Chapter 44: Yata Mirror!

"Iron Body!"

Speed equals power. At the extreme velocity of thunder and lightning, there was no time for a proper reaction. The grinning masked man had nowhere to escape and was forced to rely on his body's resilience to withstand Asa's full-powered kick.

Boom!!

Even with Iron Body reinforcing him, the sheer force of the blow sent him flying backward like a cannonball, crashing violently into the roadside buildings.

"Cough!"

A row of houses was instantly reduced to rubble, dust and debris filling the air. From the wreckage, the grinning masked man staggered out, blood trickling from his lips. He glared at Asa with a mix of hatred and wariness.

In the distance, the aftershock of the attack had completely destroyed a store, slicing it neatly in half.

"Don't give me that look. Hatred is just an excuse for weakness," Asa sneered, looking down at him. "If you die here because you weren't strong enough, you have no one to blame but yourself."

With a grin, Asa twisted his neck, a series of cracks echoing as he warmed up. It was clear that the fight so far had been nothing more than a warm-up for him.

He had now gauged his own physical prowess. He wasn't at the pinnacle of the world just yet, but he knew he could close the gap quickly. If he mastered Armament Haki, that gap would shrink even faster.

In a few years, once he reached the necessary level of strength, the first person he'd seek out in the New World would be Kaido—to challenge him and see who truly deserved the title of the strongest creature on land, sea, and air.

"Tempest Kick!!"

The sunflower-masked agent blurred in and out of sight, stepping through the air using Moonwalk before unleashing a sharp flying slash from his toes. The attack carried a chilling edge as it cut through the air.

"Stop embarrassing yourself with these useless attacks," Asa scoffed. "Try something that actually works."

He didn't even bother dodging properly—merely shifting his head slightly to the side, allowing the slash to pass inches from his face before it struck the ground.

This move was nothing more than an advanced application of leg muscles contracting and extending rapidly to generate kinetic energy. When the kick moved faster than the speed of sound, it compressed the air ahead of it, creating a vacuum that released cutting shockwaves.

Powerful? Yes. Fast? Also yes.

But it was still limited by speed. And speed, to Asa, meant nothing if it wasn't absolute.

After seeing this attack enough times, it became easy to predict just from the movement of the opponent's leg. Evading it was trivial.

"Let me show you what a real slash looks like."

His voice was calm as he extended his hand into the air.

The iron sand belt at his waist loosened, dispersing into grains of black dust before quickly reforming in his palm—coalescing into a constantly shifting Iron Sand Sword.

"Iron Sand Sword—Lightning Slash!"

With a single downward swing, crackling blue lightning surged from the blade. A crescent-shaped energy slash, imbued with electricity, shot toward the sunflower-masked agent like a bolt of lightning.

Even though his body couldn't keep up with the speed of the attack, the moment Asa raised his sword, the CP0 agent instinctively sensed the looming threat of death.

After all, as a member of the most elite espionage force under the World Government, he had survived countless life-or-death situations. His body may have been too slow to react, but his mind still raced.

"Iron Body!"

He hardened his muscles, tensing his body to its absolute limit, shifting his posture slightly to the side as quickly as possible.

Asa could see the veins bulging on the back of his opponent's hands from the strain.

The lightning slash zipped past and disappeared.

The sunflower-masked agent exhaled in relief—he had avoided the fatal blow.

Or so he thought.

"Chichi..."

A wet sound echoed through the battlefield.

His entire arm detached from his body.

Blood spurted several meters into the air, splattering onto the ground in deep red pools.

The cut had been so fast, so precise, that his body hadn't even registered the wound until it was too late.

For a moment, he stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened.

Then the pain hit.

If the bleeding continued unchecked, he'd be permanently crippled—or worse.

Naturally, the grinning masked man couldn't just stand by and watch his companion die. Not only would he fail the mission, but he'd also face severe consequences for letting a CP0 operative perish under his watch.

"Shave!!"

In a blur, he flashed out from the rubble, snatched up his unconscious comrade, and attempted to flee.

"You think you can just come and go as you please?" Asa sneered.

Without hesitation, he swung his Iron Sand Sword again.

A bolt of blue lightning crackled from the tip of his blade, tearing through the air in pursuit.

"Yata Mirror!"

Just as Asa's attack was about to connect, a lazy yet familiar voice rang out.

In an instant, a glowing golden mirror materialized, refracting the lightning attack and redirecting it harmlessly into the sky.

It was Kizaru.

The battle between Asa and CP0 hadn't gone unnoticed. From the nearby Marine branch, both Zephyr and Kizaru had been alerted and rushed to the scene.

Due to his Glint-Glint Fruit, Kizaru arrived first—just in time to deflect Asa's attack and save the two CP0 agents.

Moments later, the towering figure of Admiral Zephyr arrived, his presence radiating authority. He positioned himself protectively in front of the wounded CP0 members, his expression stern as he locked eyes with Asa.

"Admiral Zephyr, we have to capture him. This man is too dangerous to be left unchecked," the grinning CP0 agent spat, cradling his companion's severed arm.

As the World Government's top spy agency, CP0 had never suffered such humiliation. To be beaten back like this—forced to retreat—was utterly disgraceful.

Zephyr, however, remained silent. His sharp gaze never wavered from Asa.

Lightning-based abilities meant extreme speed. If he let his guard down for even a second, he could be struck.

Fighting someone this fast required absolute focus—one lapse, and it could be over in an instant.

"Oooh, scary~" Kizaru drawled lazily, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His tone was mocking, but his stance was relaxed, almost playful.

"You must be the Thunder Fruit user who sank an island, right? Xibolai D. Asa?" Zephyr asked seriously.

Asa smirked. "That's me. What's the great Admiral Zephyr got for me?"

Zephyr's expression remained unreadable. "Did those CP0 agents mention that the World Government wants to recruit you into the Navy?"

His voice carried the weight of authority, filled with genuine expectation.

"With your abilities, if you learned Armament Haki, you could become one of the Navy's strongest forces."

It was a classic move. Zephyr had been a teacher for years—he had a habit of trying to guide talented individuals toward what he believed was the "right path."

"Join the Navy?" Asa scoffed. "Are you joking? I live for freedom. I answer to no one. Besides, the Navy doesn't exactly have a great track record."

His eyes flickered between Zephyr and Kizaru. He had clearly underestimated the Navy's strongest combatants.

Even if he could use his speed to fight strategically, defeating Zephyr outright would be near impossible.

And even if he tried to escape into the sky, Kizaru would be right there waiting.

"'Can't stand orders?'" Zephyr's muscles bulged as he clenched his fists, his temper flaring. "People like you always end up as pirates."

To Zephyr, lawless individuals deserved only one fate—imprisonment in Impel Down.

It was a clash of ideologies.

In a world ruled by power, nobody wanted to be controlled.

The Navy sought order.

People like Asa sought freedom.

Conflict was inevitable.

(End Of Chapter)

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