"Conquest!"
Leo's gaze sharpened. With his Observation Haki locked onto Kizaru, he unleashed a massive energy beam over ten meters in diameter.
The energy beam tore through the air, accompanied by the sonic boom of thunder.
Using the Demon Blade Kaito as a conduit, and simultaneously condensing the power of lightning, the Flow Release of Armament Haki, and his Great Swordsman skills, this 'Conquest' was currently Leo's most powerful attack.
Sensing the power of Conquest, Kizaru's pupils contracted sharply, every hair on his body standing on end.
If this energy beam struck a vital point, he would die without a doubt!!
All ten Kizarus changed expression simultaneously, brandishing their Ama no Murakumo swords, their Observation Haki pushed to the limit.
"Kizaru!!!" In the distance, Garp's face paled in shock.
He could clearly perceive that Kizaru's life hung by a thread.
Garp could no longer concern himself with anything else. Shaking off the hundreds of Sky Serpents surrounding him, he shot towards Kizaru like a meteor.
Even if it meant getting injured, Kizaru absolutely could not die.
The Sky Serpents shook their heads, locked onto their target, and gave chase once more.
"This old man will fight you to the end!!" Kizaru's face was twisted into a snarl. As he roared, his nine clones swung their Ama no Murakumo swords and rushed forward together.
Rather than wait for death, it was better to gamble. If he could buy even a single moment, he could evade this certain-kill blow and minimize the damage.
Conquest arrived in an instant, obliterating Kizaru's nine clones with overwhelming force, its power undiminished as it shot towards Kizaru's main body.
Kizaru's face twitched uncontrollably. Nine clones, annihilated instantly.
They hadn't even bought him a single breath of time!!
"Ice Wall!!!"
At the critical moment, Marine Admiral Aokiji finally arrived, his body wreathed in intense, freezing cold.
Aokiji waved his hand.
Three successive thick ice walls, several meters in diameter, erupted from the ground, blocking the path in front of Kizaru.
Kizaru's eyes lit up. Seizing the opportunity, he twisted his body, preparing to escape.
Aokiji, my good brother, you came through!!!
But just as he had that thought...
Conquest struck!
The energy beam still destroyed the three ice walls one after another with unstoppable force, carrying its lethal intent straight towards Kizaru.
Kizaru's expression changed drastically. The Conquest beam swept past his shoulder with a whoosh, then flew off into the distant horizon until it disappeared from sight.
"Kizaru!!!"
"Kizaru!!!"
Two simultaneous roars came from different directions.
Garp and Aokiji rushed over immediately. When they saw Kizaru, they felt their scalps go numb.
His entire right arm had been severed cleanly at the shoulder, blood gushing out like a fountain.
On the ground lay a bloody, severed arm.
Kizaru's face was deathly pale, his body staggering.
After two seconds of numbness, an intense wave of pain instantly wracked his entire body!
"Ahhh!!!"
A凄厉 (piercingly shrill) scream tore through the sky. Kizaru turned his head in disbelief to look at his right side.
Gone. His arm was gone!!!
"Kizaru." Aokiji and Garp exchanged a look, their expressions extremely grim.
A full Marine Admiral, having his arm chopped off by someone—who could accept such a thing?
"Ao!!! KIJI!!!!" A voice so cold it seemed capable of freezing a person's blood solid echoed through the space.
Garp snapped his gaze towards Leo, killing intent spreading.
Leo's face was dark, lines of shadow seeming to fall across it.
So close. He had been so close to killing Kizaru.
If not for Aokiji's appearance buying Kizaru that split second, he could never have dodged Conquest with just the loss of an arm.
Aokiji stared gravely at Leo.
If he hadn't been concerned about Robin and pedaled his bicycle furiously all the way, Kizaru would undoubtedly be dead just now.
"Leo, that's enough!!" Garp positioned himself in front of Kizaru, his aura menacing.
"Enough?!!" Leo acted as if he had heard the biggest joke, sneering. "When the two of you were trying to kill me just now, why didn't you say 'enough'?!"
"Kizaru, weren't you the one who said Garp was angry?! And then what?!"
"I'm still standing here perfectly fine. Look at you—if it weren't for Aokiji, would losing an arm be the end of it?!!"
Hearing this, Kizaru's body staggered, a pained expression on his face, but he didn't dare utter a single word in retort.
The victor is king, the loser a villain; he had nothing to say.
"Enough, Leo!!" Aokiji's face darkened, an intensely freezing cold energy wildly sweeping out from him.
No matter what, Kizaru was still a Marine Admiral. To see him so provocatively challenged by a rookie, even Aokiji couldn't stand it.
"Leo, we're here to help you!!"
"Captain, are you alright?!!"
At that moment, Nami and Robin arrived riding a cloud.
Because the battle between Leo and the other two had such a large area of effect, they had long since moved the battlefield, almost to the point of leaving the island.
After successfully dealing with Onigumo and Doberman, the two women had rushed to support him as soon as possible.
"Robin~" Aokiji looked at Robin on the cloud, his expression复杂 (complex). She had truly found a good captain, and good companions.
A pity.
What Leo had done today was an unforgivable crime in the eyes of the Marines.
He must face the制裁 (judgment) of Justice.
After shooting a glance at Aokiji, Leo turned and walked towards the two women.
Garp did not stop him.
Leo's teleportation ability was too terrifying. He didn't dare move too far from Kizaru.
What if he chased after Leo, only for Leo to teleport back and finish off Kizaru?
Under the hateful gazes of the three Admiral-level (combat power) Marines, Leo simply walked towards the two women. At the same time, a cold voice slowly carried over.
"Aokiji, that move earlier counts as repaying the debt for saving Robin back then."
"Next time we meet, I won't hold back."
With those words, Leo took Nami and Robin and teleported away!!
"Pfft~" Kizaru, his anger and frustration reaching a peak, could no longer hold on. He vomited a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Garp and Aokiji immediately sent Kizaru to the naval hospital for emergency treatment.
When the Marine soldiers saw the unconscious Kizaru and the severed arm in Aokiji's hand, they were all greatly astonished.
Who could have done this?!
Did Admiral Kizaru encounter an Emperor while on a mission?!
That didn't seem right either.
Kizaru was a Glint-Glint Fruit user. Even if he couldn't win, he could always run away.
Buzzing with shock and speculation, the news of Kizaru's severe injury quickly spread throughout the Marine ranks.
Conference Room, Marine Headquarters.
Sengoku's face was iron-gray. He slammed his fist on the desk in front of him.
"Garp! Tell me, what exactly happened?!!"
"Don't leave out a single detail!!!"
After Kizaru was sent for treatment, he had immediately called an emergency meeting.
All Vice Admirals and above stationed at Headquarters had dropped all their work and rushed to the conference room.
Upon learning that Admiral Kizaru had been severely injured and lost an arm, the officers were all shocked into silence.
All eyes turned to Garp.
Garp, his face grim and without his usual careless demeanor, recalled the events and began narrating the whole story.
"......…, and that's how it happened. Kizaru lost an arm to Leo."
The entire conference room erupted in murmurs.
"Teleportation?!! Leo actually mastered teleportation?!!"
"And he's also a Rumble-Rumble Fruit user?"
"His Armament Haki has also reached an advanced level?!"
The many Marine officers looked at each other, seeing the shock on each other's faces.
Was this really the power a rookie pirate possessed?!
He probably wasn't much inferior to an Emperor, was he?!
"Enough!" Sengoku coldly shouted.
All the Vice Admirals immediately fell silent, sitting up straight.
Sengoku scanned the room, his voice heavy. "Garp, what is your assessment of Leo?!!"
Garp was the one who had truly fought Leo. His opinion held the most authority and persuasiveness.
Garp frowned deeply, pondering for a moment before speaking. "In my view, the most terrifying thing about Leo is still that bizarre and unpredictable teleportation ability. As for the rest, while troublesome, they are not fearsome in themselves."
A very objective evaluation.
Though the Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability was powerful, in Marine history, it was just one among many.
As for the advanced Armament Haki 'Flow Release', they had seen plenty of that too.
Sengoku nodded slightly, then seemed to remember something, turning his gaze to Aokiji, who had been sitting silently in the Admiral's seat.
"Aokiji, why didn't you report the matter about Robin?!" Sengoku stared at Aokiji, his voice a low growl.
Aokiji's heart sank. His biggest worry had come to pass.
"Yare yare~ Fleet Admiral Sengoku, this matter, I, uh..." Aokiji hemmed and hawed, unable to give a proper explanation.
Thankfully, Vice Admiral Garp hadn't told Sengoku about Leo's final words to him. Otherwise, he'd really be in deep trouble.
"Find me alone for an explanation after the meeting," Sengoku waved his hand impatiently.
Finding Robin was originally good news, but he was in no mood for it now. His mind was completely occupied with Leo.
Bringing this up was purely to vent his pent-up anger.
"Sengoku, this matter is of great importance. I think it's necessary to report it to the Five Elders," Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Marine Headquarters Strategic Advisor, suggested.
From Leo's first bounty until now, barely over a month, Leo already possessed the strength to kill a Marine Admiral.
If they allowed him to continue growing, wouldn't he be storming Mary Geoise in a few days?!
The other officers all nodded in agreement. Even Admiral Kizaru had been defeated by Leo.
If they went, they'd just be delivering themselves to their doom.
Sengoku massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He felt like his head was about to explode.
So many things had happened in one day, he didn't know which to address first. Except for finding Robin, he was sure the Five Elders would berate him mercilessly for everything else.
Enies Lobby destroyed.
Kizaru's arm severed.
Leo's threat.
Sengoku could already imagine the wrath he was about to face.
"Tsuru, first increase Leo's bounty. I will report this matter to the Five Elders immediately."
"Sengoku, what do you think is appropriate?" Tsuru asked, frowning.
Sengoku was taken aback, opened his mouth, then finally shook his head. "Forget it. Let the Five Elders decide."
"Everyone, be extra careful when carrying out missions during this period. If you encounter Leo, try to avoid conflict if possible."
The officers inwardly sighed and nodded helplessly.
Since when did the Marines have to be so cautious around pirates?!
But they understood. There was no other way.
A rookie pirate, young and impulsive, coupled with possessing multiple powerful abilities—if you provoked someone like that, he really would dare to come after you.
After the meeting concluded, all the Marine officers filed out of the conference room.
Finally, only Sengoku and Garp remained.
Sengoku picked up the documents on his desk, pretending to be casual. "You had something to say, right?"
During the meeting, he had noticed Garp seemed restless.
Garp didn't beat around the bush. "Sengoku, I need to take a few days off. To find Luffy."
Huh?!!
Sengoku's hand stilled, then understanding dawned.
"You're afraid Leo will go after your grandson?!!" He immediately guessed Garp's concern.
Garp smiled wryly and nodded.
On Enies Lobby, he and Leo had already become mortal enemies.
If Leo ever found out about his relationship with Luffy, would Luffy have any chance of survival?!!
He had to get Luffy to hightail it back to the East Blue before that happened.
Wouldn't listen?!!
Let him try not listening this time. He'd break his legs himself.
Better a broken leg than dead.
If even he couldn't handle Leo, then Luffy... Garp massaged his forehead in despair.
One slash. That's all it would take.
Sengoku understood Garp's feelings, and they were old comrades besides. He immediately nodded in agreement. "Go find him quickly. Make him give up being a pirate."
He stared intently at Garp, speaking seriously. "Garp, I'm not trying to scare you. If Leo finds out about Luffy's connection to you, he's as good as dead."
"If you don't want to be the white-haired one sending off the black-haired one, you'd better..."
Before Sengoku could finish, Garp turned into a gust of wind and flew out of the conference room.
Luffy, your grandfather is coming!!!
Looking at the papers scattered by the gust, Sengoku shook his head helplessly.
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
The Room of Authority. The Five Elders were in a thunderous rage.
Roars like thunderclaps reverberated through Pangaea Castle. The government agents outside the door trembled in fear.
"Sengoku! You useless fools!!!"
"The World Government gives you so much military funding every year! What do we keep you for?! Even Enies Lobby has been destroyed!!"
"Kizaru and Garp deployed together, and you couldn't even catch a mere... what was that guy's name again?!"
"Lock down the news immediately! If this gets out, people will laugh their heads off! You incompetents!!"
"Sengoku, you've disappointed us too much! If you can't handle the position of Fleet Admiral, then step down and let someone else take over!!!"
The Five Elders ranted and raved, spittle flying.
Sengoku only felt a buzzing in his ears, his mind blank.
At first, he felt a bit embarrassed, but after more than ten minutes... he became resigned to it.
The Five Elders were truly amazing. They had berated him for a full half-hour without repeating a single curse word.
No wonder the World Government had 800 years of底蕴 (heritage/accumulated experience).
Only when they were somewhat hoarse did the Five Elders gradually cease their florid output.
Sengoku wiped his face and let out a relieved sigh. It was finally over.
"How is Kizaru now?!" The blonde Five Elder asked, his face dark.
Sengoku shook his head regretfully. "He's already receiving treatment. There should be no danger to his life, but his arm..."
He trailed off.
The atmosphere in the hall grew heavier still.
"The most pressing matter now is to find a way to deal with this Leo character," the sword-wielding Five Elder, the most composed of the five, spoke calmly.
Perhaps due to his swordsmanship training, he wasn't as quick to anger as the other four.
Hearing the sword-wielding Elder's words, the other four suppressed their anger and began discussing countermeasures.
"Regarding Leo's teleportation ability, do you have any good ideas?" The blonde Five Elder frowned, looking at the sword-wielding one.
They didn't take Leo's other abilities seriously at all.
But teleportation...
Although they verbally berated the Marines as useless, everyone knew the truth.
Kizaru might like to slack off, but his strength was undoubtedly top-tier.
Coupled with his Glint-Glint Fruit abilities, his speed was among the best on the seas.
If even he couldn't evade Leo's teleportation, others stood no chance.
Unless it was someone like Garp, Kaido, or Linlin, whose physical bodies had reached a saint-like level of toughness.
Facing the inquiring looks from everyone, the sword-wielding Five Elder frowned and said, "The teleportation ability is troublesome, but it's not invincible."
Hearing this, including Sengoku, everyone's eyes lit up, awaiting his next words.
The sword-wielding Five Elder pondered for a moment, then continued, "As long as 'That Person' takes action, he can be dealt with."
Sengoku frowned: Who is 'That Person'?!
The other Four Elders: ......
That statement was about as useful as flatulence.
Ahem! Sensing the awkward atmosphere in the hall, the sword-wielding Five Elder lightly coughed and shook his head. "Other than that, I don't have any other good ideas."
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T/N :
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