True Prowess

Shanks and Mihawk didn't even feel movement. There was only the noise of wind whenever it caused friction against Veyron's invisible protective barrier.

"What a ridiculous power... even Shiki couldn't move this fast. What exactly is your power?".

"Your mom's powers".

"Huh? say that again, I didn't hear you".

Mihawk frowned and elbowed her son, removing the smile from his face.

"You don't need to know, Akagami".

"Tch, that's why I don't like mysterious bastards".

'Talk about yourself'.

A few minutes later and much faster than a ship could have ever made it, they found the redline in the distance, The moon was hanging up the sky and its brilliance was being reflected by the red line.

"Look there, that must be him!".

Shanks pointed in the direction of the red line and both Veyron and Mihawk saw what looked like a single red-skinned individual with nothing but a sword, clinging against the red line. He was climbing it fast but the whole scene looked comical.

'What exactly did he expect to do in Marie Geoise on his own!?'

They all deadpanned, no wonder Whitebeard requested assistance... this fish man was going to get slaughtered the moment he made it up the redline.

!!!

A surprised fisher tiger found himself floating out of the red line, he thought he was going to fall but that didn't happen... what happened instead was that three individuals that he didn't know approached him floating. The one in the middle -the Black Mantle wielding a black-cloaked cross- irked him with his mere appearance.

"What!? Who are you!?" He felt threat but the three immediately dismissed him.

"You're fisher tiger aren't you? We were sent by Whitebeard to assist".

"I told that old man that I didn't need help!".

"Huh, yeah... you need help, fellow. We will take you to the top of the red line, you want to release the slaves, don't you?".

Fisher Tiger hated humans to the death but even he had to reluctantly accept and be taken to the surface as although his rage burned vividly, he knew his limits. His only advantage was in knowing Marie Geoise's structure and the guard's patrolling patterns.

When they finally reached the top, what was presented in front of them was a city that could only be addressed as the home of gods. But this home of the gods was currently a little eerie. There were strong wind currents wreaking havoc and an ominous oppressive aura that resembled Haki crashing down on the area.

"Fights are already taking place here... tread carefully. Everyone we meet here is going to be a monster" Shanks brandished his sword and so did Mihawk, his words were literal, either they met a strong monster of an evil monster, nothing good loomed in Marie Geoise.

"The region to the north is where they keep the slaves. We can't keep flying like this or we will get a lot of attention" Fisher Tiger covered his face and wielded his sword as well, ready to pounce and slaughter any world noble that dared cross his path.

Veyron landed together with them all at the edge of the redline with nothing but an abyss beneath.

"We will escort you, lead the way" Shanks and Mihawk got ready to go in together with Fisher Tiger as for Veyron, he knew his role wasn't here. Just bringing them here, half of his role was completed.

"We should try to find a ship fi-"

<Yata no Kagami>

...

*BOOOMMMM!*

*BOOOMMMM!*

*BOOOMMMM!*

*BOOOMMMM!*

!!!

They heard a merciless banging, out of literally nowhere... Mihawk grit her teeth and releases the whole extent of her conqueror Haki in one go, slashing forth to the place where the bastard had just flickered.

"Borsalino!".

*WHOOOSHH!*

Her 4th Will, Sword Intent, sliced at Kizaru with the intent of reaping his life there and then. 'How dare you kick my son in front of me? I'll have your head!'.

"Areeee..."

Kizaru had just blasted Veyron towards the buildings in Marie Geoise with a single kick at the speed of light -effectively making him destroy at least five of them with the mere impact.

He felt the looming danger coming from Mihawk's sword and instead of trying to take it, he flickered away in the direction of 'Black Mantle' the one he had set his eyes on from the beginning.

*WHOOOOOOOSH!*

Kizaru evaded the strike, but a gnashing green line was drawn in the endless skies, piercing the very clouds and leaving in its wake a bright green haze of light.

Mihawk prepared to deliver the second strike but her hand was stopped by Shanks who shook his head, "Leave it to him... we have to go deeper inside to free the slaves!".

The lady's tongue twitched but she nodded, 'I trust you, Veyron...'

**

**

That hurts goddamm... thankfully I saw that future. My whole body was coated in Armament Haki, if not, that kick would have dealt a whole lot of damage. I know Kizaru's disadvantage, he needs to materialise his body in order to attack, even if at the speed of light.

'There goes my disguise' It was impossible to keep that cloak from being obliterated the moment he kicked me. It was so fast I couldn't even prevent that future, just protect myself from it; All I could do was coat my whole body with Haki and I also created a small barrier with my Psychokinesis; but everything was blasted the moment I received that strike.

My body was inside a pile of debris, I don't know how many castles and mansions I was blasted through but sirens were ringing all around me and people screaming.

"That hurt..." A voice resonated in front of me, It was Kizaru who just materialised, he was rubbing his foot that was still smoking.

"That fruit of yours... is a pain in the ass, Kizaru" I stood up dusting myself off. It must have hurt, he kicked against my armament Haki and also my barrier... I'm sure the latter hurt more.

'I'm thinking about killing you and taking it now, but I don't have a fruit on me'.

"Surrender yourself, kid... we can do this the easy way" The vice admiral concealed his surprise, a kid... a dark-skinned red-eyed and white-haired kid who raised a lot of flaws, 'He doesn't have wings... for a moment I thought there was a lunarian back at the top of the red line'.

"No... now stand there as I pay back your greeting".

"Hmph, as if-"

!!!

It was at that moment that Kizaru noticed he couldn't move... at all. I walked up to him with Youbi floating behind me and without wasting a second delivered the most merciless strike against Kizaru's jaw.

*BOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!*

I used everything I got, a blast of Conqueror Haki fused with Armament Haki and to top it off with my Psychokinesis I augmented the momentum of my fist. Even if it is not at the speed of light, I'm sure as hell it did a lot of damage.

The punch impacted against the future admiral's face, leaving behind several teeth as my reward along the way; sending him flying through several buildings -hopefully ending the lives of some stuck-up celestial dragons- and out of the red line.

*BOOMM!*

I chased after him. My objective is to keep him and those three vice admirals away from Marie Geoise. I know Momonga doesn't have a devil fruit so I wonder how he can even make it up here fast enough, as for the other Vice admiral, I don't know who he or she is.

While I flew, several futures showed themselves in front of me and I evaded them.

Two yellow laser beams shot towards me, impacting and creating huge explosions against the red line.

<Ama no Murakumo!>

Kizaru wielded a light sword and I wielded Youbi, before I knew it, we had already clashed more than five times.

*CLAAANGG!*

*CLAAANGG!*

*CLAAANGG!*

*CLAAANGG!*

*BOOOOMMMM!!!*

I sliced through his sword with ease but he didn't have qualms about creating another.

"Talk about troublesome, what's your real name, mantle?!"

"I'm Dracule Veyron, son of Dracule Mihawk... and also-"

I extended my arm forward and 'grasped' him, pulling him towards me in a clutch, As long as he wasn't moving at the speed of light, I could catch him.

"I'll be the strongest man alive".

He groaned in annoyance and transformed into a cluster of lights, a pity... I grabbed him by the wrist with armament Haki before smashing yet another merciless punch right against his gut.

*COUGH!*

*BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!*

This time his body crashed against the red line. I floated in front of him coated in debris, his marine coat and hat were already gone.

"You're easier than I expected, Kizaru..."

I shook my head, a little disappointed. Have I become this strong or is it that I caught Kizaru by surprise? Maybe he didn't expect a little boy to kick his ass like this.

<Yasakani no Magatama!>

A shower of light beams came shooting at me from the spot I buried him but I merely closed my eyes. I knew he was troublesome, so I came prepared.

The beans reached me at the speed of light, but then... they touched a forcefield that I made with my psychokinesis. The moment the light went through that forcefield it 'bent' and evaded my body altogether.

It was the physical effect of 'bending' light, refraction. I thought of this exclusively for him.

For a few seconds, this happened with every wisp of light that her shot at me until he stopped. Kizaru gasped when he saw me there, intact.

"What did you do, kid?"

I have never heard him that serious in the entire show, he must not be used to people not getting trashed by his overpowered devil fruit.

"There is no use in explaining anything to a monkey".

<Graviton>

*RUMBLE!!!!*

Like it was nothing, he was drawn to his knees by overwhelming Conqueror Haki and my 4th Will, he may have been able to cope with the former, but not the two of them together.

I felt his will retaliate, he was inside the red line, coated with dust and debris looking up at my levitating self.

The entire atmosphere changed we were halfway through between the top of the red line and the sea below with only the sky and the moon as a witness.

Only now I realise how tyrannical yet effective my mother's training had been, two years of resisting her conqueror Haki nonstop, two years of fighting her every day.

It all resulted in absolute devastation, if my opponent doesn't have Conqueror Haki, this is all they can do.

Kneel before me.

…

Amidst all this catastrophe the man looked up at me with that snickers glance of his, he had more to offer.

"I never thought there would come the day where I'd have to use your wisdom, teacher Zephyr~".

TO BE CONTINUED