As Yunan's words fell, his eyes instantly shifted back into the six-pointed Mangekyō Sharingan!
"Burn to ash, Kizaru!"
"Amaterasu!"
With that, Yunan's left eye glared sharply, the six-pointed star blazing with an eerie red light.
At the very same moment, Kizaru met Yunan's gaze and an inexplicable wave of fear surged deep within him.
He knew instinctively—this was the scent of death.
Without hesitation, almost as a reflex, Kizaru instantly dissolved into golden particles, vanishing from sight!
Almost simultaneously, the massive red tree hundreds of meters behind him suddenly erupted in black flames filled with destructive energy.
The heat was so intense that even the surrounding air seemed to catch fire.
"What kind of flame is that?!"
Kizaru, having teleported dozens of meters away, stared in shock at the raging black fire. Even from this distance, he could clearly sense the terrifying, destructive aura within it.
The black flames on the red tree grew ever more ferocious.
In just a few breaths, the colossal tree—hundreds of meters high and tens of meters thick—was completely consumed, leaving nothing behind. Not a single splinter remained, as if the tree had never existed.
"Wh-what just happened… that huge tree?"
"It seems to have been engulfed by a suddenly appearing black flame…"
Everyone present was stunned. Such a massive tree shouldn't have been destroyed so quickly; even a conventional fire would take tens of minutes to burn it completely. How could it vanish without a trace in an instant?
"Too bad, Kizaru… you got away this time."
A strange, wicked smile crept onto Yunan's lips.
"What… what kind of ability is that? What is that black flame?"
Kizaru furrowed his brow, his eyes filled with profound shock. Unnoticed by him, cold sweat had soaked his back.
Had he not sensed the danger in time, he might have been the one completely consumed.
"So, Kizaru, did that feel… thrilling?"
Yunan laughed, his eyes continuously radiating the eerie red glow.
"It's those eyes… it must be something to do with them."
"Could it be a Devil Fruit that modifies the eyes?"
Kizaru's mind raced. He searched his memory for anything he knew that could enhance vision, but found no such fruit.
"What's the matter, Kizaru? Bullying a rookie now?"
Before Kizaru could respond, a familiar voice echoed:
"Uncle Rayleigh, what are you doing here?"
Yunan watched as Rayleigh slowly approached.
"The commotion on your side was too loud to ignore," Rayleigh said with a hearty laugh. "I heard you and Kizaru were locked in battle. Such prowess—I couldn't resist coming to see it for myself, hahaha."
"King of Darkness, Rayleigh… so you've been hiding in the Sabaody Archipelago," Kizaru said, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Nothing I can do. If the Marines lifted my bounty, I could retire peacefully," Rayleigh said with a smile.
"And yet you appear now. Why?"
"The new era is just beginning. I can't let you casually bully rookies here," Rayleigh replied, his gaze fixed fiercely on Kizaru.
"Bullying rookies?"
Kizaru twitched his mouth. That rookie had almost taken him out moments ago… remembering the black flames made the hairs on his arms stand on end, cold sweat streaming down him. This was the closest he had ever been to death in all his years.
"If Kizaru still wants to fight, I'll accompany you," Rayleigh said lightly. "It's been years since I've moved… good exercise."
Kizaru hovered in the air, eyes flicking between Rayleigh and Yunan. Hesitating briefly, he finally transformed into golden particles and fled. One Yunan alone had been difficult enough; with Rayleigh present, there was no way he could face both. Retreat was the only viable option.
[System]: "Ding. Host has completed a hidden mission, successfully repelling a Marine Admiral."
[System]: "Special reward granted: Lightning-Attribute Chakra unlocked."
Yunan's eyes brightened. "Lightning-attribute chakra? That means I can now use Lightning Release techniques!"
Such a reward for this mission… perhaps this was the true scale of an Admiral.
"Yunan, looks like I underestimated you before," Rayleigh said, eyes studying Yunan carefully. "Even Kizaru himself couldn't touch you."
At just twenty years old, to withstand an Admiral… even Roger himself couldn't have managed that.
Rayleigh maintained a calm exterior, but inside, a storm of awe and excitement churned.
"Maybe it was luck, though," Yunan muttered. Then he casually scratched his nose. "By the way, Uncle Rayleigh, you got any money? Let's go eat."
"…"
"Hahaha, no problem. Whatever you want, it's on me." Rayleigh laughed.
"I want steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roasted duck, roast chick…"
Amid the astonished stares of those around, Yunan draped an arm around Rayleigh's shoulder and strode off confidently.