Storm in the West Blue, Part Three

On the vast West Blue, the Kingdom of Bernia's port lay devastated after the earlier fierce battle with Chinjao.

Shattered dock planks bobbed in the waves, wisps of smoke rose from buildings pierced by lightning, and the air was thick with the smell of burning and the salty tang of seawater.

Above these ruins, however, the tension was heavier than ever.

Aaron Ball hovered several meters above the ground. The blue electronic armor covering his entire body gave off a faint, continuous sizzling, while the superconducting magnetic rings on his limbs, chest, and back gleamed dangerously in the midday sunlight.

His breathing was steady, but the eyes hidden behind his electronic armor were locked on the tall, thin man in a yellow-striped suit-Vice Admiral Borsalino, code-named Kizaru, one of Marine Headquarters' greatest fighting forces.

"What wind brought such distinguished guests here?" Boer's voice came through his armor, as calm as ever, but his magnetic-field perception spread like an invisible net, tracking Kizaru's every slightest movement. "And you, Raymont-you could at least have given me a heads-up."

Although he deliberately kept his tone light, Boer's heart pounded inside his fully enclosed armor.

To Kizaru, who could move at light speed, this distance was practically nonexistent. Boer knew perfectly well that, if Kizaru wished, he could appear behind him the very next second and end everything with his signature Light-Speed Kick.

For that reason, he maintained his immensely energy-intensive second-stage combat state, not daring to let his guard down at all.

Rear Admiral Raymont stood among the Marine officers with a conflicted expression. His rugged face was full of contradiction. As the head of a West Blue Branch who had a secret agreement with Boer, and also a stakeholder in the Steel Heavy Industry Consortium, he found himself in a decidedly awkward position.

Just as the two sides stood on the brink of conflict, a piercing, majestic cry rang out overhead. A golden eagle dove at astonishing speed, spun gracefully as it approached the ground, transformed into a human, and landed lightly in the clearing between them.

Prince Locke Hall straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, put on a perfectly measured official smile, and spoke with the bearing of a host:

"Welcome, honored Marines." His voice was loud and steady, deliberately easing the tension. "The Kingdom of Bernia is truly honored by your presence. Boer," he turned toward the young man in the air, his tone carrying an unmistakable command, "what are you waiting for? Escort our distinguished guests to the club immediately and receive them with the highest honors."

Borsalino seemed deaf to all of this. He merely tilted his head, idly grooming his nails with nail clippers formed from photons, not even bothering to lift his eyelids. "Orders from Fleet Admiral Kong," he drawled, as though every word required strenuous thought, "are to bring you back to Marine Headquarters. If you resist, kill you on the spot."

Those words struck Boer and Locke like a sledgehammer. Prince Locke's smile froze on his face, while the electronic armor around Boer emitted a more urgent hum of energy.

Gion, the elegant, beautiful master swordswoman, sighed helplessly, her right hand settling habitually on the hilt of the Famous Sword Kompira. "Hey, hey, Kizaru, could you finish explaining everything in one go?"

"Oh, right. There's another part." Kizaru slapped his forehead as though he had suddenly remembered, his exaggerated gesture making its sincerity questionable.

"Admiral Sengoku overruled it. He's the one calling the shots now, after all. Fleet Admiral Kong has already left to become Commander-in-Chief of the Three Services," he added unhurriedly. "He changed the order to testing your strength. If what you show isn't enough, we'll still have to ask you to come with us."

Finally, he spread his hands carelessly. "My mind wandered during the meeting. Sorry, sorry."

Raymont took a deep breath and finally summoned the courage to step forward, preparing to put in a few words for Boer before the headquarters representatives. "Vice Admiral Borsali-"

Before he could finish, a golden ray suddenly stretched across Boer's magnetic-field perception at a speed beyond comprehension. It was not movement in the physical sense, but an instantaneous transfer of existence. The next second, Kizaru's voice was already beside his ear, as soft as death's whisper:

"Have you ever been kicked by light?"

Boer's magnetic sense clearly captured the trajectory of Kizaru's movements, but the speed of this strike still exceeded the limits of his reactions.

The Light-Speed Kick came straight for his neck with destructive force, its concentrated photon energy blazing like a miniature sun in his magnetic-field perception!

I have to take it! I have to predict its trajectory and force! Boer shouted inwardly, instantly raising the energy output of his entire suit of electronic armor to its maximum.

Thud!

At the muffled impact, a rare trace of surprise appeared on Kizaru's face. He withdrew his right leg and rubbed his chin with his left hand. "What a frightening young man~"

The kick had landed squarely on Boer's neck, but thanks to the deflection field instantly generated by his magnetic field and the electronic armor's energy-conducting properties, most of the impact was cleverly channeled into the ground beneath his feet.

The pavement beneath Boer instantly crumbled, enormous spiderweb cracks spreading more than ten meters outward. His head tilted slightly under the impact, and he endured the sharp pain in his neck as he replied:

"Hey, which one of us is the monster here, you sleazy-looking old man?"

That hurt like hell... but I can take it! The damage concentrated on that single point really is astonishing, but the overall impact isn't even as strong as Raymont's earlier all-out strike.

The problem is that the second stage burns through energy too quickly. I probably can't keep it up much longer... Boer rapidly assessed the situation, his mind racing through countermeasures.

The next moment, Boer stopped hesitating. Blue light blazed from his armor, and he became a streak of electricity, instantly putting distance between them and disappearing from above the port, leaving only his words echoing through the air:

"Let's play out at sea, Mr. Vice Admiral. Your strength is so terrifying that I'm afraid Bernia can't withstand you cutting loose."

His voice was calm, but carried an unquestionable resolve. "Locke, receive our distinguished guests for me. We'll be back shortly."

Kizaru raised his eyebrows, an interested smile curling his lips. His body immediately dissolved into countless photons, tracing a golden path through the air as he followed close behind.

Above the vast sea, two streaks of light, one yellow and one blue, began a chase that defied common sense.

The yellow light was swift and direct, crossing several kilometers with every flash;

The blue light was agile and unpredictable, tracing dazzling, winding paths above the water.

Waves surged violently in their wake, and electric charges crackled through the air, as though a storm were brewing.

"How frightening~ The West Blue's 'white-haired young man'~" Kizaru's figure re-formed a short distance ahead of Boer. He casually raised his left hand, dazzling light gathering before his index finger.

But Boer's magnetic sense had already caught the tiny "ripples" of gathering energy.

A tenth of a second before the attack took shape, he had already slid sideways along a preset magnetic track.

The scorching beam grazed past him and struck the sea, blasting up a column of water dozens of meters high. Evaporated seawater formed a thick white mist.

I have to push my speed to the maximum! Boer told himself.

His body continuously generated repulsion against the Earth's magnetic field, allowing him to slide at extreme speed and change direction without regard for inertia. Each turn left circular ripples on the sea.

"Mr. Kizaru, light speed certainly is fast, but your reaction speed doesn't reach light speed, does it?"

Boer had keenly discovered the weakness in Kizaru's movement-that incredible speed only allowed him to first select an arrival point in the air, then aim and launch himself! That meant that, as long as Boer predicted his arrival point, he had a chance to respond!

"Well, well, this is the first time I've discovered that weakness myself~ Thank you, young Boer~" Kizaru's voice remained languid, but a trace of seriousness had entered his eyes.

He turned into photons again, appearing instantly behind Boer and to one side.

This time, Boer was ready. "Iron Curtain!"

At his low shout, his magnetic field penetrated the seawater, directly wrenching up metal-bearing gravel and shipwreck debris deposited on the seabed and turning them into fine metallic dust that floated in the air.

Immediately afterward, blue currents flashed and linked through the dust, forming an enormous electromagnetic net that enveloped the airspace around them!

"Restricting my beam attacks? Clever young man." Kizaru immediately understood Boer's intent.

He was using electricity and metallic dust to restrict him, because he had to partially materialize when attacking. It was indeed a clever strategy.

"Hmph." Kizaru gave a soft snort, instantly taking elemental form and retreating five hundred meters to escape the electric Iron Curtain's blockade. Arriving at the edge of the battlefield, he unhurriedly brought his palms together:

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

Countless streams of light burst from his hands, showering the entire area with golden rain.

The powerful streams of light collided with the metallic dust and electricity, producing deafening explosions and smoke that blotted out the sky. A succession of enormous water columns erupted from the sea.

The dazzling dance of light speed and magnetic tracks began once more.

Boer raced above the sea at more than five times the speed of sound, sonic booms ringing endlessly as he made rapid turns that defied ordinary physics.

He not only had to evade the attacks, but also determine the maximum range of Kizaru's Observation Haki!

Whenever Kizaru's point of light appeared somewhere, Boer set up magnetic interference at his arrival point in advance.

The instant Kizaru's body took shape, Boer would unleash "Combustion!", using his ability to heat that point in space to several thousand degrees instantly, forcing Kizaru to take elemental form to avoid injury.

Little by little, Boer cautiously stretched the battlefield wider while closely monitoring his own energy reserves.

For the first time, Kizaru's brow furrowed, his expression growing grave. This slippery brat was not only astonishingly fast, but his tactics were also exceedingly troublesome. Even more surprising was that Boer seemed able to predict his every move.

Truly unbelievable. He isn't even eighteen yet, is he? He certainly deserves to be called a monster, Kizaru marveled inwardly, turning into photons again and trying to attack from another angle.

Boer kept his eyes tightly shut, relying entirely on magnetic-field perception to respond. In this world composed of lines and flowing energy, he could "see" more clearly than ever. Every time Kizaru took elemental form, he left distinctive ripples in the magnetic field, while the signs preceding his attacks were as obvious as a lighthouse in the night.

Now! The instant Kizaru re-formed again, Boer stretched the battlefield to its limit.

In Boer's perception, Kizaru stopped pursuing. When he re-formed from a point of light again, there was a hint of bewilderment on his face.

The blue dot representing Boer was now gone from the sky, and his presence could not be detected within Observation Haki range either.

"What a headache. I can't find him," Kizaru muttered, shrugging languidly. "If he doesn't come back, this could be troublesome. Oh well, I'll go back and file a report." He seemed ready to abandon the pursuit, his body gradually beginning to turn into photons.

But at that moment, Boer was actually hiding thirty meters beneath the sea!

Devil Fruit Users could not touch seawater, but what did that have to do with Boer, whose entire body was covered in metal armor?

Through repeated tests during their exchange, he had already calculated Kizaru's Observation Haki range-three kilometers! That was roughly half the range of his magnetic-field perception.

Boer quietly regulated his breathing beneath the sea, estimating his remaining stamina and energy. He still had enough for one final attempt. He needed to wait, to wait for the instant Kizaru let his guard down.

At the very moment Kizaru was about to turn entirely into photons, Boer moved.

"Time Stop!"

Boer recited it inwardly. Above the sea, Kizaru suddenly felt the magnetic field around him freeze! To move through the air, he had to turn his body into light, and being light, he would inevitably be restrained by an intense magnetic field.

Although this restraint could not completely trap him, it was enough to delay his movements for an instant.

Not good! Kizaru's heart tightened as he immediately realized he had fallen into a trap.

In that instant, Boer released all the electrical energy stored in the superconducting rings within his electronic armor. Plasma gathered and compressed in the seawater, almost becoming solid. At least twenty acceleration fields lined up in a row, flashing dangerously beneath the water.

"Dragon Ascension Sigh!"

Boer roared, pouring all his strength and mental focus into this strike. The plasma projectile shot out like a flood dragon breaking free of its restraints, bursting through the surface with an incandescent glow and heading straight for Kizaru.

This strike brought together all of Boer's calculations and strength, moving so fast that it nearly exceeded what the naked eye could capture.

As tremendous energy rushed toward him, Kizaru was startled. The Stasis Field Boer had kept hidden caught him even further off guard.

I was too careless, Kizaru reproached himself. His Logia elemental form had accustomed him to being invincible. After learning that Boer had no Armament Haki, he had indeed treated this battle as a game.

Although the strength Boer later displayed had made him somewhat more serious, the young man's slippery tactics had kept him from ever truly taking him seriously.

Kizaru's thoughts raced, but only an instant passed in reality. Faced with this sudden strike, he made an immediate decision and dodged backward with all his strength.

Elemental form was not all-powerful. If he took this strike directly, it would probably consume a large quantity of his elemental protons and leave him badly injured!

Yet the terrifying plasma projectile flew over his head, its scorching energy making his hair curl slightly. The ball of light shot straight into the heavens and erupted among the clouds with light rivaling the sun, evaporating every cloud around it and leaving a circular clearing in the sky.

Boer slowly rose from beneath the sea, deactivating all his combat states before his stamina ran out. His electronic armor receded like the tide, revealing his true appearance. He raised both hands, his face somewhat pale from exhausting his energy:

"Mr. Borsalino, can we end this performance now?"

The sea breeze scattered the last sounds of his words, along with the lingering energy fluctuations over the battlefield. Kizaru stood where he was and, unusually, did not answer immediately.

He reached up to touch his slightly curled hair, looked at the circular clearing in the sky, then finally turned his gaze toward Boer, who stood on the sea's surface.

Only after a long while did Kizaru twist his mouth again and rub his chin, recovering his signature languid expression:

"A performance? What a frightening way to put it~"

But deep in his eyes was a gravity that had never been there before.