Kizaru pursued Rayleigh, wielding his lightsaber, and quickly engaged him in a high-speed sword fight.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their blades collided fiercely, sparks flying as they traded blows with equal strength and speed.
"Flash!"
Kizaru's body suddenly erupted with blinding light, engulfing the surroundings in a golden radiance. In that instant, his figure vanished.
Rayleigh instinctively shielded his eyes, his vision overwhelmed by the flash.
"A sneak attack, huh?"
Without missing a beat, Rayleigh darted through the air using Moonwalk, keenly scanning with Observation Haki to pinpoint Kizaru's next move.
Kizaru reappeared in a burst of light, slashing downward with his glowing blade.
"Flash Blade!"
He launched a flurry of precise, rapid swings with no emotion on his face.
"Pluto Slash!"
Their swords collided with a loud clang, then continued clashing in a dazzling storm of strikes. The sound of blades meeting echoed through the air.
Eventually, both fighters leapt apart, staring each other down.
"You really are terrifying—no wonder you were Roger's right-hand man, Silvers Rayleigh."
Rayleigh smiled slightly. "And you're impressive too, Porusalino. One day, I'm sure you'll rise to the top ranks of the Navy."
Rayleigh was being honest. Kizaru had few weaknesses, and even Conqueror's Haki had little effect on him. His defense and abilities were extraordinary.
"…What a pain," Kizaru muttered, casually letting his lightsaber vanish.
"You're done?" Rayleigh asked.
"I admit it, Rayleigh. I can't beat you," Kizaru said with his usual sarcastic drawl. "You people are monsters… every one of you is scarier than the last."
Raising his hands in surrender, Kizaru wore his usual lazy, exaggerated expression.
Rayleigh shook his head with a chuckle. "What a strange guy. I've never met anyone quite like him in all my years at sea."
Meanwhile, Sambel—still scorched from Sengoku's divine light—was having a rough time. The fleet admiral was chasing him relentlessly.
"Warring States! That's enough! I didn't even hurt you that badly! Why are you still after me?!"
"You filthy fish!" Sengoku bellowed. "You sprayed that disgusting goo on me! I'm dragging you back to Impel Down to clean toilets!"
For someone as composed and righteous as Sengoku, this was a rare display of fury. His majestic golden Buddha form only made his rage more imposing, and Sambel had clearly crossed a line.
"Ugh! Did I hear that right? Warring States, those words are too vulgar for a man like you!"
Sambel whimpered as he bolted toward Rayleigh.
"Rayleigh! Save me!"
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "This guy... But he's holding his own pretty well. Looks like he's gotten stronger."
Sambel reached him and quickly reverted to his normal form, cowering behind Rayleigh with a goofy grin—despite being taller and bulkier, especially with a harpoon now clutched in his hand.
"Buddha's Slam!"
"Move." Rayleigh sighed and pulled Sambel aside.
BOOM!
Sengoku's massive body crashed down like a meteor, golden energy still glowing around him.
"Kizaru! Why aren't you fighting?!"
Kizaru raised his hands again in exaggerated surrender. "I gave it my best, General Sengoku… But Rayleigh's a monster. He's just too strong."
"Kizaru!" Sengoku snapped, face stern. "As a Navy officer, you must uphold absolute faith in justice! If you lack conviction, how can you ever qualify to be an admiral?!"
Sengoku's rebuke was sharp and unforgiving. First Kuzan had left without authorization, and now Kizaru was refusing to fight?
Kizaru, for his part, didn't look particularly affected. "Say what you like, General. My justice won't waver. But look—Rayleigh and that monster next to him? Terrifying."
His nonchalant, sarcastic tone and lopsided smile made others want to punch him.
"Kizaru! A Navy soldier obeys orders! If you disobey again, I'll beat some sense into you myself!"
That was no empty threat—Sengoku meant every word. His belief in absolute justice always came before everything else.
"Haha! Sengoku, your men are out of control! This is hilarious!" Sambel laughed gleefully. After all, just moments ago he was running for his life—now he was getting the last laugh.
"Hmph…" Kizaru shot Sambel with a sharper look. His smile faded.
"General Sengoku," he said, "how about this? I'll take care of this freak, and you handle Rayleigh."
"Porusalino, I'm your opponent."
Rayleigh's Haki sensed the subtle shift in Kizaru's aura. He immediately stepped forward, blocking.
"Alright then, Kizaru. You'd better take this seriously," Sengoku nodded.
"Don't worry, I will. That guy"—Kizaru's gaze turned cold—"has insulted the justice I uphold."
Rayleigh was puzzled. Why the sudden change in his tone?
"Old Sang," Rayleigh said quietly, "be careful. Kizaru uses the Glint-Glint Fruit. Normal physical attacks won't touch him."
"Relax, Rayleigh," Sambel grinned. "He's not as dangerous as Sengoku. My defense is strong, and I've got Armament Haki. I can hit Logia-types."
He puffed up proudly and tapped his nose with confidence—maybe too much of it. Kizaru wasn't just any Logia user—he was a high-ranking powerhouse.
"Tsk tsk… we'll see if your strength lives up to that mouth of yours."
Kizaru formed a mirror-like disk between his hands.
"Yata Mirror."
A beam of light shot out, bouncing off reflective surfaces and angling straight at Sambel.
Sambel countered with a burst of sword aura, slicing the beam in midair.
Kizaru activated the Yata Mirror again, firing off more refracted beams in rapid succession.
"Rayleigh! You're my opponent—Buddha's Hand Shockwave!"
"Damn it, Sengoku!" Rayleigh cursed and had no choice but to back away—he couldn't protect Sambel now.
Sengoku closed in.
"Great Buddha Radiant Palm!"
He struck repeatedly with massive golden palms, sending wave after wave of palm-shaped energy toward Rayleigh.
"Armament Haki—Pluto Blade!"
Clang! Boom! The sword energy and golden palm blasts collided mid-air, cancelling each other out.
But Sengoku kept pressing forward—his colossal Buddha form loomed above, aiming for a decisive finishing blow.