"Hey, Borsalino, you—"
Before Akainu could finish his sentence, Kizaru flashed him a lazy smile. The next instant, Akainu felt a rush of wind flooding his mouth as his body was suddenly propelled through space.
When his senses returned, he found himself directly in front of Big Mom.
To make matters worse, the Emperor had already raised her massive sword Napoleon, flames dancing along its edge as she brought it down in a vicious chopping motion.
"EMPEROR SWORD... COGNAC!"
Faced with the gigantic flaming blade descending upon him, Akainu froze in disbelief for a split second.
"BORSALINO! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"
Even someone as composed as Akainu completely lost his cool in that moment. The realization hit him like a Sea King attack—Kizaru, that scoundrel, had actually transported him right to Big Mom while in elemental form!
What could I possibly have done to offend him so badly that he would sacrifice me like this?!
Akainu couldn't fathom it, and there was no time to puzzle it out. Facing Big Mom's devastating strike, he could only grit his teeth and hastily raise his arms in a desperate defensive stance.
Meanwhile, Kizaru materialized beside Big Mom, watching as Sakazuki braced for impact. For once, the laid-back Admiral showed a flicker of genuine embarrassment.
He honestly hadn't meant to transport Akainu quite so close to danger—it was a miscalculation. He definitely hadn't intended to deliberately throw his colleague to the wolves. At least, that's what he told himself.
To dispel any misunderstandings Akainu might harbor, Kizaru decided he should probably make an actual effort in this battle for once.
"KSHHH!"
The sound of metal striking magma-hardened flesh echoed across the water. Poor Admiral Akainu, having just recovered from being blown away moments earlier, was now sent flying backward again by Big Mom's powerful sword strike, his body carving a smoking arc through the sky.
Big Mom turned her attention to Kizaru, a look of mild surprise crossing her features. In all their years of occasional clashes, this was the first time she'd seen the notoriously lazy Admiral preparing to actually exert himself.
Silently apologizing to his colleague, Kizaru narrowed his eyes behind his tinted glasses. He brought his hands together in front of him, yellow light coalescing between his palms, gradually taking the shape of a gleaming sword of pure energy.
"Well," he muttered, "to prevent Sakazuki from branding me a traitor, I suppose I'll have to be serious for once."
He met Big Mom's gaze as she turned toward him, and without hesitation, raised his light sword and stepped forward to confront her directly.
Seeing Kizaru actually form a blade, Big Mom's eyes widened momentarily before her expression shifted to taunting amusement.
"Well, well, well," she mocked, twirling Napoleon with surprising dexterity for someone her size. "You actually know swordsmanship, little brat? Don't tell me you picked up these tricks just to impress the rookies back at Marine Headquarters?"
Oddly enough, Big Mom had faced the Marines countless times over the decades. In a way, she had watched admirals like Kizaru rise through the ranks, observing their growth from a distance.
While Charlotte Linlin primarily relied on the versatile powers granted by her Soul-Soul Fruit, she was also a formidable swordswoman in her own right. When presented with Kizaru's "invitation" to a sword duel, she accepted without hesitation, immediately launching a flying slash attack to test his skill.
Kizaru's expression remained inscrutable behind his sunglasses. He appeared calm and composed, perhaps even bored, as the crescent of energy raced toward him.
With a precise flick of his wrist, he deflected the sword energy, dispersing it harmlessly into the air. Without pausing, he closed the distance between them with astonishing speed, raising his light sword in both hands before bringing it down in a powerful overhead strike.
Big Mom's momentary surprise at seeing her attack so easily neutralized quickly gave way to a bloodthirsty grin. She swung Napoleon upward without hesitation to meet Kizaru's blade.
CLANG!
The two swords collided with tremendous force, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Big Mom used her height advantage to bear down on Kizaru, attempting to overpower him through sheer strength.
The Admiral's hands trembled slightly under the pressure. It was clear he couldn't match the Emperor in raw power—but then again, brute force had never been his specialty.
With a calculated movement, Kizaru redirected the force of Big Mom's press, sliding his blade away before launching another precisely aimed strike. This time, he targeted her side with a textbook perfect cutting motion.
Big Mom refused to be outdone. Napoleon moved with surprising agility in her hands as she parried Kizaru's attack. Within seconds, they had exchanged several lightning-fast blows, metal and light clashing with each thunderous impact.
For a time, the only sound that could be heard across the battlefield was the constant ringing of their blades—a symphony of destruction as two of the world's most powerful figures tested each other's mettle.
Though Kizaru's movements appeared almost languid to observers, he was employing only a handful of basic swordsmanship techniques. Yet what he lacked in variety, he compensated for with precision and increasing speed. His light sword fell again and again, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next.
Big Mom's expression gradually transformed—from initial amusement to growing concentration, and finally to grim determination as she found herself genuinely challenged. The Emperor was now fighting with her full attention, no longer treating this as a casual skirmish.
The staccato rhythm of their clashing blades accelerated as Kizaru pressed his advantage. In a matter of seconds, he had delivered hundreds of strikes, each one executed with perfect form and devastating power.
Even the mighty Charlotte Linlin found herself struggling to keep pace.
"Damn," she thought, gritting her teeth. "He's mastered basic swordsmanship to this level? Perhaps not all these admirals are as useless as they seem."
As the duel intensified, Big Mom soon realized she couldn't match Kizaru's speed. But she hadn't survived decades as an Emperor by being predictable. Recognizing her disadvantage, she decisively changed tactics, opting to overwhelm finesse with raw power.
With a sudden pivot, she brought Napoleon across her body in a horizontal guard position, gathering her tremendous strength for a devastating counterattack.
Kizaru, ever the opportunist, immediately capitalized on the apparent opening. In the blink of an eye, he delivered dozens of precise strikes targeting her arms, chest, and abdomen—any vulnerable point he could identify.
To his dismay, however, his flurry of attacks failed to penetrate Big Mom's defenses. The legendary durability that had made her nearly invincible throughout her long, violent career now proved its worth once again.
Facing Kizaru's relentless assault, Big Mom stood her ground without dodging or evading, letting the strikes land harmlessly against her iron-like skin.
The stark difference in their defensive capabilities became clear: against her tremendous sword, would Kizaru dare to stand still and take a hit as she had done?
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