At this very moment
Faced with such a rare opportunity to clash with a true powerhouse, how could Tsuneo possibly let it slip by?
Of course, there was a prerequisite: this Marine Admiral, Kizaru, shared a striking similarity with the clown Buggy from earlier.
Buggy was cowardly by nature.
Kizaru was cautious by instinct.
And cowards and the overly cautious were, without exception, the perfect targets of Tsuneo's Emperor Engine.
"Kisame, stand down."
Tsuneo spoke calmly.
"If it's you, and this turns into a prolonged fight on land, it'll drag on endlessly—and in the end, you'll likely lose."
At that instant, Tsuneo stepped forward without hesitation.
Had those words come from anyone else, Kisame Hoshigaki would never have accepted them.
But coming from Tsuneo—
Kisame complied without the slightest resistance, retreating immediately.
Among all the Akatsuki elites, aside from Konan, the one Tsuneo liked the most was Kisame—even more than Itachi.
The reason was simple.
Though Kisame looked ferocious and savage, he was honest to the core.
Exceptionally obedient.
Unwaveringly loyal.
Once he acknowledged someone as his leader, then from that moment onward—no matter what happened—he would never harbor even the slightest trace of betrayal.
A teammate like that?
Two words
Worry-free.
Unlike certain people who caused trouble every single day, or certain others who were already over a hundred years old yet still couldn't get their heads straight.
Of course…
Tsuneo wasn't bluffing either.
Kisame was indeed incredibly powerful. If he went all out, he ranked near the top even among the Akatsuki.
But his true strength lay in water.
In the sea, forget a Marine Admiral—even a Yonko-level existence might not necessarily be his match.
However, on land, against Admiral Kizaru, Kisame was at a clear disadvantage.
If the fight dragged on, his chances of victory were slim.
"But if it were this captain," Tsuneo continued calmly,
"that would be a completely different matter. If I take action, I can end this in the shortest time possible."
"What?! H-hey—are you insane?!"
The first to react was none other than Buggy the Clown.
Even though he had just been forced to his knees by the Emperor Engine
The moment Tsuneo declared his intent to deal with a Marine Admiral, Buggy's eyes practically popped out of their sockets.
This was beyond absurd.
A Marine Admiral!
One of the three greatest combat powers of Marine Headquarters!
Aside from Buggy
The Akatsuki elites behind Tsuneo all frowned deeply, their faces filled with disbelief.
"W-Wow… is the captain really stepping in personally?"
"So the captain's finally getting serious…"
"Indeed. Someone even Kisame can't defeat—none of us could confidently claim to take him down easily."
"At last… we get to witness the captain's true strength."
"Will this entire island be completely destroyed?"
"Everyone, fall back! If the captain makes a move, don't get caught in it—we won't survive!"
"Right! Be ready to retreat to the ship at any time!"
As Tsuneo stepped forward
The Akatsuki members once again began wildly imagining catastrophic outcomes, bracing themselves for annihilation.
And then
As expected.
With each step Tsuneo took, an overwhelming surge of Supreme Conqueror's Haki erupted outward, instantly enveloping the entirety of Orange Town.
In a split second
Everyone on the island—except the Akatsuki—collapsed to the ground.
Buggy included.
Even Momousagi (Gion) and Chaton (Tokikake)—Marine Vice Admirals and future Admiral candidates—were drenched in cold sweat, half-kneeling under the pressure.
"It's here! Just with his presence alone, the captain can immobilize others! This divine ability—he's too strong!"
"W-What?! Conqueror's Haki?! Hey—only Captain Roger, Vice-Captain Rayleigh, and that damned Red-Haired man had it! How do you have it too?!"
Buggy was completely dumbfounded.
"Yo~ that's some terrifying Conqueror's Haki," Kizaru remarked lazily, though his expression had grown serious.
"So you must be Tsuneo, the world's most dangerous rookie pirate?"
"That would be me."
"Heh heh. Since the underlings have stepped aside, and it's pirate captain versus Marine Admiral…"
Kizaru stretched his arms.
"I suppose I should put in a little more effort. I'll be using a big move now."
"Glint-Glint Fruit—Yasakani no Magatama!"
Kizaru raised both hands.
In an instant, blinding rays of light descended from the sky, converging endlessly into his palms.
At that moment
Even the Akatsuki elites felt a chill run down their spines.
Absorbing infinite light out of thin air
This world truly was filled with monsters.
No wonder it was an Admiral's ultimate technique.
Even Kisame felt a bead of cold sweat roll down his forehead.
Had that attack been aimed at him earlier…
He genuinely didn't know if he could have handled it.
So then
How would the captain respond?
Surely with something even more overwhelming!
They waited with anticipation
Only to be disappointed.
Or rather
This was not disappointment of the same kind.
What no one present—including Admiral Kizaru—knew was that although Tsuneo had unleashed Conqueror's Haki…
He understood better than anyone that, with his current level of mastery, it was insufficient to truly shake a Marine Admiral.
Meeting a genuine powerhouse like Kizaru was rare.
And according to the rules
Using abilities on stronger opponents accelerated growth.
This was merely a warm-up.
Just grinding a bit of experience.
"Emperor Engine!"
Now
This was the real performance.
"Tut… tut… tut… tut…"
In an instant, that familiar mechanical rumble echoed once more from Tsuneo's body.
Even Admiral Kizaru
Cautious by nature
Broke into a cold sweat the moment he heard it.
The next second
With Yasakani no Magatama only halfway complete, Kizaru abruptly raised both hands high into the air and said helplessly, with his signature awkward grin:
"Yo~ yo~ …I surrender."
Everyone present was completely stunned.
...