Chapter 45: Showdown! Light and Electricity!

"Admiral Zephyr! I heard that all the rising stars in the Navy were trained by you. Can you give me some advice on how to practice Armament Haki?" Asa asked sincerely, no longer dwelling on the previous conversation.

His words were spoken with genuine intent—he truly wanted to understand Armament Haki.

Just now, when he punched the man with sunflower-like hair and a mask, he suffered from the lack of Armament Haki, and his hand was still aching. If he could wield Haki, defeating those two would have been effortless.

Hearing Asa's request, Zephyr's eyes lit up. He suddenly felt that this young man had potential—perhaps he could be guided back to the right path.

"If you want me to teach you Armament Haki, it's not impossible. But as I said before, as long as you're willing to join the Navy, anything is possible."

"Oh? Looks like I was overthinking it."

Asa seemed slightly disappointed, though he had expected this outcome. Despite Zephyr's kindness, it was obvious he wouldn't aid a potential enemy.

Besides, Asa could become a pirate at any moment.

"It doesn't matter if I can't take this route. There are countless Haki users on the Grand Line. Once I capture one and force them to talk, the problem will be solved."

Asa set aside the thought and instead focused his blazing gaze on Zephyr, his fighting spirit surging. "Admiral, may I test the strength of the Navy's top combat power and see how far I am from the peak?"

"This kid… his ambition is remarkable." Zephyr narrowed his eyes, studying Asa closely, trying to discern whether he was reckless or truly confident.

From behind Zephyr, Kizaru casually took a puff of his cigarette, then strolled forward with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, little brother, how about I be your opponent?"

"You?" Asa tilted his head, then cracked his neck and smirked. "Be careful—I might beat you to death! Electricity is more suited for offense than light!"

Devil Fruits have natural advantages and disadvantages against one another, forming a complex cycle of strengths and weaknesses, much like fire versus smoke. Without Haki, they wouldn't be able to harm each other directly. (I think this is a development issue, even if Oda says otherwise.)

But strictly speaking, the Thunder Fruit has the upper hand over the Shining Fruit.

What is light? A type of electromagnetic wave. If Asa can manipulate electromagnetic waves, he can certainly harm Kizaru—even without Haki.

"Don't talk nonsense, little brother!" Kizaru shrugged, clearly unconcerned by Asa's words. "There are plenty of pirates who've wanted to kill me, but here I am, alive and well. And they…? They're all rotting in Impel Down!"

This wasn't mere bravado. Given Kizaru's immense speed, no one in the sea had been able to kill him.

Except Asa.

If Asa could disrupt electromagnetic waves, he could essentially nullify Kizaru's powers, rendering him helpless. At that point, the battle would be decided by pure physical ability—where Asa had the advantage.

One day, Asa might be able to crush Kizaru like a melon rind with a single gesture and make him kneel in submission.

However, Asa was still too young. Kizaru was nearly twice his age, and this fight was merely a test to gauge his own strength. Even so, the current Kizaru was far from his peak.

If Asa wanted to know how far he was from the top, he needed a strong opponent for comparison.

"You'll find out soon enough if I'm bluffing!" Asa lowered his head as thunder crackled around him, arcs of electricity jumping wildly over his body. His steel-like muscles bulged.

"Oh! The Thunder Fruit is really terrifying," Kizaru remarked, his signature slanted eyes maintaining their lazy appearance, though a flicker of caution flashed in his gaze.

Despite his carefree attitude, Kizaru was a seasoned warrior who never underestimated his opponents.

"Electromagnetic—Iron Sand Sword!" Asa muttered, and the scattered iron sand around him suddenly converged in his palm.

For the first time, he was taking a fight seriously. The electromagnetic waves on his Iron Sand Sword were condensed to an unparalleled level.

"Ama no Murakumo Sword!" Kizaru responded. Seeing Asa draw a sword, he stretched out his hands, slowly forming a shimmering golden blade of light.

"Hahahaha, become my stepping stone, Kizaru!"

"Thunder Teleportation!" Asa's blood boiled with excitement as he disappeared instantly.

The next moment, he reappeared before Kizaru, swinging the Iron Sand Sword down with a heavy slash.

"Your speed is impressive, but it's still far behind mine!"

Kizaru's body flickered into photons, vanishing before Asa's blade could make contact.

However, Asa had been strengthened through rigorous training, and his reflexes were shockingly fast. He immediately noticed Kizaru reemerging to his left.

He didn't panic. Instead, he vanished again—this time teleporting high into the sky.

With nothing obstructing him, he expanded his attack range.

"My electromagnetic waves won't harm him unless I get close," Asa analyzed the situation, frowning.

Kizaru had been using the Shining Fruit for many years. He had vast experience in dealing with all sorts of enemies. Getting close to him was no easy feat—it was practically a dream.

"Brother! Have you ever been kicked by light?" Kizaru asked with mock curiosity before raising his right leg, pointing it toward Asa.

A brilliant cross-shaped light burst at his toes. His leg transformed into a beam of pure energy and shot forward.

Kizaru's laser kicks were terrifying—condensed with a special technique, they not only burned their target but also exploded upon impact.

"Heaven's Judgement—Thunder Dragon!"

"Rooooar!"

A massive Thunder Dragon roared and surged forward, colliding with Kizaru's light beam.

"BOOM!!"

The massive explosion rocked the already-damaged streets. Buildings collapsed, completely destroyed.

Luckily, two CP0 agents had already evacuated the civilians. Otherwise, everyone nearby would have perished.

"How terrifying! To think you can match me at such a young age?" Kizaru muttered, spitting out his cigarette as he acknowledged Asa's strength.

He dispelled his Ama no Murakumo Sword, crossed his arms over his chest, and squinted. "Yasakani no Magatama!"

"BOOOOOM!!"

Countless photon orbs materialized before him, then launched toward Asa in an instant, covering a vast area in a fan-shaped pattern.

"In terms of attack range, you'll never surpass me in this lifetime, Kizaru!" Asa laughed, raising his right hand. A Thunder Sphere appeared in his palm before he teleported it into the sky.

"Thunder!!"

"BOOOOM!"

The storm clouds surged, and an enormous bolt of lightning crashed down.

The sheer force shattered debris into dust, and the overwhelming blue electric light engulfed Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama, overtaking even the Admiral himself.

A few seconds later, the battlefield fell silent. The lightning and light beams had dissipated.

From the ruins, Kizaru slowly emerged. His outfit remained intact, and he didn't appear injured. However, his white top hat was gone.

Between Heaven's Judgement and Yasakani no Magatama—

Asa had the upper hand.

(End of Chapter)

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Hey Guys, It was mentioned to me that there is a different story that is the same translation of this one with the name One Piece: lightning Heir that's already being uploaded to webnovel. I am not sure whether to continue translating this story or not. Thoughts?