"Ahhh! I'm going to die, I'm going to die!"
"Help! I don't want to die yet!"
Chopper and Usopp screamed in panic, their voices nearly drowned out by the explosions ringing around them.
"Tch—shut up, you two! You're safe!" Sanji snapped, clicking his tongue in irritation. He quickly called out, "Senior Mundo blocked the admiral's attack for us!"
At Sanji's words, Chopper and Usopp instantly fell silent. Looking up, they saw Uncle Mundo standing protectively before them.
Each terrifying light burst unleashed by the admiral dissipated before reaching them, as though an invisible wall deflected the attacks.
It was bizarre.
"Uncle Mundo!" Chopper cried in relief, tears welling in his eyes. "Thank you—thank you so much!"
Usopp exhaled heavily, his voice trembling with both fear and joy. "Senior Mundo is incredible! With him here, even the admiral can't hurt us. We're saved!"
Sanji only rolled his eyes at the cowardly duo. Turning toward Nami, he reminded her bluntly, "Nami! You can let go of Senior Mundo now."
But Nami shook her head frantically. "No! I won't! That admiral is far too terrifying!"
Nearby, Luffy trembled under the weight of the admiral's assault, his usual fearless expression replaced with silence. For the first time, he truly understood how vast the gap was between himself, his crew, and the top powers of the world.
Their thoughts, their actions—it all meant nothing in the clash between such monsters.
"Kizaru, is that the best you've got?" Fenric laughed.
In truth, Fenric could have retaliated long ago. He had deliberately remained on the defensive, wanting to test Kizaru's strength and measure his own place in this world after so long within the Samsara Space.
Protecting Luffy's crew had been nothing more than a trivial effort.
More importantly, Fenric was using this chance to see if Luffy could be bait for bigger fish. He knew the plot, and he knew just how deep Luffy's background ran.
His father was none other than Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army. His grandfather was the naval hero, Monkey D. Garp. Both of his sworn brothers were influential figures, plus with his ties to the Four Emperors—Shanks himself.
When it came to background, there were few in the entire world who could rival Luffy.
No wonder, in the original timeline, Kizaru had let him go more than once.
"What a terrifying ability…"
High in the sky, Kizaru's expression hardened as he gazed down at Fenric. "Mundo, just what kind of monster are you?"
Fenric had already revealed his control over thunder, but now he displayed yet another strange ability. It resembled the power of a Devil Fruit, but everyone knew the iron law of the seas: one person could never wield two.
And yet here stood Mundo, seemingly breaking that rule.
"Kizaru! If you have no other tricks, then release these kids."
Kizaru's voice was strange, stretched with both mockery and unease. "I'm not done yet! Your power must have its limits, Mundo."
As soon as his words fell, the admiral unleashed a sudden burst of energy.
"Shu-shu-shu!"
Countless beams of light rained down from above, like a storm of golden bullets. Each one was aimed directly at Fenric, compressing the attack range to ensure no one else was struck.
Fenric's expression sharpened. The pressure was immense—if he tried to tank this barrage head-on, he knew he wouldn't last a full minute.
"Kizaru… you've been on the offensive long enough. Now it's my turn!"
Fenric drew his right hand back to his waist, gathering power.
"Boom—!"
Flames erupted around his palm, blazing so hot that Nami and Robin instinctively shielded their faces from the heat.
Fenric bent his knees, sinking his weight into his core, then thrust his hand forward with all his strength.
"The Flaming Buddha Palm!"
A colossal palm of fire surged upward, carrying devastating destructive force as it roared toward Kizaru.
Every light bullet it touched was instantly burned away, erased as though they had never existed.
The sheer pressure of the attack struck Kizaru before the flames even reached him. The fiery palm loomed larger and larger in his eyes, and his instincts screamed at him to move.
If he didn't evade—he would die.
And his instincts weren't wrong. Fenric's power was already on par with an Admiral's. The Flaming Buddha Palm was his strongest technique.
"Damn…"
Abandoning his barrage, Kizaru's entire body flared with golden light as he transformed into pure energy.
"Boom—!"
A thunderous explosion shook the heavens, painting the entire sky crimson.
From the blaze, a golden figure tumbled to the ground.
It was Kizaru.
His uniform was scorched, his cloak of justice torn and half-missing. For the first time, he looked disheveled, almost vulnerable.
Ordinary physical attacks could never harm a Logia user like him—but Armament Haki was another story. Fenric's mastery of it had pierced even Kizaru's elemental defenses.
This was the first time the admiral had been injured since rising to his rank.
"Admiral Kizaru," Fenric smiled lightly, though his mind weighed the cost, "how did that feel?"
Inside, he sighed. Logia type Devil Fruits were truly troublesome. Without Armament Haki, no attack could harm them. Even his strongest strike, the Flaming Buddha Palm, had only managed to wound Kizaru slightly—at the expense of a large chunk of his stamina.
It looked like a victory, but Fenric knew the trade wasn't worth it.
His ambitions weren't limited to injuring one admiral. He wanted the entire Navy Headquarters.
"You really are a monster, Mundo…"
Kizaru's carefree mask had cracked. His eyes narrowed, and the Ama no Murakumo shimmered back into existence in his hand. This time, he faced Fenric as a true enemy.
But Fenric only smiled wider. "You'll be even more surprised."
His gaze shifted suddenly, locking onto a distant shadow. His voice rang out, sharp and commanding:
"Dark King Rayleigh—how long do you plan on hiding?"
Everyone froze, eyes snapping toward where Fenric was staring.
Even Kizaru flinched at the name, his face momentarily tight as he too turned in that direction.
A long silence stretched—then a calm, weathered voice broke it.
From behind a massive tree, a figure emerged with steady steps.
"The young ones these days are truly terrifying…" Rayleigh sighed, his presence undeniable. "It seems I really am getting old. I can't even stay hidden anymore."
----
[Translator's Note: Time of Update 12:00 pm UTC +8:00. Currently Rank #4.]