One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

"What happened?"

Vice Admiral Mole, who was approaching Area 29, stopped in surprise. The ground beneath his feet was trembling, though the shaking only lasted for about ten seconds.

Mole frowned.

"Is that the kind of power one man can unleash?"

He cautiously made his way toward Area 29, where the tremors had been strongest.

"The Fire Sword God has fallen!"

"It's really him!"

At that moment, Vane appeared, calm and composed as ever.

Mole didn't hesitate. When he saw that the man before him was Vane, he instantly drew his sword and disappeared in a blur using Soru, one of the Navy's Six Powers.

A second later, he reappeared mid-air in front of Vane, gripping his sword with both hands as he swung down with full force.

"Pirate! Surrender now without resistance!" Vice Admiral Mole bellowed.

Vane smiled slightly, unfazed. "That's quite the greeting. I just showed up, and you're already trying to cut me down? Aren't you afraid you'll kill me? The bounty says I need to be captured alive."

He casually raised his right arm, already coated in [Armament Haki].

A sharp clang rang out as Mole's blade struck Vane's forearm—and bounced off harmlessly. Mole's eyes widened. He had expected to break through, but it was like striking steel.

"Not bad... Your Armament Haki is strong," Mole admitted. "But don't think that means you can act arrogant in front of me!"

Moonwalk!

Mole leapt back three meters and slashed forward five times. Five sharp white arcs of sword energy tore through the air toward Vane, the air screaming with each cut.

He was skilled—his swordsmanship and physical techniques were elite among vice admirals.

But Vane remained calm. This wasn't Garp. This was Mole. And that meant…

Vane twisted slightly, raising his right hand, now pulsing with the power of the [Tremor-Tremor Fruit], and smashed it forward.

Airquake!

The air shattered. The five sword slashes Mole launched cracked apart like glass less than a meter from Vane and dissipated into dust.

"So easily destroyed…!"

"I've only ever seen Whitebeard fight like that!"

Mole's shock hadn't even faded before Vane vanished again. In an instant, he appeared in front of Mole and punched him in the gut.

"You know Rokushiki too?!" Mole gasped.

"Your questions are reallyboring?" Vane grinned. "Why not taste my fist instead?"

Vane's punch landed squarely, sending shockwaves through Mole's body. The force lifted him off the ground. Mole's vision spun. His stomach felt like it had been crushed. Pain erupted through his nervous system. His eyes bulged in disbelief as blood and bile surged from his throat.

He coughed violently, splattering blood, but Vane had already stepped aside.

"That was just a regular punch, Vice Admiral Mole. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll entertain you a bit… Let the whole sea hear my name."

Mole collapsed to one knee, wheezing. "An ordinary punch…? That's impossible…"

Vane walked toward him slowly. "Believe it. I may have strong abilities, but physically? I'm not weaker than someone like you, even if you've trained your body your whole life."

With a sharp exhale, Vane slammed his right fist down again, sending Mole flying thirty meters.

Before Mole could crash into a wall, a new figure flashed in and caught him mid-air.

It was Vice Admiral Ghost Spider.

He had a cigar between his lips, a hardened glare in his eyes, and six long blades gripped—two in his hands, four held aloft by the prehensile strands of hair behind his back. Despite his spider-like appearance, that was just his hairstyle—no Devil Fruit involved.

"You alright?" Ghost Spider asked.

"I'll live," Mole grunted, rubbing his stomach. The pain was intense, but he gritted his teeth and stood tall, barely.

"That kid's punches are on par with Vice Admiral Garp…"

He looked grim. "That shockwave—it's just like the [Tremor-Tremor Fruit]! You have to see it to believe it."

Ghost Spider narrowed his eyes. "He's made Marine Headquarters look bad lately. I'll bring him in… in the name of justice."

With blades drawn, his flexible hair ready to strike, and Mole back at his side, the two prepared to fight.

"Let's take him together," Mole said. "We can't underestimate him. Even Admiral Aokiji suffered under his hands. I don't know what tricks he used, but we must be careful."

With perfect coordination, both vice admirals vanished using [Soru], moving with incredible speed.

Neither possessed Devil Fruit powers. Their strength came from raw physical ability and swordsmanship. While not quite on Garp's level, they were still terrifying combatants.

"Two-on-one?" Vane said, his tone light. "Now this is getting fun."

The air on his right side rippled.

A blade ignited in flame appeared in his hand—flowing like liquid fire.

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