One Piece: Ulquiorra Template

Chapter 148: Ian vs Kizaru, Light Speed Kick

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"Now, let's clean up."

Ian adjusted his attire slightly, turning to face Bartholomew Kuma. "Your mission ends here. I'll take over this battlefield."

Ian's voice was calm, and Kuma's face remained expressionless. However, a storm raged within him. Ian's words seemed cryptic to anyone else, but Kuma understood their true meaning.

"How did you know?" Kuma asked softly after a long pause.

"I heard your thoughts..." Ian grinned. Kuma's true allegiance was still secret, so it wasn't wise to reveal his encounter with Dragon. While Ian possessed the power to obliterate this island, he wasn't a senseless killer.

Could this man possess Observation Haki potent enough to read minds? Kuma was startled.

"Hey, Kuma! What's going on? What are you doing?! And who is this guy?" Sentomaru, the hulking captain of the Marines' Science Unit, clad in his red fundoshi, bellowed.

Having just been outmaneuvered by Kid and Law, allowing their escape, he was furious to witness Kuma and Ian seemingly ignoring him. His anger erupted uncontrollably.

"Damn it! This is ridiculous!"

"Fine! I'll handle this myself!" Sentomaru roared, drawing his massive double-edged axe. With surprising agility for his size, he leaped high into the air, bringing the axe down on Ian with brutal force. By the time the languid Admiral Kizaru reacted, it was too late.

"Get back, Sentomaru!"

Kizaru yelled urgently. Members of the Science Unit were typically engrossed in their research; few outside of Mary Geoise knew of Sentomaru's formidable reputation. He was clearly an exception, as evidenced by his earlier struggle against the Supernova Kid.

Sentomaru froze, hearing Kizaru's sharp command. In the next moment, a tremor ran through his body.

He was suspended mid-air. Looking down, he saw his axe, imbued with tremendous force, caught in Ian's black-clad hand. The sharpened blade, reinforced with powerful Busoshoku Haki, couldn't even scratch Ian's hand.

"What the..."

Before Sentomaru could finish his thought, his pupils constricted. A series of cracks spiderwebbed across the surface of his Haki-infused axe, followed by an explosive shattering.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The explosions echoed as Sentomaru, having crashed through countless buildings, slammed into the trunk of a massive mangrove tree on Grove 12. Blood sprayed from his mouth, his body scorched black.

Yet, he remained conscious. Having taken Ian's attack head-on, his vision remained clear. He even attempted to charge back.

"Oh... you're still standing?"

Ian raised an eyebrow, his face impassive.

"Don't be ridiculous! My defenses are the strongest in the world! You think you can take me down that easily?!" Sentomaru roared, resuming his fighting stance, preparing to unleash his advanced Busoshoku Haki, Ryuo.

"The last two people who said that to me were Kaido and Big Mom. And they're both dead now."

Ian smiled, preparing to strike again. Just then, a flash of golden light filled the air. Admiral Kizaru, who had been confronting Rayleigh, appeared before Sentomaru, forcing him to stop abruptly.