"Alas! It seems I can't slack off anymore!"
Kizaru's eyes flashed red, his Observation Haki scanning the warship. "Troublesome."
Kōta looked at Kizaru, quickly sheathed his sword, and then drew it again.
A sharp blade light, emitting a cold, azure glow, flashed towards Kizaru with a piercing *shing*.
"Iai Slash!"
"If you don't get serious this time, you'll die!"
Feeling the incoming blade light, Kizaru's body erupted in golden light. The blade light swiftly sliced through his chest and then made a return arc.
*Clink—*
The sword slid back into its scabbard.
It was as if Kōta hadn't drawn his sword at all.
Yet, from Kizaru's body, cleaved in two, it was evident the sword *had* been drawn.
But it hadn't struck a physical body.
Kōta looked at Kizaru, nebulae swirling in his eyes. "As expected of a top Marine combatant. That level of Observation Haki must be extremely advanced."
Kōta was acutely aware of his Iai Slash's speed. To miss when so close meant only a faster, stronger strike would suffice.
He wondered if Kizaru dodged his attack through precognition with Observation Haki or if it was a passive ability of his Devil Fruit.
If it was a passive fruit ability, then this man was terrifying.
Just like Akainu at the Summit War. He didn't believe Whitebeard's Armament Haki wasn't at its peak.
Akainu was pummeled by Whitebeard but was fine. That was the terrifying power of a fully developed Logia-type Devil Fruit.
Their Devil Fruit abilities and the highest application of Armament Haki were on par, so while Armament Haki could hit their tangible forms, the damage was relatively superficial.
It was like two swords of equal sharpness clashing; neither could overpower the other, leaving only the stamina of the swordsmen to decide the outcome.
"Well! How frightening!"
Kizaru looked at Kōta, feigning terror.
"Cut the act, will you?"
A hint of helplessness flashed across Kōta's face. This was precisely why he disliked fighting Kizaru. The man's perverted demeanor and mocking words made it difficult to maintain focus in a battle.
Among the three Marine Admirals, only Kizaru could match his speed. So, as long as Kizaru was willing, he could be entangled indefinitely.
Akainu and Aokiji were different. While powerful, they couldn't defeat him, making them ultimately useless.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from all around.
The five Vice Admirals who had departed earlier were now rapidly approaching from other warships.
Just as they were about to command the Buster Call, a surge of Conqueror's Haki had knocked out all the lower-ranking Marines on the warships. What else could they command?
With no other choice, they resorted to Sky Walk, swiftly making their way towards Kōta's warship.
They couldn't activate the Buster Call until Kōta was dealt with.
"Well!"
Kōta tilted his head, looking at the approaching Vice Admirals, and chuckled, "Trying to gang up on me? I hope you can all bring your full strength to bear!"
With that, his figure vanished instantly.
"Be careful."
Momonga, seeing Kōta suddenly appear behind Onigumo, couldn't help but shout.
However, despite being veteran Vice Admirals, they couldn't compare to Merasom.
Although Onigumo had Observation Haki active, and he sensed Kōta's presence, he had no time to react. He could only bring his hands together behind his back and quickly infuse them with Armament Haki.
*Clang—*
Zanpakutō's blade fiercely struck Onigumo's back. Then, under the immense force of the blade, Onigumo's body was rapidly propelled towards the warship below.
With a *boom*, he pierced the deck and slammed into the warship's keel.
*Bang—*
With a creak, the keel was dented by Onigumo's body, creating a large pit.
"You bastard."
The hawk-like Vice Admiral "Onigumo," wearing a helmet adorned with a twin-headed dragon motif, glared at Kōta nearby, his hair whipping behind him.
"Life Return!"
Under Life Return, his hair instantly elongated, forming six spider-like limbs behind him.
Wielding two swords in his hands, the hair-formed arms simultaneously drew other swords from his waist and unleashed a flurry of strikes at Kōta.
"Eight-Sword Style: Dance of Chaos!"
Countless white slashes rapidly enveloped Kōta.
"Oh!"
Kōta turned to look at Onigumo, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Life Return" was a top-tier physical technique, mastered by only a select few high-ranking Marines skilled in the Six Powers.
This ability allowed for free control over one's body, hair, and internal organs. With concentrated consciousness, any part could be freely manipulated.
Such a potent technique could even be used for rapid digestion, allowing for quick stamina recovery.
It only allowed for quick digestion, not the same kind of recovery and rapid growth as Luffy's meat-eating.
Meeting the countless slashes, Kōta swiftly swung Zanpakutō.
*Clang clang clang!!*
He effortlessly shattered Onigumo's slashes.
To him now, such attacks couldn't even cause a flicker of emotion in his eyes.
"Hmm!"
Just then, from behind him, the ever-smiling Vice Admiral Hina, who was smoking a cigar, quickly drew his sword and *whoosh*, rapidly charged towards Kōta.
Sensing the blade at his back, Kōta turned, raising his right hand horizontally.
*Clang—*
He easily parried Hina's full-powered strike.
"Well! Your speed is decent, but your power is lacking."
Saying that, he applied upward force with his hand, repelling Hina's sword and causing Hina, whose body was suspended in mid-air, to involuntarily take a step back.
"So strong!"
Hina felt the power transmitted through the blade. His smiling expression froze, and his small eyes widened slightly.
Kōta didn't stop. He quickly sheathed his sword and bent his knees.
Looking up at Hina, this man, with his strong yet gentle personality, was a role model in the eyes of the lower-ranking Marines.
But... what did being a role model matter?
He'd still cut him down.
"Iai Slash!"
The cold, azure blade light, as if cleaving space itself, appeared before Hina's chest in the blink of an eye.
Fast, too fast.
So fast that only the blade light was visible, not the blade itself.
Cold sweat beaded on Hina's forehead, his eyeballs bulging in his small eyes.
"No time, no time at all."
He wasn't Kizaru. He couldn't dodge an attack of this speed.
He didn't even have time to draw his sword to defend. He could only muster Armament Haki on his chest and accelerate his blood flow, using "Iron Body."
Although Iron Body prevented movement, it significantly increased his defense.
*Clang—*
Zanpakutō's edge met Hina's chest, emitting a deafening sound like a great bell.
*Dong—*
Then, under the peerless force emanating from Zanpakutō, Hina was rapidly propelled backward, piercing the sails and skipping across the sea several times before finally crashing violently into the distant ocean surface.
The seawater surged violently, and the resulting waves caused the warship to rock.
Strong, too strong.
Onigumo and Momonga, still airborne, along with Doberman, whose neck and face bore two 'x' shaped scars, all stared at Kōta with grim expressions, no longer daring to divert even a sliver of their attention.
They weren't shocked by Kōta's power, but by the speed of his slashes.
It had only been one or two breaths since Kōta had teleported behind Onigumo.
His elusive teleportation made it impossible to know where he would appear from.
And then there were his slashes, so fast that no one could react, instantly sending Onigumo and Hina flying.
Facing such a formidable opponent, they all felt utterly helpless.