531-535

Chapter 531: Kizaru Gets Scared  

An invisible wave of Armament Haki surged forward, making Kizaru’s pupils shrink and sweat bead on his forehead. 

Boom! 

His body turned to light, but he was sent crashing through a warship with a heavy blow. 

“Admiral Kizaru!” 

“Sir!” 

The surrounding Marines screamed in shock, horrified. 

Kizaru was on the back foot right from the start? 

That was terrifying! 

“This guy… how did his strength skyrocket like this?!” Smoker muttered, cigar clenched in his teeth, his face grim. 

It hadn’t been that long since he last saw Yoru, yet his power had spiked to such a insane degree. 

Absolutely frightening! 

Whoosh! 

In the next moment, Kizaru reappeared from a burst of light inside the ship’s cabin, touching a gash on his chest. His expression darkened. “Looks like I’ve gotta get serious.” 

Before he could finish speaking, he flashed behind Yoru like a beam of light, launching a blazing kick. 

But Yoru dodged with a tilt of his head. “Shoot him down, Break Illusion!” 

In an instant, his long blade pierced through his own clothes, slicing out from under his ribs. 

Kizaru’s hair stood on end. 

That strike was too fast! 

Even he barely managed to elementalize, creating a hole in his body to avoid it. 

That Armament Haki-coated blade was terrifying. 

But it wasn’t over. 

Yoru yanked his sword back, slashing toward the edge of the hole. 

That was Kizaru’s real body—one hit, and it’d be over. 

Kizaru elementalized again, creating another gap to perfectly dodge the strike. 

“Admiral, you’re gonna regret losing focus!” Yoru’s calm voice taunted. 

Kizaru snapped back to reality just in time to see a fist, brimming with overwhelming force, rocketing toward his jaw. 

He reacted in a flash, raising his sword to block. 

Clang! 

A piercing clash rang out, the shockwave sending countless Marines flying. 

Kizaru’s face was deadly serious, his mind reeling. “How did the Lightning Killer’s strength jump this much?!” 

He wasn’t a match! 

If this dragged on, he’d definitely lose. 

As if reading his thoughts, Yoru grinned. “Don’t even think about running, Admiral!” 

Clang! Clang! 

Heavy, relentless sword strikes rained down on Kizaru’s blade, sweat now visibly dripping from his forehead. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

It was pure swordsmanship, each clash faster than the last, like a performance.  

Light as a feather yet heavy as a mountain, their battle was dazzling, breathtaking—a spectacle you couldn’t tear your eyes from. 

The sky above became their battleground. 

Like two beams of light, they collided with earth-shaking force, leaving no room for anyone else to interfere. 

The fight grew fiercer by the second! 

Terrifying, ultimate attacks began to emerge. 

“Yasakani no Magatama!” 

“Phoenix Fire Feathers!” 

The world fell silent, drowned out by roaring thunder and devastating power. 

“Phoenix Feather Slash!” 

“Ama no Murakumo Flash!” 

The sea split, torn apart by unimaginable sword waves. 

Boom! Boom! 

Blood sprayed amid the explosions, but whose it was remained unclear. 

The battle was beyond intense! 

The surrounding Marines, even Novus and Ruri, had steered their ship far away. 

Yoru and Kizaru’s fight was just too terrifying. 

Getting close meant death. 

It was a battle that sent chills through everyone watching. 

Its intensity surpassed even the Summit War. 

Back then, Kizaru hadn’t been this serious. 

Ruri and Novus, of course, were rooting for their captain, Yoru, to win. 

But his opponent was Admiral Kizaru, a top-tier Marine on par with a Yonko. 

No matter how much faith they had in Yoru, they didn’t dare get their hopes up too high. 

Chapter 532: Too Unreal  

Boom!  

Another explosive clash sent shockwaves through the sea, whipping up towering waves and raging tides.  

Two streaks of light broke apart…  

One landed on the warship, bloodstains marking their body, their breathing unsteady.  

The other hovered in the air, radiating an immortal majesty like a flame deity, also wounded but grinning ear to ear.  

“Admiral, you’re hurt!”  

The figure on the warship was, of course, Kizaru.  

Gone was his usual laid-back demeanor. His arm trembled slightly, his clothes torn in multiple places, blood dripping from his palm.  

This sight…  

It left the surrounding Marines in utter shock. Medics rushed forward, scrambling to treat Kizaru’s wounds.  

Meanwhile, Yoru in the sky…  

He bore wounds too, but they didn’t seem too serious. His aura was so powerful it was downright intimidating.  

“How… How could the Admiral be on the losing end?!”  

Ghost Spider stared up at Yoru, stunned. For the first time, he felt just how dangerous this mission was.  

That was an Admiral! A terrifying existence on par with the Four Emperors, and now the Lightning Killer had overpowered him.  

In other words…  

Yoru’s strength had surpassed an Admiral’s.  

Only one name came to Ghost Spider’s mind—Whitebeard!  

Until now, only Whitebeard had possessed such terrifying power.  

And now…  

There was another!  

He didn’t dare imagine the kind of crisis this would bring to the seas.  

But one thing was clear…  

The seas were about to descend into chaos!  

What the Navy feared most was a monster like Yoru—someone who rose out of nowhere with overwhelming strength.  

Because that threw all their plans into disarray!  

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a fight this exhilarating.”  

Yoru’s wings flapped behind him as he looked down at Kizaru, grinning. “The Navy’s probably already planning something against me, right? Well, I’m not just gonna sit around and wait!”  

He sheathed his sword. “Go tell Sakazuki and the Five Elders—war is coming. Neither you nor I can decide when it starts.”  

His gaze deepened. “But I can guarantee you this: within a month, the seas will see a resolution.”  

“As for who comes out on top… heh, that depends on how good you guys are.”  

With that…  

He let out a sharp whistle, wings beating as he shot toward the Mandevs.  

His words, though, left every Marine present with a grim expression.  

No question about it…  

War was here!  

“This guy… hasn’t he always kept a low profile? Why’s he suddenly so aggressive?”  

Smoker was baffled.  

This didn’t feel like the Yoru he knew.  

“Everyone, back to Headquarters!”  

For the first time, Kizaru’s expression was deadly serious as he watched Yoru’s retreating figure. “The Four Emperors are all unpredictable freaks—impossible to figure out!”  

“The Lightning Killer, just like Red-Hair, is one of the toughest to read.”  

His sharp gaze swept over the crowd. “Prepare for the worst, everyone!”  

Smoker, still confused, asked, “The worst? You mean…”  

Kizaru’s words were slow and deliberate. “An alliance between Red-Hair and the Lightning Killer!”  

The Vice Admirals froze, struck as if by lightning.  

They stared at Kizaru in disbelief, some stammering, “Is that… really possible, Admiral?!”  

Before now…  

Nothing like this had ever happened!  

A single Emperor was already enough to put the entire Navy Headquarters on edge.  

Two Emperors teaming up? That was apocalyptic news.  

They couldn’t even fathom it! 

Chapter 533: A Terrifying and Capricious Man  

“I think it’s totally possible!”  

Kizaru slipped back into his usual laid-back demeanor. “We’re talking about the most unpredictable and reckless of the Four Emperors—the Lightning Killer!”  

“Don’t underestimate him, folks. Whatever that guy sets his mind to, it’s bound to happen!”  

“Just thinking about two Emperors teaming up gives even me the chills!”  

Don’t let his exaggerated “oh, how scary” act fool you into thinking he’s not taking it seriously.  

Truth is, Kizaru was freaked out this time.  

No joke—  

If two Emperors joined forces, the New World would go up in flames!  

…  

Navy Headquarters  

The room was dead silent. Everyone was either puffing on cigars or sipping tea, not saying a word.  

Why?  

Because Kizaru’s news was downright terrifying!  

It caught them completely off guard.  

“We need to team up with the World Government, no question,” Vice Admiral Tsuru broke the silence. “And send someone to find out which Emperor the Lightning Killer’s eyeing for an alliance!”  

Sakazuki, chomping on his cigar, thought for a moment before nodding and ordering it done.  

“Also, muster the Navy’s elite forces. We have to stop that Lightning Killer!”  

Inspector General Sengoku spoke up. “This is shaping up to be a war bigger than the Summit War.”  

“The Lightning Killer’s strength has exceeded all our expectations. We need to be on high alert.”  

No one in the room argued with Sengoku’s words.  

Many eyes turned to Kizaru, noting the injuries on his body, and they couldn’t help but feel a chill.  

A full-fledged Admiral…  

Beaten in a head-on fight and left with such heavy wounds? That was unsettling, to say the least.  

What’s more…  

The Lightning Killer only walked away with light injuries.  

If Yoru had been heavily injured too, the Navy brass wouldn’t have batted an eye.  

An Emperor matching an Admiral?  

A mutual thrashing would just prove Yoru lived up to his Emperor title.  

Crazy strong, sure, but expected.  

But…  

Kizaru heavily injured, Yoru barely scratched? That was terrifying.  

Before now, the only person who could pull that off was the World’s Strongest Man, Whitebeard.  

And now…  

Clearly…  

Yoru had reached that level too.  

That was beyond alarming.  

While they hashed out strategies, the Five Elders gathered.  

And behind them, Im appeared.  

For the Five Elders, showing up wasn’t needed for routine matters. Their presence meant things had gotten bad.  

Im’s appearance? Same deal, but worse.  

…  

New World  

Contrary to Kizaru’s assumptions, Yoru didn’t head to the Red Hair Pirates. Instead, he showed up at the New Whitebeard Pirates.  

No one knew what Yoru discussed with Marco and Fire Fist Ace.  

All the pirates saw was a massive fire fist colliding with a giant blazing bird and a proud crimson phoenix in a single explosive clash.  

Then…  

A hearty laugh echoed across the skies as Yoru left, grinning wide.  

“What a gamble!”  

At the Red Hair Pirates’ base, Shanks squinted at Nous standing before him, a mix of shock and awe stirring in his chest.  

“I knew our captain had no interest in ruling the seas, but I didn’t expect him to be this reckless.”  

“Man, we’re stuck with one headache of a captain!”  

Nous gave a wry smile, but his eyes sparkled with excitement.  

“Hahaha!”  

Shanks burst out laughing. “It won’t be long before I’m calling you the Lightning Bird Emperor!”  

“The Lightning Killer… what a terrifying man!” 

Chapter 534: The Exit Plan  

Nous’s purpose for coming here was straightforward: 

Form an alliance! 

He wanted help keeping Big Mom at bay, maintaining peace on the seas, and ensuring the Lightning Pirates could reach the Final Island. 

In return, Yoru promised not to spill any secrets about the Final Island. 

“You’re joking, right? Me, a new Emperor? No way!”  

Nous chuckled. “I know my limits. If I don’t have the strength, sitting in that position is just asking to get killed!” 

Today, he came to talk to Red Hair about two things. 

First…  

The Lightning Pirates would soon head to the Final Island, and he asked Red Hair to maintain order on the seas and hold off Big Mom. 

Second…  

As thanks for Red Hair’s help, they’d keep quiet about any secrets tied to the Final Island, preventing chaos across the seas. 

But privately…  

Nous brought a bombshell piece of news. 

After reaching the Final Island, the Lightning Pirates would step down from their Emperor status. 

He would take over leadership of the crew! 

And on top of that…  

They’d form a mutual-benefit alliance with Red Hair. 

As for Yoru…  

He’d vanish from the seas entirely. 

“What if your captain—that dangerous guy—finds a way to put you on our level?”  

Red Hair Shanks fixed Nous with a piercing stare. “He values you highly. He wouldn’t let you get pushed around!” 

That caught Nous off guard. He looked at Shanks. “You think that’s possible?” 

Shanks burst out laughing. “I don’t know about anyone else, but your captain? He might just pull it off. That guy’s a real mystery!” 

He raised his sake bowl with a hearty grin. “Enough of that—let’s toast to our alliance!” 

He seemed downright thrilled. “Your captain, that dangerous fella, is finally leaving these seas!” 

“Haha, what a relief that is!” 

Nous frowned but seemed to catch onto something, murmuring, “You said you don’t belong to these seas… is that what you meant?” 

He clinked his cup with Shanks and downed the sake in one gulp. 

… 

“What?! Captain, you’re gonna disappear from the seas? Nous is taking over as captain? And the Lightning Pirates are stepping down as an Emperor crew?”  

Ruri stared at Yoru, struggling to process it. “Then… where are you going?” 

“Are you just abandoning us?” 

The thought alone brought tears to her eyes. “What happens if we get attacked? There are tons of tough guys out there on the seas, and plenty of people have their eyes on us—especially the Navy! Without you, Captain, how are we supposed to stand up to them?” 

Seeing her like this, Yoru patted her arm, trying to calm her panicked expression. “Come on, you’re a powerhouse who intimidates the seas and runs the underworld. Why the tears all of a sudden?” 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got everything covered. No way I’d let you guys get pushed around!” 

Yoru grinned. “If you’re stepping back from the seas, I’m making sure you’re prepared. There’s no way I’d leave you open to being hunted down.” 

Retiring was fine!  

But only if they had the strength to fend off any enemy. 

Otherwise…  

The moment they “washed their hands” of piracy would be the moment they’d meet their end. 

“But…”  

Ruri wiped her tears, still confused. “Captain, why do you have to disappear from the seas?” 

“Did we let you down? Or… do you not want to be a pirate anymore?” 

She looked genuinely hurt. 

Chapter 535: The War Looms, Straw Hats Closing In  

“Your true home?” 

Ruli frowned. “Why would you say that? Is this vast sea not big enough to hold you?” 

Ruli was totally confused! 

Yoru’s words left her completely baffled. The sea was massive, home to countless heroes and legends. How could it not have room for Yoru? 

Why would he say the sea wasn’t his true home? 

“Where is your true home?” Ruli asked again, pointing to the sky. “What, is the sky your home or something?” 

She continued, “But what’s up there? Just the cosmos, right? There shouldn’t be any other lifeforms out in space, should there?” 

Hearing this, Yoru shook his head with a bitter smile. “It’s a long story—kind of a secret of mine. I won’t bore you with the details.” 

He stood up… 

Gazing at the sky, hands clasped behind his back, he said, “Before I leave, I’ll make sure you all have enough strength to stand on your own.” 

With that… 

He walked off, ignoring whatever expression Ruli might’ve had. 

“War’s coming, huh?” Yoru murmured to himself. “Never thought it’d come this fast. Honestly, I’m a little reluctant to go.” 

He shook his head. “In this world, I’m just a wandering ghost. My real home is somewhere else.” 

Truth be told, he didn’t feel much attachment to this world. 

If he had to pick something… 

It’d be this pirate crew. 

But even then, he didn’t feel particularly close to most of the crew. To him, they were just a bunch of outlaws chasing their own goals. Sure, they followed him because he provided, but true loyalty? That was rare. 

Only a few of the higher-ups had that. 

Yoru didn’t care too much for most of them, but since he was leaving, he’d make sure to set them up for success. If they got crushed after he left, the ones he actually cared about might suffer. 

… 

Meanwhile… 

In the waters near Night Island, a ship with a lion figurehead sailed forward, carrying a crew with grim, determined faces. 

“You guys ready?” a green-haired man with three swords at his waist asked in a low voice. 

Behind him… 

A group of samurai and others, men and women alike, nodded with serious expressions. 

A certain stunning woman, sweat beading on her forehead, spoke up. “L-Luffy… are we really going to fight… that monster?” 

Her voice trembled, her face pale. 

It was none other than… 

The Straw Hat Pirates, led by the infamous “Fifth Emperor,” Luffy, fresh off causing a massive uproar. 

“Of course, Nami!” Luffy said, his face set with determination. “If we’re gonna be Pirate King, we’ve gotta take that guy down!” 

Sanji and Zoro, standing nearby, nodded in agreement, looking fearless. “He’s got something we need,” Zoro said with a grin, like a beast ready to pounce. “To become Pirate King, we’ve got no choice but to face him.” 

Sanji chimed in, “That guy’s a hell of a swordsman. This is gonna be one exciting fight!” 

But not everyone shared their confidence. 

“This is gonna be one terrifying battle! I’m so scared, my brain’s about to explode—oh wait, I don’t have a brain! Yo ho ho!” Brook cracked one of his signature skeleton jokes. 

“Heh, you guys are brimming with confidence. It’s honestly pretty reassuring!” Nico Robin said with a gentle smile, looking completely unfazed by the prospect of failure.