Chapter 88

"He blocked my light-speed kick that easily? Kids these days are terrifying,"

Kizaru said in his usual laid-back tone, almost as if it were a casual comment.

But with that kind of voice, how many people could actually believe he was being serious? It might have sounded like a joke… but it wasn't.

At the same time, he was thinking: what exactly was Vivi's Devil Fruit power? He had never seen anything quite like it. She might be a Zoan-type user, but she didn't display any of the typical characteristics. As for a Paramecia type? That didn't fit either. It definitely wasn't a fruit that granted armor or something as simple as that.

For a moment, Kizaru truly couldn't figure out what kind of ability Vivi possessed.

But while he was lost in thought, Vivi showed no intention of holding back.

She raised her Dragon Beast Nemesis weapon, which was wrapped in Armament Haki. With the level of Armament Haki she had—on par with a Marine Admiral—this was something she could wield with ease.

With a single slash of her clawed weapon…

Boom!

Kizaru's body flickered and turned into light.

His Observation Haki had instantly detected the coating of hardened Armament Haki on Vivi's weapon. As a Logia-type user, he knew that if someone's Armament Haki was strong enough, they could hit his real body—bypassing his intangibility.

So, the moment he sensed danger, he didn't hesitate to enter his elemental form and avoid the attack altogether.

"Such strong Haki… Today's youth are absolute monsters. It's terrifying!"

Kizaru muttered again, his voice still calm, though now clearly impressed.

He reappeared on the other side of the battlefield in a flash of light, looking at Vivi.

"Admiral, is dodging all you can do?"

Vivi said, clearly annoyed.

Ever since she had consumed the Devil Fruit Crystal of the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: FightingGreymon, her desire to fight had skyrocketed. Back on the ship, she would frequently pull Kairos Flint into sparring matches. It helped her release some of that pent-up aggression—and subtly honed her strength, even if only by small margins.

Still, every little improvement mattered now that her power had reached this level.

"There are just some things I can't unleash here,"

Kizaru said casually.

But even as he said that, his movements were lightning-fast.

In the next instant, he appeared before Vivi with another flash of light and launched a high-speed kick.

Light-Speed Kick!

This was just one of Kizaru's standard attacks, but it came with incredible power and speed.

"Let's change the battlefield,"

Kizaru added mid-attack.

The idea was to knock Vivi far away, so that the unconscious navy soldiers—stunned earlier by Kairos's burst of Conqueror's Haki—wouldn't get caught in the crossfire of their upcoming battle.

But Vivi wasn't just standing still.

The Shield of Courage snapped to her side instantly, intercepting the kick.

Boom!

The impact created a powerful explosion, but the Shield of Courage took the brunt of it. When the smoke cleared, Vivi stood unscathed—her shield pristine, as if Kizaru's legendary kick had never landed.

"Your attacks don't work on me,"

she said coolly.

"Since you're clearly holding back because of the location, let's change the battlefield. Follow me."

She understood Kizaru's restraint. So, rather than push him to fight under unfavorable conditions, she offered to move the battle elsewhere.

The Shield of Courage returned to her back, and Vivi shot into the sky.

Seeing this, Kizaru hesitated.

He glanced back at Kairos Flint—the man who had killed a Celestial Dragon. That was his primary target.

Now, with Vivi soaring away, this might be the perfect chance to strike down Kairos.

But... he paused.

Because what he'd just seen from Vivi had completely shaken him.

Even in that brief exchange, he could tell she possessed Admiral-level strength. And this woman… was traveling with Kairos. It wasn't because of his annoyingly handsome face—though Kizaru grudgingly admitted he was jealous. No, there was something deeper. Something more dangerous.

That could only mean Kairos Flint himself was just as dangerous.

He couldn't be sure whether Kairos was Admiral level, Vice Admiral, or even stronger. But he was sure of one thing—he couldn't defeat him in one move. And if he tried, Vivi might immediately turn back and slaughter every unconscious marine on the ground.

Even a laid-back guy like Kizaru wouldn't allow that.

So, with a sigh, he flickered into light and followed Vivi.

They'd take this battle somewhere else—and when she was defeated, he could return to deal with Kairos Flint.

As they vanished from sight, only a calm silence remained among Kairos and his crew.

Well, except for Perona, who was completely knocked out.

"A smart decision,"

Kairos murmured.

He had seen through Kizaru's hesitation, understood his reasoning, and approved of the admiral's choice. Attacking now would've been reckless.

He put down the juice he'd just finished drinking.

"Seems like the Navy only sent Kizaru this time. With Vivi's strength, she might not be able to defeat him outright, but she can definitely keep him occupied."

"And with the Navy activating the Buster Call… it'd be a shame if the Sabaody Archipelago gets destroyed."

"Let's go see how this so-called 'Demon-Slaying Order' works."

With a grin, Kairos stood and began walking toward the coast.

Nami, Uta, and Robin followed behind. Robin gently carried the unconscious Perona—her body, upgraded to the royal level in their last power-up, made it effortless.

Above the battlefield...

Vivi and Kizaru's fight escalated.

Light-Speed Kick!

Though Kizaru tried to land a quick blow, Vivi's Observation Haki was sharp. She could track his trajectory even at his incredible speed. Her Shield of Courage intercepted the attack flawlessly.

"You're blocking all my attacks like it's nothing… You're really something,"

Kizaru muttered.

Tyranno Flame!

Vivi's steel mouthplate split open. A searing fireball launched at Kizaru, forcing him to dodge quickly.

Their fight descended from the skies into one of the unregulated zones on the Sabaody Archipelago.

In close quarters, Kizaru summoned a blade of pure light:

Ama-no-Murakumo Sword!

He began attacking at close range. Vivi responded with Dragon Beast Nemesis, reinforced again with Armament Haki.

If Kizaru had been a dragon-type, she might've dealt massive damage thanks to her weapon's special enhancements. But his Logia nature made things more difficult.

If she'd been up against Kaido, the damage would've been devastating—perhaps enough to scar him permanently.

"Yo! With strength like yours, why follow someone like Kairos Flint—especially after what he did to the Celestial Dragons?"

Kizaru asked mid-battle, clearly baffled.

Vivi's strikes were heavy—each one stronger than Kizaru's own.

"All of my power was given to me by Kairos. And everything he did, he did for a reason. Stop talking and fight seriously. You've been holding back this whole time."

Vivi shot back.

"Ugh… having to work overtime against such strong opponents is such a headache,"

Kizaru groaned.

He'd hoped to finish quickly, grab a few bowls of miso ramen, and call it a day. No such luck.

Holy Tornado!

Vivi spun into a cyclone and lunged at Kizaru with a piercing attack. But he sensed it coming, entered elemental form, and dodged as light.

Her strike blasted straight through a mangrove tree.

In response, Kizaru flew upward, arms crossed.

Yasakani no Magatama!!!

Countless light bullets rained down on Vivi's location. The air thundered with nonstop explosions as energy blasts hit the ground in rapid succession.

Back during the Paramount War, people blamed his missed shots on "bad aim." But now, in full seriousness, his attacks were precise—and deadly.

As the dust cleared, a single object stood tall: the Shield of Courage.

Behind it, Vivi stood unscathed.

All of the attacks had been absorbed. Not a single one had touched her directly.

"My turn,"

Vivi said.

The Shield of Courage flew back to her back as she soared into the air.

She raised both hands, channeling energy from the atmosphere.

A massive sphere of power—hundreds of meters wide—formed in the sky.

Even from a distance, anyone could tell this attack was monumental.

"You've got to be kidding me…! What kind of monsters are kids these days?!"

Kizaru's eyes widened behind his sunglasses. His Haki was screaming danger.

But before he could move...

Vivi hurled the massive energy bomb down.

Power of Gaia!!!

BOOM!!!

A thunderous explosion rocked the Sabaody Archipelago.

A towering mushroom cloud erupted, visible from every corner of the island.

The very air trembled from the shockwave.