Fleet Admiral's Office.
"..."
Sakazuki sat behind his large, imposing desk.
Between his fingers was a freshly delivered top-secret report. At the bottom, in clear handwriting, it read:
"The target has been rescued through covert channels. They have explicitly expressed admiration for you and for justice, and they await your personal call!"
Sakazuki set the report aside and picked up the Den Den Mushi, dialing the encrypted number.
Brrring~
Click
The Den Den Mushi connected instantly, its shape shifting before settling into the face of a man with sharp features and high, commanding eyebrows.
"Sakazuki… brother?"
The voice on the other end trembled with barely contained fervor and reverence.
Sakazuki's voice was calm but powerful. "Aramaki, the tides of the seas have changed."
"Yes! Fleet Admiral Sakazuki! I've seen the Navy Daily!"
"The remnants of the old era, Whitebeard and Red-Haired Shanks, have been completely buried by the Navy at Marineford! This… this is true justice!"
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, your relentless commitment is astonishingly admirable!"
Aramaki paused for a moment, awe and excitement mingling in his voice.
"And Hawk! That guy alone took down Red-Haired! He's practically a superhuman!"
"..."
"Aramaki, don't get carried away."
"The Navy and the World Government… they are about to collide."
"..."
Silence fell instantly over the line.
Aramaki's fervent expression froze.
The Navy… and the World Government?
Impossible.
These two… how could they… clash?
Aramaki's breath became rapid and shallow. Inside, a storm raged.
On one side was the idol he had worshiped to his very core the embodiment of justice.
On the other, the World Government, the very foundation of order he had always supported.
Which side should he stand on?
Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his face as he wrestled with the decision.
"Aramaki, when you've made up your mind, call me."
Sakazuki's voice came again, calm and unwavering. There was no rush, no pressure just the freedom to choose.
Click
The call ended.
Sakazuki returned the Den Den Mushi to its place and leaned back in his chair.
He pulled a cigar from his coat pocket and lit it.
Thick smoke curled upward, winding lazily in front of him.
A squad of the Divine Knights had been utterly annihilated at the G-3 branch.
The thin veil between the Navy and the World Government had been torn to shreds.
But so what?
Torn is torn.
Now, he was stationed at Headquarters Marineford.
The older generation held G-3 at Paradise.
Hawk would soon head to the New World's G-5 branch.
Kuzan was sweeping the Four Seas, ready to return if needed.
Borsalino, the strongest mobile force, could reinforce anywhere.
Across the entire ocean, every strategic point was guarded by the Navy's top power.
The Navy no longer feared tearing the mask off anyone.
Of course, the more preparation, the greater the chance of victory.
At that moment, the Den Den Mushi on the desk rang again.
Sakazuki picked it up. The snail's form shifted once more, revealing Aramaki.
"Fleet Admiral Sakazuki…"
"I've made up my mind!"
Navy Headquarters, Training Grounds.
"Ah, my, my~"
Kizaru had his hands in his pockets, watching the two exhausted figures opposite him. His eyes behind his lenses curved with amusement.
Hawk's subordinates, these two Rear Admirals, were both remarkable brimming with skill and potential.
Top-tier Admiral prospects, without a doubt.
Retirement wasn't far off for his generation.
"Raise your brows!"
Zoro gripped his sword hilt tightly, crimson Haki flames rising around him. "Go!"
"Hmph, green-haired brat!"
Sanji stomped sharply, his black combat suit enveloping his body, and called out, "Keep up with my rhythm!"
Before the words left his mouth, he vanished in a distortion of air.
Kizaru's eyes narrowed behind his lenses.
In the next instant, a violent gust swept from his left flank.
Sanji reappeared, his right leg wrapped in Armament Haki, aimed at Kizaru's temple.
"Nice kicking technique…"
Kizaru tilted his head slightly.
Sanji's determined strike grazed his nose and missed.
"But… too slow."
A thin laser-like beam shot from Kizaru's raised leg, striking Sanji's ankle.
Sanji grunted and stumbled back.
At that moment, Zoro moved.
The ground beneath him shattered violently, his form becoming a crimson afterimage.
"Haki of Blood · Rasetsu · Dance of the Dead!"
"Hmph… that killing intent is frightening," Kizaru murmured.
His body dissolved into countless points of light, vanishing just before Zoro's strike landed, then reappearing behind him.
He lifted his leg, the tip glowing gold.
"Light-Speed Kick."
Bam !
Zoro flew backward, carving a long trench in the ground.
Sanji steadied himself and looked at Zoro, thrown back by Kizaru's strike, his expression deadly serious.
So this is Admiral Kizaru's power?
Speed, strength, even combat experience he dominated them all.
At this rate, victory was impossible.
"Hey, green-haired brat!"
Sanji called to Zoro, "Use that move!"
"..."
Zoro struggled to his feet and nodded firmly. "Alright."
Kizaru watched the two regroup with renewed energy. "Time to show your trump card?" he said with interest.
Sanji flashed forward, appearing in front of Zoro.
Zoro closed his eyes, his Haki no longer wild, but pulsing rhythmically.
He blocked out all distractions, sinking into a crimson calm.
The cold touch of Wado Ichimonji's blade was his only focus.
Sanji inhaled deeply, drawing a fierce arc with his right leg. A pure black Haki-infused flame surged outward!
"Now!"
Zoro's eyes snapped open, the whites replaced by deep crimson.
He poured all his Haki, will, and resolve into Wado Ichimonji.
The blade emitted a clear, piercing cry.
A crimson slash tore through the air.
The two strikes, each infused with the pair's greatest power, collided and fused midair.
The black demonic Haki wave and Zoro's blood-red sword aura spiraled like twin dragons, entwining and growing.
Finally, the fused strike became a massive red-and-black destructive beast!
"Combined Technique: Demon Retribution Descends!!!"
Kizaru removed his hands from his pockets to witness the combined strike.
"Impressive!"
A brilliant flash exploded from his fingertips.
Boom CRASH !
The red-black beast collided with Kizaru's golden light, creating an ear-splitting roar.
The storm of energy swept across the training ground, ripping chunks of earth into the air. Dust filled the scene.
After a long moment, the smoke cleared.
Kizaru stood unmoved, his striped suit lightly dusted, but otherwise unharmed.
Zoro and Sanji's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Impossible!
Their ultimate combined attack… couldn't even touch Admiral Kizaru!
"Not bad at all."
Kizaru dusted his suit leisurely. "Powerful, clever, and combining two different Haki styles so smoothly… impressive. In all my years, I haven't seen this often. Had it hit me… it would have hurt."
"Too bad…"
His form blurred, leaving a fading golden afterimage.
"I embody… absolute speed!"
Two heavy thuds rang almost simultaneously.
Zoro and Sanji each bore a footprint on their stomachs, flying backward and crashing at the edge of the training ground.
"My, my, really…"
Kizaru strolled casually to the training ground's edge.
Hawk sat in a chair, smoking a cigar, holding the latest intelligence report.
"Hawk."
"Your two subordinates are getting frighteningly strong. In a few years, they might surpass me."
"Just thinking about that is scary."
Hawk chuckled. "But compared to Admiral Kizaru, they're still far from his level."