On the colossal warship.
Borsalino watched the two small sailboats heading towards the right side of the island in the distance, but he did not order an attack.
This was because a familiar aura was rapidly approaching.
He straightened his slightly bent posture, his eyes flashed red, and he turned his gaze towards the ship's mast.
"They're here."
"Here?"
The Vice Admirals behind him were startled and quickly turned their heads, following Borsalino's gaze towards the silver-haired figure in moon-white clothing that suddenly appeared.
"Is this the Silver-haired Kōta, who has given the Navy Headquarters and the World Government such a headache?"
"He looks so young!"
Kōta's instantaneous movement and his young age shocked everyone.
"Well! One cannot be careless when facing this fellow!"
The red glow in Kizaru's eyes never faded.
He was the only one here who had fought Kōta before. Although it wasn't even a warm-up, Kōta's teleportation had shocked him no less than it had these Vice Admirals.
"Yo!"
Kōta sat on the crossbeam of the sail on the mast, looking down at the yellow figure below, and waved.
"Long time no see, Uncle Pikachu."
"Pikachu?"
The Vice Admirals' faces contorted strangely. They glanced at Borsalino and then quickly looked away.
Kizaru looked up at Kōta, his lips twitching.
He pushed up his tinted sunglasses and slowly said to Kōta, "Well, Silver-haired Kōta, you're truly terrifying!"
As he spoke, he raised his right hand, pointing at Kōta, his fingertip glowing golden. Then, a laser beam shot towards Kōta.
"Kid! You won't get away so easily this time!"
"Oh!"
A red glow flickered in Kōta's eyes, and he tilted his head.
"I think so too. I hope you can entertain me!"
The laser grazed his ear and shot into the sky behind him, exploding.
The explosion of the laser fire obscured the golden sunlight of the setting sun.
The orange-red flames illuminated Kōta, making him seem to grow instantly taller, exuding immense pressure.
"You guys directly initiate 'Buster Call', I'll handle this guy."
"Understood!"
The Vice Admirals glanced at Kōta and then quickly used "Geppo" to leap into the air, heading towards the warships on either side.
"Well! Can't you not be so hasty?"
Kōta frowned as he watched the Vice Admirals disperse, and his blade flashed.
Kizaru gazed at Kōta, his hands clasped in front of him, golden light flashing in his palms.
"Yata no Kagami!"
A beam of golden light appeared in an instant to Kōta's right, and Kizaru, who was at the bow of the ship, transformed into golden light, elementalized, and instantly appeared to Kōta's right through the golden passageway formed by Yata no Kagami.
He stroked his chin with his right hand, and his right foot glowed golden. He then delivered a powerful kick towards Kōta's waist.
"Speed is weight! Have you ever been kicked at light speed?"
"Well! Didn't I say it? Don't be so hasty!"
A red glow flickered in Kōta's eyes as he turned his head to look at the suddenly appearing Kizaru.
Ching—!
Zankon was instantly unsheathed and swung rapidly to the right.
Clang—!
A collision that echoed throughout the entire fleet, its shockwave rushing outwards.
"I say, Uncle Pikachu."
"What?"
Kizaru had long since given up correcting Kōta's new nickname.
"Pikachu" was certainly better than the insulting "Yellow Monkey."
Kōta looked up, seeing Kizaru through the golden light, and asked, "Is the World Government giving you a bonus for this mission this time?"
"Bonus!"
Kizaru's hand, stroking his chin, paused. Then he roared at Kōta, "Don't joke around, Silver-haired."
"Didn't I say it? I didn't join the Navy for the salary!"
"Oh!"
Kōta replied softly, his perfunctory tone causing Kizaru's expression to darken instantly.
Sensing the warships still sailing below, a red light flashed in Kōta's eyes. His Kenbunshoku Haki instantly swept across the entire fleet on the sea.
He could feel the Navy soldiers on the warships becoming instantly busy as the Vice Admirals gave their orders.
"This won't do!"
Kōta looked up at Kizaru. "Well, Uncle Pikachu, do you know the ultimate consequences of this Buster Call?"
"No."
"You came without knowing."
"Well! These are matters for the Fleet Admiral and the World Government to worry about. We are just executors. Why think so much?"
Kizaru looked at Kōta, his lips curling. "Well, I say, Silver-haired, with me here, you can't stop the Buster Call!"
"Oh!"
Kōta looked at Kizaru, his eyes widening, and then an overwhelming aura of dominance erupted.
"Haoshoku Haki?"
Kizaru looked at Kōta, a trace of shock flashing in his eyes.
"This is troublesome."
The Navy had already learned from Smoker's report that Kōta possessed Haoshoku Haki, but they hadn't known it was this powerful.
This Haoshoku Haki, like a stone dropped into a calm sea, spread out in ripples, quickly sweeping across ten warships.
The world fell silent, and then the sounds of countless people falling to the ground echoed.
Out of the tens of thousands of Navy soldiers on the ten warships, more than nine thousand collapsed. Only a few officers with strong wills and considerable strength managed to withstand the aura.
"What about now?"
This was his confidence in being able to stop the Buster Call. As his strength grew, so did his aura.
Moreover, he had clashed with top-tier Haoshoku Haki users like Shiki, which meant his Haoshoku Haki had long surpassed what Monkey D. Luffy had when he first set sail two years later.
Luffy could knock out fifty thousand Fish-Man Island residents with his Haoshoku Haki, and those fifty thousand were Merfolk, who were physically stronger than humans.
For him, knocking out about ten thousand Navy soldiers was nothing to be surprised about.
Without these Navy soldiers, the Buster Call would be a joke. With only a few hundred remaining Navy officers, even if he did nothing, they wouldn't be able to unleash the devastating artillery bombardment to destroy the island.
"You truly are terrifying."
Kizaru's lips curved upwards. He then extended his right hand, his fingertip glowing golden, and quickly shot towards Kōta's head.
Whoosh—!
Kōta's head tilted easily to the right, evading the laser beam.
"Get serious and show me your full power! These little tricks are useless to me!"
As he spoke, he quickly sheathed his sword, and then an armament imbued with a pinkish glow covered Zankon.
"It's not like last time!"
Last time, his Busoshoku Haki couldn't harm Kizaru, but this time was different.
"Hmm!"
Kizaru looked at the Haki emanating from Kōta and shed his dismissive expression.
"Growing so fast?"
He looked at Zankon, feeling its sharpness, and retracted his right foot.
During their last encounter, he could say he had only lightly tested Kōta. He hadn't felt any threat from Kōta then.
But this time...
"Truly terrifying!"