Chapter 267: Kizaru Arrives
The Frontline Battlefield.
Almost at the precise instant the Birdcage disappeared, the Den Den Mushi in Kalos' possession suddenly rang with urgent intensity.
"What?!"
Hearing the words transmitted through the Den Den Mushi, Kalos' normally cold eyes widened in genuine shock.
Everything occurring within Dressrosa had been exposed to the world?
As a top-ranking CP captain, he frequently handled such clandestine operations and remained acutely aware of the catastrophic consequences when incidents of this severity became public knowledge.
"..."
"Understood. I will do my utmost."
Kalos terminated the transmission, his eyes turning absolutely frigid.
Jinbe, covered head to toe in blood, charged forward once again with unwavering determination.
"The Birdcage is gone!"
Pica, Lao G, and the other executives all displayed expressions of utter disbelief.
They all understood perfectly what this signified.
Once the Birdcage was deployed, it wouldn't cease unless Doflamingo himself was defeated or chose to release it!
For Pica and the other Donquixote Family executives, Doflamingo's existence transcended that of a simple leader—he represented a form of absolute faith itself.
Upon recognizing this devastating possibility, the Donquixote Family's morale plummeted catastrophically, and they found themselves forced into full retreat under the coordinated assault of Kyros and the Riku Kingdom's royal soldiers.
"Impossible! Impossible! How could the Young Master be defeated!"
"I'll slaughter you all!"
Pica, controlling his massive rock giant form, swept across the battlefield, his characteristically high-pitched voice tinged with genuine madness.
RUMMMBLE!
The towering stone giant—standing dozens of meters tall—proved nearly unstoppable, sending buildings and surrounding soldiers flying like ragdolls.
"Sanjū Man Boruto: Kaminari-dori—Thirty Million Volt Thunderbird!"
Enel unleashed a thunderbird composed of pure electrical energy, blasting a massive hole through the rock giant's torso, yet failing to damage its core where Pica hid.
"Damn it..."
Enel gasped for breath, cursing internally with mounting frustration.
He was physically and mentally exhausted. Otherwise, deploying his Niman Boruto: Raijin—Two Hundred Million Volt Thunder God form might have proven sufficient to defeat Pica decisively.
Law and Robin found themselves equally drained.
If it weren't for the critical support provided by Kyros, Rebecca, and other Dressrosa natives, they might not have managed to hold out until this point in the war.
Enel possessed elemental transformation and incredible speed advantages that they simply lacked.
Just then, a figure gleaming with silver light suddenly materialized on the battlefield.
No one could withstand even a single strike in its path—the Donquixote Family's defensive lines shattered like glass.
"Is that the Thunder God Swordsman?"
Rebecca and the others reacted with astonishment, their hearts filled with awe-struck dread.
No wonder he could defeat Doflamingo and liberate Dressrosa—he possessed such overwhelming power.
But Rhodes had no time to acknowledge them whatsoever.
He leaped explosively into the air.
Whoosh!
Like a lightning bolt tearing through the heavens themselves.
The white-clad figure soared through the atmosphere, leaving trails of afterimages, and within mere moments appeared before the colossal rock giant. Wind whipped through his long hair as he unleashed a devastating sword strike.
BOOOOOM!
Nothing could adequately describe the sheer sharpness of this sword technique.
This single strike seemed capable of cleaving heaven and earth in two.
Within the pupils of countless witnesses, only a single, piercing silver light shone.
The silver radiance, like a divine blade cutting through water, effortlessly pierced the rock giant's shell—which was resilient enough to withstand sustained artillery bombardment—and then struck Pica, who remained hidden within the construct's core.
Pica didn't even have time to scream.
This highest-ranking Donquixote Family officer died instantaneously on the spot.
"Incredible!"
The Riku Kingdom's royal soldiers exclaimed in absolute amazement.
To slice through a towering giant with a single sword strike—such strength truly lived up to the legend of the Thunder God Swordsman who could challenge Whitebeard himself in single combat.
"Phew... this guy never fails to exceed expectations..."
Robin wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and forced a tired smile.
With Pica's death, the Donquixote Family's resistance finally collapsed completely.
"Lord Rhodes... thank you very much."
Kyros approached Rhodes, his scarred face displaying profound reverence.
Behind him, the pink-haired gladiator Rebecca peeked out curiously, her beautiful eyes showing both admiration and fascination.
"I didn't come to rescue Dressrosa. I had my own objectives."
Rhodes glanced briefly at the pink-haired girl's bizarre gladiator outfit, shook his head slightly, and turned to depart.
There remained a formidable enemy still requiring his attention.
After Rhodes left—
Kyros released a long, heartfelt sigh and remarked:
"Whether you possessed ulterior motives or not, you ultimately saved Dressrosa from tyranny."
"Lord Rhodes seems so cold..."
Rebecca stuck out her tongue playfully.
Despite appearing roughly the same age as her, he possessed such incredible presence that even from a distance, he instilled overwhelming awe.
At that moment, Rhodes arrived at the battlefield where Jinbe continued his struggle against Kalos.
Slash!
With a single sword stroke, he deflected the steel needles aimed at Jinbe. Rhodes approached his ally, observing his bloodied condition, and asked with concern,
"How are you holding up? Can you still fight?"
"I-I can."
Jinbe's voice emerged somewhat hoarse, but his tone remained absolutely steady—perfectly reflecting his character.
"Don't push yourself beyond your limits."
Rhodes shook his head with slight concern.
Jinbe's base strength already fell inferior to Kalos', and he'd risked his life to contain Kalos, preventing him from interfering with the primary battle. If it weren't for his Fish-Man physiology's exceptional resilience and powerful vitality, he'd probably be dead already.
"Fighting to the death... represents a warrior's honor."
Jinbe articulated each word with unwavering resolve.
Having decided to pledge his loyalty to Rhodes, he would never hesitate or retreat under any circumstances!
"..."
Rhodes regarded him with profound respect, and after a lengthy pause, stated,
"In that case, let's coordinate and take down that bastard together."
At this moment, Kalos—witnessing Rhodes' arrival—had already retreated strategically, creating substantial distance.
He alone couldn't possibly withstand the coordinated assault of both Rhodes and Jinbe simultaneously.
Whoosh!
A flash of silver light erupted as Rhodes' figure, accompanied by a powerful gust, suddenly burst through the air.
His velocity proved extreme, his eyes razor-sharp, filled with concentrated killing intent.
"Too fast—difficult to track!"
Kalos reacted with impressive speed. With a wave of his hand, a section of rubble in the distance suddenly levitated, carrying violent momentum as it crashed toward Rhodes.
This attack wasn't intended to injure Rhodes directly, but simply to decelerate his advance.
Silently—
A sword light flashed brilliantly.
The stone wall instantly split in two, and Rhodes' figure showed virtually no sign of stopping, continuing his charge toward Kalos relentlessly.
"..."
Kalos remained tactically calm, continuously activating his telekinetic abilities.
Amid rumbling vibrations, multiple pieces of rubble levitated into the air, crashing toward Rhodes from various angles.
"Hmm?"
Rhodes frowned slightly. These ruined building sections measured seven or eight meters in length, cutting across entire streets, forcing him to utilize his blade to slice them down systematically.
"Buying time? Is Kizaru nearly here?"
he thought analytically, then unleashed a devastating sword strike.
WHOOOOSH!
The brilliant sword energy sliced through three consecutive walls effortlessly. Rhodes burst forth from the resulting dust cloud, accelerating his pursuit of Kalos.
Just then—
Jinbe successfully flanked Kalos from behind, sending him flying with a powerful Gosenmaigawara Seiken, causing him to crash heavily into the ground and roll over ten meters.
Rhodes, naturally, wouldn't miss such an opening. He instantly closed the distance, his blade slashing downward with lethal intent.
But if Kalos were so easily eliminated, he wouldn't hold the rank of top-tier CP0 captain.
Before he could even regain proper footing, Kalos immediately activated his ability. His sword instantly unsheathed itself telekinetically, coated with dense Armament Haki, and intercepted the attack directly.
CLANG!
Using telekinesis to control the blade alone proved clearly insufficient to fully resist Rhodes' overwhelming power.
But it proved adequate to hinder him momentarily.
Within that brief instant, Kalos gripped his sword's hilt properly, unleashing both telekinetic force and physical strength simultaneously, finally escaping the immediate crisis.
"Tch."
Noticing the Armament Haki coating on the blade being continuously sliced away, Kalos' expression shifted subtly. His eyes flickered with calculation as a steel needle—gleaming with concentrated Armament Haki—shot outward, aimed directly at Rhodes' eye.
Rhodes had no intention of using his still-developing Observation Haki to tank such a precise attack, so he dodged backward while simultaneously deflecting the needle with his sword.
At that precise moment, Jinbe surged forward again, deploying Fish-Man Karate to send Kalos flying once more.
Kalos, like Doflamingo, was a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user not particularly specialized in physical defense. He was immediately struck by Jinbe's devastating punch, spitting out a substantial mouthful of blood—clearly in deteriorating condition.
This demonstrated the overwhelming power of two top-tier combatants working in perfect coordination.
Although Jinbe hadn't quite reached Admiral-level strength, he remained only marginally below that threshold. Cooperating with Rhodes, they could consistently seize opportunities to launch devastating attacks.
"..."
Kalos' eyes turned absolutely frigid. This tactical scenario was supposed to have been prepared specifically for Rhodes alone.
Unexpectedly, he now faced two elite masters simultaneously.
The Thunder God Swordsman's strength had exceeded all operational expectations.
Kalos understood the fundamental reason behind this disaster.
Originally, despite the added variable of Jinbe's interference, the situation had remained tactically manageable.
Doflamingo, with assistance from two CP operatives, possessed sufficient strength to stalemate even a Marine Admiral without significant difficulty.
Unexpectedly, he'd been swiftly eliminated by Rhodes in barely over an hour.
The two sides were openly hostile—there was nothing more to discuss.
Rhodes advanced forward deliberately, and Jinbe followed in perfect coordination, both prepared to eliminate this formidable enemy decisively.
But at that critical moment—
A dazzling golden light streaked across the heavens, traversing the void at incredible velocity.
Marine Admiral Borsalino—Kizaru!
(End of Chapter)
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