One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

As Kizaru's calm voice rang out, he conjured a long, gleaming light-saber in his hand. The blade, slender and radiant, pointed directly at Enel.

"Wrathful Thunder God!"

Unfazed, Enel responded. Since his last defeat, he had refined his Thunder God form, the most noticeable change being his unaltered size. Now, in this new form, both his speed and strength were vastly amplified.

Clash! Boom!

The two figures clashed in the sky, lightning crackling and sparks flying as they fought. To the untrained eye, they appeared as two flashes of light, colliding and sparking as they exchanged dozens of blows in mere seconds. Their rapid battle wove intricate, brilliant patterns across the sky, illuminating what the storm clouds had shrouded in darkness.

"Cloud-Slicing Light! Judgment of Light!"

Kizaru gripped his light blade with both hands as a towering, sacred apparition, nearly a hundred meters tall, appeared behind him. Mirroring his movements, the figure swung a massive sword, unleashing intersecting beams of energy nearly forty meters long, ready to destroy everything before it.

"Thunder God: Pillar of the Sky!"

Enel twirled his golden staff, its length and thickness surging with lightning. Charging head-on, he clashed fiercely with Kizaru's massive light blade. The colliding elemental forces of nature spawned an enormous sphere of energy that grew larger by the second until it exploded in a blinding flash, illuminating the sky like a small sun. The searing light engulfed the nearby sea, covering kilometers with its destructive energy.

Boom!

"So, this is the power of Logia Devil Fruits? Truly monstrous—these attacks are far beyond human limits!"

The surviving Marines, watching from a distance, swallowed nervously, awestruck by the display.

"Regardless of today's outcome, the Smile Pirates are bound to attract many powerful figures' attention. A pirate crew capable of standing against an Admiral… even the World Government won't be able to ignore them," Vice Admiral Smoker noted, casting a serious look at his own injuries.

"Most alarming is that such terrifying strength doesn't even belong to their captain. It's hard to imagine the power of the one who leads them!"

The surviving Marines turned to the Smile Pirates' ship, where Captain Natsu watched the sky, his expression calm, a faint, satisfied smile on his lips.

"The world is about to be thrown into turmoil again—these damned pirates!" Vice Admiral Doberman growled, slapping the water in frustration as he swam toward the reinforcements. He couldn't allow himself to sink into despair.

A mere rookie pirate crew that could snatch the Celestial Tribute and resist an Admiral—it was an alarming sign of the growing audacity of pirates. And yet, reality was merciless; it only highlighted the gap in strength.

"So strong! I never imagined Enel could hold his own against an Admiral," Noriyuki thought, feeling grateful to be part of such a powerful crew.

"An Admiral!" Gin didn't speak but silently resolved to train harder. Natsu had once told him that a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, fully developed, could rival even the Logia-type fruits. Besides, Haki was the true path to the pinnacle of this world. The Pirate King, Roger, had carved his legend with Haki.

"Hmm… dodged just in time?" Kizaru remarked, noticing Enel had managed to evade unscathed.

"Such a troublesome ability. It seems I'll have to fight at one hundred percent today. Otherwise, failing this mission would be disastrous—the World Nobles and the World Government won't be pleased, and I'll lose my chance to slack off in peace," Kizaru sighed, exasperated but steeling himself. In a flash, he closed the distance, his fist wrapped in Armament Haki as he struck Enel.

"Ouch! Dammit!"

Despite quickly using Haki to defend, Enel's inexperience showed; Kizaru's Haki cut through his guard, causing real damage.

Seeing his opening, Kizaru pressed forward, ready to subdue Enel with Haki. Both relied on their Devil Fruit abilities, but Kizaru's martial skills gave him the edge, honed by rigorous training.

Boom!

A single punch sent Enel hurtling hundreds of meters away, tumbling through the air before he managed to stop himself, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Is this… the gap between us? So frustrating…" Enel's pride made it hard to back down, but continuing the fight was pointless. Summoning his energy, he unleashed a Thunder Punch to create distance.

"Captain, this god was merely caught off guard—perhaps you'd like to give it a try?" Enel called out, shamelessly addressing Natsu on the Smile Pirates' ship. While his pride wouldn't let him admit defeat, he knew he had no chance here. Better to retreat now and exact revenge later.

"Sure, I've been wanting to test an Admiral's strength myself," Natsu replied, cracking his neck and flexing his fingers as he stepped forward, his eyes glinting with excitement. The atmosphere on the battlefield shifted in an instant.

"Captain stepping in? Truly terrifying," Kizaru commented, feigning shock as he saw his new opponent.

"Yeah, right—who'd believe that?"

Boom!

Natsu lowered his stance, the deck beneath his feet groaning from the force as he launched himself into the air, using Moonwalk to hover mid-flight.

"Armament Haki!"

Ting!

Natsu extended his arms, now coated in the dark hue of Armament Haki, drawing back his fist and launching a seemingly simple punch.

Bang!

"What a heavy hit!"

Kizaru instinctively shielded with his own Armament Haki but was blown backward, tumbling hundreds of meters through the air.

"Monkey D. Natsu, huh? Just like your grandfather, Vice Admiral Garp… terrifying."

Kizaru sized Natsu up, recalling Garp's legendary fists that had once left a lasting impression.

"Oh? Since you know my old man, how about letting us leave in peace?"

"Of course… no, that's impossible! Even I have my pride," Kizaru replied, sounding pained but determined.

"Guess there's no room for negotiation, then?"

"Correct. But if you surrender, I may spare your life out of respect for Vice Admiral Garp."

"Hahaha! You're too confident, Borsalino! You think you can stop us?"

"Who's to say without trying? Just take a look around you."