After Moria's death, Kizaru found himself in a tight spot, facing both Baki and the slashes from Mihoko. But with his light-speed abilities, he wasn't worried—until the shrinking "Birdcage" started to press in on him. Moria's death had sapped his will to fight, so he tried to slash the Birdcage a few times with his "Ama no Murakumo". It only produced a few sparks.
"This is really tough," he muttered, scratching his head.
A hundred meters away, Dove swung her arm down, creating five sharp, rake-like strings.
"Dropping Ruffian String!"
The long threads shot through the air. The Tyrant Bear disappeared, constantly using his bouncing power to move at the "speed of light" and avoid a direct confrontation.
"Can you keep moving?" Dove's brow furrowed. She placed her white-gloved palm on the cold black sand below and found the feeling she was looking for.
"Awaken!" she growled.
Instantly, everything around them—the ground, a dead tree, the breaking waves—all transformed into thin, white strings.
"White Line of the Wilderness!"
A giant wave of strings rose rapidly from the ground. When the Tyrant Bear reappeared, he found himself surrounded by winding white threads that seemed to anticipate his every move. He couldn't dodge in time and was forced to repel them with his massive paw. But at that moment, a sharp, twisted thread struck him from behind.
Dang... ZiZiZi!
Tyrant Bear's modified body let out mechanical noises as he was sent flying backward. In mid-air, he dodged again, appearing behind Dove. He pressed his palms forward, one after another.
"Pressure Cannon!"
"I expected that," Dove said. She crossed her hands, and the white strings from the ground twisted together, forming a shield that withstood the barrage of "bear paws."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The pressure cannons blasted the white line, but Dove had an endless supply.
"Go!"
A golden light appeared beside the Tyrant Bear. Kizaru's figure materialized, slashing the rioting strings with his laser sword. "Bartholomew Kuma, use your power to bounce away the Birdcage."
"Understood."
The two disappeared and reappeared at the edge of the Birdcage. The Tyrant Bear placed his paws on it, bowed his head slightly, and pushed.
Boom!
With one push, his ability to bounce everything away created a gap in the Birdcage. Kizaru could have left at any time, but he had stayed to test Rodin's crew. With Moria dead and the general strength of the crew estimated, there was no point in continuing the fight. The right decision was to leave. Still, the story of an Admiral's escape would likely become a laughingstock.
On the Ark, Rodin leaped to the stern, his clothes crackling with arcs of electricity. The Birdcage was now broken, and he saw terrifying three-masted warships sailing toward them, still miles away.
Rodin lost the will to chase. His strength wasn't enough. It had only been three days since he'd eaten his Devil Fruit. While his mastery of the lightning had progressed at a rocket-like pace, it still hadn't reached the level of an Enel. Forcibly fighting would only expose his abilities and give them time to prepare a targeted plan. It wouldn't do any good.
"Soon. As long as I reach 200 million volts, I'll have the state of a Thor," Rodin estimated. It would only take a few days. Then he would be able to fight fiercely.
He felt a rush of emotion. He had come so far. An Admiral was no longer an insurmountable gap. If Kizaru had been anyone else, he wouldn't have had a chance to escape.
Soon, the girls returned to the Ark.
"Marine reinforcements are here? The Birdcage must have..."
"They probably couldn't get in touch, so they came," Rodin said.
With that, the Ark was hidden and began to levitate into the sky. On the misty sea below, Akainu and the others on the warship stared up at Rodin and his crew as they disappeared.
Helpless, Akainu watched Kizaru and the Tyrant Bear return. "How is it?" he asked blankly.
"Moria...is dead."
"What?!" Akainu's expression changed, and everyone felt a storm brewing.
"Sakazuki, relax," Kizaru said calmly, taking two steps. But his legs gave out, and he grabbed Akainu's pants to keep from falling. His face was pale and drawn.
"Are you hurt? Where?" Akainu frowned, wanting to check on the sly old man.
The next second, his eyes widened. Kizaru, in his haste, accidentally tore Akainu's pants.
The sight of the flowered pattern underneath... The surrounding Marines unconsciously averted their eyes. Some soldiers looked disgusted. It seemed Admiral Akainu liked this color, and it matched him well.
"Pfft..."
"You fool!" Akainu snapped, flicking his sleeves and hurrying into the cabin.
Kizaru let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at the Tyrant Bear's tattered clothing and then at his own clean uniform. "It's a real headache." He knew Moria's death wasn't his fault. And he was injured, even if he didn't look like it. It would take days to recover.
Unexpectedly, a flash of lightning revealed frayed wires behind the Tyrant Bear, and with a bang, he fell to the ground.
"Mr. Bartholomew Kuma!" several Marines rushed to his side.
Kizaru's eyes narrowed. His first thought was that this guy was even more troublesome than him. But then he saw a hideous wound on the Tyrant Bear's back. He had been a step ahead when leaving so he hadn't noticed the wound earlier.
"That's really strange... was he hurt by that woman who was imitating Hawkeye?" he wondered. There was also the guy who imitated Doflamingo, even using an awakened Devil Fruit. It's so hard to explain.
On the Ark, the girls knew what had happened to Tashigi, but they also learned that she might still have a chance, although captain was their priority.
"Captain, where are we going next?"
"The Capital of Water."