Kizaru's Presence – A Threat Like No Other
The golden glow of Admiral Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi shone ominously, casting flickering reflections across the sea. He stood effortlessly on the broken mast of the marine ship, peering at Hiro with the same lazy smirk he always carried.
Monkey D. Hiro, however, didn't share his amusement. His crimson coat billowed as the wind howled between the two figures. The air itself crackled with tension.
Hikari took a step forward. "Hiro, we should retreat. We can't afford to—"
Hiro raised a hand, silencing her. His golden eyes locked onto Kizaru's, unwavering.
"Retreat?" Hiro muttered. "Not an option."
A flicker of light—too fast for normal eyes to follow. Kizaru had already vanished.
BOOM!
The air split apart as Kizaru reappeared mid-air, his foot descending toward Hiro's face in a deadly Ama no Murakumo kick. The impact sent shockwaves through the ship.
But Hiro was gone.
In the same instant, Kizaru's attack passed through an empty shadow, Hiro appearing meters away, arms crossed.
"He dodged it?" Celeste murmured.
Kizaru blinked. "Oya… that's rare. Not many people can react to my speed."
Hiro rolled his neck. "You're fast, but light has a weakness."
Kizaru raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh? Do tell."
Hiro's shadow twisted beneath him, stretching unnaturally. "Darkness makes light irrelevant."
Kizaru's smirk widened. "How scary."
In an instant, Hiro's form blurred, vanishing into the night itself. A whisper of movement, and suddenly—
SLASH!
A streak of black sliced through Kizaru's torso. The Admiral flickered, dispersing into light before reforming on the marine ship. He looked down at his jacket, now slashed cleanly across the chest.
"Ara, ara… That could have been dangerous."
Hikari narrowed her eyes. "He actually hit Kizaru?"
Soruto whistled, gripping his rifle. "That's our captain for you."
Kizaru exhaled. "Looks like I can't take it easy." He raised a single glowing finger. "Then how about I get serious?"
BOOM!
A blinding light erupted from Kizaru's body. In a flash, beams of pure energy rained down toward the Night Guild's ship like divine punishment.
Hiro's eyes darkened. His shadow expanded.
"Night Domain: Abyssal Curtain."
A wave of pure darkness swallowed the battlefield. Kizaru's light-based attacks vanished upon contact with the abyss, as though devoured by nothingness itself.
For the first time, Kizaru frowned.
The battlefield was no longer his.
It belonged to the Night Guild.
The world was swallowed by darkness.
Hiro's Abyssal Curtain had drenched the battlefield in an inky void, silencing Kizaru's light. The crew of the Night Guild Pirates stood on high alert, their hands tightening on their weapons as their captain faced down an Admiral of the Marines.
For a moment, it seemed like Hiro had seized control.
Then, the darkness cracked.
FWOOM!
A golden brilliance erupted through the abyss, shattering Hiro's shadowed domain like fragile glass. Kizaru's body gleamed with light as he casually stepped forward, his boots tapping against the deck.
"Ohhh, scary, scary," Kizaru drawled, adjusting his sunglasses. "But did you really think the speed of light could be swallowed so easily?"
Hiro's eyes narrowed. That wasn't an ordinary counterattack—it was a direct negation of his ability.
He forced my darkness back… with nothing but pure light?
Kizaru lazily raised a hand, golden photons forming at his fingertips.
"This isn't a game, pirate-kun. I hope you're ready."
BOOM!
The sky exploded. A torrent of Yata no Kagami beams ricocheted through the battlefield at impossible angles, bending and rebounding faster than the human eye could follow.
"Dodge!" Hikari shouted.
Celeste leaped onto the ship's mast, barely avoiding a beam that tore straight through the deck. Soruto rolled aside, firing a precise sniper round at Kizaru's head. The bullet passed through the Admiral's light-formed body, harmlessly dissipating into the sea.
Hiro shifted, vanishing into the remains of his shadows, appearing just before Kizaru. His armament-coated fist lashed out like a black meteor.
Kizaru didn't even blink.
"Hmph."
Faster than thought, Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi activated. His entire body dispersed into light, and Hiro's punch struck nothing but air.
And then—
A golden leg materialized out of nowhere, slamming into Hiro's ribs with earth-shattering force.
CRACK!
Hiro was launched through the ship's hull, smashing into the ocean.
"Captain!"
Hikari's expression darkened. That wasn't just a casual kick—Kizaru had put actual force into it.
Water erupted as Hiro shot back onto the deck, coughing, steam rising from his body. A deep scorch mark ran across his coat where the Admiral had struck. He wiped his mouth, flexing his fingers as his Conqueror's Haki flared slightly.
Kizaru tilted his head. "Oya… still standing? Most people don't get up after one of my kicks."
Hiro exhaled. "Tch." That hurt.
No wonder even Yonko didn't casually pick fights with Admirals.
Kizaru wasn't just fast—he was untouchable. If Hiro didn't land a decisive blow, this would turn into a war of attrition he couldn't win.
The Night Guild crew prepared for battle, but deep down, they understood the reality. This was an Admiral. Even if they fought together, they weren't on his level yet.
Kizaru smiled. "Alright, then, let's see if you can keep up…"
And in the next instant—
Kizaru vanished.
The real battle had just begun.