Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama was a wide-range attack technique. After his words, countless dazzling light projectiles shot toward the location of the ship.
Enel and Kaku were both blinded by the intense light. Takumi, however, stayed silent and directly unleashed the Fairy Sphere, enveloping the entire ship.
The numerous light projectiles simultaneously hit the exterior of the Fairy Sphere, each pinpointing the golden protective sphere around the ship. They tried to pierce through its defenses.
Within seconds, the energy of the Yasakani no Magatama was worn down by the Fairy Sphere. The golden sphere now showed a dense network of semi-transparent white spots, with some cracks around them. Another attack like that from Kizaru, and the third-level Fairy Sphere would undoubtedly shatter.
Without hesitation, Takumi yelled at Enel, "Get us out of here, now."
Enel didn't think twice, using his abilities to control the ship, making it take off at its highest speed. Before leaving, Takumi took out the Stabilizing Wind Pearl transforming the area around the warship into a windless zone.
On the warship:
Aokiji looked at the ship carrying Takumi and the others disappearing in the distance. He ordered, "Go after them at full speed."
"Yes, sir!" A nearby marine called out, relaying the command to those in the control room.
Kizaru returned to the deck, clicking his tongue. "They really managed to escape... Takumi is quite terrifying, having all these strange techniques up his sleeve."
Aokiji glanced at Kizaru and said bluntly, "You could easily catch up to them with your ability."
"Not so, not so," Kizaru shook his head. "When I fought Takumi earlier, I used up a lot of energy. He even pressured me with Conqueror's Haki. I was almost exhausted, and after using Yasakani no Magatama, I had no strength left to pursue. We'll leave the rest to the ship."
Aokiji gave him a skeptical look, as if he almost believed him.
At that moment, the marine helmsman came running from the control room, looking anxious. "Something's wrong, Admiral Kizaru. The ship won't move!"
"Hmm? What's going on?" Kizaru asked, quirking a brow at the marine.
Aokiji scanned the tranquil sea, scratching his head. "Strange... I thought this area wasn't supposed to be a calm belt..."
---
On the ship:
Enel and Kaku were keeping a close eye on the warship behind them. When they saw it wasn't following, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Who would've thought," Kaku said, marveling, "that we could actually escape from two Admirals. Captain, what did you do just now? How did you block Kizaru's large-scale attack all by yourself?"
Takumi didn't answer directly, instead asking, "Are you guys hurt?"
"No," Enel said, though his face fell as he looked at his damaged golden staff. "But my weapon's gone..."
Back on Skypiea, Enel hadn't realized the value of gold. Since coming to the Blue Sea and learning how precious it was, he cherished his golden staff, especially considering they were strapped for cash.
"Let it go," Kaku said, giving Enel a consoling pat on the back. "Escaping from two Admirals is already impressive. You'll get a new weapon eventually."
"When will that be, though?" Enel grumbled.
Kaku didn't have an answer. His eyes roamed over the battered ship, and he sighed. "The ship's in terrible shape. It'll take at least three days to repair. Captain, where to next?"
Takumi didn't hesitate. "Baltigo."
"Huh? Back to that barren island?" Enel's face twitched.
Kaku looked troubled. "Isn't it a bit risky to return now? If the Navy turns back and finds us, that would be trouble..."
"It's fine," Takumi said calmly. "We'll circle around."
Seeing Takumi had already made up his mind, Enel and Kaku exchanged a glance—they had no choice but to comply.
Enel then piloted the heavily damaged ship in a wide arc, specifically avoiding the waters where Kizaru and Aokiji had been. It took them more than twenty minutes, but they eventually returned to Baltigo.
Dragon, who had been waiting on the coast, was about to head out to search for Takumi and his crew when he spotted the ship approaching from a distance. He let out a relieved sigh, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Incredible. They actually escaped from two Admirals."
When Takumi, Enel, and Kaku returned to Baltigo, almost the entire Revolutionary Army had gathered on the base's open grounds.
"They're back!"
"My god, look at the state of their ship. They must've been through one hell of a battle."
"Amazing! I thought they were goners. Thank goodness they made it back alive."
"Takumi, Enel, Kaku—we misjudged you before. We're really sorry. We'll treat you right from now on!"
"Yeah, you can stay as long as you want. I won't complain anymore."
The moment the three stepped off the ship, most of the Revolutionary Army members came over, teary-eyed. As soon as Takumi's feet touched the ground, a system notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! You have gained the recognition of more than 80% of the Revolutionary Army members on Baltigo. Progress +30%.]
[Ding! Baltigo sign-in task complete. Congratulations, host, for obtaining one billion Berries. Funds have been automatically stored in the system space.]
The completion of the mission didn't surprise Takumi much, but the reward... One billion Berries? Not bad, he thought. After all, he was running low on funds.
He had come back mainly for the mission. Besides, they had already stayed for half a year. Now that the mission was complete, it was time to leave.
With that in mind, Takumi spoke up, "We're leaving."
"Right now?" Dragon frowned slightly.
Takumi gave a slight nod.
Sabo glanced at their battered ship and suggested, "Why don't you wait until the ship is repaired?"
Takumi shook his head. "The Navy wasn't after you; they were after us. With Kaku onboard, there's no need to worry about repairs."
"Right. As long as we don't sail in the open sea, it should be fine," Kaku added. "I'm a shipwright, and no one knows the state of this ship better than me. However, we're in need of some repair materials. If you have any spare, it would be great."
"We do! I'll get them right away," a Revolutionary Army member shouted, beckoning a few others to follow him into the base.
Dragon looked at Takumi and asked one more time, "Are you sure you won't stay a few more days?"
Takumi shook his head. "No need."
After a moment of silence, Dragon relented. "Alright, I won't force you. If you ever have the chance, you're always welcome to visit."
Takumi nodded slightly.
Watching as the Revolutionary Army members loaded the repair materials onto the ship, Takumi hesitated for a moment. The Revolutionary Army had treated them well, and though he had given Dragon a Devil Fruit before, it only enhanced the power of a single person. What they needed now, more than anything, were resources.
Since he had just received one billion Berries, giving them a bit as a token of appreciation wouldn't be a bad idea. It would cover their room and board, at the very least.
Takumi took out one million Berries from the system space and handed it directly to Dragon and Sabo, his tone calm. "Thank you for looking after us. It's a small token, not much, but I hope it helps."
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