Facing the encirclement formed by Snake Empress and the other two, Kizaru kept both hands raised.
His face still wore that exaggerated, fear-of-death expression, yet his tone carried a teasing, elder-playing-the-senior air.
"Using a formation like this against your senior is terribly impolite behavior, you know, Gern-kun~"
Before the words had even finished—
"Shoop!"
Without the slightest warning, Kizaru's figure completely dissolved into a dazzling swarm of golden light particles!
This was no simple elemental evasion.
At the precise instant when the trio's killing intent and pressure lock reached their absolute peak, he exploited the near–space-ignoring nature of light particles to execute a microscopic displacement refined to the extreme!
The speed was so overwhelming it surpassed the neural reaction limits and even the capture threshold of Observation Haki for everyone present!
"Whoosh!"
Like sunlight slipping through an impossibly narrow crack, the golden stream of light "flowed" out of the sealed killing cage in an inconceivable manner—
—and in the next moment, it re-condensed into human form on the opposite side of the office.
"Tsk tsk tsk~ that was just barely dangerous!"Kizaru stood there lazily, hands in his pockets, as though he had never moved at all—only his position had changed.
He even had the leisure to straighten the collar of his striped suit.
"!!!"
Seeing this, disbelief flashed through Snake Empress's eyes. Her blade was still leveled forward—
—but its target was already gone.
As for Enel and Bullet, it went without saying. In that fleeting instant, they hadn't even seen how he escaped their Haki lock!
They had absolute confidence in their speed and strength—especially under the combined pressure of three perfectly synchronized killing intents.
Across the seas, those who could escape such a lock so effortlessly should have been countable on one hand!
The speed of light…
It was bizarre to an almost unreasonable degree!
(Light speed itself is an absurd concept—practically an unobservable velocity.)
At this moment, only Gern, seated behind the desk, seemed entirely unsurprised.
He didn't even raise an eyebrow. He merely looked calmly at Kizaru, now re-formed to the side, and spoke in an even tone, as though stating the simplest fact imaginable.
"Put your weapons away."
"If Senior Borsalino truly wanted to leave—or truly wanted to fight—then relying on speed alone, there are almost no people on this sea who could keep him here."
After speaking, Gern shifted his gaze to Kizaru, who had once again donned his playful smile, and continued:
"And when I call him 'senior,' it's not merely because he's the oldest among the four of us."
Gern's eyes grew deep and distant.
He knew all too well that the man before him—always appearing sleazy, lazy, and ambiguous—possessed strength that was unfathomably deep.
Beneath that seemingly unserious exterior lay a terrifying mastery of the Glint-Glint Fruit pushed to its absolute limit, and an almost monstrous understanding of combat itself.
"That lazy façade has fooled quite a few people," Gern said quietly, yet his words rang clearly through the room.
"But at least at this point in time, when it comes to pure speed, instantaneous burst power, and the finesse of Devil Fruit control…"
He paused—
Then delivered an assessment that made Enel and the others' hearts jolt once more.
"Senior Borsalino is likely stronger than Sakazuki and Kuzan."
This wasn't a slight against Akainu or Aokiji—
It was an objective acknowledgment of Kizaru's unique, nearly unsolvable light-speed ability.
Absolute speed itself was a crushing form of power.
Hearing Gern's evaluation, Kizaru neither confirmed nor denied it. He simply puckered his lips and let out his trademark exclamation:
"Yee~ being praised like that by Gern-kun is embarrassing~!"
"But compared to fighting and killing, I still prefer getting off work on time and enjoying a nice cup of tea~"
Though his tone remained light, the atmosphere in the office had clearly changed.
Gern waved a hand."Leave us. Admiral Kizaru and I have serious matters to discuss."
The three exchanged glances. In the end, they obeyed the order. Their figures flashed—
—and vanished beyond the shattered office.
Watching them go, Kizaru pushed up his sunglasses slightly and spoke in a drawn-out tone.
"Truly… an extraordinary group of subordinates~Gern-kun, your days don't look boring in the slightest!"
Gern ignored the teasing remark. He sat back down in the wide chair, fixed his calm gaze on Kizaru, and pulled the conversation straight back to its core.
"Senior Borsalino, I can state this clearly."His tone was calm—yet absolute.
"I have no intention of fighting you."
"And I have no interest whatsoever in that so-called Heavenly Tribute."
He leaned forward slightly, his hands once again clasped on the tabletop. His gaze sharpened, as though piercing straight through the dark lenses of Kizaru's sunglasses.
"But the premise is…"
"You need to tell me—what exactly is Marineford's current stance?"
His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an undeniable weight.
"Their stance, huh…"The frivolity on Kizaru's face receded a touch.
He fell silent for several seconds, seemingly choosing his words, before finally speaking slowly.
"It's actually quite simple~"He spread his hands.
"Overall… you could say it's 'love and hate,' I suppose?"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and Vice Admiral Tsuru as well, of course acknowledge your overwhelming strength and the 'achievements' you've made guarding the front line of the New World."
"After all, not just anyone can drive back the Whitebeard Pirates head-on."
"That alone has greatly intimidated the lesser riffraff across these seas."
His tone sounded like he was reciting Marine Headquarters' official assessment.
But then his words subtly shifted.
"However… what they 'love' is your power and record."
"What they 'hate,' naturally, is your completely uncontrollable 'autonomy'—and your potential to cause trouble."
"This clash with Whitebeard, even if it was justified, was far too large in scale and impact."
"The World Government has already expressed… 'concern.'"
Kizaru raised a finger and pointed upward.
"They don't like things that fall outside their plans—especially not powerful forces they can't fully control."
"So…"Kizaru concluded, his gaze fixed on Gern through the lenses.
"Headquarters' stance is this: they'll continue using you—their sharpest blade—to hold the New World's front line."
"But they'll also… hmm… keep a much closer 'eye' on your every move."
"Just like sending me here this time."
"To put it simply—"Kizaru grinned, flashing his familiar smile.
"As long as you keep striking pirates and don't tear a hole in the sky…"
"Headquarters will continue supporting you. After all, it's not just anyone who can keep a Whitebeard in check…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He simply smiled meaningfully, the implication unmistakable.
After hearing it all, Gern showed no sign of surprise—as though he had expected nothing less.
He slowly leaned back against the chair, the corner of his mouth lifting into a cold, sharp curve.
"Heh… as long as they don't block my path or cross my bottom line, I have no interest in poking their 'sky.'"
"That's the best outcome!"Kizaru laughed cheerfully.
"Then my mission becomes much easier~I can relax here on vacation and wait for the Heavenly Tribute to pass through safely~"
"That's all you came to warn me about?"Gern frowned slightly, staring at Kizaru.
After all, an old fox like him was far too sensitive to certain matters.
"Since Gern-kun is letting me take it easy, then I'll say one more thing."Kizaru looked at him, the eyes behind the amber sunglasses narrowing slightly. His tone was calm.
"If possible… as a disciple, you should still go back and visit Zephyr-sensei."
..
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