"Alright, enough arguing," Dragon said, frowning slightly. "Just in case, Gild Tesoro, you and Crow go gather everyone and prepare for an emergency evacuation. Sabo, come with me to the coast to check things out."
"Yes, Chief," Gild Tesoro and Crow replied in unison.
Enel was piloting the ship and quickly reached the coast where Takumi was waiting.
Takumi immediately jumped onto the deck.
Enel glanced at the Marine warship in the distance, his eyes filled with excitement. "Are we going to fight them?"
Kaku also began stretching his arms and legs. "I'm ready. We can fight whenever."
Takumi, however, casually pointed in a direction and said calmly, "Run that way as fast as you can."
"Huh?" Enel and Kaku said in unison, both looking bewildered.
Takumi shot Enel a cold glance.
Enel's mouth twitched as he asked, confused, "We can take them. Why run?"
Takumi replied flatly, "Fighting two admirals is troublesome."
"Two admirals?" Kaku was stunned. "Isn't that overkill? Wasn't the World Government supposed to send just one admiral after us?"
"Damn it," Enel grumbled in frustration. "Two admirals, so what? Takumi, you take one, and Long Nose and I will take the other. No way the three of us can't handle two admirals!"
"Keep talking, and I'll throw you into the sea," Takumi said impatiently. "Start the ship."
Seeing that Enel was still reluctant to leave, Takumi clenched his fist, raising his hand.
Enel immediately powered up the ship, speeding off in the direction Takumi had pointed.
---
On the warship, Kizaru had already noticed the tiny silhouette on the desolate island up ahead.
By the time one of his subordinates handed him a telescope, Enel had already launched the ship, bringing it into full view of Kizaru and his men.
As Kizaru took a closer look through the telescope, he confirmed the people boarding the ship were indeed Takumi and his crew. Stroking his chin, he spoke in his usual peculiar tone, "Oh my, it seems they've really shown up. After a day of searching, it turns out they were still on a nearby island."
Lowering the telescope, Kizaru noticed the ship carrying Takumi and his crew suddenly pick up speed and head southwest. He called out to Aokiji, who was riding a bicycle beside the warship, "Takumi and his crew are on that ship. You go after them."
Aokiji looked reluctant. "I'm only here to support you. If you're not in trouble, then I don't need to intervene yet."
"Honestly, Sengoku shouldn't have sent you to support me," Kizaru sighed.
A nearby Marine cautiously asked, "Admiral Kizaru, should we pursue Takumi's group?"
Kizaru gave the Marine a sidelong glance and smiled. "What do you think?"
The Marine trembled, breaking into a cold sweat. "Of course... we should pursue them, right?"
"Hehehe." Kizaru chuckled. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on."
"Yes, sir!" The Marine ran to the control room without delay.
The warship soon changed direction, giving chase to the ship carrying Takumi and his crew.
Aokiji continued pedaling his bicycle behind the warship, glancing at Baltigo with a puzzled look. "What are Takumi and his crew doing on this deserted island?"
---
By the time Dragon and Sabo reached the coast, Takumi's ship was already far away.
Seeing the warship barely visible in the distance, Dragon and Sabo both felt a pang of concern rather than relief for Takumi and his crew.
"Chief, do you think the three of them can handle two admirals?" Sabo asked worriedly.
Dragon shook his head. He wasn't sure—he had never been able to fully grasp Takumi's strength.
At this point, some of the fighters from the base arrived, weapons in hand.
"Chief, Sabo, where are the Marines? We don't see them."
"Was the intel wrong?"
Sabo pointed in the direction of the barely visible warship and said, "Takumi and his crew led the Marines away."
"What? They lured the Marines away?"
"Aren't they also being hunted by the World Government? Even if there are two admirals, with the Chief and all of us here, we had a good chance of winning. Why did they lure the Marines away?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Sabo said, his tone displeased. "If the Marines discovered this island was the Revolutionary Army's main base, it would be destroyed. And it wouldn't just be the island—our comrades would suffer heavy casualties too. Takumi and his crew are protecting us."
"Really...? I never would've thought. They always seemed so annoying, but it turns out they're so honorable."
"Looks like I misjudged them. They're good people."
"But is it really alright? Just the three of them against two admirals? Should we go and help them?"
"No," Dragon said. "If we go, everything Takumi and his crew did will be in vain."
"Exactly," Sabo agreed. "The people who become Marine admirals aren't fools. If the Revolutionary Army goes to help Takumi, what do you think that means?"
After Sabo's words, everyone fell silent.
Dragon looked in the direction where Takumi's group had disappeared, his expression grim. "You all go back. I'll wait here for them."
"Chief, I'll stay with you," Sabo offered.
Dragon shook his head. "No need. You go back too. I'll wait alone. If they don't return within half an hour, I'll go look for them."
---
On the ship, Enel increased the power output, making the ship move four or five times faster than usual.
Although the warship wasn't slow, the distance between it and Takumi's ship gradually grew wider.
Seeing that the ship was almost out of sight, Kizaru scratched his head in confusion. Then, raising his hand, he aimed his finger, a laser flashing at its tip. In an instant, a laser beam shot toward the fleeing ship.
In the blink of an eye, the laser was about to strike Enel, who was standing on deck and controlling the ship.
Takumi appeared behind Enel, drawing his Lake Toya sword. With one slash, the laser's trajectory was altered, causing it to veer off course and miss the ship.
"Oh my, you actually blocked it. How frightening," Kizaru said, his expression unchanged. Raising his other hand, he fired two more laser beams.
Takumi swung his sword twice, deflecting both lasers.
"Oh dear, you're getting scarier and scarier," Kizaru said, firing four or five more laser beams.
After deflecting the final laser beam, a flash of light appeared, and the gradually materializing figure of Kizaru suddenly stood in front of Takumi, ready to kick. He asked in his peculiar tone, "Hey, kid, have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
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