"You bastards have some skill!"
Just as Jiang Lin and Luffy exchanged a smile, two dark figures leapt down from the tall trees above, landing right in front of Jiang Lin.
"To think you kicked PX-4 onto the warship… you're something else."
One of the newcomers was dragging along the "corpse" of the Pacifista Jiang Lin had just kicked off the island, while another Pacifista, completely unharmed, followed at his side.
"Pacifistas… I didn't expect to run into two of them at once."
Jiang Lin shook his head helplessly. The moment he saw the man's face, he already knew who it was.
Sentomaru, captain of the Marines' Science Unit—the man Kizaru had been struggling to locate earlier.
"Who are you?"
Luffy looked curiously at the newcomer.
"Sentomaru. A tough opponent," Jiang Lin answered for him.
"Begin the battle, PX-1!"
Sentomaru's expression grew grim as he fixed his eyes on Jiang Lin. He had already contacted Kizaru and learned about Jiang Lin from him. That was why, instead of wasting time with words, he immediately ordered the Pacifista to attack.
"Light-speed… Kick!"
At the command, the Pacifista's body began to glow as it prepared to fight. But Jiang Lin's movements were faster than anyone present could follow. With a flash of dazzling golden light, the Pacifista hadn't even had time to unleash its attack before it was sent flying out of Sabaody by a single kick.
"You—!"
Seeing the Pacifista instantly taken down, Sentomaru raised the massive axe on his shoulder in shock. But before he could strike, Jiang Lin rushed in with a devilish grin.
"Here's a free ride home for you!"
Another flash of golden light—and just like that, Sentomaru was blasted out of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Su-go-i!"
The sheer display of Jiang Lin's power left Luffy staring at him with wide, sparkling eyes, as though his heart was about to fly right out.
"He's so strong!"
Nami's face was filled with doubt. With strength like this, Jiang Lin could easily crush the entire Straw Hat crew. If that was the case, why would he join them?
"Could it be…"
Robin's gaze lingered thoughtfully on Jiang Lin's movements, just as shaken by his power as the others.
"How strange… Sentomaru told me he was coming here. Oh… and you're here too. Did you see Sentomaru around?"
Just as the Straw Hats were each forming their impressions of their powerful new companion, Admiral Kizaru appeared. He had already injured Nami with a finger laser and now emerged, head tilting lazily from side to side.
"Nami-chan!"
"Nami!"
The Straw Hats' cries of alarm were nothing compared to the blazing fury rising in Jiang Lin's heart.
"You… damn it!"
Nami's injury had utterly enraged him. In his previous life, he had watched helplessly as Ace died before his eyes, unable to do anything. But now that he had crossed into the world of One Piece, he would never allow any character he cared for to be harmed or killed right in front of him.
"Yata Mirror!"
A brilliant light shone from Jiang Lin's body as he bent with the beam, reappearing right above Kizaru's head.
"A-re… you're making me quite upset."
Kizaru narrowed his eyes and raised four fingers. Four dazzling beams of golden light instantly shot toward Jiang Lin.
Shoom!
Jiang Lin used the Yata Mirror to dodge, raising his left leg high and swinging it down heavily toward Kizaru.
"Yata Mirror!"
With a flash of light, Kizaru evaded just before Jiang Lin's kick connected.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Crossing his arms before his chest, Jiang Lin unleashed a storm of shining light bullets, raining down like a relentless barrage upon Kizaru below!
"So strong!"
"His strength is far beyond ours!"
"To be able to fight on par with a Marine Admiral for so long—forcing him onto the defensive!"
Chopper, Robin, and Sanji watched in shock, so much so that they momentarily forgot about tending to Nami's wound.
A Marine Admiral—one of the Navy's highest fighting powers. Yet Jiang Lin, a man with no fame and not even a wanted poster, was pushing Kizaru into a corner.
"What kind of terrifying man is this? Just how strong is he?"
That was the thought echoing through every Straw Hat's mind.
"A pirate unrecognized by Marine Headquarters, yet with strength worth an 800 million bounty!"
Kizaru's eyes sharpened suddenly—a sign he was finally getting serious. He hadn't been fighting with full effort until now, but being suppressed for so long by Jiang Lin was humiliating for a Marine Admiral. If he didn't show his true strength, his paycheck might be at risk.
"Is that so? I'd say I'm only worth six hundred million."
Jiang Lin chuckled. His abilities came entirely from Kizaru's fruit—so the higher his bounty, the stronger Kizaru's power must be. In that case, taking a "loss" with a lower bounty wasn't something he minded.
"Is that so? Then let me see the true power of a pirate worth six hundred million."
Dazzling golden light flickered once again. Against the Yasakani no Magatama, Kizaru only needed a sidestep to dodge. With both men wielding the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit, the only way to settle this fight would be in close combat.
Shoom, shoom, shoom!
Beams of light streaked wildly through the battlefield, detonating countless trees into splinters.
Jiang Lin and Kizaru clashed back and forth across Grove 12 of the Sabaody Archipelago like two locomotives at full speed.
The "Justice" cape fluttered behind Kizaru, riddled with finger-sized holes burned by the golden beams.
And Jiang Lin's clothes were no better, gradually shredded into tatters as the battle's intensity grew.
At this rate, the two were on the verge of fighting barehanded, body against body.
"My, my… I didn't expect you to be this troublesome."
Kizaru grinned, teeth bared.
"You're not bad yourself, Borsalino-san."
Jiang Lin panted heavily, chest heaving. His body was, after all, just that of an ordinary man. No matter how handsome he might look, it couldn't grant him the endurance for a high-level fight like this. His stamina was running short, and little by little, the tide was turning against him.
"That's enough, Kizaru."
Just as the two caught their breath and prepared to clash again, an elderly figure emerged slowly from the forest. White hair, white beard, a white cloak draped over his shoulders, and a simple pair of sandals on his feet—
Silvers Rayleigh.