Rolan stared calmly at Marine Admiral Kizaru, who stood at the bow of the ship wearing his usual lazy expression that hovered between amused and indecent. With a faintly bored tone, Rolan said, "Long time no see, Kizaru-san."
A familiar mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
Ding. Triggering choice:
A: Defeat Kizaru and plant the seeds of rebellion. Reward: Top-tier Armament Haki, top-tier physique, Senzu Bean ×1000.
B: Follow Kizaru to Impel Down and stay there. Reward: Paramecia Devil Fruit ×1, Kizaru-brand suit ×1, Senzu Bean ×100.
C: Leave Kizaru at the bottom of the sea. Reward: None.
Rolan's expression didn't change, but his thoughts flickered.
Option A… planting seeds of rebellion? And option C gives no reward? Useless.
He chose instantly.
I choose A.
Even though he could escape Impel Down easily and recruit monsters from Level Six, the first option was superior in every way.
Beside him, Crocodile stared at Kizaru with mild surprise. The two weren't from the same faction and had only crossed paths during the World Conference. He didn't expect their next meeting to be like this.
"Oh my, isn't this our Shichibukai, Sand Crocodile," Kizaru drawled. He lifted a brow, the lecherous look fading into curiosity. "You really joined Rolan and his crew?"
Crocodile raised his hands in an almost careless gesture. "Isn't that obvious?"
Kizaru scratched the back of his head. "I didn't expect a rebellious guy like you to become someone's subordinate."
"Correction," Rolan said flatly, "Ion Tempest doesn't do subordinates. We do partners."
Enel, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. Ever since the man in yellow stripes arrived, he had said things that irritated him endlessly.
"Rolan, is this the Marine Admiral you mentioned?"
Only then did Kizaru turn his gaze fully, noticing the bare-chested man with gold ornaments. "Oh my, is he your new partner?"
Rolan nodded. "This is Enel, my newest ally."
Then he turned to Enel. "This is Admiral Kizaru, user of the Pika Pika no Mi, one of Marineford's strongest fighters."
At the mention of "strongest", Enel's eyes sharpened with rising battle intent.
"Oh dear," Kizaru murmured, "you've picked up some impressive people."
Enel didn't bother with introductions. "Kizaru, huh? Fight me. I want to see the strength of the Blue Sea."
Before Kizaru could react, Enel vanished in a burst of lightning.
"One hundred million volts, discharge!"
The lightning bolt passed straight through Kizaru's body.
Kizaru blinked, startled. "Oh dear… what speed. A Logia user? A Thunder Fruit perhaps."
Seeing his attack do nothing, Enel intensified the lightning.
"One hundred and fifty million volts, discharge!"
In a flash of light, Kizaru appeared next to him. "Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Since Enel was a Logia user, the Admiral coated his leg in Armament Haki.
Bang!
One kick sent Enel crashing into the island, dust erupting into the sky.
Enel staggered up, coughing blood. "Cough… damn…"
Kizaru stayed at the bow, not pursuing.
Enel snarled. "Two hundred million volts, Raigo!"
A massive thunder giant formed and struck at Kizaru with a colossal fist.
Kizaru looked up calmly. "Oh dear, what a frightening fellow."
He flipped through the air and delivered a kick to the giant's head.
Bang!
Raigo was knocked away, sparks raining through the air.
"Raijin."
Raigo forced metal out of the soil, shaping it into a massive trident. In an instant, he appeared in front of Kizaru.
"He really is an unkillable cockroach," Kizaru muttered.
"Ama no Murakumo."
A golden longsword materialized in his hand, slicing down.
Clang!
The trident blocked it, but Raigo was pushed back dozens of meters from the force.
Enel breathed heavily, feeling the numbness in his arms. This is Marine's top fighter… terrifying indeed.
"Again!"
As a self-proclaimed god, he refused to back down.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Kizaru swung like a machine, each strike filled with precision and lethality.
Enel grit his teeth and charged. "Again!"
"Oh dear, persistent Logia user."
Clang!
As soon as he blocked the next slash, Enel saw Kizaru's glowing leg. Too fast to dodge.
Bang!
The thunder giant shattered, Enel reverting to his human form, coughing violently. "Damn Admiral…"
Rolan appeared beside him without urgency, pressing a Senzu Bean into his mouth. "You can't beat him. Your Haki isn't even fully developed."
Kizaru narrowed his eyes. After Rolan fed Enel the small pill, his injuries rapidly healed. Kizaru couldn't identify the ability and knew Rolan was hiding far more than he revealed.
Rolan stepped forward lazily, his voice indifferent. "Alright, Kizaru. Why are you here?"
Kizaru sighed. "What else? Rolan showed up on the sea again and injured Marines. So I came to invite Rolan San to take a stay in Impel Down."
Rolan clicked his tongue. That fake politeness again.
He knew that as long as he sailed the Grand Line openly, Marine detection was inevitable. He never planned to hide forever. But the fact that the Marines found him this quickly was annoying.
Kizaru rubbed his temples. "So you're not planning to come quietly?"
Rolan rolled his eyes. "I'd have to be insane to go with you."
Kizaru sighed. "A shame. I really didn't want to fight you."
Rolan had no interest in being held up. He disappeared in a blur, appearing right in front of Kizaru. His fist was coated in Armament Haki, wrapped in Haoshoku.
One decisive punch.
Crack!
Kizaru was launched like a projectile into the island's small town, his arm bending unnaturally from the force.
Hina, who had just regained consciousness, stared at the crater.
"A… Admiral?" Her voice cracked. Kizaru, the man she believed untouchable, was sprawled inside the crater with blood trailing from his mouth.
Kizaru re-formed his body from shimmering lines of light, coughing. "Oh dear… terrifyingly strong."
He glanced at Hina. "Evacuate the civilians immediately. All Marines, return to Marineford."
Before she could respond, Kizaru's body turned into a beam of light and vanished.
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