"Reno."
Aokiji's gaze shifted to Reno, observing him with interest.
Before this, he had never paid any attention to Reno.
Whether he was the successor of Golden Lion Shiki or had killed Crocodile, it didn't pique his interest in the slightest.
It wasn't until he saw Robin.
"Aokiji, are you just passing by or specifically looking for us?!" Reyno greeted him with a chuckle.
Although their positions were different, he had a good impression of Aokiji.
He was one of the few Marines he felt positively about.
Aokiji was startled, looking at Reyno in surprise.
He knew his identity, yet he remained so calm.
Are new pirates all this brave nowadays?!
"Of course, I'm here to take you all back, especially—" Aokiji's tone became lazy again, and he subconsciously looked at Robin.
Robin's pupils constricted, and her face turned pale.
If Aokiji captured her and handed her over to the World Government, her fate was obvious.
"Aokiji..."
"Robin!!" Nami clenched her fists, instinctively shielding Robin, and whispered, "Trust Reyno; he will never let any crew member fall behind."
"That's right, Sister Robin, we won't let anyone take you away either." Kaya lifted her determined little face.
She was no longer a mere damsel in distress.
Robin was deeply moved; facing an Admiral, everyone was still protecting her so fiercely.
Reyno held Robin's hand, gently reassuring her, "Don't worry, none of you will be harmed."
"Nami, take them back to the airship first; I'll be there shortly."
"Reyno, I'll help you fight him!!"
"Me too!!"
"And us!!"
"..."
Nami refused, standing shoulder to shoulder with Reyno, and the other girls responded, their dozen fair arms now covered in Armament Haki.
Reyno sighed inwardly, knowing his affection for them wasn't wasted.
Unfortunately, they were facing Aokiji this time, and a human-wave tactic wouldn't work.
Even Nami, the strongest among them, had a significant gap in power compared to Aokiji.
"Nami, take them back." Reyno's tone became heavier.
Nami bit her lower lip, gave Reyno a complex look, and the next second, without hesitation, summoned an island cloud, taking the women high into the sky.
Aokiji didn't stop them, allowing them to leave.
Reyno chuckled softly, "You never intended to take Robin back, did you?!"
Aokiji glanced at Robin on the island cloud, saying expressionlessly, "Catching you is enough. As for them, they pose no significant threat."
Still pretending.
A soft-hearted fellow who acts tough.
"It just so happens my hands have been itching lately. A sparring match with an Admiral wouldn't be bad. How about we stop before things get too serious?!" Reyno looked at Aokiji, smiling.
In reality, he could teleport away right now.
But constantly running wasn't a solution.
Once he reached the New World, to recruit the beautiful female characters from major factions, he would have to face opponents of Admiral and Yonko caliber.
Only through repeated battles could he fully integrate all his abilities.
He also wanted to know how he measured up against an Admiral now.
Aokiji could serve as his touchstone.
Aokiji looked at Reyno speechlessly.
Young man, full of youthful vigor, unaware of the true power of an Admiral.
Stop before things get too serious?!
He'd finish him in one move.
"Reyno, pay the price for your arrogance!!"
"ICE. SWORD!!!"
Countless streams of extreme cold air erupted from Aokiji's body, spreading rapidly like a hurricane.
Crack
Crack
The cold air spread, freezing pirate ships one by one, turning them all into ice ships.
Aokiji crossed his arms, watching Reyno at his leisure.
Since becoming an Admiral, he had captured at least a dozen pirates like Reyno.
Defeating Crocodile indeed showed some strength, but it wasn't enough.
"Freeze-Freeze Fruit Ability?!" Feeling the rapidly dropping temperature in the space, Reyno frowned slightly.
As expected of an Admiral, a casual move was a large-scale AOE.
However...
Rumble
Hmm?!
Just as Aokiji thought Reyno would be frozen into an ice sculpture, his expression suddenly changed.
Before his disbelieving eyes, silver-white electric arcs entwined around Reyno's body, wildly pulsating.
"Thunder Power?!"
Aokiji put a hand to his forehead, troubled, "The Marine's intelligence on you is still too scarce."
A second ago, he thought Reyno was a Cloud-Cloud Fruit Ability user.
Cloud Power and Thunder Power are worlds apart.
"It's not too late to find out now." Reyno grinned at Aokiji.
"Looks like I'll have to get serious. Ice Ball!!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, five long ice pillars shot out from Aokiji's palm, attacking Reyno with lightning speed.
Wherever they passed, the air along the way was completely frozen.
"Lightning Strike!!"
Reyno slammed his palm down, and the silver-white lightning, guided by Observation Haki, struck the incoming ice pillars with extreme precision.
The ice pillars exploded one after another, powerful shockwaves surged, and a large amount of shattered ice fell to the ground.
"Hahahahaha... My turn!!"
Reyno burst into laughter, compressing the surrounding Thunder Power to its limit, while also imbuing it with Armament Haki, forming a super high-density pillar of lightning in front of his chest.
"Aokiji, try this! Divine Lightning Flash!!"
Boom!!!
A dazzling pillar of light that overshadowed the heavens and earth, imbued with destructive power, shot towards Aokiji at an incredibly fast speed.
"Hmm?!" Aokiji finally showed emotion, his Observation Haki wildly warning him.
Danger!!
"Ice Age: Pheasant Beak!!!"
Aokiji reacted extremely quickly. As the lightning pillar shot towards him, the cold air in front of his chest rapidly condensed, and then he powerfully flung it out.
A giant ice bird, flapping its wings, roared and charged towards the lightning pillar, leaving a frozen trail in the air.
The next instant, the two intersected in mid-air, intertwining with each other.
Boom!!
Roar!!!
A violent explosion echoed through the sky, lightning ravaging the ice bird.
The ice bird refused to be outdone, furiously devouring the lightning.
After a few seconds of stalemate, the attacks of the lightning pillar and the giant ice bird canceled each other out, and then both dissipated.
Reyno remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he sighed.
His Thunder Power was naturally superior to ice, and his development of it wasn't low. Divine Lightning Flash was also one of his ultimate moves. Normally, a stalemate shouldn't have occurred.
The only explanation was that his current Haki strength was too low. Although it had reached an intermediate level, compared to Aokiji, who had cultivated it for decades, it was still slightly inferior.
Teacher Kai's profound maxim once again surfaced in his mind.
It seemed that only by mastering Armament Haki's internal destruction and Conqueror's Haki's advanced application could he pose a threat to peak powerhouses like Aokiji.
For a moment, Reyno felt a little annoyed.
Possessing multiple abilities, yet ultimately, Haki remained the foundation.
"Hmm?!" Feeling the rapidly receding fighting spirit from Reyno, Aokiji frowned slightly.
He hadn't even warmed up yet, and he was already done fighting?!
"Reyno, are you going to surrender?!" Aokiji's arms hung naturally as he walked towards Reyno.
Reyno chuckled softly, shaking his head with disinterest, "Aokiji, if I want to leave, you can't stop me."
"And." Reyno's tone paused, and he looked at Aokiji seriously, enunciating each word, "We are not enemies."
"I'm leaving!!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Reyno's figure vanished without a trace.
Hmm?!
Aokiji looked up at the sky. The airship traced a parabola in the air and then disappeared into the horizon with a whoosh.
"Oh dear, the mission seems to have failed."
Aokiji awkwardly scratched his head. To just leave like that, he really didn't put an Admiral like him in his eyes.
Recalling Reyno's speed just now, he frowned tightly again.
That instantaneous burst of speed was even faster than Kizaru, who possessed the Pika Pika no Mi. It was truly outrageous.
Are the new generation's capabilities really this high now?!
"I'm going to get scolded again." Aokiji reluctantly pulled out a den den mushi from his pocket and dialed Sengoku's number.
Naval Headquarters, conference room.
"What did you say?? Reyno escaped?!" Listening to Aokiji's report, Sengoku's face immediately darkened.
He was already planning a celebration for Aokiji, and then he was told Reyno escaped?!
"An Admiral let Reyno escape. If that gets out, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?" Sengoku was furious.
The den den mushi shrugged, vividly displaying Aokiji's innocent expression, "Fleet Admiral, listen to me..."
Immediately after, Aokiji relayed all the abilities Reyno had displayed during the recent battle.
"Thunder Power, and an instantaneous burst of speed even faster than Kizaru?!" Sengoku was startled.
As an Admiral, Aokiji certainly wouldn't lie.
This meant that all the intelligence they previously had on Reyno was wrong?!
Sengoku irritably rubbed his temples. What exactly was the intelligence department doing!!!
"So that's how it is." Many Marine Vice Admirals suddenly understood.
They had found it strange before, how a Cloud-Cloud Fruit Ability user could possibly kill Crocodile.
If it's lightning, then it makes sense.
After all, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is known as the Devil Fruit with the strongest destructive power among the Logia types.
"Aokiji, where are Reno and his Pirate Crew now?!!!" Sengoku immediately pressed.
Aokiji was startled, and the den den mushi immediately shook its head, "Marshal, I only saw that the general direction the airship left was Judicial Island, but—"
Judicial Island?!
Sengoku's heart sank.
Reno wouldn't be going for revenge, would he?!
He had to be prepared!
"Kizaru, Garp, you two take a few Marine Vice Admirals and immediately set off for Judicial Island," Sengoku looked at the two with a murderous aura and said sternly, "If Reno doesn't go, then so be it, but if you encounter him, you must bring him back to me."
"If the mission fails again, you should know the consequences."
As he said this, he focused his gaze on Kizaru.
This guy loves to slack off during missions.
As for Garp, he wasn't worried at all.
He had an anger buff against Reno!
Kizaru, realizing the seriousness of the matter, put away his usual sloppiness and responded seriously, "Don't worry, Marshal, I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Admiral Kizaru, officially online!
"Hahahahaha, Sengoku, you just wait here. If I run into that kid, I'll definitely bring him back." Garp laughed heartily, clashing his fists together in front of his chest.
Sengoku nodded. No one on the sea could withstand the combined efforts of Kizaru and Garp simultaneously.
He now even hoped that Reno would go to Judicial Island so they could catch them all in one go.
"Aokiji, you go to Judicial Island too. Come back with those two when it's done."
"Understood."
In Water Seven, Aokiji looked at the den den mushi with its head drooping, showing a helpless expression.
A poor working man, he had to go online again.
If Reno really went to Judicial Island, there would only be one outcome: he would be thrown into Impel Down, known as an impenetrable fortress.
Wait, there's also Robin.
Aokiji slapped his forehead, quickly got on his bicycle, and sped towards Judicial Island.
At the same time.
According to the original plan, the airship's next destination was Judicial Island.
On the deck, when the women saw Reno return, they all rushed towards him.
"Reno, are you okay?!!!" Vivi circled Reno, wanting to see if he was injured.
"The Admiral came; I was really scared to death just now." Makino patted her chest, still feeling lingering fear.
Nami breathed a sigh of relief, "It's good that you're back."
Despite their usual bickering, she couldn't leave Reno now.
"Captain, Aokiji didn't hurt you, did he?!!!" Robin looked at Reno with some self-reproach.
It was all because of her.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Reno gave the women a reassuring look.
He had a vague feeling that ever since he met Robin, Aokiji's hostility towards him seemed to have significantly decreased.
"You all rest first; I'm going to check on Kalifa."
After instructing the women, Reno walked into the room where Kalifa was being held.
"You pervert, let me go now!!!" Kalifa shouted hysterically.
Her wrists were bruised by the cloud chain.
Reno was unmoved. He walked up to Kalifa and directly condensed a Slave Mark in his palm.
He didn't have that much time to conquer Marine and World Government agents.
The Slave Mark was simple, crude, and effective.
"You… what do you want to do?"
Under Kalifa's terrified gaze, Reno skillfully placed his hand on her forehead.
With the previous experience, this time was even smoother.
In addition, Kalifa's strength was slightly weaker. After a brief change in expression, a dark glow flashed in Kalifa's eyes. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze returned to clarity.
"Captain, aren't you going to release me?!!! How long do you plan to keep me locked up?!!!" A seductive voice emerged as Kalifa stared at Reno with a resentful look.
He had held her for so long without any pity.
Wait… Reno had kept her here, but why didn't she feel any hatred towards him?!
When she saw Reno, all that came to her mind was submission and obedience.
[Congratulations to the Host for successfully subduing the crew member Kalifa. Do you wish to claim the reward?!!!]
Reno silently claimed the reward while opening the cloud chain.
[Congratulations to the Host for receiving the personal strength enhancement reward — Armament Haki Internal Destruction.]
??
Reno's expression (Nod Zhao) froze.
Did the System just secretly watch him fight Aokiji?!
Speak of the devil, and he appears?!
Is it 'what I say, happens'?
No, it's 'what I think, happens.'
He left too early.
He didn't know if Aokiji had left. Was it still too late to go back and fight again?!
As soon as the System's prompt sounded, Reno immediately felt a surge of power flow into his limbs and bones.
This power seemed to have been hidden deep within his body all along, but at this moment, it completely awakened.
"Captain, what are you thinking?!!!" Seeing Reno stunned standing still, Kalifa extended her slender hand and waved it in front of him.
Reno remained unresponsive.
He followed Reno's gaze downwards and happened to see two D-cup spheres.
Kalifa's face flushed, and she gave Reno a coquettish look.
Was this her future Captain?!
Such a pervert.
Reno protested loudly, saying he was feeling the power within his body and had no time to look at any big D.
It wasn't until the strange power disappeared that Reno came back to his senses.
He raised his right arm, and with a thought, a flowing red substance immediately appeared on his arm.
"Ryou?!!!" Reno frowned, subconsciously uttering the term.
However, this was just the Wano Country's name for it; in reality, it was the Internal Destruction of Armament Haki.
Greater lethality, stronger destructive power!
With Ryou, he would no longer be helpless when encountering top-tier powerhouses like Aokiji in the future.
Before this, although he wouldn't lose, winning would be very difficult.
Reno lifted Kalifa's chin, looked down at her, and a playful smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth, "You certainly gave me a surprise, Kai."
A trace of panic flashed across Kalifa's face, "Captain, you… this is harassment!!!"
"Go take a bath and wait for me in the room." After giving his instructions, Reno instantly teleported to the deck, looking down at the island below.
Judicial Island, they had arrived.
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