If it weren't for the fact that her sworn sister, Gion, was Kizaru's fiancée, she wouldn't even bother worrying about him.
But at the very least, Kizaru's current strength was so overwhelming that unless he killed a Celestial Dragon outright, even the World Government wouldn't dare turn against him.
Not long after, the replacement floodlights arrived.
At long last, Kizaru was freed from his humiliating role as a walking sun.
Meanwhile, the warship he had sent to its doom had, unsurprisingly, been sunk by pirates.
Not that it mattered.
Marineford had plenty of warships available to take him to Mary Geoise.
Tsuru even offered him her personal ship—
It wasn't the newest model, but its modified engines made it just as fast as the latest warships.
But Kizaru politely declined.
After all, he was just a delivery guy bringing the Five Elders their package—
They were the ones in a hurry, not him.
If the warship was too fast, how was he supposed to slack off?
Considering he was about to become the next Fleet Admiral, this might be his last chance to enjoy some well-earned free time.
Even though the storm over Marineford still raged on,
If even pirates dared to set sail in it, then for the highly trained Navy, it was barely an inconvenience.
As soon as Kizaru boarded the warship, he retreated to the captain's quarters.
"Don't bother me."
He instructed the crew before locking the door.
Then, without wasting a second—
He excitedly opened the Dimensional Chat Group.
---
[Dimensional Chat Group]
[Kizaru: @Everyone Moshi Moshi~ Are you guys ready? I've set sail!]
[Haibara Ai]: Everything's ready. Orochimaru, Stark, and I have already set up the joint lab. Just send over the pure gold whenever you're ready.
[Haibara Ai]: Then you can head to Fubuki's world for your vacation. Based on your world's time flow, her one month equals about five and a half hours for you.
[Kizaru]: OK~ The pure gold has been sent. The rest is up to you guys~
[Tony Stark]: Hey, don't worry, my best friend! Mr. Stark is definitely going to uncover the secrets of pure gold!
[Orochimaru]: Heh… So this is the legendary metal that grants eternal youth? Truly fascinating…
[Random Bystander from Swallowed Star]: Good luck, everyone! Please crack the secret of pure gold! Even better if you can figure out how to make it!
The bystander from Swallowed Star was hopeful—if the big shots in the group could reverse-engineer pure gold, maybe he'd get a chance to obtain some as well.
Sure, in his world, one could extend their lifespan by getting stronger, but who wouldn't want a backup plan like pure gold?
He wasn't Luo Feng, the main character, after all—if something unexpected happened in the future, having pure gold might be his best chance to survive.
[Kizaru]: the useless man makes a good point. If possible, try to create a synthetic version. Even if it's weaker, that's fine.
[Kobayashi]: Eh? Kizaru-san, are you planning to hand over the fake one?
[Kizaru]: Exactly. I've been sick of those five old geezers for a long time. A counterfeit is enough to keep them happy—we'll keep the real deal for further research.
[Haibara Ai]: A fake, huh… It'll be tricky, but we can give it a shot.
[Orochimaru]: Making an identical replica is simple. But keeping the anti-aging effect… now that's a real challenge…
[Tony Stark]: Oh, Mr. Stark loves this plan! Let those five fossils rot! At most, they get a counterfeit!
Just then, another message popped up.
[Fubuki]: @Kizaru, everything is ready on my end. You can come over anytime.
[Kizaru]: Roger that! You guys carry on—I'm heading to Fubuki's world for a vacation~
With that, Kizaru accepted the invitation.
One moment, he was still aboard the warship—
The next, he found himself inside an extravagant office.
Sitting behind the desk was a stunning woman in an evening dress.
Her short hair framed her striking features, and her curvaceous figure made her presence hard to ignore.
She observed Kizaru curiously, unfazed by his towering height.
After all, in her world, there were plenty of strange-looking individuals—
Compared to muscle-bound monsters, cyborgs, and robots, Kizaru was just a tall, ridiculously handsome man.
Even Fubuki found herself stealing a second glance at him.
"Nice to finally meet you, Kizaru-san. I'm Fubuki."
Her voice was smooth, confident, and slightly teasing.
Kizaru smiled lazily, his signature relaxed demeanor never wavering.
"No need for formalities. Just call me Kizaru. Given our connection through the chat group, I don't think we need to waste time with small talk, don't you agree?"
Although he was here to kill time, if it meant getting to "interact" with a beauty like Fubuki, he certainly wouldn't say no.
Fubuki tilted her head, contemplating his words.
"…That's fine by me. Then let's skip the pleasantries—I'll introduce you to this world and my Fubuki Group."
In truth, she had two reasons for inviting Kizaru over.
1. She wanted to personally gauge his strength.
2. She wanted to give her older sister a surprise.
She had already witnessed his power during the Marineford War livestream—
Now, all that remained was to persuade this otherworldly Admiral to join her Fubuki Group.
Kizaru gave her a playful smirk and spread his arms dramatically.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure."
Kizaru knew more about Fubuki's world than she did, but there was no need to reveal that.
The world of One Punch Man was unique—its cities were labeled with letters, and it was frequently terrorized by monstrous beings who thrived on destruction.
These "monsters" were categorized based on threat level:
Wolf-level: Dangerous to ordinary people.
Tiger-level: A significant threat to groups of civilians.
Demon-level: Capable of destroying entire cities.
Dragon-level: A disaster that could wipe out multiple cities.
God-level: A purely theoretical threat—capable of destroying the world.
In response, the Hero Association was formed.
Heroes were ranked according to strength: C, B, A, and S-Class.
Fubuki, despite being the top-ranked B-Class hero, was far stronger than her ranking suggested. If she wanted to, she could easily rise to the top of A-Class.
"…All heroes must join the Hero Association. When a monster appears, the nearest available hero strong enough for the job is dispatched to deal with it."
Fubuki spent a good half-hour explaining the basics of her world, especially her Fubuki Group—
She used quite a few flattering words, subtly hinting that it was a great place to be.
Kizaru didn't mind the long-winded explanation.
—Mainly because Fubuki was beautiful, and her voice was pleasant to listen to.
If it had been Dragon, he would have already sent him flying with a Light-Speed Kick.
Even Vivian, the giantess, once received the same treatment—
At first, Kizaru tolerated her talkative nature, but even an old lech like him had his limits.
There's only so many times you can listen to the same song before getting sick of it.
And Vivian? She wasn't just a broken record—she was a concert on repeat.
"I see… That must be tough. Fighting monsters all the time must be dangerous."
Kizaru sighed dramatically, though he was genuinely a little impressed.
These heroes weren't nearly as strong as the Marine Headquarters, but their actions were far more noble than many Marines he had known.
They risked their lives fighting enemies stronger than them, all to protect civilians.
That kind of justice was something Kizaru once believed in.
"Once"—because now, he couldn't even find an enemy stronger than him.
"It's not too bad," Fubuki said, resting a delicate finger on her chin in thought.
"The Hero Association carefully evaluates each mission, making sure heroes aren't sent against enemies they can't handle.
For example, a C-Class hero would never be forced to fight a Demon-level monster."
Her group, the Fubuki Group, specialized in overwhelming enemies with numbers.
—And since Fubuki herself was strong enough to obliterate Tiger-level threats, most battles were just a formality.
"I see… That's actually a well-structured system…"
Kizaru nodded.
So she was a glorified wage thief.
…Oh wait.
So was he.
Never mind, then.
"Anyway, all that talking made me a little thirsty. How about a drink?"
Fubuki had no idea Kizaru already considered her a fellow slacker.
She was still enthusiastically showing off her luxury liquor cabinet, hoping he'd realize just how great the benefits of joining the Fubuki Group were.
Her ultimate plan?
Once she roped Kizaru in, she'd have him get officially certified as an S-Class hero.
—And if possible, she wanted him to kick Tatsumaki down from second place to third.
Let's see if her annoying big sister would still call her a "kid playing house" then!
"Coke, please. Extra cold."
Kizaru could slack off right under Sengoku and Tsuru's noses—his ability to read the room was unmatched.
Fubuki's little recruitment scheme? He saw right through it.
And while he didn't mind joining the Fubuki Group, if it was too easy, it wouldn't be fun.
He had no intention of letting Fubuki "win" so quickly.
"Co… Coke?"
Fubuki, who had just reached for a fine bottle of wine, froze.
She couldn't just pull out a vintage 1982 Coke, right?
Wait—do Cokes even expire?
"Hmm? Is there a problem?"
Kizaru asked with a smile.
He had to admit—Fubuki's looks were top-tier.
Sure, she was a step below Hancock or Esdeath, but she had a mature charm they lacked.
If he had to compare, the only other woman he knew who had a similar aura was Stussy.
But where Stussy was the Queen of Happy Street, Fubuki had a certain innocence mixed into her maturity—
A different flavor, but just as enticing.
"…No, it's fine. Lily, bring us two iced Cokes."
Fubuki sighed, speaking into her luxurious desk intercom before sinking into the sofa across from Kizaru.
Recruiting Kizaru was proving to be a real headache.
Show off her power?
—He was at least S-Class level. Hell, he might even be stronger than her sister!
Offer better benefits?
—He was a Marine Admiral, part of an organization so powerful she couldn't even begin to measure it.
Not to mention, he casually handed out enough dimensional currency every month to buy the entire Hero Association if he wanted.
Seeing Fubuki deep in thought, Kizaru's lips curved into a nearly imperceptible smirk.
He was having fun.
"Fubuki-sama, your Cokes…"
Before Fubuki could figure out a strategy, the door opened—
A young woman in a tailored suit walked in, carefully balancing a tray with two glasses of ice-cold Coke.
The moment she saw Kizaru—
—A towering, three-meter-tall man—
She visibly tensed.
She almost spilled the drinks.
"Set them down. Let me introduce you."
Fubuki snapped out of her thoughts.
She still had a whole month to work on Kizaru—she'd figure out how to recruit him eventually.
"This is Kizaru. And this is Lily, a member of the Fubuki Group."
"Nice to meet you!"
Lily smiled warmly, assuming Kizaru was a new recruit.
"I'm Lily, B-Class Rank 74! Welcome to the team!"
Although Kizaru's three-meter height was intimidating at first glance, it wasn't really a big deal once you got used to it.
In fact, the Fubuki Group already had a member nearly as tall.
Besides—aside from his height, Kizaru's ridiculously handsome face was what truly stood out.
If Fubuki wasn't here, Lily might've already started fangirling.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kizaru."
Despite Lily's low rank, Kizaru didn't look down on her.
Any hero willing to fight for others deserved respect.
"Huh? Mr. Kizaru hasn't been certified by the Hero Association yet?"
Lily asked curiously.
Unlike what outsiders might assume, the Fubuki Group wasn't overly rigid about hierarchy.
Even in front of Fubuki herself, Lily wasn't afraid to speak casually—
—Especially since she thought Kizaru was a new recruit.
If they were going to be teammates, there was no need to be too formal.
"He hasn't been yet."
Fubuki responded, her voice brimming with pride.
"But if he wanted to, he'd definitely be an S-Class hero!"
"S… S-Class?!"
Lily almost screamed.
To a B-Class hero like her, every S-Class hero was practically a legend.
And now—
—One of those legends was sitting right in front of her, calmly sipping the Coke she just brought in.
If it weren't so real, she would've thought she was dreaming.
"And not just any S-Class hero," Fubuki added.
"At the very least, he'd rank second. Maybe even higher."
She recalled what that "Passerby" guy in the chat group had confidently declared when Kizaru first joined.
Even though Fubuki didn't get along with him, she had to admit—
—His assessments were always spot on.
Even when it came to newcomers, he could instantly tell their strength.
And in a way—
Fubuki herself had "witnessed" Kizaru's power.
Even though she couldn't personally experience the weight of his Conqueror's Haki,
—That near-unstoppable speed and destructive force was something she couldn't even imagine countering.
Sure, her psychic powers weren't anywhere near her sister's level.
But as a fellow esper, she could still make an educated guess—
Tatsumaki wasn't Kizaru's match.
Not even close.
°°°
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