"Feel It for Yourself!"
Bai Yu vanished into thin air in an instant.
Aokiji immediately tensed, his Observation Haki reaching its limit.
He caught Bai Yu's position—no, it changed again.
Aokiji tracked Bai Yu's movements, turning to strike, but just as he did, Bai Yu shifted positions once more. As he attempted to adjust again—
"No!"
"He can change positions at will. It's almost impossible to hit him… what should I do?"
After several failed attempts, Aokiji cursed Kizaru dozens of times in his heart.
Then, a terrifying wave of cold erupted.
"Kakakaka…"
Centered around Aokiji, the freezing air surged in all directions like a tsunami, freezing even the void itself.
Hum!
The next moment—
Aokiji's eyes widened in shock.
The icy blast he had just unleashed—was reversing.
As if time itself had rewound.
A single thought remained in his mind:
"So this is what Kizaru meant when he said 'time reversal'… this feeling of helplessness?"
"Pfft!"
Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in Aokiji's focus, Bai Yu appeared behind him, landing three rapid slashes in succession!
"Whoosh!"
Just as the fourth strike was about to land, a golden laser beam shot through the air, forcing Bai Yu to shift positions instantly.
Kizaru emerged from the ruins and landed next to Aokiji. Seeing the blood staining Kuzan's abdomen, he exclaimed,
"Kuzan, are you okay?! Quick, let this old man take you to a doctor! You can't die!"
Then he clutched his own wound dramatically.
"No… the old man is seriously injured too! Doctor! I can still be saved!"
"…"
Aokiji's face darkened.
"Are you trying to use this as an excuse to run away? Two Admirals fleeing from a single rookie—how humiliating! I, Kuzan, cannot afford to lose face like this!"
"Blu blu blu blu…"
Just as Bai Yu was about to resume fighting, his Den Den Mushi rang.
Glancing at the two Admirals, he answered the call. Vivi's voice came through:
"Big brother Bai Yu! Athena's radar scan detected a Marine warship heading for Enies Lobby! Vice Admiral Garp has appeared on the radar broadcast!"
Bai Yu smiled slightly.
"I see. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
He hung up the Den Den Mushi and turned to Aokiji and Kizaru, who were exchanging glances.
"Have you two figured out how to deal with me? Or are you just stalling until Garp arrives?" Bai Yu asked casually.
Kizaru immediately clutched his wound again. "Garp is coming too? Wonderful! This old man needs medical attention!"
"…Borsalino!" Aokiji's face turned even darker. "I literally got stabbed three times and didn't say a word, yet you—"
Kizaru let out a bitter chuckle. "That last strike carried Conqueror's Haki… it's not easy to recover from. I really am injured…"
"You—!"
Before Aokiji could finish speaking—
BOOM!
A sudden surge of freezing air erupted from him—twice as powerful as before—engulfing Bai Yu in an overwhelming blast.
At the same time, Kizaru shot into the sky, his body glowing golden as he prepared his strongest attack.
Bai Yu watched calmly. "Trying to distract me with bickering before launching a surprise attack? Not bad."
He smirked. "But your attack speed will never surpass my thoughts."
"Space Shift!"
In an instant—
Aokiji found himself teleported directly onto Enies Lobby.
Kizaru, meanwhile, was moved to the sky above the island.
And then—the two fell.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The already devastated Enies Lobby was struck by yet another Admiral-level clash—first frozen, then bombarded with Kizaru's light-speed attacks.
Shock! Two Admirals attack Enies Lobby! What a bizarre twist of fate… tomorrow's headlines are going to be wild.
Bai Yu smirked.
"Aokiji… in a few months, at most, you'll leave the Marines."
"I'll have plenty of new ships ready by then. You'll command one of them, sail under my name, and set out once more."
"Goodbye, you two."
Leaving behind his prophecy, Bai Yu waved his hand and vanished.
He didn't care about Garp's arrival—he would leave when he decided to leave.
But—
The spaceship's energy shield wasn't completely safe. Bai Yu wouldn't tolerate even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of something happening to the girls.
Kizaru sighed. "He's terrifying… He used us to destroy Enies Lobby, killing two birds with one stone."
"And with that crew of his, they can escape whenever they want. It'll only get harder to capture them in the future."
To be honest, Kizaru was relieved—he didn't want to fight Bai Yu any further. The man was simply too dangerous.
Aokiji remained silent.
"The best course of action is to let Bai Yu run wild in the New World. Let him clash with the Four Emperors."
But…
"Why is he so certain that I'll leave the Marines? Why does he think I'll join him?"
"Impossible!"
"If I, Kuzan, have to jump into the sea from here—even if I die—I will never join Bai Yu's crew!"
Aokiji swore solemnly.
Then he scratched his head and sighed.
"Ah la la… this is going to be troublesome. Just wait until Sengoku finds out…"
Kizaru looked equally troubled.
"Not just Sengoku… if Akainu hears about this, he'll rip us apart."
A headache indeed.
Just then—
Bai Yu suddenly reappeared.
Aokiji and Kizaru instinctively tensed, but Bai Yu ignored them.
Then, just as suddenly—he disappeared again.
Along with two giant figures.
Kizaru's eyes widened. "He… He's not seriously planning to form a giant army, is he?"
Aokiji hesitated, then sighed. "Those giants respect strength… but they also value gratitude…"
After a moment's thought, he gave up on the idea.
Little Garden
Bai Yu didn't bring the two giants back to the ship. Instead, he teleported them straight to Little Garden!
Though he had never stopped there before, he had left a spatial coordinate while passing by at high altitude.
"Alright, Nami, how about staying on this prehistoric island for a few days?"
After bringing the two giants, Bai Yu returned to the ship, gathered Robin and the others, and brought them to Little Garden for a short stay.
As for the ship—
It remained on autopilot, continuing forward. Bai Yu could simply teleport back to it later.
That way, they wouldn't waste time traveling. Time was power.
But Bai Yu had another goal—
To learn a new technique.
The Guns of Elbaf: Hakoku (Hakoku Sovereignty) and Ikoku (Mighty Nation)!
Who said only giants could use them?
It was merely that giants had the size and strength to create a wider attack range.
If it was a Haki-based technique, then Bai Yu could learn it too.
After mastering it, he could refine it into a version more suited to himself.
"Alright, show me—Hakoku!"
Bai Yu watched as Brogy and Dorry unleashed a massive shockwave.
He fell silent.
"Wait… why do they have to do it together? Do I need to switch to dual-wielding?"
"Does Hakoku require two people? Or can it be done solo?" Bai Yu asked.
Brogy laughed. "You misunderstood, my friend! We combined our strength to demonstrate the full power of Elbaf's Gun."
Dorry nodded. "As for Ikoku, it only requires sheer strength. It's actually much simpler than you'd think."
"Interested in learning?"
Bai Yu grinned.
"Teach me everything you've got."
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