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Kizaru nodded thoughtfully, muttering to himself, "Portgas D. Ace... that's right, Noir sailed with you for a while."
"So you're going to help him?"
Ace stretched his arms, a fearless grin on his face. "If they're Noir's crewmates, I have to help."
"After all, I've been waiting here for quite some time, specifically for them."
Behind him, Kalifa looked up in surprise. "You're Captain's friend?"
Conis' eyes widened as she recognized Ace. "I remember now! Ace! The Captain talks about you a lot."
Ace's eyes lit up, and he scratched his head sheepishly. "Hahaha, is that so? What does he say about me?"
Conis tilted her head, thinking. "I don't remember exactly, but he often stares at your bounty poster and drools!"
Ace puffed out his chest with pride. "He must be envious of my bounty. It's his own fault for refusing to become a pirate with me!"
Ace had somehow slipped into casual conversation, completely ignoring the Admiral and the Marines.
The Marines cried out in indignation. The two Vice Admirals were about to reprimand the pirate, but they noticed their superior officer.
Kizaru leaned forward, cupping his ear with his hand, listening with a sly grin like a gossiping old man in a village.
Under the Vice Admirals' intense stares, Kizaru finally straightened up slightly and fired a laser beam at Ace with his finger.
Having rescued the women, Ace was now free to fight Kizaru with all his might.
In the year since they'd parted ways, Ace had gone through countless battles. Combined with his natural talent, he had honed his Mera Mera no Mi powers to a remarkable degree.
Initially, Ace had focused on developing the "momentum" of his flames.
He concentrated on expanding the area and range of his flames, combining that with concussive force to create his signature fiery attacks.
But Noir had shaken his head at this approach, advising him to focus on temperature first.
Ace had heeded the advice. The flames he wielded against Kizaru were noticeably hotter than normal flames.
And within the heart of the flames, hints of white fire flickered, suggesting a long and powerful evolution.
Noir had also taught him the basics of Haki.
Who knew how potent Ace's "D." bloodline was? After his adventures on the Grand Line, he could now utilize Haki with ease.
Ace and Kizaru exchanged blows. Though Ace was still at a disadvantage, he managed to land a few counterattacks.
Wyper, seizing the opportunity, scooped up the unconscious Enel and watched Ace fight.
The Captain's friend is Strong!!!
Wyper felt a pang of bitterness. Their smooth sailing so far had led him and Enel to underestimate the battles of the Blue Sea.
That creepy old man had given them a harsh lesson.
Suddenly, a door materialized in the air. Noir, absent for two chapters, finally returned.
Lucci and Blueno followed close behind. Robin rushed over to Conis and Kalifa, who were injured.
Vice Admiral Doberman, his sharp eyes scanning the area, immediately spotted Noir and his crew.
But his gaze was drawn to Rob Lucci, who stood behind Noir.
Lucci, the embodiment of dark justice, a weapon of the Government, was now a pirate's lackey?!
Doberman, unable to contain his fury, charged towards them with his Marines.
Lucci frowned and plunged into the fray with Blueno, while Noir took the chance to head towards the battle between Ace and Kizaru.
Noir was pleasantly surprised to see Ace.
But when his eyes landed on Kizaru, his joy multiplied tenfold, and he completely forgot about Ace.
Uncle Kizaru was in Sabaody!
This was fantastic!
The Pika Pika no Mi's potential was possibly higher than any other Devil Fruit he currently possessed.
Noir drew Devil Blade, his excitement palpable as he rushed towards the battlefield.
Ace, seeing someone approach, grinned. "Noir! Long time no see!"
Noir bumped fists with Ace, returning the smile. "I heard you saved my crew. Thanks!"
Ace shook his head, gesturing towards Kizaru. "No problem. Dealing with the Admiral is more important right now."
Kizaru, observing Noir's arrival, finally lost some of his usual nonchalance.
Noir had been the subject of much discussion among the Marine higher-ups lately.
Sengoku had sent Kizaru to deal with Noir not only because of the Fleet Admiral's insistence but also due to his own strategic considerations.
Noir melted into the shadows. Ace unleashed two fiery spears from his arms, engaging Kizaru head-on.
While Kizaru was occupied with Ace, Noir emerged from the shadows, slashing with Devil Blade. But a light sword, seemingly appearing out of thin air, blocked his attack.
His attack thwarted, Noir decided to use the opportunity to pull out a Devil Fruit card and reach for Kizaru.
To Noir and Ace's astonishment, Kizaru, who had remained unfazed by their punches and sword strikes, reacted as if he'd touched a plague. He transformed into light and scrambled out of Noir's reach.
Kizaru let out a sigh of relief. This was the result of the Marine higher-ups' discussions about Noir's ability.
Based on their analysis, the Copy-Copy Fruit, a power never before seen in history, was likely a unique type of Paramecia.
Paramecia users typically activated their abilities through physical touch.
The Copy-Copy Fruit, with its game-breaking potential, was likely no different, and it probably had further limitations.
That old man, Sengoku, had studied Noir's past battles and estimated that his copying capacity was limited to around five abilities. The solution to countering this ability was simple.
Don't let him touch you, or just chop off his hands!
This was why the higher-ups had unanimously agreed that Kizaru was the best choice for dealing with Noir.
Because Noir couldn't catch him...
Noir and Ace fought fiercely against Kizaru, but as the battle progressed, Noir realized something was amiss.
His frustration grew with every passing moment.
He'd figured it out. Kizaru was deliberately avoiding him.
Several times, even when Kizaru had a clear opening for a decisive attack, the moment Noir reached out with his "sinful" hand, the slippery Admiral would jump away.
Even when injured, Kizaru desperately avoided any physical contact with Noir.
The whole fight felt like Noir was trying to seduce a chaste maiden.
A terrifying thought crossed Noir's mind: Did the Marines know about his System??
The Marines didn't know, but their attempts to analyze Noir based on conventional wisdom had accidentally hit the mark, creating a significant obstacle for him.
The battle raged on. Kizaru sustained some injuries, and Noir and Ace weren't unscathed either.
Noir was relatively fine, but Ace had taken a beating, his body covered in wounds.
After all, Kizaru only disliked Noir's hands; he had no qualms about hitting Ace's body.
Thousands of Marines surrounded them, tightening the net. Noir, still unable to land a touch on Kizaru, started to panic.
Fine, I'll just have to mimic someone else's appearance and catch him off guard later...
Noir shouted to Blueno, "Open a door! We're retreating!"
Blueno kicked a Marine aside. "Where to?"
Noir gathered his crew and the Spade Pirates. "The eastern shore of Sabaody. We're getting out of here."
Enel, still unconscious on Wyper's shoulder, twitched at the words. He lifted his head with difficulty and asked, "What about our golden ship and the money on board...?"
Noir sighed. "It's all arranged. We have someone waiting for us. Let's go."
Blueno, sweating profusely, created an Air Door while Kizaru was momentarily occupied. The group rushed through the portal.
Ace, grinning, followed them, sending a parting Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor at Kizaru.
The Marines were forced back. Kizaru's eyebrows furrowed as he gathered light in his hands, forming a circular blast. His body shot forward at the speed of light.
Noir, reaching the shore, looked back and saw a flash of light approaching at an impossible speed.
Seriously? You're supposed to be the Lazy Admiral! Why are you trying so hard?
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