One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 165 Kicks Kizaru
call out--

The golden laser flashed continuously, and in just a few breaths, it arrived above the dock.

The points of light converged and recombined, solidifying into the figure of Kizaru in mid-air.

"How lucky I am, I still managed to make it in time."

He looked down at the Fallen Star, which was about to dive into the deep sea, and his gaze met that of Shano at the bow of the ship.

"You all go down first, I'll come find you later."

After giving instructions to the crew, Xia Nuo used Moonwalk to reach the high sky.

"Hey, yellow monkey."

He put his hands in his pockets, grinned, and took the initiative to greet me, "It's been almost three months since we last met."

"It really has been a long time, you little monster... you're quite terrifying. Last time you faked your death and even fooled me, which led to me getting a scolding from the Marshal later."

Kizaru smiled and raised his fingertip, conjuring a dazzling golden light. "This time, you've caused such a commotion again. Do you still think you can just swagger away?"

hum!
A blinding laser burst forth, and the instant it left his fingertip, it split into countless golden beams, pouring down on Xia Nuo like a torrential rain!

Bang!Bang!Bang!
Lasers bombarded Xia Nuo repeatedly, exploding into a sky full of golden flames. The blinding light caused viewers in front of the screen to instinctively close their eyes.

When they opened their eyes again, the golden light that filled the screen had dissipated.

The black-haired boy remained suspended in the air with his hands in his pockets, just as before, without moving an inch, and without a single scratch on his body.

"It doesn't hurt or itch."

Xia Nuo glanced at himself and couldn't help but chuckle. "This kind of tickling move doesn't even require the use of Haki. Don't embarrass yourself by using it again, you yellow monkey. Use your full strength and let me see how much of a chance you have against me if you don't sneak up on me like last time!"

He didn't deliberately lower his voice; it resonated below, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

What an arrogant tone!
Can a person maintain such composure when facing a naval admiral?
And what did they say... a sneak attack?
The World Government's announcement didn't mention this incident at all. So, the last victory was actually achieved through a sneak attack by a dignified Marine Admiral?

For a while.

Whether they were at the scene or watching the broadcast on their screens, everyone held their breath and stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing even a second of the footage.

High in the sky.

"..."

Kizaru still had that lazy look, but the eyes behind his sunglasses held a hint of gloom and seriousness.

One reason is that Xia Nuo's words, spoken in front of such a large audience, damaged his reputation;

On the other hand, Xia Nuo's displayed physical strength truly astonished him...

He didn't use Haki, nor did he eat any Devil Fruits.

Can you really stop his ordinary laser beam with just your physical body?
It can't even scratch the surface of the skin?
"What an astonishing rate of growth! It seems your strength has improved considerably in these three months."

Kizaru brought his palms together, and when he separated them, golden light emanated from them, and a dazzling sword of light took shape in his palms. It was his unique technique, the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi.

"Since ordinary moves are ineffective against you..."

Kizaru's figure vanished suddenly, and in the next instant he appeared in front of Xia Nuo, his lightsaber tearing through the air and slashing down!

"Then try this!"

"Just in time!"

Xia Nuo grinned, finally pulling out his right hand. His five fingers clenched tightly, their ink-black color swirling around them, and he clashed fiercely with the lightsaber slashing towards him.

boom!
A dull bang echoed across the entire coastline, creating a violent shockwave that caused dozens of ships undergoing coating to bob and sway with the waves.

Thump! High in the air, the two retreated several meters each, then quickly entangled again, punch after punch, sword after sword, violent yet sharp.

Even those who couldn't see the movements clearly could feel a strong killing intent rising up, as if both sides had a fire burning in their hearts.

"In close combat, you're not inferior to me at all?"

The more Kizaru fought, the uglier his face became.

He could sense that his opponent was still slightly weaker than him in terms of overall strength, but the gap was no longer significant.

Whether it's the sheer power or the physical skills he's displayed, this kid has completely reached the same level as me.

This caused his desire to win over the other party in a short time to gradually fade away, eventually bursting like a bubble and becoming an illusion.

Akainu had told him this in private when they met several months earlier, after the failed operation on Tohru Island.

This kid used some strange method to instantly restore his physical condition to its peak; otherwise, he would have been able to take it down within half an hour.

This is the truth from the bottom of his heart. Kizaru and Akainu have worked together for many years and know that the other has no reason to lie about such things in order to save face.

but now……

With the strength this kid has shown, he's far too powerful to be taken down in half an hour!

If it's a one-on-one fight, it would take at least a day and a night to determine a winner!
If he chooses to leave, he can leave whenever he wants, and as a Devil Fruit user, he has absolutely no way to deal with the other party.

Fortunately.

This time, it was their last chance to eliminate the opponent in the park, and the Sabaody Archipelago was close enough to headquarters.

Therefore, with an unprecedented level of importance attached to it, another person was dispatched...

"Ok?"

Just then, as if sensing something, Xia Nuo exchanged a punch with Kizaru and, taking advantage of the moment they separated, looked towards the distant horizon.

There, a narrow ice path, barely visible to the naked eye, was stretching towards this side.

You can still vaguely make out blurry figures riding bicycles, speeding along the icy path, close to the sea surface.

"What a surprise."

Xia Nuo raised an eyebrow and sneered, "The Navy really thinks highly of me. If you didn't know better, you'd think I was one of the Four Emperors."

"You haven't reached that point yet, but the difference is minimal."

Kizaru spoke slowly, "And then I think about your age, which is half the age of Shanks. This kind of potential is really chilling and makes it hard to sleep well."

Before he finished speaking, he slashed down with his sword again.

So what if one person can't take him down quickly? We just need to suppress this kid and stall until Kuzan arrives to unleash the Ice Age...

Even if the opponent gives up the fight immediately and tries to escape by sea, it won't be that easy.

By then.

In a two-on-one siege, the opponent's fate is simply a matter of whether they die on the spot or are imprisoned in Impel Down.

However, to Kizaru's surprise...

Swish!
Instead of fleeing downwards, Xia Nuo flashed into the sky, almost face-to-face with Kizaru.

“Oi”.

The black-haired boy, standing close by, grinned at him with an unrestrained and arrogant smile:

Have you ever been kicked by Conqueror's Haki?

boom!
A thick, dark red lightning bolt suddenly lit up in Kizaru's eyes!

While he was lost in thought, Xia Nuo had already completed all his power accumulation. He compressed and compressed almost all the remaining Conqueror's Haki in his body, and finally concentrated it all on his right leg!

The terrifying, black hole-like force caused the surrounding rain to frantically scatter to both sides, and even to swirl upwards into the sky!

The already overcast sky was plunged into complete darkness in that instant.

Not good! Kizaru's pupils shrank sharply, and he instinctively wanted to transform into his elemental form to dodge, but Shano's Conqueror's Haki had already locked onto his aura, and even at this close distance, it subtly suppressed his Devil Fruit ability!
Boom-! ! !
With a single kick, space seemed to be torn apart. The right leg, as fierce as a battle axe, wrapped in black and red Haki compressed to the extreme, roared out like an angry dragon and slammed into Kizaru's face!

Click!

The sunglasses, worn for who knows how many years, shattered into countless shards in an instant. The swirling glass shards reflected the image of Kizaru's wrinkled face, twisted and distorted from being kicked, his features unrecognizable. Then—

boom!
Kizaru's body shot backwards towards the distant sea like a golden meteor. His speed was almost as fast as when he arrived, tearing the air along the way with ear-piercing sonic booms. The lingering aftershocks of his Conqueror's Haki left long, black-red trails in the air.

"Pfft!"

Kizaru spat out a mouthful of blood, and his body flashed with golden light, but he was unable to fully transform into his elemental form for the time being and could only endure the impact of the kick.

Just as he was about to plunge into the sea, a figure appeared below—

Ok?
Just as Aokiji stopped his bicycle, preparing to use Moonwalk at full speed to reach the battlefield, a golden afterimage came hurtling towards him.

He had barely shown any surprise and hadn't even had time to react when Kizaru's body slammed into him like a cannonball.

At this moment, the only thing to do is to subconsciously activate the ability, causing the ice beneath one's feet to spread in all directions into an ice field, so as to avoid falling into the sea.

boom! ! !
The ice field shattered, and the two of them, along with their bicycles, tumbled across the ice and crashed onto the shore behind them, where 24 Gr had landed. The entire island trembled, the mangroves shook violently, and endless dust billowed into the sky.

"Cough, cough..."

After finally separating from each other, Kizaru stood up, covering his cheek. He didn't even have time to brush the dust off himself before transforming into a laser beam and soaring into the sky, his face dark as he searched around.

But the sea was empty, and there was no trace of Xia Nuo anywhere.

"Have we already reached the bottom of the ocean?"

Aokiji came to his side, scratching his messy hair with a troubled expression. "Sorry, Borsalino, it seems I'm a little late."

"It has nothing to do with you. I underestimated him. I didn't expect that after seeing you, this guy would not only not run away, but also have the audacity to attack me with all his might."

Kizaru gritted his teeth, recalling Xia Nuo's last smile, and felt a surge of anger at being played and manipulated.

His defense and durability are also among the best in the world.

Previously on Enies Lobby, even when facing the enraged Kaido alone, after a whole day, he was only slightly at a disadvantage and suffered some injuries, which healed after resting.

So, while Xia Nuo's kick just now hurt him, what he cared about more was...

That's a huge loss of face!

Back at headquarters, the swelling on my face will probably take a day or two to go down. Besides, that whole scene was broadcast live by a camera den Den Mushi (snail phone), who knows how many people saw it!

The two of them fell back down to the bottom of the cliff they had just been on.

"In any case, let's notify headquarters first."

Seeing his newly bought bicycle crumpled into a pretzel, Aokiji sighed and said with a distressed expression:

"This kid didn't die, and he even made such a big fuss, using that Hades Rayleigh as a stepping stone to announce his return to the world. Now he's successfully evacuated right under our noses... Fleet Admiral Sengoku is probably going to lose his temper."

Kizaru remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded with a grim face:
"You make this call. I'll go to 1Gr first and meet up with Jiaji to ask about the situation there. Xia Nuo has escaped, but if we can catch another big fish, we can at least salvage some face."

“Rayleigh? Oh, I see.”

…………

Gr, number 13, is a bar known for its extortion.

There is also a rather simple screen hanging here, which can receive the signal from the Chambord newspaper throughout the entire process.

Shakky helped Rayleigh sit down at the bar. The scene on the screen seemed to have been temporarily frozen because the strong Conqueror's Haki wave had caused the camera Den Den Mushi to lose consciousness.

The frame that was stuck on was a close-up of Xia Nuo kicking Kizaru in the face, causing Kizaru's face to contort and deform.

"..."

Rayleigh's severed right arm had been simply bandaged, but blood was still seeping through the bandage. He stared at the screen, shaking his head speechlessly.

"What's going on? Why did it have to get stuck at this time? I want to know what happened next."

"What else could happen? That kid is arrogant enough, but he's not stupid. How could he possibly go head-to-head with two generals at the same time?"

Shakky, a thin cigarette dangling from her lips, squinted at Kizaru's disheveled state on the screen, a slight smile playing on her lips:

"This is going to be interesting. Kizaru's face will probably be printed on tomorrow's newspaper headlines and spread all over the world."

"Women's inexplicable focus," Rayleigh shook his head, but after imagining it for a moment, he couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

Xia Qi flicked her cigarette ash and said:

"As for that kid, he's probably already on his way to the New World. No one can stop him now. It seems he really is right; times are about to change, Rayleigh..."

Why do you look so expectant?

Rayleigh picked up the bottle, took a swig, and glanced at her.

"I used to be a pirate, but most of the time, I'm the Queen of Kuja. There's still a part of me who cares about the people. If there are more and more people like that, it's a good thing for the common people, right? As for your Great Pirate Era... I'm not Roger's subordinate, so I don't care."

Her gaze involuntarily fell on Rayleigh's severed arm again, and she clicked her tongue. "More than anything, I'm strangely looking forward to your next encounter with Shanks... Hey, you really haven't found the arm?"

"No."

Speaking of this, Rayleigh felt a little depressed.

He didn't want to sew it back up.

There are no doctors with that level of medical skills in Sabaody.

He simply wanted to go to the cemetery to use it as a substitute for Xia Nuo's finger to commemorate Xiao Ba's soul, as a way of trying to fulfill his promise. Although the attempt ultimately failed, at least this was some kind of explanation.

The results of it?
He, a master of Observation Haki who had reached its peak, searched the battlefield for a long time.

They didn't even notice!
It felt like my arm had melted in the heavy rain...

What a hell.

Rayleigh tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of wine.

"Let's not talk about the arm then. What are your plans for the future?"

Xia Qi exhaled a puff of smoke, and seeing that he was genuinely down, she simply changed the subject.

"After I finish this bottle of wine, I'll be leaving."

Rayleigh shook his head. "The Navy is probably already searching for me... Anyway, I can't stay in Sabaody for a while. I'll lay low for a bit and come back later. I helped Crocus last time. After saying goodbye to Laboon, that guy went back to the lighthouse to work. I'll go find him and have a few drinks with him."

"That's it..."

Xia Qi nodded, casually stubbed out her cigarette, and wiped the table. "Hurry up and go, I won't see you off."

"What a cold-hearted woman."

Rayleigh grinned, said nothing more, took a few bottles of wine and hid them under his gray robe, then pushed open the door and left.

"A new generation's wave..."

Xia Qi watched the familiar figure disappear into the distance, then turned her gaze back to the screen, even though most of the image was blocked by Kizaru's large face.

But through the surrounding dark red halo, one could still barely make out the boy's handsome face, which was laughing wildly.

"Ah……"

Xia Qi lit another cigarette and shrugged. "That kind of thing is too far removed from me. I'm almost sixty years old, and I don't even know if I'll live to see that day. Compared to that, I'm more curious..."

"After causing such a huge commotion, how much will the furious Marine Headquarters raise the bounties for you and your comrades?"

(End of this chapter)