Chapter 194: Kizaru, Don't Run!
"He actually sent an Admiral flying!"
Drake gasped in disbelief.
The other three Supernovas gaped in equal shock, as if witnessing something impossible.
They'd just experienced an Admiral's overwhelming power firsthand, felt the insurmountable gap between heaven and earth—yet they'd never imagined Rhodes could fight Kizaru to this extent, even knocking him back.
"With this kind of strength... is he really from our generation?"
The four exchanged glances, each seeing profound shock and disbelief reflected in the others' eyes.
On the battlefield—
Countless particles of light coalesced not far from where Rhodes stood.
Kizaru materialized from the photons, looking genuinely disheveled—his yellow-striped suit wrinkled, burn marks visible across his palms.
"I really can't underestimate you... Rhodes."
Kizaru's form of address had subtly shifted.
No longer just another junior Shichibukai beneath an Admiral's notice, but a peer worthy of genuine respect and caution.
"So this is an Admiral's limit..."
Rhodes breathed slightly harder, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
Blood pumped furiously through his heart, unleashing surging power that radiated searing heat throughout his entire body. This was the exhilaration of true all-out combat.
This feeling was completely unlike the helplessness he'd experienced against Garp.
Kizaru's strength existed on the same tier as Rhodes's—perhaps slight differences remained, but they were undeniably operating at the same level. If Kizaru made a single serious mistake, Rhodes could genuinely kill him.
Similarly, with the ferocity of Kizaru's attacks, he possessed equal capability to end Rhodes's life.
Rhodes hadn't experienced this kind of life-or-death thrill in far too long.
"Let's go again!"
Rhodes roared, charging at Kizaru with Spectre raised. His body had been accelerated to its absolute limit by lightning coursing through every nerve, reaching his current maximum speed.
To outside observers, only a flash of silver light remained visible before he materialized before Kizaru—a cascading waterfall of blade strikes, each one gleaming like silk threads woven from pure cutting intent.
Kizaru immediately realized that engaging Rhodes in close-quarters swordsmanship was a tactical error.
His own sword skills weren't negligible. Years of training had made him quite proficient, especially when amplifying his strikes with the Pika Pika no Mi's speed.
But Rhodes's blade was faster, sharper, and infinitely more refined!
After merely five brief exchanges—
Rhodes deflected Ama no Murakumo aside with a powerful stroke, then stepped forward and severed one of Kizaru's arms entirely.
Simultaneously following through with his momentum, Rhodes's leg—shrouded in pitch-black Armament Haki—launched a devastating kick toward Kizaru's torso.
BANG!
Although Kizaru had already evaded both of Rhodes's strikes through elemental dispersion, he couldn't completely avoid Rhodes's follow-up kick.
Elementalization didn't render Kizaru immune to Rhodes's attacks—after all, every one of Rhodes's strikes carried substantial Armament Haki infusion.
Kizaru managed these evasions because those targeted body parts had already transformed into true photons and relocated elsewhere before Rhodes's Haki-coated attacks could connect—his elemental form reforming at a different position, rendering the Armament Haki ineffective against empty space.
This represented advanced application of Logia-type Devil Fruits.
However, it required accurately predicting the enemy's attack trajectory, and with Kizaru's highly developed Observation Haki, he naturally possessed the capability to anticipate Rhodes's strikes.
Rhodes's kick sent Kizaru flying through the air, a trail of blood spraying from his mouth.
"How terrifying I'm actually injured How long has it been since someone managed that~?"
Kizaru muttered slowly, wiping blood from his lips as his severed arm reattached seamlessly through photon manipulation.
The Pika Pika no Mi granted him world-class superhuman speed, allowing Kizaru to face virtually any opponent with relaxed composure. Combined with his naturally laid-back personality—fleeing when possible, yielding when convenient—he genuinely hadn't sustained injuries in years.
After transforming fully into light, he hovered in mid-air. His dark eyes glared down at the sword-wielding Rhodes below, then glanced toward the shell-shocked Supernovas in the distance.
"Can't let you make me look bad Even an Admiral needs to maintain his dignity"
Yasakani no Magatama(a sacred jewel)!
He floated in mid-air, crossing his arms before his chest. Countless yellow photons converged, forming into devastating laser projectiles that rained down upon Rhodes like a torrential storm.
The light was blindingly brilliant, and the terrifying energy fluctuations were absolutely shocking.
"RUN!"
Watching this apocalyptic scene from a distance, Drake and the others completely abandoned any interest in spectating and fled frantically for their lives.
But Rhodes, observing Kizaru's massive-scale attack, remained remarkably composed.
Just a special technique? I have one too.
Almost instantaneously—
Endless crackling lightning surged from Rhodes's body, instantly covering hundreds of meters of ground in shimmering silver radiance—like an ocean of thunder descending from the heavens themselves.
Raijin no Houko! (Thunder God's Treasure!)
Under Rhodes's precise control, these pale silver lightning bolts condensed into countless spears of pure electrical energy that pierced toward the sky. Each individual spear possessed enough destructive power to obliterate a building.
BOOOOOOM!
The Yasakani no Magatama and Raijin no Houko (Thunder God's Treasure!) collided, triggering an unprecedented catastrophic explosion.
The very air trembled violently, and heaven and earth seemed to lose their color.
The collision resembled nothing less than meteors crashing together—the thunderous sound reverberating across dozens of kilometers.
Drake and the other Supernovas, positioned closest to the epicenter, felt the devastating shockwave approaching from behind and ran desperately, wishing they had extra legs.
Throughout the distant reaches of Sabaody Archipelago, people watched this spectacle from afar with profound shock and visceral fear.
"Who's fighting an Admiral?!" they wondered in collective astonishment.
That yellow flash was unmistakably Admiral Kizaru's signature technique.
But who commanded that silver lightning?
"Could it be... the Dragon Slayer?"
Morgans soared high above, gazing toward the battlefield from a safe distance. His avian eyes stung from the intense light, but he ignored the discomfort entirely, muttering in absolute disbelief.
He'd thought he'd already rated Rhodes sufficiently highly.
He'd never expected Rhodes to fight Kizaru to a complete standstill!
With such monstrous talent and potential, could the seas be witnessing the rise of a fifth Yonko?
Or perhaps... something even greater?
Morgans couldn't even imagine the possibilities.
The roar from this collision was so deafening that it reverberated throughout the entire Sabaody Archipelago, generating waves several meters high in the surrounding ocean.
Other battles occurring elsewhere across Sabaody were similarly affected by the tremendous shockwaves.
"Who the hell did the old man run into? Why hasn't he reported back yet?"
Sentomaru, the large axe-wielding young man, couldn't hide his look of genuine concern and worry.
The shockwaves gradually subsided.
Drake and the others, having already escaped to the grove's edge, finally dared to look back—and were utterly stunned by what they witnessed.
The vast expanse of Grove 27 had been practically leveled, the ground several dozen centimeters lower than before. Every single building had been utterly destroyed, with dense cracks and massive craters everywhere—as if the entire area had been pounded by a colossal hammer.
"Such... such destructive power..."
Drake, Hawkins, and the others could barely form coherent thoughts.
Meanwhile—
High above the battlefield, Kizaru couldn't conceal his genuine shock.
Being outmatched in close-quarters combat—Kizaru could accept that. After all, he wasn't specialized in Taijutsu, and Rhodes was a renowned master swordsman.
But to think Rhodes could also withstand such a massive-scale area-of-effect bombardment...
How is that even human?
Puru puru puru...
Just as Kizaru processed this disturbing realization, his Den Den Mushi began ringing.
Kizaru answered, his eyebrows raising slightly. "Mm I understand" he acknowledged before disconnecting.
"Perfect timing Otherwise this would've gotten embarrassing Pirates are much easier to handle~"
He muttered to himself as a sphere of yellow light began gathering in his palm.
At that precise moment, Rhodes suddenly burst through the dust and debris, appearing in the air. Seeing Kizaru's telltale motion, he instantly realized the Admiral was preparing to retreat and immediately shouted:
"Kizaru, don't run!"
(End of Chapter)