aching arm. At last, his feelings changed. Originally, he'd come to complete this assignment in a relaxed mood. Now it seemed the assignment really wasn't so easy.

If he'd known, he would have asked Sengoku for leave and let Kuzan or Akainu come instead.

The corners of Lott's mouth curved upward. That punch had combined Armament Haki with electromagnetic force. Even an Admiral should have found it somewhat difficult to take head-on.

"How scaaary. Young people these days really are terrifyingly strong." Kizaru's expression grew slightly solemn.

Looking at Kizaru's still-flippant manner, Lott knew he wasn't using his full strength.

But Lott didn't have time to waste here with him. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse things would be for him. If a certain old man arrived, it would be game over.

Looks like I need to end this quickly and get away from this trouble spot.

Lott grasped at the air with both hands, forming an invisible dragon-shaped creature made of electromagnetic waves in his hands, then hurled it at Kizaru. The dragon flew toward him at nearly the speed of light.

"Electromagnetic Force: Divine Dragon Descends!"

"This is trouble!" Sensing danger, Kizaru's expression grew increasingly grave. Light was also an electromagnetic wave, and for a moment, he found himself unable to move, as though immobilized by a spell.

Perhaps this was how fruits countered one another.

The electromagnetic dragon tore through Kizaru's body at tremendous speed. In an instant, the invisible current scattered him into particles of light that flew in every direction.

Each particle was like a cannonball, blasting the entire island to pieces.

Lott had no time at all to check the outcome, but he knew an Admiral probably wouldn't be defeated so easily.

He hurriedly used Electromagnetic Instantaneous Movement to return to the ship.

After a long while, on the dust-shrouded island, the photons gradually gathered into a sleazy-looking human form.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

It was none other than Kizaru.

"He really did get away. What a frightening young man. Looks like I can apply for a few more days of sick leave. No! These injuries aren't enough."