Admiral Kizaru was the first to appear before Merlin.
Light condensed into a single point in front of her and, in the next instant, his body was fully formed, posture far too relaxed for the scene around him. His gaze swept across the visible area, registering the Marines scattered across the ground, bodies sprawled in uneven positions, weapons lying within reach of hands that did not move.
"Ora ora…"
He took a few slow steps, unhurried, observing the sleeping soldiers more closely. One was still breathing deeply, another lay on his side, helmet fallen just inches from his face. No visible wounds. No gunshots. No explosions.
Kizaru tilted his head slightly.
"Now this is new…"
His eyes returned to Merlin, now with more attention than curiosity.
"Putting the Navy to sleep in the middle of active duty…" The corner of his mouth lifted in something close to a smile. "That takes a certain boldness."
Merlin remained where she was. She did not move. She did not adjust her posture. She did not answer immediately. The distance between them remained exactly as it had been since his arrival.
"Finally, an admiral shows up." Her voice came out calm and direct, without the slightest strain. "I thought I'd have to wait longer."
Kizaru let out a light, almost bored sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ahhh… so you've been waiting for us from the start." He opened his arms slightly, as if accepting the role naturally. "What an honor, huh?"
He looked again at the fallen Marines, then back at Merlin.
"But you know…" His tone remained drawn out. "Attacking the Navy like this, right in the heart of our new base… that usually ends badly for whoever tries."
"Are you sure?" Merlin replied with a short, sly smile, her gaze steady on Kizaru. "I'd say people would claim the opposite after the destruction of old Marineford."
She took a slow step forward, unhurried, her presence controlled, fully aware of the weight of her own words.
"The Navy lost an admiral that day." Her smile deepened slightly. "And the entire world witnessed Riser's rise."
Kizaru remained silent for a moment. The lazy smile did not fully vanish, but it lost some of its lightness. He looked away from Merlin and back at the Marines on the ground.
"Despite being young, you've got quite a sharp tongue." He commented, hand to his chin. "But let's change the subject."
He gestured lightly toward the sleeping soldiers.
"They need you to wake up, don't they?"
Merlin did not look away.
"No." The answer came simple and direct. "Assuming this is just an ability with an automatic trigger would be a mistake."
She raised her hand slowly, without activating anything.
"If you defeat me here, the effect will fade." Her tone remained calm.
"They'll wake up."
Silence stretched a second longer than usual.
Kizaru slowly turned his face, now looking at Merlin directly. The gaze behind his lenses shifted, setting aside carelessness for a rare moment.
"You're being too honest." He remarked. "Normally people lie about that to buy time."
"I don't need to." Merlin replied without hesitation.
Kizaru fell silent again. It wasn't exaggerated surprise, nor indifference. It was evaluation.
He straightened slightly.
"Even so…" He sighed. "That doesn't mean I'll trust you."
The light around his body began aligning more precisely. No explosion. No rush. Just organization.
"Thanks for the answer." His tone turned drawn out again, but now carried something else. "But things are too problematic for me to waste time here."
He stepped forward, light following the movement.
"So now I need to finish you."
Merlin laughed.
The sound was short and clean, not overly mocking, but filled with absolute tranquility in the face of direct threat. The laughter stopped as quickly as it began.
"All right." She tilted her head slightly, as if accepting an inevitable formality. "But first, could you call reinforcements?"
She stepped forward slowly, maintaining safe distance.
"It would save me the trouble of dealing with one at a time."
Kizaru remained still for a moment.
His relaxed expression did not vanish, but something in it shifted. Not anger. Not shock. A silent decision not to entertain that conversation any further. The woman before him had attacked the Navy, challenged an admiral, and was calmly asking for reinforcements. He concluded that listening any longer would be a waste of time.
Without another word, Kizaru raised a finger.
A beam of light shot forward in a straight line.
The explosion followed instantly.
BAAAAM!
The detonation swallowed the spot where Merlin had been. Light expanded briefly, followed by a shockwave that lifted dust and fragments from the deck. Smoke filled the space at once, thick enough to completely block direct sight.
Kizaru kept his finger raised half a second longer before lowering his arm.
He watched.
The smoke began to dissipate gradually.
When the area became visible again, Merlin was still there.
Unharmed.
Posture straight. Clothes intact. No sign of impact. No burn marks. She laughed again, freer now, as if the attack had been nothing more than a minor interruption.
Kizaru narrowed his focus.
His attention rose an entire level.
Merlin took two steps forward, calm and deliberate. She raised a finger, pointing to the empty space before her body.
Kizaru activated Observation Haki instantly, expanding his perception to anticipate any distortion, hidden strike, or abrupt displacement.
Merlin touched the air.
Space responded.
A cube formed around her, composed of perfectly defined lines, sealing in every direction with absolute precision. No excessive glow. No sound of impact. The structure simply established itself — solid, complete, isolating Merlin from the outside environment.
Kizaru moved upward in an instant vertical shift, rising high enough to gain a full view of the field below. He kept his eyes fixed on the cube while suspended in the air, observing it from every possible angle.
Merlin lifted her gaze toward him without moving from her position.
"This is another one of my abilities." She lightly touched one of the cube's inner faces. "An evolved version."
She smiled.
"The perfect cube."
Her finger traced along the invisible line of the structure.
"Nothing can break this." Her voice remained steady. "Let's try again."
Kizaru stayed silent for several seconds, analyzing the structure with full attention. The cube showed no fluctuation, no cracks, no instability. No reaction to the environment. No response to Haki probing its interior.
"…Seems you're not that crazy after all." He commented, tone still drawn out but now more focused.
The light around his body intensified in a controlled manner.
"But let's see in practice…" He adjusted his position in the air, preparing another attack. "Just how indestructible this perfect cube of yours is."
"Yasakani no Magatama." The words came slow and controlled.
From Kizaru's hands, light fragmented into multiple points at once. The projectiles formed in continuous succession — dozens, then hundreds — advancing in short arcs before converging directly against the cube. The barrage struck the surface from every visible angle without pause, each shot filling the space left by the previous one.
BAAAM!
BAAAM!
BAAAM!
The impacts overlapped rapidly, forming a continuous, heavy roar. The cube's surface absorbed every collision without visible displacement. No cracks. No prolonged vibration. The light of the projectiles dissipated on contact, crushed against the barrier before vanishing.
The smoke generated was heavier than before. It gathered around the cube in dense layers, rising and spreading through the immediate space, completely concealing Merlin for several seconds. Residual fragments of light mixed with the dark haze before fading entirely.
The bombardment ceased.
The smoke lingered briefly, thick enough to prevent any immediate confirmation of the result. Then it began to dissipate gradually, pushed only by the natural movement of air.
The cube appeared first.
Intact.
The lines forming it remained perfect — no distortion, no irregularity. No point showed wear. No shift in density was visible. When the interior was fully revealed, Merlin stood exactly where she had been, posture composed, expression calm.
"Perfect cube." She lightly tapped the inner face with her fingertips. "Indestructible defense."
She raised her eyes toward Kizaru, a controlled smile forming.
"You'll need more firepower if you want to break it." She tilted her head briefly. "Oh, right."
The smile gained a subtle trace of provocation.
"The fire admiral died in the war." She made a small gesture with her hand. "Sorry for the rudeness."
Merlin took a step inside the cube, which followed her movement without delay or sound.
"But now you can call reinforcements." Her tone remained calm. "It's clear you can't handle it alone."
Kizaru did not respond.
He remained suspended in the air, body still, gaze fixed on the structure before him. The light around him dimmed slightly, reorganizing in a contained manner. No new attack was prepared. No words were spoken. His attention remained fully on the cube, analyzing every face, every line, every absence of reaction.
Silence stretched for several seconds.
"Yeah…" Kizaru let one shoulder drop slightly, the tired expression returning to his face. "This is going to be troublesome."
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