Chapter 73: 1vs3

"is that all it takes for a Marine Admiral like you to lose your composure?"

Luo Ning taunted again, dodging Akainu's fist.

He knew he had struck a nerve with Akainu, which wasn't uncommon. People with good temperaments tend to communicate peacefully, but certain issues can turn them into ticking time bombs, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

This was a common occurrence, and Akainu was no exception. Luo Ning's taunt had hit a sore spot, causing the Admiral to lose his cool completely.

Akainu's face flushed red with fury at Luo Ning's words. Magma surged crazily beneath his skin as he unleashed a barrage of magma-based attacks at Luo Ning. However, his attacks were too slow.

Luo Ning effortlessly dodged every attack. But just as he evaded Akainu's final blow, a golden light struck him.

"Looks like I'll have to take things up a notch!"

Kizaru's fingers still glowed gold, the one responsible for the surprise attack.

"Kizaru, continue coordinating with Sakazuki's attacks!"

Sengoku's eyes gleamed at the sight. The enemy's speed was phenomenal, making him untouchable by Akainu's attacks. However, Kizaru's speed was equally impressive. By working together, they could corner their opponent without resorting to close combat.

While these attacks didn't seem to inflict any significant damage, this was merely a test run by Kizaru.

"Understood"

Kizaru launched himself into the air, aiming his fingers at Luo Ning below. Golden light pulsed from his fingertips as he bombarded Luo Ning with light beams, forcing him to dodge Akainu's attacks in the process.

These attacks, while frequent, caused negligible damage and appeared to have no effect on breaking through his defenses.

Akainu muttered in frustration, "Tsk, troublesome."

Kizaru responded with a burst of light from his hands. Seeing this, Akainu immediately understood his intent. After all, the three Admirals knew each other's abilities intimately.

"Yata no Kagami!"

Kizaru unleashed a barrage of light beams towards Luo Ning. Dodging such a concentrated attack would be nearly impossible, forcing him to resort to defense.

"Aokiji, prepare to reinforce the ice!"

Sengoku noticed Kizaru's attack and alerted Aokiji. Aokiji acknowledged the order, readying his devil fruit power to instantly repair any cracks caused by Kizaru's beams, ensuring the ice remained intact.

"Dark Hound!"

As Luo Ning braced himself against Kizaru's barrage, Akainu seized his opportunity. While Kizaru's attack boasted a vast number of projectiles, it also dispersed its overall power.

However, Kizaru's true intention was to create an opening for Akainu.

Akainu's arm transformed into magma and rapidly extended. This attack possessed incredible speed. In fact, it was the very move he used to inflict a devastating blow on Whitebeard during the Summit War, tearing half his face off.

The attack landed squarely on Luo Ning's body.

The impact sent Luo Ning flying. When he finally came to a halt, burns marred his body, and his clothes were significantly damaged.

"It worked!" Akainu exclaimed, surprised. Previously, his attacks had been ineffective. This unexpected success left him stunned.

"No, something's wrong. That kid's speed and defense have noticeably weakened!"

Garp and Aokiji, having fought Luo Ning before, furrowed their brows upon witnessing this scene.

Everyone knows how tough Luo Ning is, especially Garp, who couldn't even dent his defense. So how come Sakazuki's attack went right through it?

This is messed up.

"What's going on?" Sengoku asked from the sidelines after hearing Garp and Aokiji's confused remarks.

"When I fought that little punk before, it took hours to even get a scratch on him! My face was a mess by the end! Now look at Sakazuki's punch. What's going on with his defense?" Garp explained, furrowing his brow.

Sengoku frowned too. "His defense and speed weakening? No way!"

"Maybe it's a fake!" Gion interjected, grabbing everyone's attention. "Tokikake and I fought a copy of him before, and it was way weaker than the real him. This could be another one!"

Given her experience with Luo Ning's clone, Gion's words held weight.

"Damn it, that can't be right!" Sengoku cursed, scrambling for his Den Den Mushi.

"Kong's here. What's up, Sengoku? Battle over yet?" came Kong's voice from the other end, the former Fleet Admiral.

"No, we think this Luo Ning might be a fake, Kong! Get someone to check on the Celestial Dragons, now!"

Sengoku's heart sank as the possibility of a clone being involved emerged. He realized the other party might have orchestrated a clever deception to lure out the Celestial Dragons.

"An Avatar? Understood. I'll dispatch someone to investigate immediately!"

Kong ended the call abruptly, his voice laced with worry. "Let's hope it's not what we fear," he muttered.

Tsuru remained speechless. Deploying the Marines' full combat force against a mere clone, if true, would be a laughable overreaction.

The surrounding personnel, not oblivious to Sengoku's call, shared his concern. The possibility of a fabricated threat weighed heavily on their minds.

***

Meanwhile, Kong swiftly mobilized his men to investigate the Celestial Dragons' situation. However, their privileged status made it a daunting task. Some arrogant nobles blatantly refused to cooperate, hindering the investigation's progress.

Forced restraint prevented them from resorting to forceful entry, further extending the inquiry. By the time the search neared completion, nearly half an hour had elapsed since Sengoku's call.

***

On the battlefield, Luo Ning endured the relentless siege of Kizaru and Akainu. While sustaining injuries, he displayed a remarkable ability to recover quickly. Garp, observing the scene, couldn't shake off the growing suspicion that this Luo Ning was a clone.

Compared to the previous Luo Ning, this one's combat effectiveness was vastly inferior. The discrepancy between the two was undeniable. Furthermore, the Logia-based attacks of the Admirals, with their immense destructive power, rendered outside intervention futile. Only observation remained as an option.

However, the longer Garp watched, the stronger his conviction grew – this Luo Ning was an imposter.