Kizaru raised his right hand, and a dazzling light suddenly burst from his fingertips.
"Laser!!"
The brilliant beam instantly pierced the deck. Guided by Kizaru's Observation Haki, it shot straight toward Nico Robin, who was imprisoned at the bottom layer of the ship.
I'm sorry… this is the only way to stop you.
"Borsalino!!"
Dragon, transformed into wind, moved at incredible speed, but even he could not outrun light.
All he could do was swing a fist backward, colliding the raging wind head-on with the laser.
The resulting explosion tore the upper half of the warship to shreds.
Nico Robin felt a sudden brightness above her head, followed by the world shaking violently.
She was knocked to the ground, her head tilting upward as she tried to see what was happening.
The deck above had completely vanished. She could now see the bright sky.
What… just happened?
"Hm?"
Dragon, who had blocked Kizaru's attack, immediately noticed Nico Robin looking somewhat dazed.
"Finally, I've found you! Miss Robin!"
Even the composed Dragon couldn't hide his joy at that moment.
Robin looked puzzled.
But she quickly recognized the man in front of her.
"You're… Dragon from the Revolutionary Army?"
Although she didn't fully understand the situation, she assumed this man had come to save her.
The Revolutionary Army?
Falling into their hands would surely be better than being captured by the Navy.
Before Robin could say anything, beams of light began raining down from the sky toward her.
"Borsalino!"
Dragon immediately unleashed powerful wind blades, destroying Kizaru's lasers midair. He shouted angrily, "How far are you willing to go out of fear of the true history?!"
Robin instantly felt her eyes sting.
Yeah, just how afraid of the true history was the World Government?
So afraid that anyone daring to study that period would be erased!
"This kind of thing is useless to tell me," he murmured.
"I'm just a salaryman at the end of the day."
Kizaru spoke lazily. In an instant, he flashed backward, and then dazzling beams of light streaked toward Robin.
He was no match for Dragon in a head-on fight, but if it was about killing someone in front of Dragon, maybe he could give it a try.
Dragon's expression darkened. After blocking Kizaru's attack again, he realized something:
If he wanted to take Miss Robin away, he would have to defeat his old friend here.
"Borsalino, are you ready?"
Dragon's arms turned into a storm, his fists spinning like drill bits.
The Armament Haki added to his arms made the twin gusts of wind turn pitch black.
"Oh, scary," Kizaru said, pulling the sunglasses from his forehead to shield his eyes.
"Can't we just coexist peacefully?"
Dragon, knowing Kizaru's personality well, acted as if he hadn't heard a word.
The storm surged forward, his fists swinging.
But Kizaru had no intention of engaging him directly.
He constantly transformed and kept his distance, firing lasers toward the immobile Robin.
Dragon began to sweat profusely.
Borsalino… that bastard!
He wasn't a match in a frontal fight, yet here he was, maneuvering thanks to his unparalleled mobility.
And Dragon, trying to protect Robin, couldn't unleash his full strength.
This drawn-out battle wasn't going to end well.
On the rooftop of the base, Crocodile and Redfield had silently arrived.
Kizaru and Dragon, focused entirely on each other, didn't notice them.
"The NEO Navy hasn't shown up, yet the Rebellious Dragon of the Revolutionary Army appears here instead," Crocodile said, flicking ash from his cigar.
"This is completely unexpected."
"Is this good or bad for us?"
Redfield leaned on his umbrella, smiling.
"The good part is someone is keeping Kizaru occupied. The bad part is… eliminating all witnesses might not be so easy now."
Crocodile remained silent.
Was it time to make a move?
Trying to take Nico Robin while Kizaru and Dragon were fighting would definitely be much easier.
But as Redfield had said, if they took that woman now, there would be no way to cover it up later.
Should he give up?
What a joke—how could he give up?
To become the Pirate King, he absolutely needed this woman's help!
"Then there's no other way!"
Crocodile squeezed the cigar in his hand, turning it instantly into scattering yellow sand. He growled fiercely, "First, grab that woman!"
As for whether the World Government and the Beasts Pirates would target him in the future—that would be a problem for his future self.
"Redfield! You go first. I'll hide and adapt as needed!"
"Hahaha!"
Redfield laughed loudly. "Then let's go!"
He shot forward like a phantom, soaring toward the half-destroyed warship at the naval base.
At the same time, Crocodile transformed into yellow sand, creating a hole in the tall building beneath him and slipping inside.
Redfield's speed was terrifying, like a streak of lightning.
However, in the sky above, Kizaru and Dragon were both experts of Observation Haki.
Almost simultaneously, they both looked down at the rapidly approaching Redfield.
"Redfield?"
Kizaru couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise. "The Cross Guild really showed up too?"
While remarking this, he didn't forget to fire beam after beam of lasers at Redfield.
Nico Robin could not fall into the hands of the Revolutionary Army, nor could she fall into the hands of the Cross Guild.
Dragon, without hesitation, transformed into a gust of wind, rushing straight toward Nico Robin.
Though a competitor had arrived, the good news was that he was no longer the only one protecting Miss Robin.
Redfield swung his umbrella, slicing through the lasers fired at him, relentlessly rushing toward Nico Robin.
As Redfield and Dragon raced, Kizaru didn't stay idle, sending beam after beam toward Nico Robin.
But those beams were destroyed simultaneously by both Dragon and Redfield.
Then.
"I have a suggestion."
Redfield stopped and looked back at Kizaru in the sky.
"I think your proposal is quite reasonable."
Dragon, of course, understood instantly what this guy meant.
"Ohhh—"
Kizaru glanced down at the two men staring straight at him and felt a headache coming on.
If it were only one of them, he could try to take out Nico Robin.
But facing both of these guys at the same time? That would be a real problem.
Redfield's lips curled slightly.
As long as they took down this Marine, Nico Robin would be theirs in no time.
Crocodile was quietly lying in wait underground, waiting for the right moment.
All that was needed now—
"Gwahahaha! Ian didn't tell me it would be this lively today!"
Suddenly, laughter rang out from the sky.
"No way…"
Kizaru was truly drenched in sweat now, incredulously looking up.
Above, a massive Azure Dragon slowly emerged from the clouds.
"Kaido??"
**********
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