Mistaking the Den Den Mushi (transceiver snail) was not the first time for Kizaru—it happened frequently.
Others found it exasperating and were at a loss for words, but he himself never took it seriously, nor did he ever consider changing. Eventually, those around him had no choice but to get used to it.
This time, after finally finding the correct Den Den Mushi, he managed to contact Sentomaru, who was coordinating the operation with him.
Sentomaru said, "Old man, latest update—the two criminals just clashed with the local Marines on the island. The stationed Marines have all been taken down. Their strength is no joke. Don't slack off this time. We must rescue the Celestial Dragons and capture these two to hand them over for judgment. Otherwise, the World Government won't let this slide!"
"Got it, got it. You're so nagging!" Kizaru replied impatiently.
"I… you…"
On the other end of the call, Sentomaru's lips twitched, utterly speechless.
However, working with such an unreliable superior wasn't new to him, and he had somewhat adapted to it.
Besides, despite Kizaru's many quirks, he was still dependable when it came to getting things done—otherwise, he wouldn't have risen to the rank of one of the Navy's three admirals.
At this moment, though Kizaru complained about the hassle, his actions were anything but sloppy.
After confirming Lin Xuan and Uchiha Madara's location with Sentomaru, he moved instantly, heading straight toward them.
As a user of the Glint-Glint Fruit (Pika Pika no Mi), his speed was terrifying. In the blink of an eye, he appeared just a short distance away from Lin Xuan and Madara.
The moment he materialized about a hundred meters ahead, Lin Xuan and Uchiha Madara halted in their tracks.
Lin Xuan immediately recognized Kizaru and grinned at Madara, saying, "Looks like we don't need to keep walking. The opponent you've been waiting for is here!"
Beside him, Madara studied Kizaru intently. His face, marked with cracks from the Edo Tensei reanimation, instantly lit up with intense fighting spirit!
When Kizaru saw Lin Xuan and Madara, he was inwardly surprised.
He hadn't expected the two criminals he was sent to deal with to be so young. Moreover, it seemed they had been actively moving toward him, almost as if they had been waiting for his arrival!
"These two are definitely not to be underestimated," Kizaru concluded immediately.
At the same time, the Marines who had been tailing Lin Xuan and Madara—including Lieutenant Kurohige and his men—burst into excitement at the sight of Kizaru.
"It's Admiral Borsalino!"
"Thank goodness! He's finally here!"
"These two criminals are done for! He's the strongest admiral in the Navy!"
...
Even Lieutenant Kurohige, usually composed, couldn't help but feel a surge of relief and excitement upon seeing Kizaru.
In his eyes, Kizaru's arrival guaranteed the rescue of the Celestial Dragons and the swift suppression of Lin Xuan and Madara, putting an end to this incident once and for all!
Lin Xuan initially thought Madara would charge straight into battle, but to his surprise, Madara didn't.
Before making a move, Madara turned to him and asked, "What kind of Devil Fruit powers does this guy have? You know, don't you?"
Lin Xuan glanced at Madara before answering readily, "Of course. He's a user of the Glint-Glint Fruit, also known as Admiral Kizaru of the Navy Headquarters. His ability revolves around speed—his attacks are said to be as fast as light!"
"Oh?"
Instead of showing fear, Madara's fighting spirit burned even brighter.
Kizaru naturally overheard Lin Xuan's introduction and remarked with a smirk, "Ohhh~ You seem quite familiar with me, youngster. Honestly, I find you rather amusing. But why must you insist on causing such troublesome incidents?"
Lin Xuan grinned. "Heh, we just captured three Celestial Dragons, and you're making such a fuss? What if we do something even bigger later? Would that scare you stiff?"
Hearing this, Kizaru narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "Ohhh~? You sound quite confident. How terrifying~!"
Internally, however, he mused: This kid thinks capturing Celestial Dragons is a trivial matter? What 'bigger things' could he possibly do? Wage war against the World Government?
Of course, he dismissed the thought as mere speculation.
Right now, his priority was rescuing the Celestial Dragons as quickly as possible—that was his top mission!
Little did he know that his offhand guess was alarmingly close to the truth.
Lin Xuan was indeed planning something that would pit him against the World Government!
Meanwhile, Madara grew impatient and cut in, "Enough talk. Are we fighting or not?"
The moment these words left his mouth, the Marines who idolized Kizaru erupted in outrage.
"Damn it, these two are way too arrogant!"
"How dare they provoke Admiral Borsalino like this? They're digging their own graves!"
"Hah! They're done for. The Admiral will make them regret this!"
"Bigger things? What a joke! Do they really think they can escape from him? Hahaha!"
...
Feeling the Marines' fervent expectations, Kizaru sighed and said to Madara, "Well, it seems I have no choice but to act. Be careful, young man—have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Before the words even fully left his mouth, his body transformed into a streak of light, shooting straight toward Madara!
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T/N:
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