Chapter 311: Kizaru (Conclusion)

"It's quite odd, isn't it? Such a big event, yet no sign of CP0. Do you think they don't value these Celestial Dragons as much as we thought?" On the dock of Island One in the Sabaody Archipelago, Daniel Davis casually tossed Saint Rosward onto a boat and looked back at Admiral Kizaru with a smile.

Kizaru glanced briefly at the obedient-looking Saint Rosward, but he didn't respond. He wasn't about to say anything in front of a Celestial Dragon, especially one like Rosward. While the Celestial Dragon appeared docile now, it was only due to Daniel Davis's threats. Once free, Rosward's wrath would undoubtedly be directed first at the Navy, and even Kizaru, as an admiral, would face significant trouble.

By now, Kizaru had realized that Daniel Davis didn't truly intend to kill the Celestial Dragons. But even so, Kizaru couldn't act recklessly. Whether Daniel Davis planned to kill them or not was one thing; the fact that Kizaru couldn't allow harm to come to them was another. If his actions led to a Celestial Dragon's death, the consequences would be severe, possibly even costing him his position and forcing him to live the uncertain life of a pirate.

"Now, how about you release him?" Kizaru finally spoke after the ship had sailed far enough from Island One, deep into the open sea.

"Indeed, this spot has a clear view, perfect for spotting any pursuers. If there's an ambush, it would have to come from below," Daniel Davis remarked, scanning the calm ocean surface. Even he couldn't be sure if there were enemies lurking beneath the waves.

After surveying the area, Daniel Davis pulled Saint Rosward in front of him. "Alright, I'll hand him over. But, a word of caution: I've just activated the bomb on him. If you can't disarm all the explosives within a minute, he'll go boom," Daniel Davis said, mimicking the sound of an explosion. With that, he threw the Celestial Dragon toward Kizaru and immediately took off, using *Geppo* to fly into the sky.

"Get this bomb off me now!" Saint Rosward screamed the moment Kizaru caught him. In Daniel Davis's grip, he had been meek, but with Kizaru, he felt emboldened again.

Faced with Saint Rosward's frantic screams and the sight of Daniel Davis fleeing, Kizaru had no choice but to prioritize disarming the bomb. Although his hands were cuffed with Seastone, it didn't significantly hinder his speed.

While Zephyr had criticized Kizaru for relying too much on his Devil Fruit powers and neglecting his martial skills, Kizaru's combat abilities weren't weak. To fully harness a Devil Fruit's power, one needed strong physical skills to complement it.

Though he couldn't break free from the Seastone cuffs, Kizaru could still use Armament Haki. With it, he quickly removed the bombs from Saint Rosward's body, including the slave collar around his neck. If Rayleigh could do it, Kizaru certainly could as well.

"You useless fools! What are you standing around for? Go after him! I want him torn apart!" Now that he was safe, Saint Rosward began shouting at Kizaru, hurling insults.

"What if I chase after him, and someone else shows up?" Kizaru responded coolly, making Saint Rosward rethink his demand.

Before this ordeal, Rosward wouldn't have considered such a possibility, believing that no one would dare harm a Celestial Dragon. But after the lesson Daniel Davis had taught him, his perspective had changed.

"Then hurry up and get me out of here!"

"Admiral Kizaru, leave Saint Rosward to us. Your priority is to capture the enemy. This is an order from the Five Elders." A cold, unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke from the solitary boat. Kizaru turned to see a door in the air open, and four figures in white robes and masks appeared—CP0 had finally arrived. Behind them stood a burly man in a black suit with odd horns—Bruno from CP9, a member of Rob Lucci's team with the Door-Door Fruit ability.

The full extent of the World Government's power, cultivated over 800 years, remains unknown, but it's undoubtedly formidable. The Door-Door Fruit, in Daniel Davis's view, is an immensely powerful ability, though once again underutilized in the world of One Piece.

"You're finally here," Kizaru remarked without any surprise. "I would have chased him sooner, but I was... indisposed."

"That's easy to fix." One of the CP0 agents approached Kizaru and unlocked the Seastone cuffs with a key.

"Why did it take you so long to get here? The World Government is full of useless people!" Saint Rosward exploded again, directing his anger at CP0.

Had it not been for Daniel Davis's earlier words, Saint Rosward might have blamed everything on the Navy. But with that remark, CP0 was now also on the hook. Despite the harsh insults, the four CP0 agents and Bruno from CP9 remained still, respectfully accepting the tirade. Though their faces were hidden by masks, their deferential posture was unmistakable.

While Saint Rosward was busy berating CP0, Kizaru, now free of the Seastone cuffs, turned cold. His body transformed into a golden light, and he vanished into the sky.

The assault on the Celestial Dragons, including the brutal killing of one, meant that if the culprit wasn't caught, Kizaru would be held accountable. Whether for the sake of the World Government, the Navy, or his own future peace, he had to capture the enemy.

This was different from the time Luffy attacked a Celestial Dragon. Luffy's identity—being Garp's grandson—combined with the fact that no Celestial Dragon was killed, allowed Kizaru to let them go. He could use excuses like the presence of Rayleigh and the betrayal of Bartholomew Kuma to justify his failure.

At that time, Kizaru had been on the verge of killing Zoro with a full-force kick, only to be stopped by Rayleigh. But now, the stakes were much higher.

"Hey, we meet again so soon. You really are something, Admiral Kizaru." On a small, deserted island near the Calm Belt by the East Blue, Daniel Davis stood on a rock at the shore, waving cheerfully at Kizaru, who hovered in the air.

After leaving the boat, Daniel Davis hadn't used Apparition or a secret portal to escape. Instead, he only teleported the chest away and flew in a straight line to this island, waiting for the World Government's pursuers.

Humiliating the Celestial Dragons and extorting the World Government was only part of his plan. The other part was to engage in a real battle with an admiral to gauge his own strength.

"It seems you were expecting me," Kizaru said, his hands glowing with golden light. Daniel Davis immediately sensed danger, but it was too late. The air around him echoed with Kizaru's voice: "*Yasakani no Magatama*."

"Starting with a big move? Not even a few formalities first?" Daniel Davis thought as countless light bullets rained down on him. He quickly vanished from the rock using Apparition.

He reappeared behind and above Kizaru, bringing his right leg down in a crushing blow aimed at Kizaru's head.

Bang!

A dull sound echoed through the air as Kizaru blocked the kick with his right arm.

"Spatial Fruit?" Kizaru asked calmly as he blocked the attack.

"What do you think?" Daniel Davis responded with a grin.

Kizaru had already stopped the "*Yasakani no Magatama*" attack and blocked Daniel Davis's strike much faster than expected. Though Daniel Davis had been surprised by Kizaru's opening attack, he had seen it as an opportunity to counterattack, only to find Kizaru quickly changing tactics.

"Down you go," Daniel Davis said, putting more force into his leg. The powerful kick sent Kizaru plummeting toward the island below like a cannonball.

With a loud crash, dust and debris flew into the air as the island, already battered by Kizaru's light bullets, was hit again. Despite Daniel Davis's quick use of Apparition, hundreds of light bullets had still torn through the island below.

"This again... These Logia Devil Fruits are really a pain," Daniel Davis muttered as he hovered in the air, sensing Kizaru's presence beneath the dust cloud. While Armament Haki could strike the real body of a Devil Fruit user, it only worked at the moment of contact. Once the opponent was knocked away, they could use their Logia ability to disperse the force of the attack.

Kizaru had done this earlier in front of the Celestial Dragons and had just done it again. The only way to deal with such an enemy was through close combat, giving them no chance to retreat and create distance.

Kizaru's *Pika Pika no Mi* was the perfect ability for long-range combat, allowing him to quickly widen the gap and launch laser attacks from afar.

Even before the dust settled, Daniel Davis attacked again. A longsword appeared in his right hand, its blade turning black with Armament Haki, as he charged into the cloud.

Clang!

The sound of clashing blades echoed, followed by a powerful shockwave that spread out in all directions.

"If this is all you've got, challenging the World Government will cost you dearly," Kizaru said calmly, wield

ing the Ame-no-Murakumo sword as he faced Daniel Davis.

"So, you're underestimating me, huh? Well then, watch out." Daniel Davis smiled as he increased the pressure with his sword. This time, Kizaru didn't retreat or disperse into light; instead, he matched Daniel Davis's strength.

Boom!

As their power intensified, the ground beneath them began to crack, and both men started to sink into the earth.

The more they clashed, the more the island's surface fractured, expanding the area of destruction.

Boom!

With a final tremor, both figures were forced back. Mid-air, Daniel Davis used *Geppo* to change direction, charging at Kizaru again. He deflected two golden beams and swung his sword once more.

For Kizaru, firing lasers was effortless. Unlike larger attacks like *Yasakani no Magatama*, his basic laser beams required no charging. While Kizaru could fire away without restraint, Daniel Davis found it difficult to use his own ranged attacks. Techniques like sword energy and flame alchemy were useless against someone like Kizaru, who could transform into light. Using them would only waste energy.

Even his Thousand-Armed Kannon technique was off the table against Kizaru, as it would make him a sitting duck.

"Hey, Admiral Kizaru, could you stop jumping around like a monkey? Aren't you supposed to be a Marine admiral? Can't you fight me head-on?" Daniel Davis grumbled as he chased Kizaru, who was using his light-speed abilities to dart around the island.

When Kizaru had fought Rayleigh, they had clashed directly. But against Daniel Davis, after the initial confrontation, Kizaru had switched to hit-and-run tactics.

"Say that after you take off that armor," Kizaru shot back, firing another laser before dodging to the side.

Knowing his opponent was Kizaru, Daniel Davis had come fully prepared. He was wearing a full-body suit of Vibranium armor inscribed with mystical runes. No matter how powerful Kizaru's lasers were, they couldn't penetrate his defenses.

While Daniel Davis found Kizaru's light powers frustrating, Kizaru was equally vexed by the armor. His lasers barely left a mark on it.

"I should have chosen a different opponent," Daniel Davis thought, truly frustrated by Kizaru's persistent hit-and-run tactics.

But despite his frustration, the battle confirmed one thing: Daniel Davis now had the strength to stand toe-to-toe with an admiral, a fact that filled him with satisfaction. He had finally reached this level.

"So you've been stalling for time," Daniel Davis suddenly realized as a door in the air opened nearby. Several white-robed, masked figures emerged—CP0. Now he understood why Kizaru had been avoiding a direct confrontation.

Whoosh!

As soon as the four CP0 agents appeared, they simultaneously used *Soru* to launch an attack on Daniel Davis from four different directions.

"Door-Door Fruit... I forgot about that," Daniel Davis thought as he recognized the ability.

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