Buzz!
A burst of blue electricity bloomed in place, swirling into a circle, and forming an electromagnetic acceleration channel.
"Hmm? Not bad," Baldy's half-closed eyes finally opened, with a hint of seriousness in his expression.
Then...
Boom! Huā Lā La!
"No way!"
Rowen stared in shock as the lightning dispersed.
As a human artillery, he had swiftly launched his attack and prepared to counterattack in the instant he dodged the ambush. However, this baldy...
This baldy...
Actually evaded it!
The shattered blue light, like broken glass, scattered under the moonlight, rippling on the sea surface, shattering the moon's reflection. A figure pierced through the shattered moon, soaring straight towards Rowen like a giant bird spreading its wings.
"Poor little guy... even Vice Admiral Garp, might not be able to do this, but for him, it's routine."
Kizaru's expression was relaxed as if he wasn't surprised.
Thud!
The sound was like a bell ringing deafeningly. Rowen, with Tekkai and Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) infused in his arms, crossed them to block.
"Such weak force?"
The power of this person's punch was as different from Teach's monstrous power, which could blow apart his flesh and blood body, as heaven and earth. If Teach's strength was a "10", then the power of this punch was only a "5", half as powerful.
However, even if it was Teach with a "10", he couldn't instantly shatter his electromagnetic acceleration circle.
As he pondered, Rowen lifted his foot and kicked upwards.
Crack!
The latter's foot landed on Rowen's calf, using the force to leap into the air, then stomped on Rowen's occiput... with a pat-pat sound!
"But what the hell is this technique?!"
At that moment, Rowen felt as if he was striking nothing but air, as his opponent effortlessly avoided his attack, twisting it aside.
"This is Rokushiki's Kami-e, haven't you learned it?"
Baldy smiled calmly, his palms spread flat in front of him, then quickly shaking, turning into afterimages, striking out with air blades.
"Rankyaku·Thunder Reaping!"
"What the hell Rankyaku?!"
Rowen's mouth twitched madly. Rankyaku with your hands???
First, there was Shigan used with the head, then Kami-e, which could evade his lightning-fast attacks, and now Rankyaku with the hands...
This baldy was toxic!
However, as he watched the Rankyaku air blades come at him, Rowen didn't dare to rush in arrogantly just because he had Elementalization protecting him, and decisively stepped back.
Blink!
Rankyaku...
The slender and agile figure hung in mid-air, the Justice cloak rustling in the moonlight, reflecting white light.
The translucent crescent-shaped air blades, like enlarged ice knives, were fixed to his feet. Facing the baldy below who had stopped sending air blades, Rowen immediately spun around and ruthlessly swept out.
Crack!
In the moment the air blades fell, a trench hundreds of meters long appeared on the ground. If there had been a mountain here, being severed would be its only fate!
"Be careful, someone's falling down!"
"Retreat! Retreat!"
The violent tremor caused the kingdom soldiers to stagger and sway.
"Ah, this kid doesn't know any restraint, does he?"
Kizaru waved his hand to disperse a piece of flying debris, then stood still with a strange expression.
"But trying to play Rokushiki in front of him, you're a few decades too early!"
As expected, as soon as his words fell, the bright baldy stood out conspicuously in the smoke and dust. Rowen stared in astonishment as Bald Zero raised a hand, leaving a white mark on the palm.
The shattered ground split apart on both sides, but at his position, it was cut in half, with the ground intact!
There was no Haki fluctuation, only constant surging, and the blood and qi roared like a tiger's roar!
"Don't ask, it's Rokushiki·Tekkai!"
Baldy smiled faintly, then stirred his blood and qi, a reddish-yellow color spreading rapidly across his body, making him look like the eighteen bronze men in Buddhism, shining brightly.
"Life Return·Vajra Martial Body!"
"Your attack has decent force, I'll give you that, little guy."
Baldy grinned, feeling the tearing pain in his palms, then stepped in place.
Vajra Martial Body·Eight-Armed Arhat!
"Hmm???"
As Rowen realized the meaning of these words, Bald Zero was within arm's reach.
Arms sprouted from his back, armpits, and shoulders, a total of eight arms grew out, complementing his golden-red hue, giving him an otherworldly appearance.
The moon's halo shone down, each muscle curve clear and radiant, giving off a sense of aesthetic strength like it was forged from metal.
Then...
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dense rain of heavy punches fell in an instant, each sound effect connecting into one, causing the air to ripple with a circle of dust.
In the blink of an eye, the arms on Baldy's body dispersed like phantoms, slowly merging back into his arms, clasping his hands together.
"So, it's just a pair of hands?"
Only then did Rowen realize that at the moment he saw the arms grow out, it was actually just an afterimage lingering.
So it gave him a misconception that they were actually growing out.
Just as he was thinking this, Rowen suddenly heard a burst of explosions all over his body!
His body shook as if it were being hit by countless bullets, blooming with blood flowers.
"Urgh!!"
Rowen couldn't help but feel a sweet sensation in his throat, vomiting out a large amount of blood like a cannonball.
Thud!
"Sigh... How miserable!"
Seeing Rowen being knocked into the center of the spider-web-like depression, Kizaru sympathetically clicked his tongue.
Then, looking down at the calm and peaceful Bald Zero who had landed beside him, he said, "Was it necessary to be so ruthless, just borrowing the Sacrifice-Sacrifice Fruit prepared for you?"
"The Sacrifice-Sacrifice Fruit is our CP0's last trump card to protect the Holy Land."
Bald Zero remained unmoved, his attitude resolute. "The antics of the Celestial Dragons are one thing, but for him, as a member of the Marines, to join in the fun is a disgrace to the Marines!"
So that's it...
Lying in the humanoid pit created by the rapid descent, Rowen smiled bitterly.
It turns out I've even endured Lirisk's share too!
...
The next day, Garfield Palace, a temporary Marine encampment.
Knowing he was powerless to resist the demands of the Marines and government agents, Garfield's king had long fled with his children and concubines. The entire palace was now under Marine control.
Having been beaten half to death yesterday, Rowen only lay for five minutes before fully recovering, greatly astonishing Zero.
Then Rowen understood what his quest was all about.
Sure enough, Bald Zero was the main attacker in this operation. He and Kizaru were responsible for keeping Rayleigh entangled to prevent him from escaping, ensuring nothing went wrong.
It wasn't surprising that the government made such arrangements.
Rayleigh, known as the "right-hand man of the Pirate King," was a top-tier warrior with a glorious record at sea. It was impossible to leave him alone in a one-on-one fight, even for a Yonko; they had their own rules.
Moreover, Rayleigh had a record of escaping from them.
His proactive method of taking attacks and diving into the sea made the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) furious. So, they dispatched Bald Zero, who was on standby in the Holy Land, even if the opponent dived, there would still be someone to continue the pursuit.
Another Masked Zero stayed in the Holy Land to recover from injuries, otherwise, he would have appeared in this quest too.
But with three major high-level powers gathered together, it was enough to show the government's determination!
As CP0 Two Mountains, Baldy's strength was unquestionable.
Like Garp and Zephyr, he was an Admiral-level powerhouse who stood at the pinnacle of the sea solely on his physical abilities! However, the three were similar yet different, each with their own style.
"Iron Fist" Garp was famous for his unstoppable fists, powerful and domineering, making a name for himself.
"Black Arm" Zephyr focused on control, and his Military Wrist·Deep Gate was his greatest achievement, during his peak, even Garp dared not face it head-on.
Baldy... "Zero," on the other hand, focused on balance.
He didn't specialize in any one area but developed comprehensively. Whether it was fists or hair, they were all his means of attack.
He was a Martial Daoist who had perfected Rokushiki to its extreme, incredibly knowledgeable about the human body. High-level techniques like Life Return, which would take ordinary people more than a decade to master, were just instinctual to him, like breathing.
Nowadays, he can even control cell division and delay aging to an inhuman extent.
"So how old is he really this year?"
Listening to Kizaru's explanation, Rowen asked in astonishment.
"I don't know!"
Kizaru shook his head very crisply. "He was like this when I joined the Marines, and he's still the same after decades."
"Do you know Vice Admiral Onigumo?"
Headquarters Vice Admiral Onigumo is currently a commissioner of the West Blue Independent Commission Against Corruption and a prominent officer of the War Faction.
Rowen nodded. "Naturally, why do you mention him?"
"Could it be that Vice Admiral Onigumo is the one he grew up watching?"
"No, he grew up watching Vice Admiral Onigumo... 's parents."
Rowen: "..."
"You better drop it, Rowen..."
"Just relying on physical skills, you'll never get your revenge in this lifetime!"
"Better think about how to develop the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit) and use the power of the fruit to surpass him."
Kizaru bluntly pointed out Rowen's little scheme, leaving the latter with a stiff expression.
"Report!"
A messenger arrived in time, saluting the two. "Admiral Kizaru, Vice Admiral Dragon, the target has appeared. Zero has ordered you to quickly head to 'Sea 13' at all costs and prevent the target from leaving!"
Shuā!
"Rayleigh has finally shown up!"
Kizaru suddenly stood up, the cape on his back making a crisp sound. His perpetually lewd old face was now filled with Battle Intent, a rare sight of seriousness.
(End of this chapter)
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