Chapter 50: VS Kizaru

"Oh, we caught up!" said Kizaru lazily as he arrived, standing atop a cannonball. He looked down at the Spade Pirates, who were preparing to set sail from the Sabaody Archipelago. "Luckily I arrived first. You almost got away~"

"Admiral of the Navy Headquarters—Kizaru!" Ace stared grimly at the man who exuded a sleazy aura despite his high rank.

Among the three Admirals, if Akainu was the one Ace feared most, then Kizaru was the one he least wanted to deal with.

Unlike Aokiji's "Lazy Justice" or Akainu's "Absolute Justice," Kizaru embodied "Ambiguous Justice." He appeared laid-back and even clownish at times, but no one could predict when he would suddenly get serious—and a serious Kizaru, while not necessarily the strongest of the three, was undoubtedly the hardest to handle.

"Ah, that's me~" Kizaru's body turned into a beam of light, vanishing instantly. The next moment, he reappeared aboard the Spade.

He swept his gaze across the entire Spade Pirates crew until his eyes landed on Ace. "You're Portgas D. Ace, right?"

"That's right," Ace replied, his body already igniting with flames. A bold smile stretched across his face. "I didn't expect a Navy Admiral to personally see us off a year after we set sail. I'm honored."

"An Admiral? That's not a given." Kizaru's smile lingered, but before he finished his sentence, his body became light once again—reappearing beside Ace, a leg already swinging in a blindingly fast side kick.

"Speed is power. Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"

BOOM!

The kick connected with explosive force. Ace was launched from the deck of the Spade, crashing into Grove 41 of the Sabaody mangrove trees. The impact shattered the tree, and flames and debris burst into the air.

"Ace!!"

"Captain!!"

The Spade Pirates panicked as they saw their captain flung away by a single blow.

"I'm fine!"

Ace walked out of the smoldering crater, flames rising from his shoulders. He grinned at Kizaru. "Even if you're an Admiral, attacking without warning pisses me off."

"Oh my~ A Logia user, huh? How scary~" Kizaru chuckled again. He turned into light and appeared in front of Ace instantly. "If you're angry, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm gonna beat you back!" Ace roared, coating his fist with Armament Haki and throwing a punch.

Kizaru's expression sharpened for a moment as he noticed the Haki coating Ace's fist. He blocked the punch with his forearm.

"I thought you weren't going to block that," Ace joked.

"Oh my~ You've even learned Haki. How terrifying~ This is going to be harder than I thought." Kizaru still wore his signature smile, but his eyes had turned serious. He raised a finger and aimed it at Ace's forehead.

Buzz!

A glowing laser beam shot from his fingertip. Ace dodged it by tilting his head to the side and countered with a flaming punch.

"Hiken (Fire Fist)!"

The blazing fist struck Kizaru, blasting him backward—but his body dispersed into scattered photons, avoiding the full impact. Hovering mid-air, Kizaru crossed his arms, and a fierce glow began charging between his hands.

"Yasakani no Magatama…"

Just as he was about to unleash the technique, a figure burst forth and struck Kizaru with a heavy kick, interrupting the attack. It was Silvers Rayleigh!

"Ace-kun, leave Kizaru to me. You guys go," Rayleigh said with a smile, then dashed after the Admiral he'd just knocked toward Grove 53.

Kizaru, caught off guard by Rayleigh's sudden attack, crashed through multiple groves.

"Dark King—Rayleigh!" Kizaru looked disheveled, and for the first time, his usual playful expression turned serious.

"I heard you were in seclusion here… didn't expect to meet you in person. What a pain," Kizaru muttered.

"I can't help it," Rayleigh said, drawing his saber with one hand. "Ace-kun is my disciple, after all. Since he's setting sail, I can't just sit back and watch. Mind letting them go for my sake?"

"That's not gonna happen. If we let him slip away again, the Navy's reputation will be in tatters," Kizaru said as he scratched his chin.

"Then there's no helping it." Rayleigh raised his sword. "I'm old and not as strong as I used to be—but if you want to get past me, it won't be easy."

"Oh dear, this is troublesome~" Kizaru sighed. "But I'm not the only one on this mission."

"…What?" Rayleigh's smile vanished. He unleashed Observation Haki to scan the surroundings—and his face darkened.

"You brought two Admirals?!"

Rayleigh was stunned.

'They actually sent two Admirals just to capture Ace... has his identity been exposed?' Rayleigh thought, troubled.

"It's embarrassing, but this was a direct order from the Gorosei," Kizaru said. "Our mission is to capture Fire Fist Ace alive. But with Sakazuki involved… if you block me, he may not hold back. He might just kill him."

"..." Rayleigh was silent for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! So what if there are two Admirals? As long as I stop you, one Admiral alone won't be enough to stop Ace-kun. He's strong now—very strong!"

Rayleigh had trained Ace for a year on Skypiea. He was well aware of his disciple's growth. Ace might not be able to defeat a top-tier Admiral, but escape from their grasp? That, he could do.

"You're being too optimistic, Rayleigh," Kizaru said, smirking. "If it was me or Kuzan, maybe. But Sakazuki… that man doesn't play around."

"Then we'll see," Rayleigh said confidently.

---

Meanwhile, aboard the Spade, the crew was preparing to set sail, using the time Rayleigh bought to escape.

But just as they began to move—

A massive warship emerged in front of them.

On its bow stood a man radiating intense heat and menace.

"…It's him?! No way!" Ace's face turned pale.

Admiral Akainu—Sakazuki—had arrived.

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