One Piece: Marine Luffy, Garp regrets it

"So what?"

Luffy's voice was calm, but his eyes were fierce, locking onto Kaido without an ounce of fear. As he responded, he reached out to pat Hancock's head gently, a small gesture of reassurance and encouragement. His calm confidence only seemed to enrage Kaido further, his immense form towering and menacing as he stared down at Luffy.

Boom!

With a powerful slam, Kaido pulled out his colossal spiked mace, the Hassaikai striking it against the ground with a thunderous impact. He then grabbed a large gourd from his waist with the character "天" (Heaven) carved onto it. Tilting it back, he took a long, aggressive swig, his throat moving as he guzzled the sake down in massive gulps. His eyes burned with renewed fervor, though his balance wavered slightly. The alcohol coursed through him, clouding his mind once again, but his gaze remained fixed on Luffy, his grip on the mace tightening.

Kaido exhaled deeply, tossing the empty gourd aside and wiping his mouth with the back of his massive hand. His mind clouded with drink, he stared at Luffy with an almost primal fury, lifting his mace high. With a powerful stomp, he cracked the ice beneath him and lunged forward, aiming directly for Luffy.

"This is my gift to thank you for taking care of Jack! Keep it!"

"Thunder Bagua!"

Recognizing the imminent danger, Luffy extended his hand, trying to manipulate the magnetic field around Kaido in a last-ditch effort to slow him down. But his mastery over the field was still incomplete, and he could barely affect Kaido's movements. The colossal figure barreled toward him, relentless.

This is insane, Luffy thought, his mind racing. I'm not the Luffy from the original timeline, and I definitely don't have the power to tank a hit like that!

Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed Hancock's waist and pulled her aside, retreating just as Kaido's strike came crashing down. But before Luffy could fully assess their escape, something completely unexpected occurred.

In a flash, Kizaru, who had been idly watching the scene unfold, sprang forward. In an uncharacteristic move, he darted directly into Kaido's path, materializing a sword of light—the Ama no Murakumo—and clashing head-on with Kaido's Thunder Bagua.

For a split second, Luffy was dumbstruck. Second uncle, is that you? he thought, awestruck. The moment I was in danger, you stepped in without a word?

Even Garp and Aokiji, who had just arrived on the scene, were taken aback. For Aokiji, who'd served alongside Kizaru on countless missions, it was an unbelievable sight. He had never seen Kizaru take a risk like this.

Borsalino? Aokiji thought, almost incredulous. This guy never rushes into the thick of things! He usually hangs back, waiting for others to take the hits, only stepping in if he can handle it from a distance. The notion of Kizaru willingly charging Kaido head-on was absurd.

But Kizaru's uncharacteristic bravery was short-lived.

"Haaaah!" Kaido roared, his muscular arms surging with power as he poured even more strength into his weapon. The mace bore down on Kizaru's lightsaber with increased weight, and Kizaru's demeanor instantly shifted.

"Wow, you're truly worthy of being one of the Four Emperors," Kizaru stammered with mock horror. "It's really quite overwhelming!"

Without further ado, he ceased resisting, letting Kaido's blow send him flying. In a dramatic exit, Kizaru was launched into the air, transforming into a brilliant meteor that streaked across the sky before vanishing from view, a faint golden trail lingering in his wake.

Luffy, Garp, and Aokiji shared a silent moment, their expressions mirroring each other's exasperation. They all knew too well what had really happened.

That slippery Kizaru… Luffy thought, watching the golden trail fade. He was almost certain that Kizaru had simply turned into light to avoid injury. It was a stunt that reminded him of the last big war. Back then, Kizaru had also feigned serious injury after being barely hit, even crashing through a wall to make it look convincing. Moments later, he had shown up completely unharmed, suit pristine, acting as if nothing had happened.

Shameless yellow monkey, Luffy thought, shaking his head in irritation. When we're back, I'm definitely reporting this to the Fleet Admiral. Ten years of no vacation leave should set him straight.

Taking a deep breath, Luffy looked over at his remaining allies. Aokiji shrugged in resignation, as though to say, "What did you expect?" before giving him a word of caution. "Be careful," Aokiji said flatly. "There are only three of us now."

Garp clenched his fists, his jaw set in frustration. "Damn Borsalino. Just wait 'til we get back, and I'll have words with him myself." His expression softened, and he looked pointedly at Hancock and Luffy. "You two especially—be cautious. I'll take point, Kuzan will provide support. Luffy, you and Hancock aren't ready to take on Kaido head-on just yet."

Luffy nodded, accepting Garp's judgment. "Understood. I'll be careful." But he knew all too well the challenge they faced. Kaido was practically impervious to regular attacks; only techniques that could bypass his defenses, such as advanced Armament Haki, had any chance of causing him damage.

He took a moment to reflect. Kaido's defenses are insane, he thought. To really stand a chance, I'd need Armament Haki strong enough to damage him internally, and even then, I'd have to combine it with advanced Conqueror's Haki and have the endurance to last through the fight.

Luffy sighed inwardly, recognizing the limits of his current abilities. He was far from mastering Conqueror's Haki, and though his stamina was considerable, his Armament Haki was nowhere near strong enough to harm someone as durable as Kaido. His strongest attack—lightning—barely even phased Kaido, and his control over the magnetic field was still rudimentary.

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