Don's foot, which had pierced through Kizaru's chest, burst apart in flames, exploding on its own.
The admiral's body shattered into fragments under the blast.
Space itself twisted from the force of the detonation.
From the outside, the massive fireball suddenly swelled larger in that instant.
Don didn't believe for a second that such a strike could kill Kizaru. Even wounding him would be difficult.
His Observation Haki swept out, searching for the admiral's presence—then a beam of light lanced in from beyond the blazing sphere, tearing straight through the fiery domain.
Don looked down at the gaping hole bored into his chest, then turned his head toward the passage carved through his own flames, his gaze meeting the outside world.
There, Kizaru hovered in the air, dazzling radiance gathering in both hands.
As expected. Even after expanding the fire's range, with his current means it was impossible to trap Kizaru in one place.
Or rather—on this sea, there was probably no one capable of imprisoning him if he truly wished to leave.
After all, light could reflect. He could even move by bouncing off those reflections.
Don suspected he might even use the sea's surface to move around.
Another beam of light shot forth. Half of Don's head vanished under its searing passage, flames licking at the charred edges.
And in the very moment the beam pierced through his skull, Kizaru's body materialized at his side.
His right leg, now pure light, swept across in a deadly kick.
"Scorching Sun Prison Garb!"
At nearly the same instant, Don unleashed his own technique.
Flames surged, burning across his body.
Augmented by Armament Haki, the fire condensed into a blazing shield, its heat forming a protective armor.
Before the luminous leg could connect, it disintegrated on contact with the flames.
An instant later, Kizaru's form flickered away, reappearing outside the domain of fire.
"How terrifying~ If that kick had landed, I might've lost my leg."
Hands stuffed lazily into his pockets, his pouty tone carried mockery—but his eyes were deadly serious.
And it wasn't a bluff.
That momentary heat— even if wrapped in Armament Haki, he doubted he could withstand it.
This man's flames… were even stronger than Akainu's.
But Don had noticed it too: the infusion of Haki had consumed a tremendous amount of stamina.
The vast domain of fire began to contract, drawing back toward his body.
As it receded, waves of hot wind swept across the island below.
Trees and buildings alike ignited in the blistering heat.
Deep underground, Robin had long since sensed the chaos outside.
Though a Devil Fruit user herself, she knew better than to surface into a clash like this.
Rather than emerge and distract Don, it was safer to wait out the battle from within the underground factory.
But that didn't stop her from worrying.
The enemy… seemed overwhelming!
"Cough, cough!"
A violent hacking echoed through the tunnels. Robin's head snapped toward the passage leading outside.
Her Observation Haki spread out instantly, locating the source.
A man, his entire body scorched black, sprawled motionless on the ground.
He had come from outside.
Robin's eyes narrowed warily, though she didn't move closer. Instead, she crossed her arms before her chest, ready to strike at any moment, her gaze fixed firmly on him.
Outside, the endless flames drew back.
Don now wore a cloak of fire, the flames around him flowing as though they were tangible.
The space around him warped under the searing heat.
Since the domain of fire couldn't contain Kizaru, there was no point in maintaining it.
Better to condense it, to strengthen his defense against such a formidable foe.
The admiral's beams of light did little real harm to him.
But strikes coated in Armament Haki—if he failed to slip into intangibility in time—could deal serious damage.
And this time, Don had no intention of activating Indomitable.
So his only option was defense: flames hot enough that any who struck him would be burned in turn.
A simple principle—if you hit me, you'll suffer too.
Kizaru studied him carefully.
The young man's strength had far exceeded his expectations.
Still, if he truly went all out, he could take him down.
But… was it worth it?
After all, this mission wasn't about capturing Don at all costs.
Shhh!
A fiery slash roared across the sky toward Kizaru.
And in its wake, Don's body became a mass of indistinguishable flame, flickering forward in an instant to close the distance.
"Cleansing Slash!"
One strike followed another.
Kizaru's body was cleaved in two, his upper half and lower half separating as they passed each other.
But light already gathered where he'd been severed. His lower body dissolved into radiance, rejoining his torso. At the same time, a leg cloaked in Haki lashed out at Don as they crossed.
Bang!
The fiery blade met the luminous kick, a shockwave blasting outward.
The sea below exploded into towering waves.
The ship already retreating in the distance tossed violently, nearly capsizing.
On deck, Viola and the others stared wide-eyed at the battle raging above.
Everyone struggled desperately to steer farther away.
Tears welled in Viola's eyes—not of sorrow, but from her ability being strained by the searing light.
Admiral Kizaru!
She saw him clearly now, and knew who he was.
Her heart twisted with dread.
She had placed her hopes on Don—his strength, at least, might be enough to defeat Doflamingo.
But now, with an admiral standing in his way—if Don faltered, he might die here. Or be captured.
She could only guess at his situation.
After all, admirals were the Navy's supreme power. Their strength was overwhelming.
And aboard the ship, all anyone could do was flee, as far and as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, the battle in the skies raged on.
Don's flaming blade and Kizaru's Ama-no-Murakumo Sword clashed hundreds of times in the blink of an eye.
Waves of cutting force scattered in every direction.
Clang!
Their swords locked, pressing against one another.
Kizaru's hands gripped his blade. Don mirrored him, their gazes meeting across the sparks.
The suffocating heat forced a scowl onto the admiral's face.
What a troublesome opponent.
This assignment better come with a bonus!
The thought crossed his mind as his body, along with the sword in his hands, blurred into light and withdrew.
But this time, Don didn't pursue—his eyes remained locked on Kizaru.
"The Marshal really handed me a big headache. You sure you don't want to stop whatever it is you're doing?"
Kizaru asked, one hand tucked lazily into his pocket.
"Then fight!"
Don's reply was sharp, leaving no room for idle chatter.
Driving his fruit and Haki at full force consumed him constantly. Even with his rapid regeneration, his vitality was bleeding away.
Hearing such blunt words, Kizaru's brows furrowed. He pushed up his sunglasses.
To be spoken to like this by a brat—even he found it irritating.
But he had no intention of continuing the fight.
What had started as a small matter had turned into something this troublesome.
And remembering the way Sengoku and Garp regarded Don, pressing too hard here might well be a mistake.
Well… I did my best, anyway.
With that thought, Kizaru gave the young man one last look. Then his body dissolved into golden light—vanishing from sight in an instant.
END OF CHAPTER
patreon.com/MrBehringer
Fireborne Legends
🔹 Rising Bounty – Read up to 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Legendary Bounty – Command up to 35 chapters ahead