So that's why I hate facing opponents who combine a Logia with Kenbunshoku Haki.
Don glanced at the newly reformed body of the man who was Kizaru.
When someone masters a nature-type Devil Fruit and is also proficient with Kenbunshoku, they become extremely hard to deal with — unless you can use an even higher level of Kenbunshoku so your moves can't be seen, or your speed is far greater than theirs.
Lucky for him, Don also had a nature-type fruit and knew some ways to use Kenbunshoku.
Letting his Kenbunshoku run free, Don cast it across a dozen numbered districts of the Sabaody Archipelago and thought that through.
He raised his hand and sent several sweeping slashes toward the pile of Celestial Dragons.
Kizaru, newly materialized, noticed Don's move and had no choice but to block.
Boom.
Lava burst up from the ground between Don and the heap of Celestial Dragons.
Akainu, his lower half fully molten, swung his arm: a huge lava fist braided with Busoshoku Haki slammed down toward the flying slashes.
Swish!
As Akainu threw the blow, Don appeared before him, raising the blade that had gone clear and bright from his recent tempering, and chopped down hard.
The thick, Busoshoku-wrapped lava arm rose, Akainu's face set.
Swish!
A bright blade severed that armored elemental arm cleanly. The cut oozed molten, glistening heat.
Akainu showed little change in expression; he reformed another lava arm from his left side and swept at Don.
Swish!
Another brilliant flash split that bulky arm off as well.
Don reversed the blade; with an upward rip the tip aimed straight for Akainu's chest. If it landed, given how he'd already cleaved Busoshoku-infused elemental limbs, it would gut Akainu outright.
Boom!
A laser beam pierced Akainu's body from behind and struck Don in the chest. The tip of Don's blade grazed Akainu's torso as the beam hit, forcing Don back and creating distance between them.
"What timing, Kizaru!" Don called, steadying himself and looking toward the light-fingered admiral who'd fired through Akainu.
Kizaru's quick move had blocked the slash and then pierced Akainu's body with a laser — the resulting hole dripped molten rock. The wound left by Don's blade showed a scorched cut across the admiral's chest, a charred streak across his uniform.
"No choice — you're too strong!" Kizaru squinted at Don, surprised by the youth's power. Don had clearly grown far stronger than when the fights began. And because they had to worry about those Celestial Dragons, the two admirals couldn't go all out. Without the Dragons as a factor, things might have been much easier for them.
Kizaru had seen the blade coming; Akainu hadn't. He knew that if Akainu had dodged, the flying slashes from the blade would have been almost impossible to intercept. Akainu felt the scorch and searing pain in his chest, but he didn't flinch — his body had grown used to heat after eating the Magma Fruit. Still, that slash, imbued with Haoshoku Haki, burned into him; if anyone else had touched it, their organs would have charred.
"Watch it. His power's abnormal — maybe a potential awakened. It probably won't last long," Akainu warned without turning his head.
"I'm not taking a single careless step," Kizaru said. His body suddenly split; a slash sliced diagonally across his chest. After the flash, Don materialized from the flames right beside Kizaru.
"Dog of the Underworld!" Akainu roared. His lava-wreathed arms lashed out, not only targeting Don but the air around him.
"Yata no Kagami!" Kizaru split apart and formed the OK-hand gesture with both hands.
The attack pattern struck true this time. Don blocked the incoming lava fists with his blade, then used his element-infused body to dodge the incoming energy blasts.
Akainu had been right — this state couldn't be sustained long. He couldn't quickly replenish his HP in this mode, so avoiding hits mattered.
The three figures blurred into afterimages, strikes scattering in all directions. Some attacks flew toward the Celestial Dragons; Kizaru and Akainu intercepted them. That left Don clearly pressuring the two admirals — forcing them into defense, tiring them out.
Anyone watching — from veterans like Rayleigh and Dracule Mihawk to viewers seeing the battle on live feed — could sense the shift: the navy was being put on its heels.
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku watched the screen with a heavy face, silent. Don's combat strength had exceeded expectations. Even accounting for previous engagements, he'd not shown such overwhelming force.
"He's grown too quickly," Vice Admiral Tsuru said gravely. "I didn't expect this with Kizaru and Akainu both present."
Sengoku frowned, regretting not seizing Don earlier when he had the chance. Kaku had said Don was strong back then, but nothing like this.
"He's already learned that Haoshoku technique — it'll be hard to control him going forward. Decide: do we take him by any means necessary?" Tsuru asked Sengoku.
Sengoku didn't answer immediately. He still wondered whether Don had listened to his earlier warnings. Celestial Dragons were a special case — if one got hurt or killed, Don would be finished.
"Order the World Government agents to go in and remove those people," Sengoku said at last. He thought for a moment, then issued the command.
The Marine messenger saluted and hurried away.
Although few could enter the battlefield at will, the CP agents were specifically tasked with protecting the Celestial Dragons. Spandam received Sengoku's orders but stared at the broadcast with eyes locked on the image. He was a coward — he wouldn't approach. Yet he knew his son's disappearance had ties to Don.
"If there's a chance, kill him," Spandam ordered. As head of CP9, he could mobilize some force — and among the World Government's operatives there were indeed a few powerful fighters.
END OF CHAPTER
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