The moment Kizaru appeared, Killer and Drake, who were in the midst of a fierce battle not far away, immediately stopped and backed away from each other.
"Kizaru..." Drake voiced gravely, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes. "Why are you here?"
"My, my, if it isn't Rear Admiral Drake. It really has been a long time."
Kizaru spoke with a mix of surprise and his usual flippant tone. Beneath his yellow-tinted sunglasses, however, his eyes quickly swept across the battlefield, deep in thought.
He truly hadn't expected to run into one of their own right off the bat. If he arrested Drake, he wouldn't be able to explain it to Sengoku when he got back.
*'But not doing anything wouldn't make sense either. Should I just exchange a few blows and find an excuse to leave?'*
Just as Kizaru was calculating his next move, Urouge, who was below, launched an attack first.
"There sure are a lot of top-tiers showing up today. Let me test just what level the highest military force is at."
Urouge curled his lips into a ferocious grin. Hugging that massive pencil, he charged at Kizaru, ready to strike preemptively.
Facing the aggressively approaching Urouge, Kizaru stood motionless in place, looking at him with an amused gaze.
"You're as strong as a monster, how scary."
"Is that supposed to be a taunt? Hahaha! Die, you bastard!"
Urouge arrived in front of Kizaru and furiously swept the giant pencil horizontally.
Kizaru completely ignored the attack. He slowly raised a finger, and a dazzling golden light bloomed from its tip.
The pencil, thick as a steel pillar, passed harmlessly through his body without a doubt, and a beam of laser instantly shot out from his fingertip!
*Pew—Boom!!*
Under Urouge's astonished gaze, the laser instantly pierced through his robust body and landed on a distant mangrove, detonating with a thunderous explosion!
The powerful impact kicked up a fierce gale. Drake gritted his teeth and raised an arm to shield his face, his eyes extremely solemn.
"This monster... he's completely unrestrained."
With that said, he turned his head to glance around, picked a direction, and turned to leave.
But right at that moment.
"My, my, where are you planning to go, Rear Admiral Drake?"
A voice suddenly rang out as a massive amount of golden light particles flew in from all directions, rapidly coalescing into Kizaru's figure behind him.
Drake's expression froze. He halted his steps and abruptly turned his head, only to be shocked by the sight of Kizaru looking down at him with a teasing expression.
Drake swallowed hard, cold sweat unconsciously beading on his forehead, a hint of fear in his eyes.
The next second.
*Boom!!*
In an instant, before Drake could even react, Kizaru landed a light-speed kick squarely on his face, sending him flying out like a cannonball, smashing through the wall and out of the shipyard.
After kicking Drake away, Kizaru raised a hand to brush the dust off his chest. With one hand in his pocket, he turned to look at Killer and Gin, his expression playful.
"Subordinates of a Warlord, huh. Let me think about what I should do with you."
"Damn it...!"
"Just what kind of ability does this guy have?"
Witnessing this scene, Killer and Gin unconsciously took a step back, their faces looking somewhat grim.
Facing a monster like this, let alone fighting, they probably didn't even have a chance to run.
Right at this moment.
*Puru puru puru!*
The sound of a Transponder Snail suddenly rang out in the area. Kizaru raised his wrist, fiddling with the black interception Transponder Snail in confusion for a moment before taking out another Transponder Snail from his coat to answer.
"Moshi moshi, is this Sentomaru?"
"Hey, old man! Why did it take you so long to answer? Where are you right now? I've already found the Straw Hat Crew's trail, hurry up and come to Grove 38 for backup!"
"Don't be in such a rush, Sentomaru. Aren't you with the Pacifistas? With your strength, you should be able to handle it, right?"
Kizaru scratched his head, speaking at a sluggish pace.
"Cut the crap! If only it were that simple. Silvers Rayleigh is with the Straw Hat Crew right now, and both the Pacifistas and I are being held off by him!"
"Rayleigh...?"
Hearing this name, Kizaru was taken aback, a hint of seriousness finally appearing in his eyes.
It wasn't that the Marines didn't know Dark King Rayleigh was on the Sabaody Archipelago, but why would he help the Straw Hat Crew?
The current situation had clearly become complicated.
"What a pain. I understand, just hold on a little longer."
"Hurry it up, old man!"
*Kacha.*
Soon, Kizaru hung up the Transponder Snail. He looked up at the number on the nearby mangrove, confirmed the direction, and his body transformed into a beam of light, flying away from the area.
Left behind, Gin and Killer looked at each other in dismay, their faces filled with bewilderment.
"What exactly is going on?"
"I don't know. From the sounds of it, the Marines seem to be here for the Straw Hat Crew."
...
Meanwhile, beneath Grove 38.
Two damaged Pacifistas lay on the ground, their limbs twisted and bodies battered. A massive amount of machinery and disconnected wires were exposed, sparking with electricity.
Sentomaru's expression was grave as he warily watched the white-haired man blocking his path with a rapier in hand.
"You've been peacefully retired for so many years, and the Marines have always treated you as if you didn't exist. Why step forward now to help the Straw Hat Crew, Silvers Rayleigh?"
"Hahahaha, that's just how it is when you get old. You start to like meddling in other people's business. When you see young people about to grow, you just want to give them a hand."
Rayleigh said with a smile. His magnetic voice gave off a calm and reliable feeling, and his medium-length white hair highlighted his mature aura.
"The era belongs to the young. It would be a pity if they were nipped in the bud before they could even grow. Go back, Marine. I won't let you pass."
"You damn bastard...!"
Sentomaru glared at him, his gaze bypassing Rayleigh to look at the Straw Hat Crew in the distance behind him, growing increasingly anxious.
Seeing that they were about to completely escape, Sentomaru pivoted on his toes, preparing to force a breakthrough. But right at that moment.
*Whoosh!*
A piercing sound of something tearing through the air came from above. Catching a glimpse of something in his peripheral vision, Sentomaru looked up, only to see a dark shadow descending from the sky at an extreme speed.
"What is that...?!"
"Hmm?"
Rayleigh looked puzzled. As if sensing something, he looked up at the sky and saw a massive Pteranodon with a ferocious glare, spreading its wings and diving down at breakneck speed!
"Coming for me, huh..."
The corners of Rayleigh's mouth lifted slightly, his eyes filling with interest.
A distance of a hundred meters was covered in a mere instant. The Pteranodon tore through the space, arriving in front of Rayleigh like a flash of lightning, its sharp beak thrusting straight toward his chest!
*Boom!!*
Although the speed was fast enough, an attack of this level was practically useless against Rayleigh. With just a light leap, he easily dodged the strike that could have blown a massive hole in the ground.
In mid-air, Rayleigh flipped over. With his head facing downward, he locked his eyes on the Pteranodon's back and swiftly thrust his longsword down.
However, right at that moment.
The Pteranodon suddenly shrank. Its wings retracted, its beak and talons receded, rapidly transforming back into a human form.
"A Devil Fruit user?"
His sword pierced nothing but the ground, and a look of astonishment briefly crossed Rayleigh's face.
Reverting to his human form, Allen raised his fist. The muscles in his arm tensed, and after coating his wrist in Armament Haki, he threw a fierce punch!
*Bang!!*
Rayleigh hurriedly kicked out. In a bicycle kick posture, his strike clashed heavily against Allen's fist, sending out a shockwave of fierce wind.
The immense power transmitted through his leg secretly startled Rayleigh. Using the momentum from the clash, he leaped backward, his feet touching the ground and sliding back several meters.
After steadying himself, Rayleigh looked up, his gaze fixing on his opponent as he chuckled and said,
"If I'm not mistaken, I've seen you in the newspaper. Warlord of the Sea—Demon Lion Francis Allen."
"I didn't expect to be recognized by a legendary figure one day. The Pirate King's Right Hand—Dark King Rayleigh."
Allen clenched his fist and curled his lips into a grin, saying,
"Nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind my way of saying hello."