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