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Chapter 120is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
Learning from the brutal lessons of the two challengers before him, Darno didn't recklessly rush in with Soru. Instead, he leaped backward, immediately casting a dense sound barrier over himself.
"Interesting!" Baishui chuckled.
His right hand snapped up, fingers mimicking a pistol. Without a second of hesitation, a concentrated blast of pure light shot from his fingertips.
"Crap!" Darno cursed. He hadn't expected Baishui to unleash his Devil Fruit powers so suddenly.
Boom!
The entire arena shuddered under the explosive impact. A blinding flash tore through the air, followed by a fierce gust of wind that sent the spectators' Marine coats flapping wildly.
When the dust finally settled, Darno was gone. In his place sat a massive, smoking crater.
And strangely enough, Baishui had vanished as well.
Even weirder? Admiral Kizaru had disappeared right along with him.
Meanwhile, in a quiet, secluded corner of the base...
"I say, Admiral Kizaru, what are you doing following me around for no reason?" Baishui stopped in his tracks, turning to address the empty air behind him with an exasperated sigh. "I don't think I've offended you, have I?"
"My, my... are the youth of today really this rude?" Kizaru slowly materialized from a swirl of golden photons, scratching his head lazily. "And here I was, finally in the mood for a little bout with you..."
The Admiral turned as if to walk away.
"Heh. Well, if that's the case, it'd be rude to decline!" Baishui grinned. "A chance to spar with an Admiral isn't something you pass up!"
In a flash of blinding light, Baishui vanished from his spot. He reappeared instantly behind Kizaru, his right leg glowing fiercely as he swung a high-speed kick straight at the Admiral's back.
He knew perfectly well that his strength was leagues below an Admiral's. But just being able to trade blows with one? That was invaluable experience.
Bang!
Kizaru casually raised a hand, blocking Baishui's full-power strike as effortlessly as swatting away a fly.
"Your abilities really do resemble mine, don't they?" Kizaru mused.
Even as he spoke, a dense cluster of yellow photons was already gathering in his left hand, locking dead onto Baishui. He was ready to fire.
Soru!
Sensing the danger, Baishui tried to vanish, but Kizaru's hand suddenly clamped down on his thigh like a vice. The Admiral closed the distance in a fraction of a second—and the light beam fired.
Busoshoku: Koka!
Light Particle Barrier!
Tekkai!
You didn't take an attack from an Admiral lightly. Desperate, Baishui threw up three simultaneous layers of defense, praying it would be enough to weather the blow.
Thwack!
He had severely underestimated Kizaru.
The laser completely ignored Baishui's Light Particle Barrier, slamming squarely into his hardened body. Right at the moment of impact, Kizaru let go, allowing the kinetic force to launch Baishui through the air like a cannonball.
He crashed violently into the cliffside bordering Marineford. The impact was so immense that the solid rock face gave a faint, terrified shudder.
"Tell me, Baishui-kun..." Kizaru pursued him instantly, hovering in the air as he raised a glowing right leg, bringing it down in a merciless stomp. "Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Crack!
The sickening sound of his own ribs splintering echoed in Baishui's ears. A mouthful of blood tore from his throat, followed by an agonizing cry.
Light Particle Energy Cannon!
Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, Baishui leveled his hands and fired three consecutive light blasts in a triangular formation, completely cutting off Kizaru's routes of escape.
"What an uncute brat," Kizaru drawled. Seeing no avenue to dodge, he had no choice but to meet it head-on.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Kizaru casually drew a blade of pure light. With a flurry of blinding slashes, Baishui's three energy cannons were deflected high into the sky where they detonated violently. The heavens trembled. Booming thunderclaps echoed across the sea, rolling for miles in every direction.
The sheer magnitude of the explosions startled the entire Marine Headquarters. High-ranking officers immediately began rushing toward the cliffside to see what kind of disaster had struck.
"Seriously, Admiral Kizaru, don't you think you went a little overboard?!" Baishui groaned, peeling himself out of the cratered rock face. He glared at the Admiral, looking utterly miserable. "I'm supposed to go hunt down a massive pirate like Moriah. Banging me up right now is really bad for my mission!"
"Maa, maa. I accidentally hit a little too hard. Catch you later, Baishui-kun~"
Seeing the approaching figures of other Marines in the distance, Kizaru gave a lazy wave. In a flash of golden light, he completely disappeared.
"What the hell was that? He beats me up and just runs!" Baishui shook his head, sighing bitterly. He too transformed into a streak of light and vacated the area.
Though he had always known there was a massive gap between his strength and an Admiral's, he hadn't realized the chasm was this absurd.
His current strength might be a hair below Elite Vice Admirals like Onigumo, but the difference wasn't insurmountable. Give him a year or two, and he would absolutely bridge that gap.
But Kizaru? Even if you gave Baishui four or five years, he wasn't sure he could catch up to that monster. The power disparity between an Elite Vice Admiral and a true Admiral was staggering. An Elite Vice Admiral could handle pirates with bounties in the 400 to 500 million Berries range. Anything above that required an Admiral to step in.
When the swarm of Marines finally arrived at the battleground, the area was entirely deserted. They found traces that heavily suggested Admiral Kizaru had been in a fight, but naturally, no one had the guts to actually go up and ask him.
While rumors swirled, Fleet Admiral Sengoku publicly laid the matter to rest: it had indeed been a sparring match between Admiral Kizaru and Baishui.
Headquarters was in an uproar.
He actually sparred with an Admiral? How is Baishui's luck this good?!
They hadn't forgotten that Baishui had just effortlessly dismantled three highly capable Marine Captains only hours prior.
"Ronel Baishui, huh..."
"I'm going to catch up to you!"
Countless young Marines of Baishui's generation silently swore to train harder, vowing to match his pace. Overnight, Baishui's name had skyrocketed to fame within the ranks once again.
Simultaneously, as one of the official envoys tasked with delivering the Shichibukai invitations, he began drawing significant attention across the seas.
The Shichibukai system was the World Government's policy of appeasement for the Great Pirate Era. While the Warlords were strictly limited to seven seats, there was no hard rule dictating who those seven individuals had to be. In the eyes of the underworld, whoever held the official letter of appointment held the title.
Because of this, ambitious pirates across the Grand Line had locked onto their targets, keeping a venomous eye on the Marines' every move.
Marine Headquarters Hospital.
Before going to see Aki, Baishui took a detour to patch himself up. Kizaru hadn't pulled his punches; a few of Baishui's ribs were fractured. If left untreated, it would be a severe liability on the open ocean.
Inside Aki's room.
"How did you get hurt?" Aki asked, gently touching Baishui's bandaged chest, her brow furrowing with worry.
"Haha, just got into a little sparring match and lost!" Baishui laughed, scratching the back of his head, opting not to hide the truth from her.
"You're here today... which means you're leaving again, aren't you?" As if reading his mind, Aki asked the question before he could even bring it up.
"Yeah. I'll probably be gone for about a week." Baishui gently stroked her hair, letting out a soft sigh. "Focus on resting and getting better, okay? Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Worst-case scenario, if I can't beat them, I can always run."
He leaned in, his eyes shining with anticipation. "Once you're completely healed, we'll find a quiet little island and have our wedding. Sound good?"
"Mm. I'll follow your lead," Aki murmured, her cheeks flushing a brilliant, vibrant red.
"Perfect. It's a promise, then. I'm heading out, so make sure you rest!"
Baishui helped Aki settle back against the headboard, tucking a pillow comfortably behind her. He peeled a few tangerines and left them on her bedside table, leaned down to give her one last kiss, and practically floated out of the hospital, riding high on a cloud of bliss.
By the time Baishui arrived at the Marineford port, he was just in time to catch the other six Elite Vice Admirals preparing for departure. Seven massive Marine warships were lined up side-by-side, occupying almost the entire harbor in a breathtaking display of military might.
Each ship was fully staffed with navigators, helmsmen, and a formidable combat crew. The Marines might not like the Shichibukai, but standard protocol dictated that an official envoy required a grand escort. They couldn't afford to look weak.
"Yo, Lieutenant Baishui!"
A voice called out. Baishui turned to see Vice Admiral Stainless waving at him.
"Vice Admiral Stainless. Is there something you need?" Baishui asked.
"Haha, just dropping by to say hello!" Stainless laughed heartily, lacking the stiff, intimidating aura usually associated with a Vice Admiral. Then, his smile faded, replaced by a grim seriousness. "Honestly, I dread to think how many pirate ambushes we're going to sail into the moment we leave port."
"Well, nothing we can do about it. Getting attacked is inevitable," Baishui replied, rolling his shoulders with a nonchalant shrug. "Our job is simply to get the letters into the hands of the targets. Overthinking it will just give us a headache."
"Kehehe... They say heroes emerge from the youth. Looking at you, it seems the old saying holds true."
The notoriously ruthless Vice Admiral Onigumo had actually spoken up.
"Give me a break, Vice Admiral Onigumo. I'm twenty. I'm hardly a 'youth' anymore," Baishui waved a hand dismissively. Suddenly, his posture snapped straight. He brought a crisp salute to the assembled Vice Admirals. "It's time to set sail. Gentlemen, fair winds!"
With a powerful leap, Baishui vaulted over the water and landed squarely on the deck of his assigned warship.
"Interesting kid."
The remaining Vice Admirals exchanged glances, a shared look of approval passing between them.
That brief, casual exchange had been a deliberate test. Given that this was his first high-level mission of such caliber, they had expected Baishui to show at least a hint of anxiety. But his demeanor proved otherwise. He was completely unfazed, carrying an unshakable confidence that he would see the mission through.
That kind of mental fortitude was crucial on the Grand Line. Fleet Admiral Sengoku assigning Baishui to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them on this mission proved that the top brass viewed him as an equal in potential. And based on that conversation? Sure, his raw strength might still be lacking, but he was young. Catching up was only a matter of time.
Testing me, huh? Baishui thought to himself as he landed. Heh. Let's see if my performance lives up to their standards. He wasn't an idiot; he knew exactly what the older Marines were doing.
One by one, the seven warships detached from the harbor. Accompanied by the deep, rhythmic roar of their engines, they sailed out into the vast blue, leaving the Marineford port to settle back into a solemn quiet.
Aboard Baishui's Warship.
The man officially in charge of the ship's crew was a Marine Captain named Diels. This was standard operating procedure across all the convoy vessels. Technically speaking, as a Lieutenant, Baishui was supposed to follow Captain Diels' unconditional orders.
However, since Baishui was acting as the official Shichibukai Envoy, his authority superseded standard rank structure. Diels had no jurisdiction over him. Furthermore, Diels wasn't stupid—he knew Baishui was a rising star in Headquarters. Trying to boss him around would be career suicide.
As a result, Baishui was left entirely to his own devices. He currently lay sprawled out on the sun-drenched deck, using his "Justice" coat as a blanket. Hands tucked behind his head, he whistled a cheerful tune, perfectly content under the clear skies and endless ocean horizon.
Their destination: Gekko Moriah's territory inside the Florian Triangle. It wasn't the most remote corner of the world, but it was still a considerable distance from Headquarters.
Beneath the surface of the sea, the pirates who had locked onto Baishui's warship were already making their moves. This voyage was destined to be anything but peaceful.
Barely an hour out of port, the warship plunged straight into a monstrous, freak storm.