N-A-A Chapter 79 Kizaru: Garp, I think you're reluctant to part with this handsome case, aren't
Chapter 79 Kizaru: Garp, I think you're reluctant to part with this handsome case, aren't
Chapter 79 Kizaru: Garp, I think you're reluctant to part with this handsome case, aren't you?
The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, swept across the deck of the Perfume Serpent.
At this moment, the storyline of this world is in a delicate lull—the Roger Pirates have long since ended their story in Loguetown, and the once-powerful crew members have either gone into seclusion or perished.
Of the four Yonko pirate crews that will dominate the New World in the future, only Edward Newgate's family crew stands firmly at the top. The other three—Red-Haired Shanks, Big Mom, and Kaido—are still in their developmental stage, needing much nurturing.
Moreover, in Broly's eyes, while Whitebeard was the only one of the four who seemed human, he was also the most boring of the four.
The revolutionary army led by the Sweat King was at this time just the "Self-Courage Army," which was quietly accumulating strength in a corner.
As for the group of Down syndrome children led by Wang Luffy, it will be a full decade or more before they return to their era of crazy antics.
The only people Broly seems interested in "playing" with are those old fogies from the World Government who are entrenched in Mary Geoise.
But as the Five Elders had predicted, after that "ultimate humiliation," he had lost interest in the Five Elders and the Knights of God. Anyway, those guys couldn't come up with anything new, and the only one he could play with was that little sister Im.
Therefore, it's normal for Broly to want to leave; there really isn't anything interesting for him on this pirate planet.
However, before the World Government officially breaks off relations and takes action, Broly decides to take his entourage on a tour of the planet first.
We need to make sure that little sister Im and the others are fully prepared so that they can have fun.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Ha!"
On the other side of the deck, the sound of heavy objects whistling through the air could be heard.
Yamato brandished the spiked club that was half a head taller than her.
She was barefoot, her petite arms taut with effort, each swing producing a whooshing sound as they cut through the air.
Sweat trickled down her forehead, soaking the stray hairs and sticking to her fair cheeks, but it did not affect her condition in the slightest.
Only when her arms ached so much that she almost lost all feeling did she slam the spiked club onto the ground with a dull thud.
She gasped for breath, her gaze fixed on Broly, who was meditating with his eyes closed to the side.
"Broly,"
Her voice carried a hint of weariness, yet couldn't hide her anticipation, "Do you think I need to eat a Devil Fruit?"
Currently, Hancock, Komurasaki, and Yamato have all made a decision in their hearts: after the final battle with the World Government, they will follow Broly to the vast universe.
Hancock's goal is Im's strongest Devil Fruit, the true nature of which is still unknown, and Komurasaki has already acquired her own power.
Only Yamato is neither a Devil Fruit user nor does he have a specific goal.
Upon hearing this, Broly slowly opened his eyes, a thoughtful look flashing across his pupils.
Images of a future war on Ghost Island involuntarily flashed through his mind.
Yamato's ability, I think it's called the Inu Inu Fruit, Mythical Zoan type—what form was it again?
Broly couldn't quite remember the exact name, only that it was a Mythical Zoan type on par with Marco's Phoenix Fruit, possessing the same ability to manipulate natural elements.
However, Marco's Phoenix Fruit controls fire, while Yamato's Dog-Dog Fruit controls ice.
In terms of elemental power alone, it is naturally not as good as the Flame-Flame Fruit of Logia type and the Ice-Ice Fruit of Aokiji, but it is enough.
To be honest, while that fruit wasn't exactly terrible, Broly thought its strength was just so-so.
It wasn't even as practical as the staff techniques Kaido taught her.
"No rush," Broly's voice was calm yet carried a convincing power. "Practice the staff techniques your father taught you to the extreme first. If all else fails, you can learn combat techniques from other planets later."
"From other planets?"
Yamato's eyes lit up instantly, and he took two steps forward, almost touching Broly's face. "If only I could learn that kind of awesome ability—but my dad's Blue Dragon Fruit is actually pretty good too."
Changing the subject, Yamato's face showed a hint of regret, "It's a pity he didn't die, I didn't have a chance to get my hands on him."
During their adventure, Yamato, along with Broly and his group, encountered many people with special abilities.
But after seeing so many bizarre abilities, the one that captivated her the most was Kaido's Blue Dragon Fruit.
The dragon is a symbol of emperors.
Broly's lips twitched as he listened to her words.
In the original story, Yamato is a daughter who is in mourning.
He thought it was because Oden had possessed her, but he never expected that this was actually her true nature.
This is no longer as simple as a drafty jacket.
He practically transformed into a halberd, specifically designed to stab his own father.
If Kaido knew that his daughter wished for his death so that she could inherit his Devil Fruit, I wonder if he would be so angry that he would spit out a mouthful of dragon blood on the spot.
"Bulu, bulu, bulu~bulu, bulu~"
Just then, a series of urgent Den Den Mushi rings broke the tranquility of the ship.
Toritoma, holding a Den Den Mushi in his hands, strode up to Broly and respectfully said, "Lord Broly, this is your private call."
Broly took the receiver and put it to his lips. Before he could even speak, the Den Den Mushi had already simulated the caller's deeply wrinkled face, with the corners of his mouth habitually turned up, revealing a lewd and punchable expression.
In an instant, both Hancock and Yamato immediately guessed the caller's identity.
Sure enough, the next second, Kizaru's drawn-out, tearful voice came through the Den Den Mushi: "Lord Broly~ I'm not clean anymore~ Waaaaah~"
Upon hearing this, Broly's lips twitched, and Hancock and the others also looked puzzled.
It's disgusting for a man nearing forty to speak in such a tone.
"Oh?"
Broly raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery in his voice, "What's going on? Did a Celestial Dragon take a liking to you and sexually harass you?"
"It's much more serious than unspoken rules!"
Kizaru's cries grew louder, "Boss, you have no idea, those bastards in the World Government are such scoundrels!"
Kizaru then recounted in detail what had happened in Mary Geoise the previous day.
It turns out that yesterday, the World Government invited all high-ranking Navy officers of vice admiral rank and above to a banquet in Mary Geoise under the pretext of "discussing the fight against Broly".
I thought it was just a regular strategy meeting, except that a few big pirates had joined us.
Unexpectedly, everyone lost consciousness inexplicably midway through the banquet.
When they woke up this morning, they were horrified to find that they all had a strange mark on their arms.
Many people had already seen Broly when he first attacked Mary Geoise last year.
It is the unique mark on the members of the Knights of God.
When the Navy's Chief of Staff, Tsuru, who was also marked, saw the mark, his expression turned extremely solemn, and he said in a cold voice, "We've been tricked by the World Government."
The other officers weren't fools either; after He's reminder, they instantly understood the trickery involved.
However, some naive doves still harbor unrealistic fantasies.
For example, Momonga, a representative of the doves in the Navy, looked at the mark on his arm with a hint of anticipation on his face and asked, "Grandma Tsuru, isn't this a good thing? With this mark, can we also have the immortality of the Knights of God?"
When Broly attacked Mary Geoise, the Navy witnessed Grindelwald grow back after being cut in half at the waist.
If they also had that ability, it would definitely be a good thing.
"Are you stupid?!"
Before Crane could even speak, Zefa couldn't help but burst into a tirade of curses.
The former admiral, his face ashen with rage, pointed at the flying squirrel's nose and roared, "How come I didn't realize you were so stupid when I was teaching you?!"
The flying squirrel was completely bewildered by Zephyr's scolding. He scratched his head and asked, puzzled, "Teacher Zephyr, do you mean—there's something wrong with this mark?"
Zefa gripped the mark on his left arm so tightly that he almost scratched the flesh until it bled.
He struggled to calm his anger and said, word by word, "If it were truly a miracle that could grant immortality, why would they knock us unconscious before marking us?"
It's like pressuring someone to get married. If a marriage is really good, why would anyone need to pressure them? You can't even get through the marriage registration office.
Zefa's words were like a wake-up call; the officers who had still harbored illusions instantly turned pale.
Just then, a tall figure slowly walked over.
That's Loki, the current leader of the Knights of God.
Taking advantage of his height, he looked down at the assembled marines. "Gentlemen, from this moment on, you are all comrades who have formed a contract with Lord Im. You now possess the same immortality as our Knights of God. With this, I'm sure you will all be able to go all out without any reservations in the final battle against Broly."
"Don't worry, the abilities Lord Im has given you are more than enough to deal with that monster Broly."
"Deal with your mother!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a furious roar echoed throughout the entire venue.
Akainu, the most hot-tempered of those present, could no longer contain his rage. His right arm instantly transformed into scalding lava, the crimson lava flowing down his arm and dripping onto the ground with a sizzling sound, scorching small pits in the air.
He leaped into the air, his body arcing through the air, and delivered a powerful punch straight at Loki's face: "Darkhound!"
The scorching magma coalesced into a fist, carrying the momentum of burning everything, and blasted towards Loki.
Loki showed no fear whatsoever, not even a change in his expression.
He casually grabbed the giant hammer from his waist, without displaying any special abilities, and slammed it down hard on the magma fist.
"boom-!!!"
A deafening roar erupted, and a violent shockwave spread outwards from the two individuals.
The surrounding naval officers were thrown back by the shockwave, their cloaks of justice fluttering wildly as if they were about to be blown away.
The scorching magma collided violently with the giant hammer imbued with Armament Haki. The resulting high-temperature shockwaves were like invisible blades, even cutting the skin of the two men and leaving deep bloodstains.
Strangely, in less than a second, both the wound on Akainu's cheek and the burn mark on Loki's forehead from the magma healed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if the injury had never happened.
Akainu landed back on the ground, his arms still in their elemental state, with scalding lava dripping from them, scorching the grass beneath his feet.
He stared intently at Loki, the fury in his eyes almost tangible.
Loki hoisted his giant hammer onto his shoulder, a cold smile playing on his lips: "See? We're both immortal now. No matter how we fight, it's a draw."
As he spoke, he put away the giant hammer, shrugged, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Now we're all in the same boat. Instead of fighting amongst ourselves, we should work together to find a way to deal with Broly."
"Just a heads-up, if you deliberately slack off on the battlefield, Lord Im can take your lives at any time through the contract."
"Damn it!" Akainu wanted to rush forward and continue fighting, but was stopped by a hand.
He turned his head sharply, glaring at the person blocking his way, and found that it was Kizaru.
"Boltarino, what do you mean?!" Akainu's voice was filled with suppressed rage.
Kizaru didn't let go, but said in a deep voice, "Sakazuki is right. There's no point in continuing to fight. Our lives are in Im's hands now. If things get too tense, we'll be the ones who suffer. Don't forget, that Im-sama can execute us at any time."
Akainu glared fiercely at Kizaru, his teeth grinding so hard they seemed about to break.
He knew Kizaru was telling the truth, but he just couldn't swallow the anger in his heart.
Finally, he snorted coldly, abruptly shook off Kizaru's hand, and turned to walk out of Pangu City.
Loki watched Akainu's departing figure, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He then looked at Kizaru and exclaimed, "As expected of the strongest admiral who escaped from Broly's clutches, you truly know how to seize opportunities. With Lord Im's power, you will be even more formidable. In that case, the vanguard against Broly will be entrusted to you."
"Thank you so much for your kindness, Lord Im."
Kizaru twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing his usual lewd smile.
But those who know him well can see the burning anger, the deep-seated resentment and forbearance in his always half-closed eyes.
"Damn it! These bastards!"
A loud bang was heard inside the Marine Headquarters building in Marineford.
Enraged, Kuzan kicked his desk, shattering the wooden surface into pieces and sending splinters flying.
Before experiencing the Ohara incident, his personality was not as cold as it would become later; instead, he had a bit of Akainu's irritability, let alone after being tricked into such a disgusting situation.
-
Aokiji clutched the mark on his arm and cursed, "Those scumbags from the World Government want us to die with them!"
Like Kizaru, he had already planned to coast along and watch the battle between the World Government and Broly.
Unexpectedly, the World Government played such a ruthless trick, directly binding all of their naval high-ranking officers to their own war machine.
After all, with that damn mark on his arm, if he dared to slack off, Im might kill him before Broly even had a chance to make a move.
"Don't get too excited, Kuzan."
Kizaru walked in from outside, closing the office door behind him. His tone carried a hint of warning, "We still don't know if this mark has any surveillance capabilities. Perhaps Lord Im is watching us through the mark."
"Damn it, fine, I'll just keep looking!"
Aokiji showed no sign of restraint in his rage. He slammed his fist against the wall, leaving a deep dent. "Even if I die, I will never be cannon fodder for the World Government!"
To be honest, if he had to choose between the World Government and Broly, he would prefer the latter.
Although Broly does things his own way, even to the point of being somewhat perverse, at least he's open about it and doesn't use such insidious and cunning methods to scheme against others. And thinking back carefully, he has never harmed innocent civilians.
Even Aokiji, who doesn't care about politics, could list a whole bunch of the abhorrent things the World Government has done.
Aokiji took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with unwavering resolve. He had already decided that once the great battle began, he would simply hide in his office, drink, sleep, and wait to die.
If Im really dares to kill him through the mark, then let him be. Anyway, he will never work for the World Government that betrayed him.
Aokiji's actions were indeed quite assertive.
Kizaru knew that Akainu would most likely have the same thought.
But this is only the choice of a minority. Most people within the Navy will probably still choose to join the World Government in dealing with Broly.
Leaving aside die-hard fans of the World Government like Green Bull, most other humanitarians have a simple idea: if they go to the battlefield, although there is a 99% chance of being killed by Broly, if they stay in the rear, they will be 100% wiped out by Im.
After all, their lives are now completely in the hands of that mysterious Lord Im.
That mark was like a time bomb, and the remote control was in Im's hands. If she pressed it, she would die.
Aokiji turned his head slightly to look at Kizaru standing in the doorway, and asked in a complicated tone, "Boltarino, are you going?"
Kizaru did not answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the sea outside the window, his eyes deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
After a long while, he slowly shook his head, said nothing, and simply turned and left Aokiji's office, heading towards his own work area.
Back in his office, Kizaru slammed the door shut, completely isolating himself from the outside world.
He walked to his desk, sat down, crossed his legs on the table, and after a moment of silence, took out a box of cigarettes that had been gathering dust in the drawer.
Since being promoted to admiral, he has rarely smoked.
But today, he really needed some nicotine to relieve his irritability and depression.
Kizaru lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
In less than a week, the Navy underwent a dramatic transformation.
All officers of the rank of vice admiral and above had Im's mark branded on their arms, and the entire naval command system was almost completely controlled by the World Government.
They were left with only two paths: either like Aokiji and Akainu, choose death over submission and wait to be wiped out by Im.
Alternatively, like Cyborg Sora and Tsuru, they could choose to compromise and go with the flow, joining the World Government in the fight against Broly.
Indeed, Kong, Tsuru, and most of the vice admirals within the Navy who were branded with the mark ultimately chose the latter.
In their view, the World Government is evil, but Broly is an even greater evil.
Broly's existence has seriously threatened the order of the entire world and is a more terrifying hidden danger than the World Government.
Now that we've been driven to a dead end by the World Government, why not go with the flow and join forces to remove Broly, the sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads?
As for how to deal with the World Government's control later, that's a matter for later; at least we need to survive first.
Meanwhile, Kizaru, who had been holed up in his office, had been smoking almost constantly for the past few days.
The ashtray on the desk was piled high with cigarette butts.
He only made up his mind when the ashtray was no longer full.
He stood up, walked to his desk, squatted down, and used his fingers to pry open a movable wooden board at the bottom of the desk—a hidden compartment he had prepared long ago.
Inside the hidden compartment was a small, exquisite Den Den Mushi, his secret channel for contacting Broly.
He picked up the Den Den Mushi and dialed the number he knew by heart.
Actually, he already had a plan in mind when he smoked his first cigarette.
However, since he had just been marked, he was unsure whether he was still under Im's surveillance and dared not act rashly.
Now, several days have passed, and the turmoil has subsided considerably. The World Government seems to have relaxed its vigilance towards them, and he finally feels confident enough to make the call.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"
On the deck of the Perfume Serpent, Broly could no longer contain himself after hearing Kizaru's description and burst into laughter.
He laughed so hard that he even slapped his thigh, and a few tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
Hancock, Komurasaki, and Yamato, standing nearby, all wore expressions of astonishment.
Their eyes widened as they stared at the Den Den Mushi in Broly's hand, clearly not expecting the World Government to be so ruthless.
Those pirates who were tricked into joining the Seven Warlords of the Sea are one thing, since their relationship was based on an exchange of interests.
The Navy should be "one of us" standing on the same side as the World Government, yet the World Government doesn't even spare them, forcibly binding them with such insidious means. This method is utterly shameless.
The Den Den Mushi, still mimicking Kizaru's bitter face, continued with a voice full of grievance and helplessness: "Boss, according to the inside information we just received, that Im doesn't seem to be satisfied with controlling the Navy."
Next, he plans to bring in the Level 6 death row inmates of Impel Down as cannon fodder, form contracts with them, and turn them into a suicide squad to fight against you.
If he succeeds, this would likely be the strongest team assembled by a world government in its 800-year history.
Broly laughed for several minutes before gradually stopping.
He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, a hint of amusement in them: "The sixth level of Impel Down, huh—"
Based on the current timeline, it's unknown how many of Teach's future subordinates have already been imprisoned.
However, the most famous character in Level 6 should be Shiki the Golden Lion.
According to the original plot, he should have been escaping from Impel Down by now, but he unexpectedly ran into this mess and was targeted by Im. He's really unlucky.
In a half-dead tone, Kizaru continued, "Boss, currently, among the death row inmates in Level 6 of Impel Down, besides Shiki the Golden Lion, there are two very troublesome guys: Barrorick Redfield, nicknamed 'The Red Earl,' and Bandy Wald, nicknamed 'The World Destroyer.'"
Broly raised an eyebrow after hearing Kizaru's words, his tone tinged with surprise: "Baroric Redfield and Bandy Wald? I had almost forgotten about them."
He paused, then asked, "Did Im's little sister come up with this idea? If it really was hers, then I underestimated her intelligence before."
Although this idea is not very clever, it can even be described as somewhat despicable.
But for Im, who usually only works behind the scenes editing photos, this was already an exceptional performance.
"This idea probably wasn't Im's, boss." Kizaru's voice suddenly became more serious. "When I came out of Mary Geoise, I saw a strange guy in the corridor of Pangaea. That guy looked almost exactly like Shamnok of the Knights of God. I don't remember the Knights of God having such a person before."
After I got back, I secretly checked the Navy's secret files and found that the red-haired kid was actually a member of Roger's pirate crew back then!
Although his specific name isn't on the file, based on the description, I suspect this idea was likely given to Im by that red-haired kid.
"The red-haired boy?"
Broly's eyes lit up, and his smile deepened. "That's not surprising, that's not surprising."
To be honest, when I read the One Piece manga in my previous life, Broly thought Shanks did very strange things, with a kind of beauty in the way his left and right brains were fighting each other.
You'll never understand what he's trying to do. He's one of the Four Emperors, yet he doesn't seem to be thinking about expanding his power or finding Zero.
Piece runs around all day.
One minute he's going to the East Blue to see Luffy, the next he's stopping Kaido from finding Whitebeard, and then he's going to Wano Country to stop Green Bull. He has to get involved in everything, but we don't know what he's up to.
Now, his true intention has finally become clear: he wants to kill himself.
This made Broly feel that Shanks was much more normal than in the original story.
"Boss, do you think I still have a chance?" Kizaru's almost pleading voice came through the Den Den Mushi, his tone trembling with tears.
Broly thought for a moment and asked, "Where is your mark?"
In the office, Kizaru immediately rolled up his left sleeve, glanced down at the disgusting mark on his arm, and hurriedly replied, "Left arm."
Broly nodded, understanding dawning on him.
In the original work, the marks displayed by Shanks, Harald, and Somaz, all members of the Order of God, were indeed on their left hands.
He recalled the details from the original work and slowly said, "Cut off your left hand."
Judging from Shanks' situation, as long as he severs the limbs bearing the mark, he should be able to break free from Im's control.
In the original work, Shanks did exactly that.
Kizaru paused for a moment, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face.
To be honest, compared to losing my life, losing a hand seems much more acceptable.
Kizaru gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes.
He raised his right hand, and a dazzling blade of light condensed at his fingertips, a simplified version of his signature skill, "Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi".
The blade flashed with a dazzling cold light, aimed at his left shoulder.
However, after several seconds, there was still no response from the Den Den Mushi. Broly couldn't help but ask, "How is it? Did you manage to cut it?"
Kizaru's utterly helpless voice came through the Den Den Mushi: "It's no use, boss, I can't cut! I don't know if it's because of this mark, but whenever I try to hurt myself, I just can't muster any strength."
Hearing this, Toritoma, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "That guy Im is pretty well-prepared."
Broly showed no surprise whatsoever.
He should have realized this long ago; since Im dared to bind others in this way, he must have left a backup plan.
After all, Shanks didn't cut off his own arm back then; he used the Lord of the Coast.
However, this makes Luffy look even more ridiculous—that kid always thought Shanks cut off his own arm to save him, not knowing that Shanks was just going with the flow. Anyway, that arm was already bound by the mark, and keeping it would be a hidden danger, so he simply took advantage of the Lord of the Coast cutting off his arm to get rid of the restraint, and could also do Joy Boy a favor.
"Since you can't do it yourself, just find a pirate or a sea king to help you."
Broly shrugged and said casually, "Find a secluded spot and deliberately let them attack your left hand. Once you cut off your arm, you should be able to get rid of the mark."
"Won't this be too obvious?"
Kizaru said with a bitter face, "Isn't this blatantly telling Im that I deliberately tried to remove his mark?"
Kizaru hesitated for a moment, then, as if suddenly remembering something, hurriedly asked, "Boss, could you help me remove this mark?"
Broly was speechless upon hearing this.
He's a warrior, not a magician; he wouldn't understand such fancy stuff.
"It's like this, boss, let me explain!"
Kizaru quickly said, "You should know that in this world, as long as you cultivate Haki to a high enough level, you can resist or even remove the additional effects of Devil Fruits. Im's mark is most likely applied by Im using the power of a Devil Fruit. So I guess if you can inject Haki that is stronger than Im's into my body, you might be able to remove this power!"
Broly blinked; Kizaru's suggestion had suddenly piqued his interest.
This is the same method used to dispel genjutsu in Naruto!
There are two ways to break a genjutsu. One way is for the person under the genjutsu to disrupt the chakra within their body to break the genjutsu.
Another method involves an external person injecting their chakra into the recipient's body to help them break free from the genjutsu's bindings.
Thinking about it that way, the two are actually quite similar.
Moreover, Kizaru's guess was not without reason.
Currently, the Five Elders and Trafalgar Law have both personally demonstrated how to remove the negative effects of Devil Fruit powers.
Since one's own Haki is effective in removing the effects of Devil Fruits, then having a powerful Haki injected into one's body by an outsider should achieve the same effect.
The more Kizaru thought about it, the more feasible this method seemed.
He himself didn't practice Haki much, which his teacher Zephyr often criticized as a "waste of talent."
Even if he desperately cultivates his Haki, he probably won't be able to break through the constraints of a Devil Fruit of Im's level.
But Broly is different. Although Broly doesn't learn Haki, he can develop an unprecedentedly terrifying Haki whenever he wants.
After listening to Kizaru's detailed explanation, Broly also became somewhat interested.
He turned to look at Toritoma standing to the side and said, "Toritoma, show me your domineering side."
Upon hearing this, Toritoma immediately nodded and replied, "Yes!"
She took a deep breath, slightly parted her feet, and in the next instant, she unleashed a powerful whip kick.
The moment he raised his leg, a layer of jet-black Armament Haki visibly covered the surface of Toritoma's right leg.
As the leg swept through the air, it produced a sharp, whistling sound.
After glancing at it, Broly slowly raised his left hand.
He didn't exert any force; he was just subconsciously mimicking the feeling that Toritoma had given him.
Suddenly, Broly's entire left arm was also instantly covered by a layer of pure black Armament Haki, which was even more concentrated and solid than Toritoma's Haki.
Broly suddenly clenched his fist and swung it upwards toward the sky.
boom-!!!
With a deafening roar, the force of the punch instantly created a huge spherical hole in the sky above the Perfume Serpent.
Deep and pitch black, with a faint outline of the vast and brilliant starry sky visible beyond the atmosphere.
The surrounding clouds were dispersed by this terrifying force, forming a huge circular vacuum zone that took a long time to recover.
Kalifa, standing in the crowd, was completely dumbfounded.
Her eyes widened as she stared at Broly's arm, which was covered in Armament Haki, her face filled with disbelief.
This monster—he learned Armament Haki instantly after just one demonstration by Toritoma?
And the sheer power of that domineering aura is terrifying.
What shocked and terrified Kalifa even more was that Kizaru, one of the Navy's top combatants, had actually defected to Broly and become his subordinate!
Kalifa and the other future members of CP9 initially thought that Kizaru was able to escape from Broly's clutches during the Sabaody Archipelago battle because he had some hidden trump card or ultimate move.
It turns out that this wasn't the case at all—this guy had actually betrayed the World Government long ago and sided with Broly!
No! This matter must be reported to the Five Elders immediately!
However, the thought had barely crossed her mind.
A sharp whip kick suddenly swept towards her cheek.
Caught off guard, Kalifa had no time to react and could only watch helplessly as the high-heeled foot grew larger and larger before her eyes.
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Kalifa took a solid kick to the face.
The immense force caused her to lose her balance instantly, and she flew out like a kite with a broken string.
"thump!"
Kalifa slammed hard against the ship's mast, leaving a deep dent in the sturdy wooden gun barrel.
She groaned and slid off the mast, crashing heavily onto the deck.
In an instant, her left cheek swelled up high, and bright red blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Kalifa struggled to lift her head, her vision blurred as she looked at the person who had kicked her, only to discover it was Hancock.
Broly, however, didn't glance in their direction once, as if nothing had happened.
He simply said to the Den Den Mushi, "Alright, I understand your suggestion. I'll try it when I have the chance."
After saying that, Broly hung up the phone and casually tossed the Den Den Mushi to Toritoma.
"Lord Broly—she, she—" Kalifa pointed at Hancock, her voice trembling with pain and fear.
Hancock sneered as she walked step by step toward Kalifa.
He then raised his right foot and stomped hard on the back of Kalifa's head.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Kalifa's face was pressed hard against the deck, half of her face sinking into the wooden planks, and blood from the corner of her mouth stained the deck red.
"What's wrong?"
Hancock's voice was cold and laced with sarcasm. "A traitor, trying to beg for help?"
Kalifa, with half her face buried in the deck, was struck dumb.
Has her identity been exposed?
Did Hancock already know she was an undercover agent?
When exactly was it exposed?
Hancock seemed to see through her doubts, a cold smile playing on her lips. She increased the pressure on her feet, her tone mocking: "From the very beginning, you vixen."
At this moment, Yamato, standing behind, seeing Kalifa's pained expression, couldn't help but remind her, "Hancock, just give her a quick death."
Yamato was also shocked when he learned that Kalifa was an undercover agent.
However, although her personality is somewhat like that of Luffy before he was possessed—enthusiastic and straightforward—she is not that saintly.
She wouldn't stop Hancock from eliminating the traitors, but at the very least, she felt she could make their deaths quicker.
"Shut up!"
Hancock snapped irritably, "You newbie, mind your own business!"
She never liked Yamato, feeling that this girl who was always by Broly's side was stealing some of Broly's attention.
Then, Hancock arched her back, striking a pose brimming with disdain—a move that already foreshadowed her future signature move.
"You're no longer of any use to me. But don't be too lonely. Don't worry, your companions will soon be going to join you in that world. You should thank Broly for his kindness; at least you'll die much more easily than they will."
The next second, a short and shrill scream came from the deck of the Perfume Serpent, and then all was quiet.
As Hancock said, this was the easiest ending for Kalifa.
Meanwhile, far away on Onigashima, Lucci, Kaku, and the others, who were traveling with the Beasts Pirates, were unaware that their companions had been exposed and that their fate would be a hundred times worse than Kalifa's.
"Yo ho ho ho~ Yo ho ho ho ho~ To deliver Binks' fine wine, let's ride the sea breeze and the waves~~"
Inside the Marine Headquarters building in Marineford, Kizaru hummed "Binks' Sake" as he walked briskly towards the door. With a solution in hand, a huge weight was finally lifted from his heart.
"Borsalino, you seem to be in a good mood."
An old, loud voice came from ahead.
Kizaru looked up and saw that the person walking towards him was none other than the Marine hero Garp.
At this moment, Garp looked at Kizaru with a strange expression. Damn it, a Marine Admiral singing a pirate song, how outrageous!
Kizaru immediately wiped the smile off his face, but still casually said with a hint of mockery in his eyes:
'
"Vice Admiral Garp, you're really lucky."
Garp is the only current naval admiral who has not been marked with the God Order by Im.
There was no particular reason for this; it was simply because he hadn't attended the party in Mary Geoise.
After all, it's common knowledge within the Navy that Garp hates the Celestial Dragons and doesn't like taking orders from the World Government.
For this reason, he even repeatedly refused invitations to be promoted to general.
The reason why Aokiji volunteered to be transferred to Garp's unit after graduation was because he thought Garp's behavior was too cool.
However, Kizaru didn't think so.
In his view, although Garp expressed his dissatisfaction with the Celestial Dragons in this way, he did not truly stand up against the Celestial Dragons' rule like the Self-Defense Force and Broly.
Oh no, Brolina didn't really resist at all; he was just treating the Celestial Dragons like toys.
Moreover, didn't Garp also choose to protect the Celestial Dragons during the God Valley Incident more than a decade ago?
At the time, Kizaru, like Monkey D. Dragon, was just a new recruit who had recently joined the Navy, but he was fortunate enough to participate in that war that shocked the world and witness most of the battle.
Therefore, in Kizaru's view, Garp was not as noble as he appeared on the surface.
He clearly remembered that Garp initially had no intention of going to God Valley to stop the Celestial Dragons' atrocities. It wasn't until he heard that the Roger Pirates would also be going there that he immediately changed his mind and volunteered to go.
Although it wasn't quite a case of his idol's image collapsing for Kizaru at the time, he did find that Garp wasn't as high and mighty as the Navy had portrayed him to be.
In addition, after hearing from Broly about Roger entrusting his unborn child to Garp some time ago, Kizaru's feelings towards Garp became even more complicated.
The fact that Garp, a Marine, and Roger, a pirate, had a mutual respect was already enough to make people lose their temper, but then you pulled this stunt?
Saying you're staying in the navy to protect peace, I think you just can't bear to part with this marshal's case, right?
So much so that Kizaru sometimes couldn't help but wonder if Garp had a crush on Roger, which was why he cared so much about him.
Garp glared at Kizaru, his tone tinged with barely perceptible anger and worry: "Two of my closest friends have been betrayed by that Im guy, what's there to be happy about?"
He didn't attend the Mary Geoise party not only because he hated the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, but also for a more important reason—he had been searching for Roger's posthumous child in the South Blue.
Several months ago, Garp left Marineford under the pretext of "capturing pirates from the South Blue" and went to the South Blue alone.
He found the remote island by the address Roger had secretly entrusted to him before his execution.
However, according to the villagers on the island, the woman named Rouge moved away a year ago, and no one knows where she went.
After that, Garp searched almost the entire South China Sea from top to bottom, using all the resources he could muster, but he still couldn't find Rouge's whereabouts.
In the end, he had no choice but to return to Marineford.
But he never expected that upon his return, he would hear such terrible news—many marines, including Tsuru and Zephyr, had been marked by that so-called Lord Im and turned into the World Government's suicide squad to deal with Broly.
This was nothing short of a bolt from the blue for Garp, who had just lost his close friend Sengoku two years prior.
Kizaru looked at Garp with interest, a hint of inquiry in his eyes, and asked, "So, Mr. Garp, what are your plans? Are you going to join forces with Fleet Admiral Kong and the others to deal with Broly?"
Garp frowned and remained silent for a moment.
Finally, he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "The World Government is evil, but Broly is the worst of the worst."
His existence has seriously threatened world peace and order. Taking this opportunity to eliminate him in one fell swoop is not unreasonable.
Although Garp was furious at what Im had done, after calming down a bit, he had to admit that this was indeed a good opportunity to get rid of the monster Broly.
As for how to deal with the World Government's control and how to rescue Tsuru and Zephyr, that's another story.
The most urgent task is to deal with Broly, the biggest threat.
"Alright, good luck then." Kizaru waved his hand at Garp, his face expressionless, and walked straight past him.
He had anticipated that Garp would do this.
Don't forget, when Broly first arrived on this planet, he personally killed Sengoku, Garp's closest friend who was second only to Roger in status.
Garp had no reason not to avenge Sengoku.
Moreover, Tsuru is now being controlled by Im, and if she doesn't defeat Broly, she'll most likely meet a bad end.
In order to protect them, Garp will inevitably have to take action.
Kizaru didn't say anything more and walked past Garp.
Garp watched Kizaru's departing figure, his brows furrowing even more deeply.
He felt that Kizaru was acting strangely today. Logically speaking, Kizaru, who had also been marked by Im, should have been in a state of anxiety and anger like the other high-ranking Navy officers, but he seemed so relaxed, even a little pleased.
This is very unusual.
But with a formidable enemy at hand, Garp had no time to delve into Kizaru's unusual behavior.
He shook his head and strode towards the Marshal's office. He needed to discuss with Steelbone Kong as soon as possible and devise a detailed plan to deal with Broly.
Kizaru, on the other hand, went straight to Akainu's office.
He didn't knock, but pushed the door open and walked in: "Yo, Sakazuki, may I come in?"
In the office, Akainu was shirtless, revealing his hideous tattoos all over his body.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, with a carefully tended potted plant in front of him.
It's hard to imagine that someone as hot-tempered and aggressive as Akainu would have a hobby of growing potted plants in his spare time.
This creates a strange sense of incongruity with his public persona.
Hearing the voice behind him, Akainu didn't turn around and said irritably, "Didn't you already come in?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Kizaru smiled without any remorse, walked over and sat down next to Akainu, the sunlight falling on the potted plant, and casually said, "I didn't expect you to still be in the mood for gardening at a time like this."
Akainu ignored his teasing and focused on trimming the branches and leaves of the potted plant with scissors.
Kizaru didn't mind. He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious, and asked, "Sakazuki, if you had to choose between the World Government and Broly to serve, which would you choose?"
Click!
With a crisp sound, Akainu's scissors suddenly veered off course, severing the small tree in the pot in half.
Akainu slowly turned his head, looking at Kizaru with a look of astonishment. His usually aggressive eyes held a rare expression of disbelief. "You—what do you mean?"
If it were in the past, and Kizaru had asked him this question, Akainu would probably have thrown the potted plant in his hand in his face and roared, "Both are trash, what choice do you have?"
For Akainu at present, the World Government and Broly are monsters he cannot reach.
He found the World Government utterly corrupt and dark, resorting to any means to maintain its rule, utterly despicable.
Broly, on the other hand, is a madman with an extremely destructive desire for power and who does whatever he wants. His very existence is a trampling of "justice".
If Akainu had enough power, he would not hesitate to eliminate both of these "evil" beings.
However, in the current situation, if he were forced to choose between the two—
Involuntarily, images of Im's treacherous and cunning methods, and Broly's brute force, which, while brutal, was also undeniably righteous and powerful, flashed through Akainu's mind.
To be honest, he actually started to favor Broly.
After all, while Broly may be evil and perverted, he always does things openly. If he wants to mess with someone, he just takes action and drags them over to torture them until they die. At least he wouldn't use such underhanded methods to manipulate others like Im did.
Kizaru looked at the complex and conflicted expression on Akainu's face and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
"Sakazuki, I'd like to recommend to you our Heavenly Father and Savior—Lord Broly."
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