Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

Under Jinbe's orders, the fish-men voluntarily surrendered, lowering their sails and waiting for the Navy warships to approach.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Knight of the Sea Jinbe. Refusing the mandatory summons and sneaking near Marineford—planning to attack the headquarters, are we?"

Standing at the bow of the warship, Kizaru gazed down at Jinbe's small vessel, casually throwing accusations at the Warlord with a small smirk.

He could understand Jinbe's desire to protect his people and Fish-Man Island, but preaching peaceful coexistence with humans while allowing anti-human sentiment to spread unchecked on Fish-Man Island?

No matter the circumstances, that was pretty hypocritical.

Of course, from Jinbe's perspective, he was in a tough spot. How could he possibly harm his own people for the sake of humans?

But Kizaru was human. He could comprehend Jinbe's dilemma, but he couldn't truly sympathize.

As Kizaru would put it—if you don't sit on the same side, how can you have a fair conversation?

"That's not my intention. I came to speak with Fleet Admiral Sengoku… You all go back. Tell King Neptune he doesn't need to worry."

Jinbe spoke solemnly, giving final instructions to his crew before stepping onto the Navy warship without waiting for their response.

"Too bad. Fleet Admiral Sengoku doesn't want to see you. In fact, he's planning to send you straight to Impel Down."

Kizaru sighed, sounding somewhat annoyed. To be honest, he admired Jinbe's sense of loyalty.

But because of that loyalty, Kizaru had to personally deal with this mess—which was a hassle he didn't appreciate.

"…Why? Why is the Navy targeting Pops?"

Jinbe was silent for a moment before finally voicing his frustration.

The Navy knew Whitebeard would never abandon a crew member. Yet they still chose to publicly execute Ace, making it clear that their true target was the Whitebeard Pirates.

But in Jinbe's eyes, Whitebeard wasn't just a benefactor of Fish-Man Island—he was a man of honor, a great pirate who upheld his own sense of justice. Even if the Navy wanted to eliminate pirates, Whitebeard wasn't the one they should be going after!

"All pirates deserve to die. There's no need for further explanation."

Vice Admiral Strawberry spoke coldly. He had no sympathy for fish-men—especially fish-men pirates.

After all, he was the one who led the attack that gravely wounded Fisher Tiger, the former captain of the Sun Pirates, when he was trying to return Koala to her homeland.

"You… it's you!"

Jinbe's expression darkened with rage. To fish-men, most humans looked the same, but Strawberry's distinctively long head made him instantly recognizable.

This bastard was the one who killed Brother Tiger!

"Hmph. Filthy fish-man."

Strawberry snorted disdainfully. Back when Jinbe was still a Warlord of the Sea, he had to exercise restraint.

But now that Fleet Admiral Sengoku had ordered Jinbe to be sent to Impel Down, there was no longer any need to hold back.

"You're asking for death! Seven-Thousand-Tile Roundhouse Kick!"

Even someone as composed as Jinbe couldn't endure Strawberry's provocation. The death of Fisher Tiger was an eternal scar in the hearts of all fish-men.

Blinded by rage, the whale shark fish-man twisted his body and launched a powerful roundhouse kick directly at Strawberry's head.

BOOM!

Jinbe's sudden attack caught Strawberry off guard. In that brief moment, as despair flickered in Strawberry's eyes.

A golden light flashed.

Kizaru's leg struck first, sending Jinbe's massive body flying and crashing into the ship's artillery deck.

The sheer impact shook the entire warship, though it quickly stabilized thanks to its sturdy construction.

"Don't act like I'm not here. I am an Admiral, after all…"

Kizaru shook his head lazily. Trying to attack a Vice Admiral right in front of him? That was a blatant disrespect to the Navy.

"Even an Admiral can't do whatever they want!"

Jinbe gritted his teeth and stood back up. The kick wasn't too heavy—Kizaru was careful not to use excessive force, as he didn't want to accidentally sink the ship.

Fish-men naturally possessed superior durability compared to regular humans. And as a Warlord of the Sea, Jinbe wouldn't go down from a single kick.

"Ah… that line sounds familiar."

Kizaru nearly responded instinctively—"Sorry, but Admirals can do whatever they want."

But before he could say it, Jinbe took a deep breath, eyes burning with determination.

"I wish to challenge Admiral Kizaru. If I win by some miracle… allow me to meet Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

Jinbe's declaration startled the sailors onboard.

"A mere pirate dares challenge Admiral Kizaru?!"

Vice Admiral Strawberry gritted his teeth, already clutching the hilt of his sword. As soon as Admiral Kizaru gave the order, he and the other marines would swarm in and eliminate this insolent pirate.

To the Navy, the Warlord system itself was a disgrace—an arrangement that forced them to turn a blind eye to "legal" pirates.

Now that Jinbe had defied the World Government's mandatory summons, attacked a Vice Admiral, and insulted an Admiral, his status as a Warlord was already forfeit.

This was the perfect chance to take him down!

And if they succeeded, considering Crocodile had already been imprisoned in Impel Down, that would mean two Warlords down.

With only five left, maybe—just maybe—the Warlord system could finally be abolished.

That thought excited Strawberry. If he could witness the downfall of the Warlord system in his lifetime, then dying at sea wouldn't be a regret.

"You're serious? I don't go easy on pirates, you know…"

Kizaru said lazily. In truth, he didn't hold any particular grudge against Jinbe. But duty was duty.

And let's be real—Jinbe was no match for him.

"Fish-Man Karate…"

Jinbe wasted no time, immediately assuming his combat stance.

But before he could even make a move—

A golden light flashed before his eyes.

BOOM!

With a thunderous explosion, the deck beneath Jinbe's feet shattered as Kizaru's kick sent him crashing straight through the floor, plummeting into the ship's lower decks.

"…Oops. Looks like I might've overdone it. My bad, Strawberry—I think I just broke your ship."

Kizaru scratched his head. The boost from his Stand had been stronger than expected. If the warship's deck hadn't been sturdy enough, that kick might have gone straight through an ordinary ship's hull.

Even so, the reinforced warship now had a gaping four-to-five-meter-wide hole in the deck. Jinbe had been sent crashing through the second floor, landing all the way down in the ship's bottom level.

"…N-no problem…"

Strawberry swallowed hard. It wasn't his first time witnessing an Admiral's strength, but seeing a Warlord of the Sea nearly one-shot was still terrifying.

"…Is he dead?"

Nami couldn't help but ask. Even though Bellemere had survived thanks to Kizaru, the Cat Burglar held long-standing grudges.

Because of Arlong, she had zero goodwill toward fish-men. No matter how honorable Jinbe seemed, to Nami, he was just another fish-man—and she hated them all.

"Not yet, y'know~"

As soon as Kizaru spoke, Jinbe—covered in blood—leapt out of the hole, a spherical mass of water forming in his palm.

"Fish-Man Karate: Ultimate Technique—Buraikan!"

With a mighty thrust, Jinbe unleashed a high-pressure blast of seawater, compressed to its absolute limit, straight at Kizaru.

This attack wasn't just fast and powerful—it was also especially lethal against Devil Fruit users due to seawater's natural countereffect.

"Ah… that's a bit naïve, don't you think?"

Kizaru remained completely calm, extending his palm forward.

Jinbe's eyes widened in disbelief—a moment later, an invisible force erupted from Kizaru's hand.

It was Haki.

Kizaru's Armament Haki spread out, forming an impenetrable barrier that completely neutralized the water blast before it could even touch him.

To use Haki like this—as an absolute defense—was incredibly wasteful. Even top-tier fighters couldn't sustain such high-level Armament Haki indefinitely.

But Kizaru didn't care.

In a way, his stamina was limitless.

His former weakness—his physical endurance—had been pushed beyond human limits after absorbing so much sunlight through his Stand ability.

Even someone like Kaido, whose body was monstrous even before his Devil Fruit awakening, now lagged behind Kizaru in sheer endurance.

At this point, the only unknown factor that Kizaru had to be wary of… was Imu.

"Fish-Man Karate: Ultimate Technique—Demon Brick Fist!"

Realizing that ranged attacks were useless, Jinbe had no choice but to engage in close combat.

His right fist was now coated in dense Armament Haki—if this punch landed, even top-tier fighters would take serious damage.

But—

"Shining Dragon Punch."

Kizaru didn't even try to dodge.

Despite wielding one of the most evasive Devil Fruits in the world, he chose to meet Jinbe's attack head-on.

Their fists collided—Jinbe's Haki-clad punch versus Kizaru's glowing, light-infused fist.

A violent shockwave exploded outward, flattening the ship's sails and forcing the Marine soldiers to dive for cover against the gust.

Only Nami, standing behind Kizaru, remained completely untouched—even taking a moment to mentally calculate the repair costs for the ship.

But the clash lasted for only a brief moment.

Jinbe—unable to withstand Kizaru's overwhelming force—was blasted away, crashing into the warship's cannon turret and leaving a massive dent in the steel structure.

The entire warship shook from the impact.

If Vice Admiral Strawberry's flagship hadn't been built with top-tier materials, it might've sunk right then and there.

"…Ugh!"

Jinbe tried to speak, but the moment he opened his mouth—

Blood gushed out.

Even with his fish-man endurance, after taking multiple direct attacks from Kizaru, his body was finally reaching its limit.

"…Looks like that's settled. Well then, I'll leave the rest to you~"

Kizaru patted off imaginary dust from his clothes before signaling the Marines to shackle Jinbe with Seastone chains.

Even though Jinbe wasn't a Devil Fruit user, Seastone was incredibly strong—far tougher than ordinary steel chains.

A regular metal lock wouldn't be enough to restrain a former Warlord of the Sea.

"Thank you for your hard work, Admiral Kizaru!"

Vice Admiral Strawberry bowed respectfully. Taking down a Warlord this easily? Kizaru's power was simply beyond comprehension.

"Make sure to be careful while transporting him. I'll be heading back to headquarters."

Kizaru patted Strawberry's shoulder before boarding another warship, taking Nami with him.

"Lock the prisoner in the lower deck! Fleet, set course for Impel Down!"

Strawberry watched as Kizaru's ship departed before turning back and giving his orders.

Transporting a high-profile prisoner like Jinbe wasn't a small task.

Especially when he was one of the Seven Warlords.

If Strawberry had still been a Rear Admiral, successfully summoning and capturing a Warlord would have been enough to earn him a promotion to Vice Admiral.

But now, as a Vice Admiral, the question remained—

Could this capture contribute to the end of the Warlord system entirely?

"Yes, sir!"

The Marine soldiers were ecstatic.

Aside from the sheer terror of watching Admiral Kizaru in action—praying he wouldn't accidentally sink their ship—this mission had been nothing short of a free victory.

With Jinbe secured and en route to Impel Down, Vice Admiral Strawberry and his men were ready to claim their credit.

But at that very moment—

The great underwater prison was about to receive some very unwelcome visitors.

---

"Alright! Ace is locked up in there, right?!"

Luffy clenched his fists in excitement as he stared at the massive fortress rising from the sea.

"Idiot! If you wanna save him, stay calm!"

Thankfully, Sabo grabbed him before he could charge in blindly.

Even just outside Impel Down, there were multiple warships patrolling the area.

If not for the dense fog and the small size of their vessel, neither Luffy nor Sabo would have made it this far undetected.

But even having reached the prison's perimeter, getting inside was an entirely different challenge.

Watchtowers covered every inch of the fortress, Marines patrolled the waters, and the prison interior was filled with elite jailers.

If it were just Sabo alone, he might have had a chance—but with Luffy?

That was hell mode difficulty.

"But Ace is waiting for us to rescue him!"

Luffy, naturally, was impatient. The fact that he hadn't already rushed in was a miracle.

Still, no matter how anxious Luffy got, Sabo held him in place.

For over half an hour, Sabo studied the guards, before finally making a decision.

"…Alright. Let's try it. Follow me."

°°°

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