Golden light flickered and gathered in the air, forming the shape of a tall man nearly three meters in height. He wore a Marine coat draped over his shoulders, a yellow-and-white striped suit, a small purple tie, and spotless white leather shoes. A pair of sleek sunglasses covered his eyes.
"Vice Admiral Borsalino!"
The Marines aboard the three warships erupted in cheers. Relief swept through them like a rising tide. To men teetering on the edge of despair, he was a lifeline hope made flesh.
After all, Borsalino, the man known as Kizaru, was considered the Navy's next Admiral-in-waiting. His strength was unquestionable.
From the deck below, Liam Ross still wearing his eerie mask watched the glowing figure with a hint of amusement.
Salary paid, Emperor slayed, he thought.
That old joke among seafarers suddenly felt all too fitting. Borsalino's sense of justice had always been... ambiguous. He fought for the Navy, yes, but his actions often left people wondering whether he was serious or simply playing a part in some cosmic farce.
And right now, he looked every bit the fool he was rumored to be.
The sea wind whipped his coat as Borsalino floated effortlessly in the air, his calm expression betraying not even a hint of tension. He glanced down at the three ships beneath him, noted the relatively minor damage, and casually reached into his pocket to pull out a Den Den Mushi.
Then, in that infuriatingly slow drawl of his, he said, "Give me... just a moment."
He turned away from both Liam and the infamous Golden Lion, Shiki, as though the two of them weren't standing there radiating killing intent.
"Moshi moshi... this is Borsalino," he began, his tone unhurried.
Silence.
He blinked behind his sunglasses. "Hmm?" After a beat, he glanced down at the snail in his hand. "Ah... sorry about that. Wrong snail."
The absurdity of it shattered the tension like a gunshot.
Several Marines on the ships below nearly facepalmed. Even Liam's lips twitched under his mask. So this is the man who'll become an Admiral? No wonder the world goes mad in the years to come.
Finally finding the correct snail, Borsalino tried again.
"Moshi moshi."
Moments later, the snail's face transformed into that of Fleet Admiral Sengoku. "Borsalino! You've arrived? What's the situation?"
Borsalino spoke in his usual unhurried drawl. "The Marines suffered only minor casualties. However... there's been an interesting development. Aside from Shiki, the one who rescued the so-called Demon Child from Ohara has also appeared goes by the name Emperor Tian."
"What?!"
The snail-Sengoku's features contorted into shock.
A chuckle came from behind the mask. "Hello there, Admiral Sengoku. We're old acquaintances by now. No need to act so surprised."
Liam's voice had been altered rougher, older thanks to his voice mask. His tone carried a mocking sort of cheer, a deliberate taunt.
He was doing it for a reason.
By appearing in front of Shiki as if he were allied with the Marines, he could fuel the Golden Lion's hatred toward them. He'd frame the Navy as collaborators in a conspiracy against him. A dangerous gamble but one that could work beautifully.
A trap within a trap.
Sengoku, ever the strategist, immediately understood what Liam was doing and his heart sank. If the Golden Lion believed this lie, his fury would turn into an unrelenting vendetta against the Marines, leading to untold chaos.
Sengoku needed to act quickly.
"Emperor Tian!" his voice boomed through the Den Den Mushi. "You rescued the Demon Child from Ohara an act of open defiance against the Navy and the World Government. You are no different from Shiki, both enemies of justice! Borsalino! Forget about Shiki for now capture him immediately! I've already dispatched Sakazuki and Kuzan to your position!"
Liam couldn't help but admire the man's quick thinking. As expected of Sengoku, he mused. In just a few sentences, the Fleet Admiral had twisted the entire narrative, publicly branding Liam as an enemy. That way, even the dimwitted Shiki would realize the Navy wasn't working with him.
And sure enough, Liam saw the change in the Golden Lion's expression. The disbelief, then the dawning fury.
Borsalino tucked the Den Den Mushi away and glanced lazily at Liam.
"You're a scary one, aren't you? I don't really fancy fighting monsters like you. Still, orders are orders. My job's just to stall you until Sakazuki and Kuzan arrive... and then we'll ship you straight to Impel Down."
Liam's laugh was sharp, derisive. "Is that so? I'll look forward to seeing you try."
He wasn't overly concerned. The ocean may have weakened his Earth-Earth Fruit powers, but his mastery of Haki and the Six Powers was more than enough to hold his ground. And if things went south well, one Invisible Step and he'd be gone before anyone could blink.
The air between them thickened.
Then, without warning, Borsalino raised a single finger.
Golden light gathered at its tip.
"Laser."
The beam shot out faster than the eye could follow, slicing through the air like divine judgment.
Liam's Observation Haki flared. His body twisted with supernatural speed, the light grazing past his side.
Borsalino's brows lifted slightly. "Oh? You can use the Six Powers too? That's... troublesome."
His tone remained calm, almost lazy, as he brought both hands together, thumbs and index fingers forming a circle. Blinding light pulsed between them.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Countless golden light bullets erupted, filling the air like a storm of celestial arrows. The sheer volume made dodging impossible.
But Liam's composure didn't falter.
He whispered, "Tempest Kick Spiral Edge."
With a leap and a twist, he spun like a cyclone, unleashing a torrent of razor-sharp air blades that collided with the incoming light bullets in a chain of fiery explosions.
Boom after boom echoed across the sea.
When the last explosion faded, Borsalino lowered his hands, watching the masked figure through the dissipating smoke.
"Impressive," he murmured. "You're even more of a monster than I expected."
He had seen enough to know Liam wasn't just a Devil Fruit user. His Haki was advanced, his combat technique terrifying.
And yet before either could move again a cold voice sliced through the air.
"You two put on quite the performance. I almost believed it."
Both men turned.
Hovering above a nearby warship was the Golden Lion himself, arms crossed, eyes glinting with scorn.
"This was Sengoku's plan, wasn't it? To make you two pretend to fight so I'd drop my guard? Then you'd both strike me down together?"
He laughed darkly. "I'll admit it almost worked."
Borsalino's face twitched, caught between amusement and disbelief.
Liam, on the other hand, had to fight the urge to applaud.
Perfect, he thought, grinning beneath the mask. Shiki, you magnificent idiot you just made my job so much easier.
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