This was the second time since Enel had come down from Skypiea that he had seen his own blood. Though it wasn't the first time he'd been struck—Karp had once punched him senseless—this time, the sight of blood came as a shock.
Just as Enel was still in surprise, Kizaru was already coming at him again.
Enel couldn't afford to be careless. His body became enveloped in even more intense lightning, and as Kizaru approached, Enel transformed into a massive lightning god, raising his hand to unleash a two-hundred-million-volt lightning strike aimed straight at Kizaru.
"It's all over... we're finished." Judge watched in horror as Enel transformed into this colossal form, his heart sinking.
Even though it was the first time Judge had seen Enel fight in this "Thunder God" state, just witnessing it was enough to send shivers down his spine. Judge could foresee that this move would not only destroy the flagship but also the surrounding ships.
All his painstaking efforts would be undone in the clash between Enel and Kizaru.
"No..." Judge shouted in despair.
As for his two remaining sons, even though they were injured, their faces still held a look of disdainful indifference.
"Father." At this moment, Reiju, who had already donned her battle suit, suddenly called out.
Seeing Reiju, Judge immediately commanded, "Reiju, take me away from here. As long as I survive, even if the ships are gone, there's still hope for a comeback. Take me and your brothers, Ichiji and Yonji, and leave immediately. This is an order!"
"Yes, Father," Reiju and her brothers responded in unison.
As Reiju began to help Judge to his feet, Kaku, who had been toying with his cursed short blade, suddenly appeared in front of them, a faint smile on his lips. "The ship's modifications aren't finished yet. Where do you think you're going?"
Meanwhile, on Enel's side, just as he unleashed his two-hundred-million-volt strike at Kizaru, Takumi suddenly appeared. Using his immunity to lightning, he absorbed the impact, rendering the attack useless.
Seeing Takumi's arrival, Enel finally calmed down, shrinking back to his normal form from the giant thunder deity.
Before Enel could even explain himself, Takumi stepped forward and punched him in the face, sending Enel flying.
Kizaru rubbed his chin, surprised as he watched Takumi send Enel flying. In a mocking tone, he said, "Oh my, you even hit your own crew. How terrifying."
Takumi turned his gaze to Kizaru, not even bothering to respond. He used Shunpo to close the distance and launched a Night Guy kick, passing right through Kizaru's elemental body.
Once Kizaru reformed, he retaliated with a flash kick, which also missed, merely blasting a large hole in the castle built on Germa's flagship.
Takumi dodged the kick and quickly countered, launching another kick toward Kizaru.
The two engaged in a relentless cycle of attacks, each narrowly dodging or countering the other's kicks. Within seconds, the castle atop Germa's flagship was left teetering on the brink of collapse.
Realizing the ship modifications were still ongoing, Takumi used Moonwalk to draw Kizaru out over the ocean, where they continued their duel.
Their skirmish eventually carried them over to the Marine warship.
By the time they had destroyed about a third of the warship, Kizaru seemed to realize the direction things were heading.
"You sly little rascal," Kizaru suddenly paused, forming a sword of light with his hands. "You fancy yourself a swordsman, so I might as well play along."
Takumi remained silent, drawing Lake Toya from his waist. With a grin, he unleashed the Divine Departure technique, aiming a barrage of sword slashes at Kizaru.
Haki-infused sword energy filled the air like countless blades, converging on Kizaru.
Kizaru swung his light sword to counter, cutting down the incoming attacks one by one.
After Kizaru had deflected the Divine Departure, Takumi suddenly appeared in front of him, a sly grin on his face.
Just as Kizaru was about to use his light powers to create some distance, he realized he couldn't move...
"Huh? What's wrong with my body?" Kizaru muttered in confusion.
Takumi chuckled, "Underestimating your opponent comes with consequences."
"Underestimating?" Kizaru's gaze shifted, noticing their shadows had intertwined. "A shadow technique, huh..."
Takumi sheathed Lake Toya at his waist.
Likewise, Kizaru mimicked the action, his light sword fading away as he let go.
"It seems whatever move you make, I have to follow," Kizaru mused. "But that also means you can't attack me, doesn't it?"
Without answering, Takumi suddenly summoned a blue electric sphere, crackling with energy, in his right hand.
"It's here, it's here!" Enel, who had returned on his now-enlarged staff, saw Takumi's technique and completely forgot his earlier punishment, shouting excitedly. "The move that cuts through my two-hundred-million-volt attack! Yahaha, this annoying admiral is done for! Serves you right!"
"Raikiri?" Kizaru mimicked Takumi's motion, but nothing appeared in his palm.
Seeing Takumi approach, Kizaru also moved forward to meet him.
After a moment of silence, Kizaru said, "Kid, if you kill me here, you'll be in a lot of trouble."
"And why is that?"
"Sengoku knows I'm here. If I die, it won't just be one admiral after you next time," Kizaru explained calmly. "They can replace me easily enough. I'm tasked with hunting you because you killed a Celestial Dragon. If I'm gone, it could be Akainu and Aokiji coming after you—and if those two team up, they're much more of a handful than I am."
Takumi: "..."
"Takumi, Captain, don't listen to him," Enel growled. "This guy's no good, don't let him fool you."
Takumi gave Enel a sidelong glance, signaling for silence.
What Kizaru said made sense—killing him could lead to bigger problems down the line.
But letting him go just like that wasn't an option either.
Takumi's smile turned cold as he raised his Raikiri, swinging it down and severing Kizaru's right arm.
With his body restrained, Kizaru couldn't use his light powers to avoid the attack. Blood gushed from his severed arm.
Takumi then released the shadow imitation technique, using Moonwalk to quickly return to Germa's flagship.
Enel, still harboring some resentment, decided to let it slide when he saw Kizaru had lost an arm, following Takumi back.
Once they left, the hiding Marines quickly rushed over to Kizaru.
"Admiral Kizaru, are you alright?"
"My god, who is that Takumi? He's unbelievably strong."
"Get the medkit, hurry, Admiral Kizaru, we'll stop the bleeding right away..."
The Marines frantically tried to tend to Kizaru, who, pale from blood loss, paid no mind to their panic. Instead, he stared solemnly at Takumi's retreating figure, ignoring the chaos around him as he took out the Den Den Mushi to contact Sengoku.
Sengoku answered almost immediately, "Kizaru, what's the situation over there?"
Kizaru, reverting to his usual demeanor, chuckled, "Oh, nothing much. Just had a fight with Takumi."
"Wait, you fought Takumi?" Sengoku sounded shocked. "You're still able to call me—did you beat him?"
"Nope, I lost. Got a bit injured."
"Injured? He managed to hurt you?"
"Yep, that kid's getting scarier by the day."
"Are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm fine, just lost an arm."
"What?!"
"So... does this count as workplace injury compensation?"
Sengoku: "..."
When Takumi returned to Germa's flagship, Kaku was still watching over Judge and his remaining children, making it impossible for them to leave.
Seeing Takumi return unscathed, Judge didn't get a chance to speak before Enel started grumbling, "Captain, you went too easy on him. You let him off with just an arm?"
Judge's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
He knew how strong a Marine Admiral was. And here was Takumi, who looked so young, but had fought Kizaru, returned unscathed, and even severed Kizaru's arm.
What did that mean?
It meant Takumi's strength was unfathomable.
No wonder he dared cause trouble in Sabaody...
Judge had only one thought now: it was all over.
But he wasn't willing to die here.
Germa 66 couldn't end like this.
If that was the case, there was only one option left.
Taking a deep breath, Judge narrowed his eyes and focused on Takumi. "Takumi, your strength has completely convinced me. Although my children and I aren't your match, Germa's technological prowess is one of the best in the world. If we form an alliance, combining Germa's technology with your strength, not only could we dominate the North Blue, but perhaps even conquer the entire world. So, I have a proposal I'd like you to consider."
With that, Judge pushed Reiju forward. "This is my daughter, Reiju, the only princess of the Germa Kingdom. If you're interested, I can arrange for her to marry you."
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