436-440

Chapter 436: Successfully Recruiting Sanji! 

And just then, seeing the shock in everyone's eyes, Kazama couldn't help but chuckle. 

After all, Kazama knew that his Mokuton no Jutsu (Wood Release Technique), forget about it being in the world of One Piece, even in the world of Naruto, it was something people would seriously covet. 

So, in this One Piece world, it was naturally even more astounding. 

Because they had never, ever seen a Mokuton technique before. 

That's why Kazama dared to make that bet with Sanji. 

Plus, Kazama now possessed basically infinite chakra. 

So, never mind repairing the ship in an instant; even if you asked Kazama to build several hundred wooden villas in a flash, he could do it with ease. 

At that moment, Kazama once again walked up to Sanji, who was slumped on the ground, completely dumbfounded. 

"Now that I've fulfilled our bet and completely repaired your Sea Restaurant, are you willing to be my nakama (comrade) now?" 

"This... uh..." 

Seeing that Kazama was truly this sugoi (amazing/badass), this powerful, Sanji was so shocked he broke out in a cold sweat. 

He then immediately nodded at Kazama. 

"No problem, I'm willing to be your nakama. But, I also have one impolite request, and I hope you can agree to it!" 

"Oh? What kind of impolite request is it? Please, feel free to say it." 

Hearing that Sanji still had a request, Kazama laughed heartily and nodded. 

"It's simple. Because I, Sanji, am also someone who really enjoys sparring with others. Now that I see how incredibly high your skill level is, Little Brother Kazama, how sugoi you are, I hope you can have a little spar with me, so I can see just how unbelievably strong you really are!" 

"Heh heh, of course, that's no problem at all!" 

Hearing Sanji's request, Kazama immediately smiled and nodded. 

And at that moment, Sanji instantly unleashed his super sugoi leg techniques, kicking towards Kazama. 

What's more, as Sanji attacked Kazama, he was also calling out the names of dishes from a menu! 

This immediately made Kazama burst out laughing internally. 

Meanwhile, over on the side, Luffy and Zoro saw that although Sanji was using proper, serious moves against Kazama... 

The fact that he was yelling out dish names from his mouth truly struck them as hilarious. 

"I say, you there! You're here to spar with our Big Bro Kazama, right? Why aren't you calling out your proper leg technique names? Why are you calling out dish names?" 

"Heh heh, you guys wouldn't know, huh? Since I, Sanji, am a chef first and foremost, all of my leg technique names are related to dishes!" 

"Oh, so that's how it is! But, even if your moves are related to food, it's no use against me." (Literally: "it doesn't have any damn use" or "it's not even a fart's worth of use") 

"What?" 

Hearing Kazama's words, Sanji hadn't even processed what was happening... 

When he was immediately kicked to the ground by Kazama. 

"What? How is this possible? This is completely impossible!" 

Seeing Kazama be so unbelievably sugoi, so overwhelmingly strong... 

Sanji was instantly drenched in a cold sweat, his face a mask of disbelief. 

Because just now, he had used every trick up his sleeve, but he still couldn't manage to defeat Kazama. 

This completely and thoroughly rewrote Sanji's understanding of the world, and it also made him wholeheartedly acknowledge Kazama's superiority. 

And so, in a flash, Sanji immediately agreed to become Kazama's nakama. 

It wasn't really that Sanji was surrendering to Kazama's strength. 

It was because Sanji truly, deeply admired Kazama. 

As they say, if you admire someone, you naturally want to become their comrade. 

Thus, Sanji immediately boarded Kazama's pirate ship, and together with Kazama and the others, they continued their journey towards the Grand Line. 

However, what Kazama and the others hadn't expected was... 

They had only just gotten underway when they suddenly encountered several hundred Marine ships again! 

Their pirate crew was completely surrounded. 

This immediately sent a jolt of alarm through everyone. 

And at this moment, even Kazama, who was usually calm and composed, couldn't help but be taken aback. 

Chapter 437: Schooling the Kaigun Father-Son Duo 

You see, Kazama and those Kaigun (Marines) had no beef, no lingering grudges from way back, nor any recent bad blood. 

Plus, Kazama hadn't even tried to provoke those Kaigun guys before. 

So, Kazama really, really didn't expect the Kaigun to come looking for trouble with him, not just once, but again and again. 

First, it was that blond-haired Kaigun fella, the one they called "Iron Fist," who blocked his ship. 

Then, after a few quick moves from Kazama – a little san-ken ryō-kyaku you could say – that young Kaigun was sent tumbling to the ground. 

And now, dozens of Kaigun ships, a whole fleet of 'em, were blocking Kazama's path once more. 

This totally set Kazama off; he was practically fuming, ikari ni moeru (burning with anger)! 

Now, Kazama was usually a pretty chill guy, a real yasashii hito (gentle person), but even he couldn't just stand by and let people provoke him over and over again. 

So, with a cold smirk, Kazama stared down the Kaigun leader who was slowly making his appearance. 

But then, as that Kaigun leader showed up, Kazama's heart skipped a beat – bikkuri shita! 

Turns out, standing right beside this Kaigun leader was none other than the young Kaigun Kazama had just taken down! 

This threw Kazama for a loop; he was seriously confused, nani ga nani yara. 

And just as Kazama was trying to process his surprise… 

That young Kaigun leader, the one Kazama had sent flying earlier, pointed right at Kazama's nose and started spewing insults with a sneer. 

"Well, well, well! What do you think, you little gaki (brat)? You thought just 'cause you roughed me up before, I'd be scared of you? Let me tell you, that's zettai (absolutely) not happening! My old man's here to back me up now!" 

"Oh? So, this gentleman here must be your father, then?" 

Hearing the young Kaigun's words, Kazama immediately looked over at the burly, middle-aged man. 

"Don't you dare try to get familiar with me, temee (you bastard)!" 

But what Kazama didn't expect was for this Kaigun guy's father to be so completely unreasonable. 

The moment they laid eyes on each other, he started railing at Kazama, just letting loose a torrent of curses. 

He wouldn't even listen to a word of Kazama's explanation, already dead set on wanting to tear Kazama limb from limb, to grind his bones to dust – a real hidoi yatsu (terrible guy). 

This, understandably, ticked Kazama off big time. You gotta know, Kazama was a man of iron will, a true otoko no naka no otoko (a man among men). 

How could he possibly let someone just hurl insults at him endlessly? 

Kazama remembered his main goal right now: to help his nakama (comrades) power up. 

All so they could help him defeat that ancient progenitor of the Otsutsuki main family, the one lurking somewhere in this pirate world. 

So, Kazama really didn't want to waste too much time dealing with this Kaigun father and son. 

Thus, with a cold laugh, Kazama shot back at the Kaigun duo. 

"Listen up, I, Kazama, have important business to attend to. So, I really don't feel like wasting my breath on you two. Now, just how far can you get? Scram that far away from me, ima sugu ni (right now)!" 

"Heh heh da, that’s rich! You’re killing me!" 

Before Kazama could even finish his sentence, the Kaigun father and son burst out laughing, practically doubling over. 

"I say, you little punk, did a donkey kick you in the head or something? Or are you just a plain baka (idiot)? How dare you say you don't want to deal with us! Let me tell you, we didn't particularly want to deal with you either! But you need to understand, we are the Kaigun, and you, you're a kaizoku (pirate)! So, it's not a question of whether we want to deal with you; it's that we must tear you to shreds and grind your bones to dust!" 

"What! Kisama (You…)! You've really gone and done it now!" 

Kazama truly hadn't anticipated this Kaigun father and son duo to be so outrageously arrogant and overbearing. 

Just as Kazama was about to make his move, this pair, in a flash… 

Had their numerous Kaigun soldiers under them point all their guns and cannons directly at Kazama's nakama. 

Chapter 438: Gearing Up to School Aokiji! 

You know, the likes of Luffy, Zoro, and the gang. 

This just made that Kazama guy even more furious. 

And at that moment, Luffy, Zoro, and the others were also looking pretty ticked off. 

Luffy, especially, immediately started laying into this Marine father-son duo. 

"Hey! You two are some real pieces of work, you know that?! You clearly said you were gonna fight our big bro Kazama one-on-one! But now you dare to attack us?! This is just... Unforgivable! Did you really think we're a bunch of cowards who are scared to die? You think pointing your cannons at us is gonna make us wet our pants?!" 

"Heh, heh... like we care if you're scared or not. Let me tell you, ya little punks, I know your 'big bro Kazama' here is crazy strong. Super powerful, even. We might not be able to beat him, but we can sure as hell use his crewmates' lives to threaten him!" 

"Heh, heh... You really think my crewmates are just some soft persimmons you can squeeze however you like? Luffy! Zoro! Show these Marine father-and-son jokers what you're really made of, right now!" 

"Heh, heh... You got it, no problem!" 

The moment they heard Kazama say that, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, and the rest immediately started cracking their knuckles, ready for a brawl. 

Then, they unleashed everything they had. 

But at that moment, the Marine father and son totally didn't see this coming. 

It turns out that with Kazama's pirate crew, it wasn't just Captain Kazama who was ridiculously strong, a total monster. 

Even his underlings, Luffy, Zoro, and the others, were incredibly tough. 

This was something they just couldn't believe, something they really, really hadn't expected. 

But whether they expected it or not, the facts were laid out right in front of them. 

It was clear they weren't going to be able to properly defeat Kazama, Luffy, and the others anymore. 

So, this Marine father and son just stared at each other. 

Thus, they quickly ordered their own men to keep firing their submachine guns and cannons, to charge at Luffy, Zoro, and the rest. 

Now, at this time, even though Luffy had eaten a Devil Fruit and had his rubber powers, making him immune to these guns and cannons... 

Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami were all just normal flesh and blood. How could they possibly withstand an attack from high-powered artillery? 

So, it probably wasn't long before, aside from Kazama, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami were all hit head-on by the cannonballs in a single exchange, leaving them battered and bruised. 

This sudden turn of events really made Kazama's heart skip a beat. 

You see, Kazama had been thinking that his crewmates were all super strong, incredibly capable. 

But he'd never imagined that they wouldn't even be able to withstand gunfire and cannons. 

Then Kazama suddenly thought, "Even though I'm incredibly strong now, my crewmates are still just ordinary people. How could they possibly block these kinds of weapons?" 

Once Kazama realized this, he secretly cursed himself for being too foolish, too careless before. 

That's what allowed his crew to get injured by the Marines. 

So, in that same instant, Kazama immediately unleashed his Shinra Tensei! 

He sent the incoming cannonballs flying right back where they came from, crashing into the Marine ship on the other side. 

This abrupt change in the situation truly shocked the Marine father and son to their core. 

Just then, the younger Marine immediately said to his father, "Dad, you see it now, right?! This little brat really can send cannonballs flying back at us! This means... it's going to be really hard for us to take him down!" 

"Heh, heh... What's so hard about it? So what if the little punk can send cannonballs back? You think he can send my Ice Style jutsus back too?" 

"What?!" 

Right at that moment, behind the Marine father and son, an even more powerful Marine suddenly appeared. 

Chapter 439: Schooling Aokiji with Hyoton 

And this newcomer? He was none other than the man known as Aokiji, the self-proclaimed "King of Hyoton" (Ice Style/Release). 

This Aokiji fellow was also a user of an Ice Devil Fruit – likely the Hie Hie no Mi. 

So, yeah, his abilities were the real deal, genuine Hyoton. 

And let me tell you, his ice powers were sugoi – incredibly potent, seriously top-tier. 

That's why, within the Kaigun (Marines), there wasn't a soul who didn't know his name or his fearsome reputation. 

The moment that Kaigun father-son duo saw this legendary figure from their own ranks… 

...show up to help them deal with Kazama, they were absolutely ecstatic, grinning from ear to ear. 

Meanwhile, Kazama? He'd already gotten a glimpse of this Aokiji guy's abilities, probably from some manga or intel he'd come across before. 

He knew that among the Kaigun's top dogs, Aokiji was one of the few who could actually go toe-to-toe with the likes of the Yonko (Four Emperors) or the Shichibukai (Seven Warlords). 

However, no matter how sugoi or powerful Aokiji's abilities were, in Kazama's eyes, they were still just… well, gomi (trash). 

Because, you see, Kazama could also use Hyoton. 

And Kazama's Hyoton? It was on a whole other level – even more sugoi, even more powerful than this Aokiji's ice abilities. 

But at this moment, Aokiji had no clue that Kazama could also wield the exact same kind of ice powers. 

He didn't know that Kazama's skill might even surpass his own, perhaps by a long shot. 

So, Aokiji, with a cold, condescending sneer, pointed right at Kazama's nose and spat, "You little spiky-haired gaki (punk)! I don't know what damn rock you crawled out from under, but seeing how arrogant and full of yourself you are, I'm guessing you're just some baka yarou, a real piece of scum! If that's the case, then today, I'm definitely going to grind your bones to dust!" 

"Heh heh," Kazama let out a dry laugh. "You? Grind my bones to dust? What gives you the guts to say that, ah?" 

Hearing Aokiji dare to act all high and mighty in front of him, Kazama just scoffed. 

"Heh heh, what am I capable of, you ask? Fine! I'll let you see exactly what I'm capable of! Hyōketsu Senri (Thousand-Mile Freeze)!" (Though in his case, it's more famously known as "Ice Age!") 

In that instant, isshun de, Aokiji froze the sea beneath Kazama's and the others' ships, turning it solid ice. 

This sudden, unexpected development totally shocked Kazama's group. Masaka! 

After all, Luffy and the others had never seen a waza (technique) that could freeze the entire ocean surface like that! 

So, witnessing Aokiji unleash this power, their faces were masks of pure shock. 

Then, seeing how overwhelmingly strong Aokiji appeared, they started to worry that Kazama wouldn't be able to handle him alone. 

So, Luffy, Zoro, and the others quickly rushed to Kazama's side. 

"Hey, Kazama-aniki (big bro Kazama)!" Luffy exclaimed. "These Kaigun guys clearly came prepared! They're here specifically for you! I say we should probably make a strategic retreat for now, you know, nigeru (run)!" 

"Yeah, yeah!" Zoro chimed in, though probably reluctantly. "These Kaigun have the numbers and the power on their side. We're pretty much on our own here. Like they say, 'two fists are no match for four hands,' and 'even a strong dragon can't crush a local snake.' I say we get the heck outta here, pronto!" 

"Heh heh heh," Aokiji’s voice dripped with sarcasm. He must have had some kikoku (demon-like) hearing to pick up their conversation so clearly. "You kaizoku (pirates)… you think you can just run away when you feel like it? Who do you think you are?" 

He immediately started taunting Luffy, Zoro, and the others. 

But Kazama, seeing Aokiji swaggering around, all smug and showing off his power like that… 

Decided right then and there that he was going to thoroughly teach this arrogant fool a lesson. 

So, Kazama, with an equally cold smirk, looked straight at Aokiji and said, "Let me tell you something, Aokiji. Your Hyoton might be a rare sight in this pirate world, sure. But in my eyes, that ice of yours… it's basically garbage right now!"