57. Admiral Shocked, The Monsters Of The Straw Hats

Watching Zoro in the distance, who's like Hawkeye when he's at his strongest.

And there's Blackfoot Sanji in front of him.

Kizaru sensed that these two pirates, who were kinda weak against him back in Sabaody Archipelago, seemed to have levelled up big time in just four days.

Their strength, compared to the Sabaody Archipelago, has definitely gone up a notch.

"Are they Admiral-level fighters now?"

Kizaru couldn't believe the thought that crossed his mind and immediately brushed it off.

They couldn't be Admiral-level. In a small pirate crew, having someone at the level of the Four Emperors, like Straw Hat Boy and a few others close to the level of Emperor's deputies, would be too much.

If the top three were all Admiral-level, that'd be too terrifying.

As far as Kizaru remembered, only the Rocks Pirates, who once terrified the world government and almost ruled the sea, and the old crew of Gold D Roger, the Roger Pirates, had that kind of power.

A small pirate crew that's only been around for a year? No way.

With that in mind, Kizaru vanished in an instant, moving through the air at incredible speed.

"Ever been kicked by light speed, Blackfoot?"

Kizaru was suddenly in front of Sanji, his legs moving so fast they left a golden streak in the air.

But all he got in response was a puff of smoke.

There was a sound of smoke being exhaled, and then the smoke started to swirl.

Sanji's burning black-flamed shoes landed on Kizaru's light-speed kick, but without actually touching it. Yet Kizaru felt the sensation of being stepped on like an invisible flame.

The pain was real.

Kizaru's face turned serious as he looked at Sanji, shock in his eyes.

"You, Blackfoot, Conqueror's Entanglement?"

Invisible mid-air kick? Kizaru had fought against the Four Emperors many times. He couldn't figure out what kind of ability this was.

"Kizaru, prepare to face your end."

Sanji's voice started calm but rose in intensity.

With a powerful kick, Sanji unleashed a torrent of black flame-like lightning, the flames on his feet growing wilder and more distorted.

And then, Kizaru was sent flying back to the Marine camp by Sanji's kick.

Boom.

A massive orange-red shockwave erupted, shaking the area.

Sanji casually floated in the air, flames on his right foot now black as hellfire.

"Devil's Feet"

Sanji gazed calmly at where Kizaru had fallen. "Thinking of taking down the king? Don't underestimate us"

"Admiral Kizaru got kicked away by Blackfoot."

"How's this possible? Are all the Straw Hat Pirates monsters?"

Marine soldiers stared in horror at Sanji hovering in mid-air.

"What a headache! They're all like monsters."

From the rubble, photons surged, coalescing into Kizaru's form, his tone still calm.

But those who knew him sensed the seriousness of his actions.

Kizaru realized he was in trouble the moment Sanji unleashed Conqueror's Twine.

Originally, he wanted to pick a slightly stronger opponent and navigate through this dangerous war.

That's why he targeted Luffy early on.

Attacking now would be blocked by Whitebeard Pirates guarding Luffy, so he aimed for Luffy's group later.

But luck wasn't on his side. No one expected so many monsters in the Straw Hat crew.

Sanji, the third-in-command with a bounty of less than 100 million, revealed Conqueror's Twine, a threshold of the Four Emperors, along with formidable physical prowess and kicking skills.

Undoubtedly, another Admiral-level monster.

"A real headache and he's just third-in-command."

Kizaru shifted the foot Sanji had mentioned. The trouser leg tore, revealing his ankle, faint traces of blood seeping.

Underestimating the enemy in his temptation earlier, he didn't see Sanji as an equal opponent, leading to this significant loss.

However, such an injury could still be endured by an Admiral with physical fitness comparable to that of a monster.

"Yata Mirror."

Kizaru sighed, swiftly pulling his hands back and sending a light mirror towards Sanji, its speed almost instantaneous.

There was no slow wind-up; by the time the light reached Sanji, Kizaru was already in front of him.

His speed seemed upgraded, reaching a higher level. This was Kizaru in a serious state, abandoning sluggishness for a true display of strength, akin to when he faced Luffy in fifth gear back in Sabaody.

He keenly felt the pressure from Sanji, realizing the third-in-command of the Straw Hat Pirates wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly.

"Indeed. Whether it's the chef or the ingredients, when cooking, you must pour your heart and soul into it."

Sanji smiled as if he were back in his familiar kitchen, wielding his spatula and kitchen knife.

His legs became his tools, the foundation for handling ingredients.

"Devil God, Black Flame Banquet, Lamb Skewers."

Black and ominous flames engulfed Sanji's feet, distorting the air around them. It was an abundance of Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, along with the twisted, invisible flames generated by the heat of his Demon Wind Feet.

Boom.

A light-speed kick clashed with a Conqueror's kick wrapped in black flames and armed color.

In an instant, the sky erupted like bright fireworks, black flames and golden streaks painting a grand display.

"Heizu, were you really holding back when we fought?"

Watching the stunning clash, Foil Vista, rushing to the scene, couldn't help but marvel.

"What a refined opponent. If he brings out this level of strength, I might barely keep up. He's only a step below Marco, near Admiral level. Against a true Admiral, he might just hold his ground."

"And Roronoa, the three-sword swordsman. Pushing Hawkeye to this extent, evenly matched in Haki and swordsmanship."

"If the monsters of the Straw Hat Pirates truly go all out, the Whitebeard Pirates will be put to shame after the test on the Moby Dick two days ago."

"As expected of Ace's younger brother, upholding the pride of our pirate crew."

Vista couldn't help but feel proud.

Unbeknownst to him, two days prior, both Zoro and Sanji's physical abilities had only evolved halfway.

The significant gap in physical fitness prevented them from fully unleashing the power of the top-tier Conqueror's Haki they had evolved. So, two days ago, even though they held back, they still displayed their utmost strength for sparring.

However, real qualitative change happened over these two days. They transformed from first-class powerhouses in the sea to top-tier powerhouses, now truly at the level of Admirals.

"What can you do? That black-footed brat."

Zephyr watched the battle between Sanji and Zoro with a smile. "I've said it before, Borsalino relies too much on his Devil Fruit. Otherwise, facing that brat wouldn't be so tough."

Despite his words, Zephyr's heart sank slightly. He could see Kizaru giving his all, yet he still couldn't suppress Blackfoot Sanji. That black foot was genuinely Admiral-level combat power.

In this war, everyone underestimated the Straw Hat Pirates, even Sengoku.

"Trouble."

Zephyr bit a piece of wood-like material, pondering. But he knew his role was to take down a few more of the Straw Hat crew.

Taking a deep breath from his asthma medicine, Zephyr shook his massive mechanical arm, like a sleeping tiger awakening.

"Be careful, his mechanical arm is made of Seastone, highly effective against Devil Fruit users," Jinbei warned.

Diamond Jozu looked at Zephyr seriously. "Black Arm Zephyr, a former Marine Admiral, and Garp and Sengoku, pillars of their time. His Seastone arm boosts his threat level against Devil Fruit users."

On the battlefield, excuses were futile. Luffy was about to speak, but Jinbei cut him off, reminding him of the battles ahead.

"You are our Admiral. How can you stop here? Brother Ace is still waiting for you," Jinbei urged.

Understanding, Luffy entrusted them with the task and rushed towards the execution platform.

"Stop boasting, little devils. If you can withstand my attacks, then try," Zephyr taunted.

Boom.

In an instant, a hemispherical crater erupted beneath Zephyr's feet, a burst of high-speed, destructive power.

Zephyr's body darted between Jozu and Jinbei, leaving them astonished.

"How is this possible?" Jinbei turned, unable to halt Zephyr's advance.

"With such a massive weapon, how can he move so swiftly? Is this the power of an older generation Admiral?" Jozu's eyes widened in horror.

"Brother Luffy!"

"Ace's younger brother!"

Jinbei and Jozu shouted after Luffy, but their voices struggled to catch up with Zephyr's figure.

"Step aside, Luffy."

With a roar, a tall figure materialized behind Luffy, blocking Zephyr's path.

"You still want to challenge me?" Zephyr chuckled, raising his mechanical arm.

"Crush, Rough Beat. Crush those with mere abilities to hell."

"Luffy, he's the future Pirate King, and I'm the Straw Hat Pirates' ship doctor. I'll protect his back."

"Rumble Ball, Body Strengthening."

Chopper crushed four Rumble Balls in his mouth, empowering his body. Instead of growing in size, his muscles expanded proportionally.

"Carved Hoof."

Chopper raised his muscular arms, fists imbued with invisible power.

"Ah ah ah!"

A beastly roar drowned out the noise. Invisible waves mixed with falling cherry blossoms filled the air.

Boom.

Chopper's attack collided with Zephyr's arm, creating a flash of lightning and a transparent spherical wave, engulfing everything.

"Why? How can you resist my arm?" Zephyr asked, surprised.

"As long as I don't touch it, your Seastone arm is useless," Chopper roared.

"No touch?" Zephyr realized, seeing an invisible barrier between their fists.

Conqueror's Haki, stronger than Straw Hat's, but now Chopper wielded Conqueror's Twine.

"How is this possible?" Zephyr's senses reeled. The Straw Hat crew's medic controlling Conqueror's Twine?

"Step back!" Chopper roared, unleashing unimaginable strength.

Boom.

Zephyr was forcefully pushed back, a violent explosion echoing in the air.

Marine soldiers watched in disbelief.

"Zephyr, the former Admiral, defeated by Tony Tony Chopper with a bounty of fifty Baileys!"

"Can the Straw Hat Pirates' pet really defeat a former Admiral?"

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