Boom—!
Boom—!
Two consecutive explosions erupted behind Kodra, and then on his body, followed by fire and smoke soaring into the sky.
Due to the close proximity, the smoke merged, forming a giant mushroom cloud that instantly attracted the attention of everyone on Island No. 1.
Even the civilians and marines who had fled Island No. 1 could clearly see it.
Feeling the tremor beneath their feet, they didn't stop, quickening their pace and running even faster.
"That's Brother Alo, right!"
The three of them, Firebird, paused momentarily and looked at the mushroom cloud rising in the distance, their eyes shifting.
Among Silver Hair's crew, Alo was the only one who wielded a gun, and in this world, as far as they knew, only Alo could wield a gun with such explosive force.
"Let's go!"
Retracting their gaze, Firebird swallowed and headed straight for the auction house.
Upon arriving, they could already see the red and green figures fighting outside the auction house, as well as Ah Hua and the others standing on the auction house stage.
In the sky.
Within Kong Tai's azure pupils, a red light flickered. Hearing the explosions in the distance, he parried Kizaru with a single sword stroke, hovering in the air, and glanced towards the auction house.
"Eh! That guy is actually on the Sabaody Archipelago."
With his Observation Haki, he could naturally sense the three familiar auras rapidly approaching the auction house.
To be honest, he had thought these three guys had been finished off at sea by some pirates.
He hadn't expected to encounter them here.
Shaking his head, he paid them no further attention. With Ah Hua and the others present, it was sheer foolishness for CP0 to expect to retrieve the Celestial Dragon's corpse.
Did those guys not take Ah Hua and the others seriously at all?
When the battle ended, they could slowly search for them. Why rush now, wasn't that courting death?
Did they think they were Admirals?
Turning his head, he looked at Kizaru, who had landed on the rooftop of a relatively intact house in the distance, and Kong Tai chuckled, "Uncle Pikachu, it's been a while, but you're still the same!"
"Haha!! Not changed at all!"
Just as he had thought before the battle, his offensive power now far surpassed Kizaru's, and as for speed and reaction...
Ever since learning about "Subtlety" from Shiki, he had practiced it diligently for so long that he had already achieved it.
The last time he fought Kizaru, he still had to rely on instantaneous teleportation to compete with him in speed and reaction. Now, he didn't need it at all.
Kizaru looked at the silver-haired brat hovering in the air, his mouth twitching, and his expression was naturally unpleasant.
This guy was truly a monster. How long had it been? He could understand his offensive power surpassing his, but combat wasn't just about attack power. Combat experience and combat rhythm, things that could only be honed through countless battles, this brat had actually managed to compensate for them in just a few months.
He remembered that during the battle on Ore Island last time, this guy was like a novice. Without that bizarre instantaneous teleportation, he wouldn't have been his match at all.
And now, whether it was combat experience or reaction speed, he was not much different from Kizaru. Due to the swordsman's drawing speed and higher attack power, he could even slightly pressure him.
"Uncomfortable."
What he didn't know was that Kong Tai and the others, on Little Garden, had absorbed the combat experience of two giants who had been fighting for nearly 100 years and were naturally born warriors. Although it had only been four months, for them, who were already geniuses, it was more than enough to compensate for their lack of combat experience.
Looking at Kizaru's conflicted expression, Kong Tai's mouth curled upwards, and he opened his mouth, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Hahahahaha!!"
Seeing the frustrated look on this guy's face, he couldn't help but laugh.
Ignoring Kong Tai's laughter, Kizaru tilted his head and glanced at the street where Kodra's figure had completely disappeared as the explosion dissipated, sighing inwardly.
"Alas! An anticlimactic end."
He alone couldn't defeat Silver Hair. Even if Vice Admiral Garp came, he couldn't do anything to Silver Hair's crew.
His arrival this time was exactly as he had thought: just a brief visit to go through the motions before returning?
If he were to leave, would Kong Tai easily let him go?
"Alas! Headaches."
Just then, Kong Tai's laughter abruptly stopped. He sharply turned his head and looked behind Kizaru.
Kizaru's already unpleasant face broke into a smile again.
He knew that the person he was waiting for had arrived.
Although he still couldn't take down this detestable brat in front of him, he wouldn't let him be so arrogant.
"Why is this old guy here?"
On the auction house stage, a glint flashed in Rayleigh's eyes beneath his spectacles.
That guy was different from them old-timers. His strength hadn't weakened with age at all.
Is this old guy here to arrest the Silver Hair kid this time?
"Hmm!" Rayleigh stroked his chin and pondered, "It's possible. After all, a Celestial Dragon has died, how could the World Government let this matter go?"
After a brief observation, he could roughly gauge the strength of the Silver Hair kid.
He was completely on par with an Admiral.
But if his strength was only at this level, and he didn't retreat, he might actually be captured by that old guy Garp.
After all, Garp wasn't an ordinary Marine.
He was the Marine hero who could chase the Pirate King's crew all over the world in his prime!
Even in his prime, he couldn't defeat this guy. Only his captain, Roger, could contend with him.
As if sensing the pressure that suddenly filled the air, Kuina, who had been lazily fighting Ace, instantly became serious.
She increased the power of her slash. With a "bang," she sent Ace flying, twirled her right hand in a flourish, and sheathed her sword.
Then, she turned her head towards Kong Tai's direction, and arcs of electricity surged from her body. With a "hum," she transformed into a cyan lightning bolt and shot into the sky, appearing beside Kong Tai as if by teleportation.
"Kong Tai, what is this?"
Revealing her figure, Kuina hovered in the air, her face grim as she stared at the burly figure slowly approaching in the distance.
"Why did you suddenly increase your strength?"
Ace, stabilizing himself, shook his slightly trembling hand and panted as he looked forward.
"Hmm! Where did he go?"
He turned his head, red light appearing in his eyes, trying to find Kuina.
"Eh!"
Just then, he felt a particularly familiar aura. Unsure, he turned his head and looked towards the distant street.
When he saw the figure he had thought of, he couldn't help but take a step back, his face greatly changed, revealing a look of fear.
"Why did Old Man come here?"
If there was one person in this world he feared the most, it was the old man in the distance who had adopted him and raised him like his own grandson.
Just then, Firebird, who had reunited with Ah Hua and the others, also saw the figure in the distance through the camera.
He suddenly raised his head, his face full of surprise, "Adm, Admiral of the Marines, Vice Admiral Garp, why is he here?"
Others might not understand this person's might, but as a reporter for the World Economic News Agency, how could he not know?
This person was a powerhouse who could chase the Pirate King all over the world!
Although that was decades ago, this person had always been the benchmark of the Marines, a hero and legend who was not an Admiral but was better than an Admiral.
With this person here, how could he not be surprised?
He glanced at the old man standing on the far left, and a hint of excitement flashed in Firebird's eyes, "Could this be another battle between the old legends?"
Upon arriving, he was surprised to find that Rayleigh was also here. This was intelligence that even their newspaper didn't know about!
However, he didn't take any pictures of Rayleigh, and he certainly wouldn't report on it afterwards.
Some things, you might have the life to photograph, but not necessarily the life to publish.
He didn't dare to casually photograph someone like Rayleigh, a peak powerhouse. This person was clearly in seclusion on the Sabaody Archipelago, and if he exposed him, wouldn't that be courting death?
Who knew if Rayleigh would be as easygoing as his elder brother Silver Hair.