"Fifteen seconds left... I have to finish this guy at least..."
Vivian gritted her teeth. This was the first time she had used this technique in real combat. According to Kizaru's judgment, she shouldn't maintain it for more than a minute—but she had no idea what would happen if she exceeded that limit.
"Is it coming...?"
Sabo could feel Vivian's overwhelming aura surging. Ignoring his trembling hands, he quickly assumed a stance.
The strength she unleashed after shrinking was terrifying—even he found it intimidating. If she weren't so desperate to end the fight, leaving openings in her attacks, he wouldn't be confident in his chances against her.
"One strike to determine the winner!"
The ground beneath Vivian's feet exploded as she launched herself like a rocket toward Sabo.
She could already feel her body reaching its limit. Every cell in her being was screaming in protest, resisting her forceful compression.
Unlike Luffy, she wasn't made of rubber. If not for her mastery of Life Return, which allowed her absolute control over every cell in her body, even Kizaru wouldn't have been able to develop such an absurd technique.
"Armament—Dragon Claw Fist: Dragon King Drill!"
Sabo recalled the lessons Dragon had taught him.
Mastering the Dragon Claw Fist wasn't just about refining a combat technique—it was about forging an unbreakable will.
Only those who dared to strike at any opponent, no matter how powerful, could unleash its true strength.
At this moment, Sabo had achieved that enlightenment. Even if he were facing a Navy Admiral stronger than Vivian, he now had the courage and conviction to throw his punch.
"Hakai!"
Vivian had no such philosophical reflections.
Whether it was the warrior teachings of Elbaf, where she was born, or the training she received from Kizaru, her understanding of combat could be summed up in one word:
Strength.
If she couldn't kill her enemy, she wasn't strong enough.
If she couldn't hit her enemy, she wasn't fast enough.
If her power wasn't absolute, she would just multiply it tenfold until it was.
At that moment, neither Sabo nor Vivian had any thoughts other than annihilating the other.
Just as victory was about to be decided, a voice—that voice—echoed in her ears.
"Tsk... always causing me trouble."
An endless golden radiance erupted between them.
In an instant, Kizaru appeared, lazily extending a hand to catch both Sabo and Vivian's fists.
BOOM!
Their combined attacks exploded upon impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Kizaru's Justice Coat flapped wildly in the wind from the sheer force of the blows.
But that was all.
Sabo stared in shock at the hand gripping his fist.
Not even Dragon himself could effortlessly block his full-power strike like this—let alone at the same time as taking on Vivian's attack, a woman stronger than him.
Kizaru had just taken both of their strongest blows simultaneously—without a scratch.
And he hadn't even used Armament Haki or Logia intangibility to defend himself.
Sabo could feel it—his Dragon Claw Fist had landed directly on Kizaru's body.
Yet it felt like punching into the abyss.
No resistance. No damage.
As if Kizaru could stand there all day, letting Sabo hit him, and nothing would change.
"K-Kizaru, Boss!"
Vivian yelped, instinctively trying to flee—only for Kizaru to tighten his grip on her arm.
When they made their agreement, there had been two rules:
1. She couldn't use this technique for more than a minute.
2. She could only use it in a life-or-death situation.
And clearly—this was not a life-or-death situation.
Even if Sabo, Ace, and Luffy escaped, it wouldn't be a catastrophic loss for the Navy.
"Idiot! We'll deal with your punishment later—cancel your transformation and stand down!"
Kizaru scolded her, exasperated.
Even with her mastery of Life Return, a giant's body was too massive to maintain compression for long.
"O-okay..."
The bloodthirsty berserker from moments ago instantly transformed into a guilty schoolgirl caught red-handed.
With an obedient nod, Vivian reverted to her original form—her nearly twenty-meter-tall giant body towering once more over the battlefield.
She clutched her nodachi, crouching meekly behind Kizaru.
Fortunately, her island-cloud inner armor expanded along with her body, saving her the trouble of changing back into her Marine uniform.
Sabo—who had just been fighting for his life against a raging Vivian—now watched as she cowered behind Kizaru like a scolded child.
Even with his level of experience, he couldn't help but feel… a little nervous.
After all, the man standing before him was once Dragon's own teacher.
Even after twenty years of walking separate paths, Dragon still spoke of him with deep respect—perhaps even a bit of admiration.
A prodigy who had joined the Marines at twelve, set records for fastest promotions from Captain to Admiral, held the highest bounty capture total in history, and was known as—
The Navy's Monster.
The Ageless Admiral.
Kizaru.
And then, with a casual tone, Kizaru turned to Sabo and said:
"Alright then... tell me, what other tricks does that bastard Dragon have up his sleeve?"
Kizaru let go of Sabo, not wanting to make him too nervous.
This kid was Dragon's chosen successor—if he scared him too much, Dragon really might come after him for it.
While Kizaru had no hesitation when dealing with the Red-Haired Pirates, he still knew how to separate personal relationships from duty.
"Haha, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I don't know a thing about Dragon's plans…"
Sabo forced out an awkward laugh.
He knew Kizaru had some kind of connection with Dragon, but he had no idea that the man standing before him was actually one of the founding members of the Revolutionary Army.
In Sabo's mind, he figured he was done for.
Even if Kizaru spared him out of respect for Dragon, he'd probably still end up thrown into Impel Down for the rest of his life.
And this time, there was no Ivankov on the inside to help him.
Given his strength and status, he'd most likely be locked away in Level 6, never to see the light of day again.
"Dragon never told you about me?"
Kizaru sounded a little incredulous.
Even if Dragon hadn't mentioned him, Ivankov and Kuma—
…Oh, right.
One's in Impel Down, the other's a Warlord undercover.
That explains it.
"What… do you mean?"
Sabo swallowed hard.
A thought surfaced in his mind—an impossible one—but once he ruled out every other impossibility, it was the only possibility left.
Kizaru… is a Revolutionary Army spy?!
They're actually on the same side?!
Sabo had always believed Dragon was capable of anything, but orchestrating a Navy Admiral as an inside man was beyond even his imagination.
"Tch… you're really as cautious as ever, Dragon."
But Kizaru never answered Sabo's unspoken question.
Before Sabo could react, a gale swept through the battlefield—
And then, standing behind him, was Monkey D. Dragon.
"It's been a long time, Kizaru."
Despite now standing on opposite sides, Dragon still bowed his head slightly in respect, just as he had in the past.
Of course, this unfamiliar formality was purely for the World Government's eyes.
If the Five Elders ever found out that an Admiral and the leader of the Revolutionary Army casually chatted over a Den Den Mushi every now and then, they might drop dead from a heart attack before even getting their hands on Pure Gold.
"Yeah… it's been a while."
Kizaru glanced up at the storm clouds overhead.
Even though his Haki shield blocked out the storm, preventing him from feeling the wind and rain, he could tell the escalating weather was wreaking havoc on the Navy.
Especially for those who relied heavily on Devil Fruits—the rain sapping their strength left them vulnerable, even to low-ranking pirates.
"I still underestimated you, Kizaru."
Dragon observed the gap in the rain around Kizaru, his voice carrying a hint of admiration.
Releasing Armament Haki externally for attack or defense was basic for top-tier fighters—
But using it casually to shield oneself from the weather?
That was something else entirely.
While the quantity of Haki wasn't the only measure of a fighter's strength, such an overwhelming display of Armament Haki proved just how terrifying Kizaru's power truly was.
"What, you planning to climb on top of me or something?"
Kizaru raised an eyebrow, his Conqueror's Haki surging.
Even compared to Shanks, his aura was equally—if not more—overwhelming.
He was about to make something very clear—
No matter how many years had passed…
Your big brother is still your big brother.
"If the opportunity arises."
Dragon's voice was calm—
But at the same time, his own Conqueror's Haki erupted.
His unwavering stance made his intentions clear—he would not back down.
"Tch… then let me be perfectly clear—"
Kizaru let out a mocking laugh, his golden light flaring.
"You're dreaming. It's never gonna happen."
Because while Dragon had grown tremendously, standing among the strongest of the strong—
Kizaru was still a step ahead.
Even against a Kizaru who was just beginning to slack off, Dragon still had at least a slight chance of victory.
But no matter how much effort Dragon put in, he could never compare to Kizaru's sheer brokenness. Ever since Kizaru awakened his Stand, he grew stronger with every passing second—this wasn't something hard work alone could ever catch up to.
The two overwhelming forces of Conqueror's Haki clashed, squeezing against each other as countless streaks of black lightning cracked through the air. Fortunately, both Kizaru and Dragon controlled the range of their Haki, keeping it contained to their immediate surroundings.
Otherwise, just the collision of their Conqueror's Haki alone would have been enough to blow away a portion of the storm.
If Kizaru were willing to go all out, he could have even forcibly stopped the massive storm covering Marineford and the surrounding sea.
[Random Guy Trying to Get on Luo Feng's Good Side: It's about to start! Who wants to place bets? I'm putting my money on Dragon lasting at least five minutes!]
[Kobayashi: Huh? That tattooed guy—he's really strong? How does he compare to the red-haired one from before?]
[Ai Haibara: I can't believe it… Are there this many powerful monsters in the world? How do normal humans even survive?]
[Orochimaru: Heh, he does seem like a formidable character… But compared to Lord Kizaru, I'm afraid he still falls short.]
[Tony Stark: Oh, sh*t. I think I've hit a creative block. My Mark 5 Iron Man suit is nowhere near these monsters…]
[Tony Stark: Maybe I should start looking into biotechnology. Might open up more possibilities…]
[Fubuki: Just one war, and already hundreds of fighters on par with S-Class heroes have appeared. How has this world not been destroyed yet?]
[Xiao Mei: One day, I'll be as strong as them!]
[Zhang Sanfeng: Sigh… The world suffers…]
[Random Guy Trying to Get on Luo Feng's Good Side: Whoa! Master Zhang, long time no see!]
[Tony Stark: Hey, old man! First time seeing you talk in here!]
…
The livestream chat was completely unaware of the crushing pressure from Kizaru and Dragon's battle—they were still casually chatting and greeting each other.
Meanwhile, the only person actually caught in the fight—Sabo—was struggling to hold on.
"Such overwhelming pressure…"
Sabo gritted his teeth, but his body still wavered unsteadily.
Kizaru and Dragon had controlled their Conqueror's Haki clash, but they hadn't bothered avoiding the one unlucky guy closest to them—Sabo.
Even though it was just the residual impact from their Haki collision, it was enough to give him a taste of what it meant to be in the presence of true top-tier powerhouses.
"Tch, Dragon's gotten really strong… But Kizaru-sama is still the strongest!"
Vivian, the giant Vice Admiral who had followed Kizaru for years, had already taken precautions and stayed far away from the battlefield, avoiding getting caught up in the fight.
Back when she was still on Kizaru's ship, she had crossed paths with Dragon plenty of times.
At the time, Dragon had just started making a name for himself. To her, he was just some brat—and she'd been annoyed by how much Kizaru valued him.
But now?
She had to admit—Kizaru-sama had good judgment.
Even if she still disliked Dragon for betraying the Marines, she couldn't deny that he had earned the right to stand before Kizaru.
"As expected of Kizaru-senpai, still as—"
Wait.
No.
Something was wrong.
"—Wait! This speed?!"
Watching his own Conqueror's Haki being pushed back with ease, Dragon, who had already been mentally prepared, couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
Just as he was about to reveal his final trump card and give Kizaru a last-minute surprise, his expression suddenly changed to one of disbelief.
"You just realized? Too late!"
Kizaru grinned—a rare, almost sinister smile.
His Conqueror's Haki erupted in full force, instantly crushing Dragon's resistance. The sheer weight of his presence sent Dragon flying backward.
Blasted into the air by Kizaru's Haki alone, Dragon tried to shift into his elemental form, but before the thought could even fully form—
A flash of light.
Dragon suddenly found himself kicked high into the sky.
"Yata no Kagami!"
°°°
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