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Hearing the voice behind him, Noir finally breathed a sigh of relief.
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Black flames swept across the countless ice swords that had erupted from the ground, melting them instantly.
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Using Kuzan as a breakthrough point, Noir charged through the two Admirals'' encirclement, his sword blazing. "Push the ship off the Red Line! I''ll handle this!"
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The two giants roared in acknowledgement. They reached out their long arms, scooped up their crewmates, and tossed them onto the ship. Then, with a mighty heave, they shoved the ship, along with several Marine vessels, off the edge of the Red Line!
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Kizaru paused, stunned. Were they trying to commit suicide?!
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The Red Line, a practically insurmountable mountain, and they were jumping off it!
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Weren''t they afraid of being smashed to pieces along with the ship?
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Kuzan suddenly understood. "Borsalino! Don''t let Noir use his ability!"
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But Noir was already in motion. Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed a dense fog that shimmered like ice crystals.
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In an instant, an icy path materialized beneath the plummeting ships, sloping downwards into the empty air.
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An ice slide? The Marines could hardly believe their eyes. Could this playground contraption really be their escape route?
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Though the vertical drop had become a slide, the icy surface was uneven, and the passengers screamed as the ship bounced and jolted.
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But the screams were overshadowed by cheers of joy and relief.
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Noir, the creator of the ice slide, however, was groaning inwardly.
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The icy path continued to extend downwards. Noir, standing at the bow of the lead ship, focused all his energy on maintaining the ice slide, not daring to relax for a moment.
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The Red Line was incredibly high. The ice slide could only slow their descent, and Noir''s stamina wasn''t enough to create such a massive structure in one go.
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I just finished dealing with the swordsmanship and Haki talents, now I have to aim for a stamina talent…
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Noir thought wryly. Suddenly, his Observation Haki blared a warning. A powerful attack was incoming!
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Without questioning his Haki''s accuracy, Noir ducked.
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At that very moment, a beam of light grazed the space above his head, nearly taking it clean off.
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Noir looked up in shock, his eyes locking onto the attacker.
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Kizaru stood atop the mast of a Marine ship behind them, one hand on Kuzan''s shoulder, the other pointed at Noir.
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Their justice coats billowed in the wind, creating an intimidating aura high above the falling ships.
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Someone on the ship below shouted angrily, "Even now, the Marines won''t let us go?!"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
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Kizaru shrugged. "I''m just following orders."
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The truth was…
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Kizaru, seeing Noir and his crew sliding down the ice path, with the Marines unable to pursue, had been ready to call it a day.
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But Kuzan, his usually laid-back colleague, had suddenly become strangely determined, insisting that Kizaru take him along in pursuit.
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And so, the two laziest Admirals found themselves working overtime.
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Kuzan listened to the freed slaves'' cries, then calmly addressed Noir. "Devil Noir, let''s make a deal."
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A deal? What kind of deal?
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Well… stalling for time wouldn''t hurt.
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Noir couldn''t release his hands from maintaining the ice slide. He forced a relaxed tone. "What do you have in mind?"
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Kuzan gestured towards the freed slaves below. "If you surrender and hand over the Celestial Dragons you kidnapped, I''ll let them go and escort them to safety."
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Kizaru raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Can you really make that call?"
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Kuzan''s expression remained calm, but his voice was firm. "I''ll take responsibility. Our mission is to capture Noir and rescue the Celestial Dragons."
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"As for the slaves... let''s just say they scattered and escaped..."
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Noir scoffed at Kuzan''s offer. "That''s a generous offer, indeed..."
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Kuzan didn''t react to the sarcasm in Noir''s voice. "What do you say?"
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Before Noir could answer, the freed slaves erupted in outrage.
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They found a surge of courage, even daring to point their fingers at the Admiral and shout insults.
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"Brazen Marines! you try to take our Savior away!"
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"Our Savior, a powerful individual, risked his life to save us, these burdens. And you think you can just capture him with a few words? Bullshit!"
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"We''d rather fight alongside our Savior than be captured by you again, even if we''re freed!"
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"That''s right! We don''t need your fake, condescending offer of freedom!"
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Kuzan was surprised by the slaves'' defiance. He remained silent, facing their accusations and anger towards the Marines.
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After a long moment, Kuzan turned to Noir, a faint smile appearing on his usually stoic face.
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"They''re all willing to follow you, Noir. It seems you have quite the charisma."
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Sensing the shift in Kuzan''s demeanor, Noir chuckled and shook his head. "Kuzan, are you playing dumb?"
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"You know it''s not about my charisma. It''s just that, to these poor souls, a lawless madman is more trustworthy and reliable than the righteous Marines who serve the World Government."
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Noir''s gaze locked with Kuzan''s, his voice sharp and clear. "The Marines'' justice, your justice... it seems it can''t be achieved as long as the World Government exists."
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Kuzan listened quietly to Noir''s words. After a while, his voice, as cold as ever, seemed to drift in and out. "Is that so..."
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Noir wasn''t sure how much of his carefully chosen words had actually reached Kuzan.
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But one thing was certain: no matter how much he stalled, they wouldn''t let him escape.
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If an Admiral could be swayed by mere words, they wouldn''t be called Admirals.
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As everyone watched, Kuzan exhaled a frosty breath, and Kizaru raised his arm.
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An ice blade and a light sword materialized in their hands. Kuzan''s eyes sharpened, his gaze fixed on Noir. "Let''s settle this, Noir."
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"Just the two of us."
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A biting wind swept through the air, and frigid ice condensed around Kuzan. The Marine ships, which had been sliding down the ice path, slowly came to a halt.
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Noir, surprised, released his hands from maintaining the ice slide. Kuzan, his body radiating frost, continued, "If you defeat me, you can leave. If you lose, I won''t harm these people."
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Kizaru, holding his Ama no Murakumo, looked bewildered. "Can we really do that? What about me?"
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Enel stepped forward, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "I''ll take care of you!"
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Kizaru glanced at him dismissively. Ah, the loser from before...
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Enel bristled at Kizaru''s indifference.
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A hand landed on his shoulder. Wyper stood beside Enel. "I''ll fight with you."
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Lucci, his hands in his pockets, joined them. His voice was cold and sharp. "My justice tells me that these slaves are indeed a burden. But an order is an order."
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"And that self-righteous captain''s brand of justice must also be upheld."
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Kizaru finally acknowledged the trio, his voice slow and deliberate. "Isn''t a pirate''s so-called justice just lawlessness?"
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Lasers erupted from his body, and his Ama no Murakumo slashed towards the challengers.