Buggy the Clown shouted, "Are you kidding me?! That's a Marine Admiral—one of the Navy's highest combat powers! He… he actually surrendered to a rookie pirate?!"
Surrendered!
Surrendered!
SURRENDERED!!!
In that instant, Kizaru's surrender hit Buggy even harder than if the Admiral had dropped to his knees. It shattered his worldview completely.
Momousagi, the Navy's rising star—revered as a goddess among the Marines—couldn't help but ask,
"Sir… with strength like yours, why would you raise your hands to an unknown rookie pirate?"
Chaton, the ever-smug Navy prodigy, frowned in confusion.
"Boss, what's going on? He's just a rookie! You could've crushed him outright—why surrender?!"
Kizaru scratched his head, his tone as lazy as ever.
"Yo~ yo~ Momousagi, Chaton… didn't you hear it? That tut-tut-tut sound of the strong… I really can't beat that."
Hearing this, Momousagi and Chaton both frowned deeply.
Truth be told, they hadn't fully grasped the situation before.
But now that even their own Admiral had openly backed down, they finally realized—
This rookie pirate was genuinely terrifying.
What kind of monster was Tsuneo, exactly?
No wonder he was known as the most dangerous rookie pirate in the world.
At the same time…
The Akatsuki elites behind Tsuneo were just as stunned.
They had been thinking—
This time, surely we'll finally witness the Captain's true strength.
But instead…
Just like before.
Tsuneo hadn't even needed to lift a finger.
First, Buggy—the powerhouse they once revered—had dropped to his knees.
Now, even a Marine Admiral, the pinnacle of this world's combat power, had raised his hands in surrender.
It became crystal clear
No matter the world—be it the shinobi world or the pirate seas
no so-called powerhouse could stand before their Captain.
It wasn't that their opponents were weak.
It was that Tsuneo was simply too overwhelming.
They had long yearned to witness their Captain's true power.
But now, they finally understood something profound
Even though they themselves were legends…
At their current level, they weren't even qualified to witness it.
Their Captain was unfathomable.
Absolutely unfathomable.
"Holy!"
At that moment, Tsuneo suddenly turned around.
When he saw every single one of his subordinates staring at him with eyes full of awe and worship, he almost felt like he was floating.
Guys… could you tone it down a little?
This kind of admiration is seriously stressful for your Captain, you know?!
Unfortunately…
There was no way he could stop them.
So
Since he couldn't reject it…
He might as well enjoy it.
"Haha!"
[Ding! Congratulations, Host.
You have once again actively engaged in a top-tier Conqueror's Haki confrontation.
Top-tier Conqueror's Haki Development increased by 1.4%.
Total Development: 2.5%.]
Nice. Very nice.
This encounter—especially with Buggy and Admiral Kizaru—had allowed Tsuneo to farm a hefty chunk of experience.
A full 1.4% increase in his top-tier Conqueror's Haki.
Tsuneo estimated that 1% came directly from Kizaru, while the remaining 0.4% was contributed by Buggy, Momousagi, Chaton, and everyone else present.
As expected
Clashing with true top-tier powerhouses was the fastest shortcut.
Even a tiny increase in development caused a noticeable rise in the oppressive aura of his kingly presence.
That was the terrifying advantage of a growth-type, top-tier Conqueror's Haki.
Given enough time
His Conqueror's Haki would surpass everything.
Now then…
The immediate problem was how to clean up this mess.
Buggy and Kizaru had both been thoroughly intimidated—but what came next?
That was the real challenge.
Truth be told, Tsuneo was still somewhat wary of both Buggy and Kizaru. Even if his subordinates stepped in, they couldn't just go on a killing spree.
Not to mention
Kizaru was a Logia-type Light-Light Fruit user. Even his elites would have trouble killing him outright.
And even if they could
Wouldn't that mean declaring war on the entire Navy?
His subordinates might not fully grasp just how terrifying the Navy's full might was.
But Tsuneo did.
Taking on the entire Navy with a single ship?
At this stage
That would be foolish.
Low profile. Stay low profile.
"Cough… cough."
Just as Tsuneo was about to say something—something dignified, something that would preserve his image while dissolving the awkward tension
Kizaru spoke first.
After all…
Even as an Admiral, he was deeply anxious right now.
"Yo~ yo~ Captain Tsuneo… how about this? Can we make a little deal?"
"Let's just pretend the three of us were never here."
"We'll leave immediately."
"How does that sound?"
"Brilliant."
Tsuneo nearly applauded on the spot.
Pretend they were never here?
Only a genius could come up with something like that.
No one would be embarrassed.
Everyone saves face.
Tsuneo nodded sincerely, then deliberately put on a confused expression.
"Hey, lads—what's this guy talking about?"
"Admiral Kizaru? What's that?"
"When we landed on this island… did we ever see such a thing?"
"Hehehe!"
Kizaru instantly understood. Perfect chemistry.
He grinned shamelessly.
"Mountains remain, rivers flow on—until we meet again!"
"Captain Tsuneo… I'll remember you."
"But next time"
"Yo~ maybe it's better if we don't meet again at all."
With that, Kizaru transformed into a streak of dazzling light, taking Momousagi and Chaton with him.
In the blink of an eye
They vanished without a trace.