Luffy was easily knocked away, causing Nami's screams to echo through the street.
Zoro's expression turned serious. The Admiral before him was incredibly strong. As the strongest Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy was knocked away in just a few seconds.
As the second-in-command of the crew, Zoro has no choice but to be on high alert when facing Marine Admiral.
Zoro wrapped his headband around his head, signifying his certain victory, and the three swords at his waist were already drawn.
Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri.
The three swords slashed at Kizaru's neck simultaneously, their speed so great that they left three streaks of silver-white light in the air.
Kizaru raised his hand and caught one of Zoro's swords between two fingers.
" Three-Sword Style ~ Roronoa Zoro ~"
"Reward of 120 million!"
"Hmm~ Not bad swordsmanship~"
Zoro gritted his teeth, trying to pull his sword back, but it remained motionless, as if welded to Kizaru's fingers.
Sanji cut in from the side, delivering a powerful right Mouton Shot to Kizaru's head.
Kizaru raised his hand and blocked Sanji's kick with his palm.
" Black Leg Sanji ~ Bounty of 77 million~"
"Your kicking technique is quite powerful."
Kizaru pushed Sanji staggering back more than ten steps, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground.
Usopp had his slingshot fully drawn, but he dared not fire—because he couldn't aim properly.
Chopper transformed into his human-beast form, standing in front of Nami and Camie, trembling but not retreating an inch.
Robin stood at the very back, her arms crossed over her chest. Her Devil Fruit power was ready, but she didn't activate it.
Her eyes were fixed on Kizaru's movements, waiting for an opportunity that didn't exist.
Kizaru glanced around at the Straw Hat Pirates, a slight smile playing on his lips.
" The Straw Hat Pirates is all here!"
"Let's solve this once and for all then."
He raised his right hand, and golden laser light shone from the tip of his index finger.
" Yata Mirror!"
With a few flashes, Kizaru's body struck down the Straw Hat Pirates.
Just as a beam of light slowly gathered on Kizaru's feet, preparing to finish off Rayleigh, who had been watching the Luffy closely, could no longer contain himself.
" Kizaru! The people of the new era won't disappear here."
Rayleigh stomped his foot, flying close to the ground, his long sword slashing upwards to block Kizaru's long-charged attack.
"Oh dear~"
" Dark King Rayleigh! You've finally appeared!"
Kizaru spoke as lazily as ever, but his gaze swept past the Straw Hat Pirates and landed on a figure at the end of the street.
The figure was very tall, holding a Bible in his hand, and was walking towards them at a leisurely pace.
It was the Kuma who received Roy's orders.
Bartholomew the Kuma.
Kizaru's Ama no Murakumo Sword temporarily forced Rayleigh.
"Oh dear~ Bear~ What brings you from Hachinosu ~"
The Kuma did not answer.
He walked up to the Straw Hat Pirates and stopped, looking down at them with a blank expression.
Luffy was covered in ash, and a large patch of his shirt was scorched from Light Speed Kick, revealing a reddish-purple footprint on his exposed skin.
But he stood up.
He stood between Kuma and Kizaru, spreading his arms to protect everyone behind him.
" Kuma?"
Are you an enemy too?
Luffy's voice was hoarse, but his eyes showed no sign of backing down.
Kuma looked down at him and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he said something that no one could understand:
"It won't hurt."
Luffy was stunned. "What?"
Kuma offered no explanation.
He raised his hand, removed his glove, and revealed the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit in his right palm.
The transparent air cannon was compressed into a fist-sized sphere in the palm of his hand, and the air ripples on its surface vibrated violently.
Kizaru stood at a distance, watching this scene without moving.
His gaze swept back and forth between Kuma and Luffy twice, and the corner of his mouth subtly changed its curve.
Then he retracted his raised foot and put his hands back into his pockets.
"Oh dear~ Is the bear about to make its move?"
"Then I'll take a break."
Kizaru took a few steps back, leaned against the wall beside him, and watched everything with narrowed eyes.
That posture was exactly like watching a play that had nothing to do with him.
Roy stood on the trunk of the tallest red tree in the distance, his Observation Haki locking onto Kizaru the entire time.
From the moment Kizaru arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, every action, every word, and every micro-expression of his was clearly analyzed by Roy.
Kizaru dealt with the Mad Monk Urouge swiftly and decisively, knocking him unconscious with a single kick, without any unnecessary movements.
Dealing with Apoo was equally clean; he knocked him unconscious with a single kick and even took the opportunity to observe the Longarm Tribe's physical structure.
The treatment of Hawkins involved four or five lasers, illuminating all the straw dolls with surgical precision.
He dealt with Kid —dissolving the giant metal fist with a Light Speed Kick, then immediately withdrew, saying, "There are other places to go."
Roy mentally gave Kizaru's performance a score.
For Supernovas with no background—act decisively, leave no room for maneuver, and be swift and clean.
Regarding Kid —they were hit, but not crippled; they left room for maneuver.
Luffy kicked Luffy, but the force of the kick was controlled with extreme precision.
He was able to kick a Supernovas with a bounty of 300 million dozens of meters away, sending him crashing through two buildings, yet his ribs remained intact, his internal organs were not shattered, and he didn't even fall into a coma.
Controlling the force of a kick is many times more difficult than delivering a full-force kick.
It seems this guy is quite adept at workplace rules.
Kizaru stopped attacking the moment Kuma appeared.
He stepped aside, leaned against the wall, and adopted a "I'm not getting involved" stance.
A Marine Headquarters Admiral, upon seeing pirates beating Celestial Dragons, voluntarily stepped aside to give up the stage?
Roy's lips curled up slightly.
That old Kizaru.
He was deliberately letting the game slide.
He already knew Rayleigh was watching the Straw Hat Pirates from the sidelines, and he knew Rayleigh wouldn't stand idly by and let Luffy get captured.
Rather than confronting Rayleigh head-on, it's better to let Kuma handle it.
I wonder how Kuma from Hachinosu will treat the Straw Hat Pirates.
If Kuma could capture the Straw Hat Pirates, it would save him a lot of trouble.
If not, he would have a way out, facing Rayleigh and Kuma. What could a Admiral like me do?
Roy mentally gave Kizaru's acting a perfect score.
The Oscars owe him an award.
At that moment, on the street outside the auction house, the Kuma had already raised its paws.
Rayleigh stood on a rooftop not far away, watching all of this, and sighed.
He noticed it too.
Kizaru was waiting for him to make his move.
He won't make a move unless Kizaru does.
Rayleigh didn't move, not because he didn't want to save Luffy, but because he knew Kuma was Roy's man.
In the Sabaody Archipelago arc, Roy was the true director.
Rayleigh was just a spectator.
A very old audience member.
The Kuma slammed its paw down.
Zoro was the first to take flight.
His body was enveloped in bear paw-shaped bubbles, and he transformed into a shooting star, disappearing into the sky.
" Zoro --!!!"
Luffy's roar was heart-wrenching.
But the Kuma's second paw had already struck.
Franky flew away.
Then it's Usopp, then Chopper, then Sanji.
One by one, the Straw Hat Pirates members vanished into the sky like shooting stars right before Luffy's eyes.