"Hahahahaha!"
Vixon let out a booming laugh. "Kid! You're not planning to run? You're going to take me head-on instead?"
Arthur smiled. "Well… I could run. But this is a Marine Admiral we're talking about. I'd rather take the chance to find out just how wide the gap between us really is. Besides—"
He left the rest unsaid.
If he didn't even have the courage to face an Admiral head-on, then even his own blood would fucking sneer at him. How could he ever hope to surpass Captain Rocks?
"Hahaha! Now this is interesting!"
"You Rocks Pirates sure are a bunch of fun."
"Don't disappoint me, brat—don't die too quickly!"
Vixon moved.
Whoosh!
He was fast. Blindingly fast. And that was saying something—Vixon wasn't even known for speed. He was fast simply because his body was monstrously powerful.
"...!"
Arthur couldn't counter. He could only bring up his Invisible Blade in defense.
BOOM!
The Admiral's devastating fist crashed down. Arthur's face twisted as he was sent flying backwards, his arms numbed by the shock.
Thud!
He twisted midair and landed hard, his foot cratering the ground beneath him.
Huff…
Arthur exhaled deeply, letting out the breath trapped in his chest.
"What terrifying power," he muttered. "So this is the strength of a Mythical Zoan…"
Yes—Vixon was a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. A certified monster in every sense.
"Oh?"
Vixon looked intrigued. "That's some sharp Observation Haki, kid. You can track my movements… but don't get cocky. I won't be holding back anymore."
Then came the storm.
Boom! Boom!
Vixon's fists crashed down like a hurricane. He didn't need any weapons—his raw strength was enough to suppress Arthur entirely.
His speed. His power. His presence.
They were overwhelming.
Eventually, Arthur's Observation Haki couldn't even keep up. He was forced to close his eyes, relying instead on pure battle instinct—the fusion of his Intuition and Haki—to stay alive.
At that moment, Arthur was dancing on a razor's edge.
One misstep… and he'd fall into the abyss.
"Oh?"
Vixon raised an eyebrow in amusement. The kid could actually keep up.
"But—"
"This ends now."
"I don't have time to waste on you."
Vixon vanished.
In the next instant, his fist came crashing down—wreathed in gale-force wind, shaped into the roaring image of a lion.
"Lionheart!"
Arthur's eyes widened. He could feel the wind swirling violently within the attack.
He exhaled slowly, steadied his stance, and raised the Invisible Blade once more.
"Hammer of the Wind King!"
The two gales clashed.
Arthur was hurled back—hundreds of meters, maybe more—before finally skidding to a stop.
Bang! Bang!
His boots struck earth. His heart pounded like a war drum.
But strangely… he wasn't afraid. In fact, he could feel it—his blood roaring, his strength surging.
The Red Dragon's bloodline was awakening.
Not just a partial awakening—not just 10%. In the crucible of battle, under this overwhelming pressure, something deeper stirred within him.
The true draconic power of his blood was beginning to respond.
Arthur had always believed that true strength came from mastery—not just raw talent. That's why he trained harder than anyone else.
Otherwise, what was the point of having Admiral-level potential… if you couldn't even beat a Vice Admiral?
That would be the true disgrace.
Huff... Huff...
Arthur's breath slowly evened out. His wounds were healing. Even the cracks in his armor began to mend.
"Oh?"
Vixon grinned broadly. "Interesting. Very interesting! You didn't try to block or overpower me—"
"You redirected my punch with wind. That's a clever trick, brat!"
Craaaaack—
The ground behind Arthur was completely torn apart—Vixon's lion-fist having been diverted cleanly.
Arthur smiled. "Can't afford to be careless against a Marine Admiral."
"Still…"
"That power really is amazing."
Vixon raised a brow. "What's the matter? Didn't you just counter my attack?"
Arthur shook his head. "Let's not kid ourselves. You haven't even used your Devil Fruit yet—or your Haki. And I'm already struggling to keep up."
"Decades of experience… that's what makes an Admiral so terrifying."
"Thunder Bagua!"
A blur swept in from the side—Kaido, wielding his kanabo, struck a Vice Admiral square in the chest and sent him flying.
But Kaido didn't follow up.
Instead, he slowly strolled toward Vixon, a dangerous glint in his eye.
"Arthur!" he shouted, grinning. "You're seriously fighting a damn Marine Admiral? Now that I gotta see! I've always wanted to know what a fight with an Admiral feels like!"
Arthur chuckled. "Then by all means, take over."
"Tch."
Kaido grunted and stopped a short distance from Vixon. He grinned wickedly.
"I wanna try too."