Chapter 129: Adrian vs. Kizaru

In Adrian's plan, Saint Rosward played an important role as his most valuable bargaining chip. The heavily wounded Celestial Dragon would be crucial for Adrian's escape when Admiral Sengoku arrived at Sabaody Archipelago. Handing him over to others was out of the question.

Since Borsalino did not forcibly take away the Celestial Dragon, Adrian was happy to play with this 'Acting Monkey'.

"If you are looking for Celestial Dragon," Adrian declared, "Don't waste your breath, Vice Admiral Borsalino!"

Borsalino's response was nonchalant. "In that case, there's nothing I can do~" His lips pursed, eyes narrowing. "Pirate White Ghost, prepare to surrender!"

Drawing his blade, Yubashiri, Adrian interjected, "Then come on… uh, can we fight somewhere else? This guy is still here."

Borsalino rubbed his ears, feigning deafness. "I can't hear what you're saying~ Wow, you're flying really fast! I'm coming too!"

In an instant,

Adrian and Borsalino left the platform, racing towards an uninhabited island.

As they touched down, Borsalino's right leg glowed with golden light. From a distance, he fixed his gaze on Adrian and uttered his signature words: "Have you ever been kicked by the speed of light?"

Adrian's retort was succinct: "It's best to keep the chit-chat to a minimum before the battle."

Without saying a word, he used his move!

"Mini Ghost: Star Fire!"

A swarm of ghosts, as radiant as stars, materialized from the void and lunged directly at Borsalino's position.

However, these mini ghosts, once effective in past battles, now proved futile against the Glint-Glint Fruit's extreme speed. One by one, they whizzed past, detonating harmlessly like blanks, unable to keep pace with their elusive adversary's shadow.

Swish!

Accompanied by a unique flash sound effect, Borsalino flicked his leg directly kicking dozen of meters in front. The dazzling yellow flash seemed to be able to blind people's eyes.

However, Borsalino's sure hit kick only landed on the sword covered in Armament Haki!

Borsalino raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Borsalino seemed to have sensed something. He turned into a stream of light again and attacked Adrian from another direction, but he was still successfully blocked.

It was as if Adrian had foreseen every move, leaving Borsalino stunned.

Retreating to his original spot, Borsalino adopted an uncharacteristically serious tone. "Is this the power of Observation Haki?"

Adrian's calm response echoed, "Not really~"

When he first blocked Borsalino's Kick, he did use the Observation Haki to predict the future.

But the second time, it was his own super-fast reaction speed!

After a brief two rounds of fighting with Borsalino, Adrian clearly realized one thing.

Borsalino's speed was indeed very fast, incredibly fast, faster than any opponent he had faced before.

But it was definitely not the speed of light, and it was far from the level of light speed!

As the user of the Glint Fruit ability, Borsalino could indeed reach the speed of light. However, his neural reaction speed did not match the speed of light

In general, executing an attack involves three stages: first, the idea of the attack forms in the mind; second, the body takes action; and finally, the attack is successfully executed.

As a Glint-man, Borsalino could indeed achieve the true speed of light in the third step, but the first two steps still remained within the limits of human capabilities.

Borsalino frowned slightly.

In the next moment, he crossed his arms, with his thumbs and index fingers forming an OK hand gesture. At the same time, a cross-shaped light appeared where his fingertips touched.

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

A series of light bullets shot out, instantly forming a dense barrage that enveloped Adrian in front of them.

Facing such a concentrated attack, Adrian neither dodged nor evaded. In his calm eyes, a sparkling light spot reflected.

Swish, swish, swish…

The light bullets created by the Yasakani no Magatama passed through Adrian's body, as if they were just piercing through a layer of air. Nothing happened.

Borsalino's eyes widened. Was White Ghost not a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user? Why was he immune to light bullet attacks?

Adrian spoke, "This level of attack is completely ineffective against me. Didn't the Marine headquarters' intelligence record this?"

If a natural-type Devil Fruit user cannot imbue their attacks with the power of Armament Haki, then their attacks will not inflict any damage on Adrian!

Even though the Glint Fruit's laser beams possess strong offensive characteristics—such as high temperature, energy, precision, and destructiveness—facing the ghost fruit power, which had the physical properties of a ghost, it was actually useless!

This is the condescension from the fully leveled [Ghostly Body]!

"Ama no Murakumo!"

Borsalino clasped his palms together, then suddenly pulled them apart. A slender light sword composed of light particles materialized out of thin air in the palm of his hand. Simultaneously, he transformed into a yellow flash, flying toward Adrian's side.

Clang!

Adrian raised the Yubashiri horizontally in his hand, once again blocking Borsalino's Ama no Murakumo.

"Vice Admiral Borsalino, your speed doesn't seem as fast as rumored. I thought I was going to get hit."

Borsalino's expression soured.

Before heading to the Sabaody Archipelago, he had assumed that relying on the Glint Fruit's extreme speed would allow him to easily overpower White Ghost. However, to his surprise, not only could White Ghost match his speed, but he also had enough energy to taunt him.

It was utterly unreasonable!

In the next instant, Borsalino transformed into a flash, disappearing from his original position.

Adrian, too, entered the Ghostly state, effortlessly keeping pace with Borsalino and launching a counterattack.

Clang!

Yubashiri clashed with Ama no Murakumo once more, the collision of sword and blade erupting with a powerful force that carved deep grooves into the surrounding ground.

Adrian's gaze remained calm, denying Borsalino any chance to retaliate. In the split second of their clash, Adrian's empty left palm gathered a mass of ghost energy and forcefully blasted it diagonally upward.

A fleeting crimson light flickered in Borsalino's eyes as he sensed the unexpected attack using his proficient Observation Haki. He preemptively employed partial elementalization to dodge.

After several minutes of confrontation, Adrian had yet to achieve any meaningful results, leaving him somewhat anxious.

If he couldn't swiftly deal with this acting monkey, by the time the real trouble arrives, he'd have an additional opponent to contend with…