The dawn's quiet hung over the town square, the remnants of the party still scattered across tables and along the street. Kidd's pirates lay sprawled on benches, while Te, Koby, and the rest of the Hunter Pirates were passed out on the far side of the square, blissfully unaware of the new presence arriving on the island.
The faint sound of footsteps broke the silence, a casual, almost lazy rhythm that contrasted sharply with the tense atmosphere of an impending threat. Emerging from the shadows, a tall man strolled leisurely into the square. His yellow coat caught the early morning light, and his expression, framed by a pair of round glasses, was one of faint irritation mixed with boredom.
Borsalino, better known as Admiral Kizaru, surveyed the aftermath of the town square with his usual slow, disinterested blink. The remnants of last night's festivities lay scattered across the street—empty mugs, tables knocked over, and the faint scent of spilled grog in the morning air. He scratched his cheek lazily, letting out a sigh as his gaze drifted over the mess. "Really, they sent me to clean up after a bunch of rookie pirates? How troublesome…" he drawled, sounding as if he'd been sent on a chore more tedious than taking on a crew of upstarts.
Sauntering over to a nearby table, he nudged an empty tankard aside with his boot and let his gaze wander to the sprawled figures of the Hunter Pirates. Te and Koby caught his eye, and his brow raised slightly, a faint hint of curiosity tugging at his otherwise impassive expression. There was something about their faces—something oddly familiar. He stared, his hands slipping into his pockets as he tried to recall why.
"Mmmm… now, where have I seen faces like that before?" he murmured to himself, his tone indifferent yet vaguely intrigued, as if he were trying to remember an old acquaintance's name. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly as he continued to scrutinize the two brothers. The curve of their cheekbones, the shape of their jaws, all brought to mind an impression, one he couldn't quite place. 'Hmmm, maybe my age is getting to me,' Kizaru thought, scratching his head absently.
Shaking off the feeling, he extended a finger, a small spark of light gathering at its tip, aimed directly at Te. With a lazy precision, he prepared to fire a focused light beam.
Te, feeling an intense light shining on his face, squinted in annoyance, thinking it was the sunrise. Slowly opening his eyes, he was met with the blinding glow of Kizaru's light beam pointed straight at him. "Ugh, why is the sun so bri—WHAT THE FUCK!" He sprang up, fully alert now, instantly activating his aura and channeling energy into the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket.
In a swift movement, he raised a wall of metal in front of him, summoning it from the ground with a loud rumble that echoed through the square. The barrier shot up, encasing the Hunter Pirates in a protective shield of dense, glimmering metal.
"Ohhhh, what an interesting ability," Kizaru mused, his voice still irritatingly casual as he observed the shield. "Let's test its durability."
With a flash of light, Kizaru vanished and reappeared on a rooftop some distance away, his finger still aimed at Te's barrier.
"GUYS, WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Te's urgent shout rang through the enclosed space.
Ronin groaned, rubbing his eyes as he tried to shake off the grogginess from the night before. "Man, what time is it?" he muttered, still half-asleep.
"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR SLEEPY BIT," Te snapped. "THERE IS A DEADBEAT ADMIRAL OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW!!"
Ronin's eyes flew open, instantly alert. "ADMIRAL? I thought you said they wouldn't send one!" he said, glancing at Te in disbelief, realizing that Te's earlier joke about an Admiral actually coming had turned into a reality.
"Deadbeat, huh? So… Kizaru's here," Koby said, eerily calm as he took in the situation.
"What… what are we gonna do?" Lila asked, her voice laced with worry.
"First, we're—"
Zwish!
Boom!
Kizaru's light beam hit the barrier, sending a violent tremor through the metal. A faint scorch mark appeared, cracks spiderwebbing across the surface.
"Oh, so it held up," Kizaru remarked with a hint of admiration. "But barely."
The explosion had roused the Kidd Pirates, who blinked around in confusion before noticing the unmistakable form of Kizaru standing on a nearby rooftop, another light beam gathering at his fingertip.
"Why is there an Admiral here?" one of the Kidd Pirates asked, voice trembling.
"We didn't cause that much damage to the island!" another pirate muttered nervously, shrinking back.
"This must be his hometown or something! Why else would he come here?"
"Everyone, get to the Victoria Punk! Now!" Eustass Kidd's bellow echoed across the square, snapping his crew out of their frantic whispers. "Killer, help me hold him off while everyone escapes."
"But, Captain—" some of his crew started to protest.
"Enough! Leave, now!" Kidd's voice brooked no argument, and with tears in their eyes, his loyal crew reluctantly began to retreat, sprinting toward their ship.
Kidd watched them go, his expression hardening with resolve. Despite his brutal reputation, his loyalty to his crew was evident in his actions. He was willing to put his life on the line to keep them safe.
Killer grabbed Kidd by the shoulder, his own resolve evident. "Kidd, you're crazy. You need to get out of here too. I'll hold him back. You're going to be the future Pirate King. You can't fall here."
Before Kidd could argue, Kizaru appeared before them, his presence as calm as ever. "I'm not here for either of you, so why don't you go back to your crew?" Without further warning, Kizaru casually flicked his wrist, and with blinding speed, a light-infused punch struck both Kidd and Killer, sending them flying in the direction of their crew's retreat.
Kizaru turned his attention back to Te's metal barrier, which still stood amidst the rubble, though it now showed visible signs of wear. He strolled toward it, taking his time as if he were on a leisurely morning walk. Pausing in front of it, he extended a finger and concentrated his light, forming a small, intense torch-like beam. As he applied it to the barrier, the metal began to melt, hissing and bubbling under the intense heat. Slowly, an opening formed in the shield, revealing the empty interior where the Hunter Pirates had been.
The Admiral surveyed the abandoned scene, his usual relaxed expression slipping into one of mild curiosity. "Hmmm… it seems they got away," he murmured to himself, stepping back to inspect his work. He frowned slightly, feeling a prickle of irritation at the idea of going back empty-handed. 'Usually, I wouldn't care,' he thought, scratching his chin, 'but the Elders would be mad if I didn't come back with some results.'
Kizaru straightened, his mind still drifting back to Te and Koby's faces. 'There's something familiar about those two…' He shrugged, the thought nagging at him.