Jack leapt from the deck, using Soru repeatedly to close the distance, testing Kizaru's speed.
To his surprise, Kizaru didn't move. He simply stood there with his leg raised, his foot emitting a golden glow that lit up the night like a blinding bulb.
As Jack was about to reach him, Kizaru vanished.
"Swish!"
"Have you been...?"
"Bang!"
Jack's movement paused for a fraction of a second as he executed Soru. That brief moment was all Kizaru needed. In an instant, he appeared beside Jack and delivered one of his signature lines before landing a kick.
Before Jack could process what was happening, Kizaru's foot connected, sending his massive body flying hundreds of meters away. Jack crashed into a dying bonfire, scattering sparks that startled the beasts drawn to the scent of roasted meat.
By the time Kizaru finished his line, Jack was already standing, shaking off the blow. He shouted at Kizaru, "Not bad, your attacks pack a punch! Come on, let's keep going!"
"What was that you said just now? Speak up, I didn't catch it!"
The scattered flames landed on a nearby barrel of oil, igniting the surrounding trees. Jack, now covered in oil, was quickly enveloped in fire.
But even as the flames roared around him, they didn't so much as singe a hair on his body—because Jack had no hair.
"Boom!"
Watching Jack kick down a massive tree as the flames on his body slowly extinguished, Kizaru couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of Kaido.
No matter how much damage Kaido took, he always had that same expression: Come at me, hit me harder.
"Oi! Jinbe! Look at them!"
"The Mammoth is retreating!"
"What?!"
Jinbe turned to see Rim waving frantically at him from the other ship. After exchanging a glance with Hatchan, they hurried toward their own ship.
"Oi! What are you guys doing?" Jinbe shouted. "The Marines will be here soon! Aren't you going to help your captain fight?"
"What's going on, Aladine?"
Standing on the deck, Jinbe called out to Aladine, who glanced toward Rim. Rim yelled back, "It's because the Marines are coming! We're hiding the ship first!"
"Jack-sama said our ship is expensive! We can't just sacrifice it like those cheap Marine ships!"
"Besides, Jack-sama's opponent this time is a Logia monster Vice Admiral!"
"When it's a fight like this, we retreat first and let Jack-sama handle it. We've got his vivre card, we'll find him later!"
"You guys should leave too! The Marines will be here any second!"
Jinbe watched, dumbfounded, as the Mammoth accelerated into the darkness. Only after it disappeared did he snap back to reality and give the order: "We retreat as well!"
"But Jinbe, our helmsman joined the Beasts Pirates…"
"What?! Then I'll steer the ship myself!"
The retreat didn't escape the notice of the two combatants. However, Kizaru seemed utterly indifferent, not even bothering to chase them. This left Jack bewildered.
What was going on with this Marine?
Normally, wouldn't the Marines chase after fleeing pirates no matter the cost? Wasn't it Jack's job to stop them from giving chase?
Jack had been racking his brain for ways to delay Kizaru long enough for his crew to abandon the ship, but Kizaru hadn't even glanced at it.
"You're really slacking off, aren't you?" Jack muttered, cracking a grin. "But I like it. A Marine with a sense of chill—that's rare."
"Well," Kizaru drawled, his hands slowly parting as a dazzling golden sword formed between them, "it's a bit of a hassle, but once I capture you, I won't have to take on too many missions. I might even get some time off."
"So… sorry about this."
The radiant blade in Kizaru's hand glowed so brightly that Jack instinctively squinted.
What a fruit, Jack thought. If I could take him down and get my hands on that ability, I'd become the Ultraman of the sea. Imagine the legend: Jack, the giant elephant of light from the Land of Radiance.
Before Jack could entertain the thought further, Kizaru moved.
"Swish!"
"Bang!"
"Scary," Kizaru said lazily as Jack emerged unscathed. But his eyes betrayed a hint of surprise. Switching his stance, Kizaru thrust the light blade toward Jack's chest.
"Bang!"
After the strike, Kizaru's expression turned serious. Staring at the faint white mark on Jack's chest, he muttered, "No wonder Kaido went after the World Government so relentlessly the last time he left Onigashima."
"He pursued them all the way across the Grand Line, even when we sent reinforcements. Turns out… this explains everything."
"Jack the Drought? A Fish-Man?" Kizaru mused aloud. "No… a half-Fish-Man. And if Kaido values you so much, then your other half must be the same race as him. Your physique… it's identical to that monster's!"
"You've got to be kidding me," Jack retorted, glaring.
Kizaru's eyes widened. "Wait a second… your build, your height…" He snapped his fingers. "Don't tell me you're Kaido's son?"
"WHAT?!" Jack bellowed, veins bulging. "Are you out of your mind? I'm a man of integrity! Do you hear yourself? You're just making things up!"
"Rumors start this way! I'm Kaido's prospective son-in-law, got it?" Jack declared, then paused. "Why am I even explaining this to you?"
"Marrying his daughter?" Kizaru tilted his head, clapping his hands. "Oh, now I see…"
"That's it!"
"I'll kill you!" Jack roared. "You're insane! You could've been an actor, but no—you're wasting your talent as a Marine! You, of all people, ate the Pika Pika no Mi? The fruit of light? It's a tragedy!"
"If the heavens had any sense, they'd have thrown that fruit into a latrine instead!"
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The fanfic is Finished on p@treon/tambeerg