Chapter 23: One Punch to Crush Akainu – Jack's Fist Is Mightier Than Iron Fist!

The moment Krillin struck down Akainu with a single punch, the entire battlefield fell silent. A devastating blow, swift and decisive—it sent shockwaves through both pirates and marines alike.

Kizaru and Aokiji, witnessing the shocking scene, instinctively moved as if to attack. But honestly? It was all for show.

Their movements were sluggish, and their attacks lacked any real intent. Anyone with even a sliver of battle experience could tell—those two weren't trying to land a hit on Krillin. In fact, they weren't aiming at him at all.

They didn't even bother.

Why would they? Even if they managed to hit him, it likely wouldn't cause any damage. And considering his speed, they probably couldn't hit him even if they tried. So what was the point?

In their minds, not aiming might actually be the smarter move. Maybe, just maybe, Krillin would see that they weren't hostile and let them off the hook.

But in truth, they were overthinking things.

Krillin had no intention of attacking them. His target was Akainu from the very beginning, and he wasn't about to waste energy on anyone else.

Even if they did attack him, he wouldn't retaliate. Their attacks simply weren't powerful enough to warrant a response.

Meanwhile, Akainu had realized—too late—that he'd been played. Kizaru and Aokiji had thrown out empty gestures, and now he stood alone, his attack already launched. There was no way to take it back.

Krillin easily dodged the incoming magma fist, appearing in front of Akainu in the blink of an eye. Another punch—fast, precise, brutal.

Akainu barely had time to register the movement. Fortunately, he had already activated his Logia fruit's elemental defense, turning his body into magma. He even tried using Observation Haki to anticipate Krillin's strike.

But none of it worked.

No matter how much he tried to predict Krillin's movements, they were too fast, too overwhelming. His last line of defense was to stay fully elementalized. After all, Krillin supposedly didn't use Haki. That meant he shouldn't be able to touch him.

Right?

That was Akainu's last shred of confidence—until the punch connected.

Not only did Krillin's fist not pass through his magma form, it struck solidly, landing square in the chest.

The impact was devastating. Blood burst from Akainu's mouth as he was sent flying across the battlefield.

> "He hit him! Mr. Krillin actually hit Akainu!"

> "Wait a minute… isn't Krillin supposed to not have Haki? How did he land that punch?"

> "Could it be the white aura surrounding him?"

> "To hit a Logia user without Haki… Mr. Krillin truly is godlike!"

The Whitebeard Pirates let out a collective sigh of relief. Until now, they'd been worried that no matter how powerful Krillin was, it would be meaningless if he couldn't land a hit on Akainu. After all, a Logia user is nearly invincible without Haki.

But that fear was gone.

He hit. And he hit hard.

Still, a mystery remained—how did he do it?

Was it really that strange white aura cloaking his body?

Even Krillin was slightly surprised. He had suspected, based on what Vegeta once told him, that pure energy—ki—could interact with Logia users in the same way Haki does.

But that had only been theory.

Now, it was proven.

His ki, born from years of harsh training and life-or-death battles, could strike through elemental forms. It wasn't magic or science—it was pure will made manifest.

In this world, Haki was a rare and difficult power to master, cultivated through intense spiritual training and combat awareness. It was personal energy, an extension of one's soul.

Ki, too, was personal energy—but Krillin's ki had long since transcended limits.

Unlike Devil Fruits, which borrowed power from the mysterious "sea energy" and could return to the world upon the user's death, ki was intrinsic. It belonged to the user alone and died with them.

That was the key.

His energy didn't rely on a fruit. It was a part of him, body and soul.

And it hit harder than any Haki the One Piece world had ever seen.

Akainu slammed into the ground with a crash, bouncing a few times before rolling to a stop. Blood dripped from his lips, his magma form flickering erratically. He tried to rise—but his body wouldn't respond.

His chest throbbed with intense pain. That single punch felt like it had shattered his insides.

> "He took down a Navy Admiral with a single blow…"

> "Jack—no, Mr. Krillin—he's even stronger than the legendary Iron Fist Garp!"

> "This is the strength that surpasses the Admirals!"

> "I can't believe someone like him actually exists in this world…"

> "With that kind of power, how has he stayed hidden? Whether Navy or Pirate, anyone this strong should have already dominated the seas!"

> "Maybe… maybe that's the difference between gods and mortals."

Morale surged among the pirates. On the other side, the navy's spirits sank. Shock, fear, and despair painted their faces gray.

Even Aokiji and Kizaru, who had initially faked their attacks, couldn't hide the awe in their expressions.

> Thank goodness he's not interested in us, both thought in unison.

Because if he was… their fates wouldn't be much different from Akainu's.

The crowd watched with bated breath as Krillin slowly raised one hand.

His palm opened, and a glowing energy sphere formed in his palm, radiating pure destructive force. The air around it trembled as if reality itself was repelled by the energy.

> "He's going to finish him off…"

The sphere hovered in his palm for a moment before flying toward Akainu like a missile.

The red magma admiral, still struggling to breathe, looked up helplessly at the incoming attack.

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