Chapter 84: Main Act (IV)

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"My my... You two have quite the strange techniques... This old man might not be able to survive you know~?" Kizaru, who was watching carefully at Zoro and Sanji from a safe distance, scratched his head with the same lax expression of always.

*Shiiiiing...!!*

Soon, two long swords of light formed on his hands, before he then pointed them towards Zoro and Sanji.

"When are the reinforcements going to arrive? I don't think I can deal with this alone with the Dark King here..." Sighing in exhaustion, Kizaru looked with a helpless expression at his current two opponents and prepared to attack.

Soon, however, a furious roar echoed all around the place and startled both sides.

"Ngyaaaaaaah!!!"

From the debris of one of the mangroves, the figure of Luffy rose angrily and looked furiously at the startled Kizaru. He was covered in a severe amount of blood, and there were several injuries and bruises all over his body, however, even then his expression was still as vivid as ever.

"Oya~ This straw-hat is more resilient than what I thought. This is getting a bit annoying..."

Soon, as if to mock Kizaru's helpless expression, all the straw-hats took a step forward and prepared themselves to fight. Robin summoned several arms all around the place, Chopper transformed into his Heavy Point, Usopp charged his ammunition, Brook unsheathed his sword, and Nami created several storm clouds all around the place.

*Sigh...*

"This is really by far the most troublesome pirate crew I have found today... I guess they won't berate me even if some of you get a bit "damaged" on the process of capturing you, right?" As Kizaru's eyes shone with a dangerous light in them, soon both sides began their clash.

However, as expected, the straw-hats were at a complete disadvantage against this admiral. None of their attacks could connect, even with their improved techniques, it was simply impossible to hit Kizaru even once!

Luffy had already activated his Gear second and used his Gear third. Nevertheless, even then, injuring Kizaru was proving to be an impossible task. Zoro and Sanji kept doing their best to attack him, but their new and improved techniques didn't change much either. It was just easier to fend off Kizaru attacks.

Nami, Chopper, Robin, Brook, and Usopp were not an exception in this fight, they all continued barraging Kizaru's body with different types of attacks from all sides, if Kizaru was normal, then he would not be even able to attack at all due to the number of attacks he was receiving... However, was Kizaru normal?

Kizaru's body was moving too fast for them to hit properly, and he didn't even seem to be trying his best. No, he looked as relaxed as ever, even under their best attack. Not to mention the fact that his devil fruit was a Logia type, and even if some of their attacks hit him, they would just go through his body and not harm him in the slightest.

The things didn't look good for the straw-hats...

*Shiiiing...!!!*

However, not everything was going well for Kizaru either. All of his attacks on the weaker members of the Straw-hats were being blocked by Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy, who were not letting him get a rest either by attacking him all the time as well. He also couldn't go completely all out due to the injuries he was carrying on his body, because if he overexerted himself, then the injuries might open and make him receive even more damage from them than before. 

The battle seemed to be going nowhere. And the only one watching everything calmly was Rayleigh, who was just laughing silently while looking at the Straw-hats performance

"These youngsters sure are full of energy..."

On the other side of the battle, Luffy was lashing out against the rapid figure of Kizaru. All of his punches filled with brimming energy and anger.

"Gomu gomu no... Gattling!!"

*Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam!!!*

As Luffy continued attacking repeatedly without rest, his anger continued increasing more and more as the battle passed. He didn't want what happened with Aokiji to happen again, yet, even with all the training and techniques they developed during the past months, it all seemed to have been for naught, as they were far from even touching Kizaru.

'Come on... hit him, hit him!!'

His soul's inner desires filled every corner of Luffy's mind. He wanted to punch Kizaru... No... He was going to punch him, even if that was the last thing he would do.

At that moment, Kizaru finally saw an opportunity to finish Luffy off. He seemed to be too concentrated on something else to notice him, it was the perfect moment to kill their captain and lower their morale!

However, completely out of his expectations, one of the hundreds of punches Luffy was throwing at Kizaru suddenly flickered with a strange light, and sent the calm and relaxed expression of Kizaru flying away with a terrifying force.

*Gasp!*

Everyone became very shocked when they saw Luffy actually hit Kizaru. None of their attacks had worked until now... Yet, why did Luffy suddenly succeed?

Even Rayleigh, who had a calm and relaxed expression, widened his eyes in surprise when he saw Luffy actually activate his Armament Haki... Even if he didn't actually do it on purpose.

Luffy on the other hand was as stupefied as the others as well. He looked at his fist with a confused expression trying to understand what had changed so suddenly that he finally managed to hit Kizaru, but no matter how much he looked into it, he couldn't find the change.

*Crack...*

Suddenly, from the debris of one of the mangroves, the tall figure of Kizaru stood up with a bit of blood going down from his mouth. The calm and relaxed expression on his face had completely disappeared, and now, a cold and serious expression was all that filled his face.

"Ah, ah, I lowered my guard because I thought you wouldn't be able to hit me... My bad, my bad~"

As Kizaru prepared himself to go all out, suddenly he turned to look into the distance, and let out a sigh before exclaiming with a more relaxed tone on his voice. "It sure took you a while to arrive here... How can you allow this old man to fight against these many energetic youngsters alone? Are you a devil?"

Everyone was visibly confused when they heard Kizaru talk to someone else. They turned to look in the direction to where Kizaru had spoken with caution as he seemed to be talking to a companion of his and saw a big and imponent figure slowly walking towards them.

Luffy remembered his face almost instantly. "It's the lava guy!"

Robin also recognized him, and her whole body trembled in fear knowing that this was the cruelest of all the admirals... If they got to fight him, then it was possible that none of them would survive.

She rapidly turned to look at Luffy and tried to warn him. However, before she would do so, Kizaru appeared before Luffy and kicked him heavily in the face with one of his shinning legs, sending him flying several meters away into the distance.

"It really took you so much to deal with some brats?" As the straw-hats looked worriedly at the direction where Luffy had been sent flying, the voice of Akainu soon reached their ears.

Rayleigh, on the other hand, was furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he watched another Admiral actually arrive at the scene. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, injuring a Tenryuubito was only supposed to make the marine move only one Admiral personally... Yet, for some reason, they dispatched two of them?

He had noticed that the body of Kizaru was slightly injured. Was that the reason? But why were they even injured to such a high degree?

Such doubts assaulted Rayleigh's mind as he continued to ponder the reason for these two to actually appear here only because of one Tenryuubito being punched in the face...

However, seeing that this might actually be a bit too much for the straw-hats to handle, for the time being, he decided that it was already time to help them... Or not...

On the corner of his eyes, he managed to spot a dark and shadowy figure looking at everything from afar. It was a truly strange being... No matter how he looked at it, this person had no strength... It was as if... he was a ghost?

'Hmm...?'

Suddenly, Rayleigh's eyes filled with surprise. He noticed three other presences standing next to the mysterious person, and all of them were in a deplorable condition. He knew who these were... but why would they be next to this person?

Soon, something clicked on Rayleigh's mind, as he finally understood what was happening.

Back at the battlefield, all the straw-hats were looking with great caution at the two admirals. All of them could feel the difference in power and experience, they felt... Like prey in front of predators...

However, none of them was a pushover, all of them were prepared to fight to the death if necessary. Nami, who had been creating storm clouds all around the battlefield, finally managed to create an enormous cloud with enough power to overwhelm these two Admirals, or so she hoped. Still, not completely sure about this, she looked at Rayleigh with a desperate expression as if asking for his help, but as soon as she saw him shake his head, she turned to look once again at the Admirals knowing that they were alone in this.

*Bam!!*

At that moment, Luffy once again rose from below the debris of one of the mangroves. He was heavily injured, but when had wounds even mattered to him in the first place?

He was ready to fight for his crew, even if that meant his death.

"These brats sure are full of themselves... The last time you were lucky to be saved, Straw-hat, but this time no one will save you!"

Akainu gritted his teeth in anger and soon transformed his fist into a giant fist of lava. He was utterly pissed off by the fact that such a newbie pirate had escaped from him thanks to that rat of Shadow Raven, this time, though, he could make sure to not make the same mistake...

*Cling cling cling!*

Or not...

Suddenly from the distance, the sound of a bell being ringed reached everyone's ears. 

"Oya~? Who is it this time?" Kizaru looked over the direction where the bell was ringing with a helpless expression. More and more people seemed to be appearing constantly during this battle, who was it this time?

However, when he and Akainu spotted who the person was, both of their expression froze in shock.

With a metallic and robotic skull mask covering his face, and a long dark robe covering his whole body except his boots and hands, which were covered in a thick armor as well, the appearance of the infamous man that managed to raid the headquarters of the marine three times soon came into view.

"Shadow Raven... So you finally decided to stop hiding like the rat you are?!" Akainu growled in anger and immediately shot off in direction of Thanatos without even sparing a glance at the previously cornered straw-hats.

However, he had no more option but to stop immediately when he saw who was beside Thanatos.

"You... What are you planning?" Akainu eyes narrowed in hostility when he noticed the tight spot on which he was. The people who were kneeling next to Thanatos were none other than the Tenryuubitos that had visited the Auction before all this happened. Charlos, Shalria, and Roswald...

Kizaru soon arrived next to Akainu and glanced at Thanatos with a serious expression on his face. The Tenryuubitos were being restrained by tight metal chains that immobilized them completely, and they had their mouths completely shut with handkerchiefs so that their annoying voices couldn't be heard. Some enraged muffled sounds would come out from their mouths every once in a while as they looked at Thanatos with obvious hostility in their gaze, but that was everything they could do.

Soon, Thanatos looked towards Rayleigh and signaled him to take the straw-hats away, to which Rayleigh nodded and soon called out to everyone in order to leave.

Nami, who was still a bit on alert due to the recent battle, looked with a strange expression on her face at the figure of Thanatos. Once again, she had this feeling of familiarity with Thanatos, just as she did with Asura... Why was this happening...?

However, with no option but to leave, she soon turned away and started following behind her group, who were as surprised as they were.

"Thanks again Raven guy!!" Luffy was the only one to bade his goodbyes though.

"You are not leaving this place alive!!" Akainu rapidly turned to look at the leaving straw-hats in order to pursue them. However, he soon stopped moving when he noticed that the sword on Thanatos's waist had reappeared just a few centimeters away from Charlos throat. Even Kizaru who was standing next to him had a troubled expression as he had not noticed in the slightest when had Thanatos withdrawn his sword.

They were cornered completely in this situation.

"Hmph! Very well, what would I expect from a filthy pirate? Go straight to the point, What do you want in exchange for not killing those Tenryuubitos?!" Akainu crossed his arms and looked at Thanatos with murderous intentions filling his mind. 

Kizaru just narrowed his eyes while looking at Thanatos. They were the Admirals, thus, the safety of the Tenryuubitos was their responsibility... Thanatos had made use of that fact and now wanted something in exchange for their lives... Truly a cunning enemy... Or not.

"Hmm? I think you might be misunderstanding me, Admiral Sakazuki..." Thanatos' deep and ethereal voice soon reached the ears of both admirals, making both of them confused.

"What do you mean? Speak now!" Akainu's patience was reaching its limit. But he knew he couldn't attack Thanatos, otherwise, the Tenryuubitos might get injured in the process.

"I never intended to bargain with both of you... No, this had always been... An execution"

*Ka-shiiiiing...!!!"

From one moment to another, the three Tenryuubitos' head was sent flying high into the air. 

Both Admirals widened their eyes enormously in shock, none of them expected Thanatos to do such a thing so suddenly.

"Very well, shall we begin our battle?"

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