Chapter 32: Young swordsman?

By this time, Jozu had already rushed over, throwing punch after punch at the light bullets raining down from the sky.

Meanwhile, the users of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix, who were maintaining the barrier overhead, saw that their Vice Captain had been injured.

Their eyes immediately reddened with fury.

None of them had expected Admiral Kizaru to resort to such a sneaky attack.

There wasn’t even time to curse him out.

The three phoenixes instantly shifted formation, layering their wings together and shielding Ron completely.

"...Sigh."

Kizaru let out a faint sigh, surprise flickering in his eyes.

He stared at the invisible yet razor-sharp sword aura surrounding Ron.

Such a young swordsman?

But something felt off.

Ron looked thin and frail, lacking the imposing physique and presence expected of a powerful swordsman.

His appearance stood in stark contrast to the terrifying sword aura he displayed.

The mismatch was almost unbelievable.

However—

Kizaru knew one thing for certain.

Even a true master swordsman would suffer severe injuries if struck head-on by his Yasakani no Magatama.

"Cough... cough... I’m fine."

As the dust gradually settled, Ron emerged from the ruins.

His clothes were covered in dirt and debris, but he didn’t appear seriously injured.

Immediately, he shot Jozu a meaningful glance.

The look in his eyes carried a hint of urgency.

"Hmm?"

Jozu was briefly confused.

Then he looked Ron up and down several more times.

Is the Vice Captain really injured, or is his acting just that good?

Either way, he didn’t seem seriously hurt.

So... are we continuing the plan or not?

Just as Jozu was wondering, Kizaru suddenly interrupted them.

"Ron... Vice Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates..."

Kizaru deliberately dragged out his words as he carefully studied Ron’s face, as though committing it to memory.

"I’ll remember you."

The moment he finished speaking, his body dissolved into countless particles of light.

Like scattered starlight, he vanished into the air.

The others couldn’t help but sigh with disappointment.

"Are Admirals always this hard to catch? We followed the plan perfectly and still couldn’t capture him."

"Not necessarily. It’s just that Kizaru’s Devil Fruit power is absurd. He’s the fastest of the three Admirals."

"The Glint-Glint Fruit... Heh. Soon we’ll be able to become Glint-Glint Fruit users ourselves!"

"Hahaha! That’s right!"

"This is all thanks to the Vice Captain’s plan!"

"Vice Captain Ron is incredible!"

"Alright, alright. Stop flattering me."

Ron laughed and shook his head.

"Go collect Kizaru’s blood samples first."

Before this operation, Ron had already analyzed the possibility of encountering Kizaru.

After Admiral Aokiji returned to Marine Headquarters injured, Ron had been certain that Fleet Admiral Sengoku would send another Admiral to investigate.

There was no way Akainu would be assigned.

That left only Kizaru.

And honestly—

Ron had coveted Kizaru’s Glint-Glint Fruit for a long time.

Its speed was unmatched.

Its laser attacks possessed incredible range and destructive power.

Most importantly, it could hit virtually any target with pinpoint accuracy.

It was one of the most versatile abilities imaginable.

That was why he and the crew had developed a special plan specifically to trap Kizaru.

Unfortunately, the Admiral had still managed to escape.

But that wasn’t a major issue.

At least they had obtained what truly mattered.

His blood.

"Cough..."

Ron coughed heavily, feeling a dull ache in his chest.

The shockwave from the explosions had still injured him considerably.

His internal organs felt as if they had been rattled apart.

Thankfully, his physical strength had improved tremendously compared to when he had first arrived in this world.

If it had happened back then, the shockwave alone would have killed him.

Seeing his condition, Whitey Bay immediately hurried over.

"Ron, are you alright?"

She gently lifted his arm and draped it across her fair neck.

The gesture was both gentle and caring.

Ron felt warmth spread through his heart.

"I’m fine."

He forced out a smile.

"The blast wave just knocked the wind out of me. I’ll recover after a little rest."

Whitey Bay clearly didn’t believe him.

"Hmph!"

She puffed out her cheeks.

"You always lie. How could you possibly be fine looking like this?"

Then her expression softened.

"Leave the rest to Whitey Bay~"

Without waiting for his approval, she scooped him into her arms.

The resulting pressure nearly suffocated him.

Despite that, Ron could clearly feel her concern and worry.

A warm feeling rose in his chest.

Tonight, I’ll definitely reward her properly.

"A huge harvest! Let’s head home!"

"Let’s go!"

"Hahaha!"

Jaya Island—

The place regarded as the Whitebeard Pirates’ second home.

When news spread that they had not only successfully reclaimed the Heavenly Tribute but had also unexpectedly obtained Kizaru’s blood, the entire base erupted in celebration.

To commemorate this hard-earned victory and welcome an even brighter future, a grand banquet was held that very night.

Bonfires illuminated smiling faces.

The air was filled with laughter, music, and the aroma of delicious food.

As one of the key members of the crew, Ron naturally became one of the night’s main targets for toasts.

Normally, he wasn’t much of a drinker.

But on a day like this, surrounded by enthusiastic companions, refusing was nearly impossible.

One cup became two.

Two became ten.

Before he realized it, he’d had far too much to drink.

And by the time he wanted to stop, it was already too late.

The world around him had become a blur.

When Ron finally woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.

Golden light filtered through the curtains and spilled into the room.

For a moment, he thought he was dreaming.

He was lying in his own bed.

Looking around, he noticed a carefully prepared breakfast on the table.

Beside it sat a small note.

"Looks like a lot happened last night..."

Ron picked up the note.

It was from Whitey Bay.

The message was simple.

"Don’t forget to eat properly~"

Just a few words.

Yet they carried an unmistakable warmth.

A smile unconsciously appeared on Ron’s face.

"So this is what it feels like to have someone care about you..."

"It’s pretty nice."

Before coming to this world, he had never experienced such warmth.

Yet here, in this strange sea, he had somehow found something that felt like home.

The unexpected happiness left him both surprised and touched.

Setting down the note, he began eating the breakfast she had prepared.

No matter what challenges awaited him in the future, as long as he had companions he could rely on, there was nothing he couldn’t overcome.

And today—

He would start by enjoying this rare moment of peace.

After finishing breakfast, Ron immediately returned to his experiments involving Devil Fruit replication.

Only after completing one hundred perfect replacements would he unlock the next technology within the Super Black Technology System.

Although the Heavenly Tribute they had seized was worth 10 billion Berries , it was still far from enough to support his long-term plans.

However, it would be sufficient for several days of research.

Moreover—

Their actions had already attracted the attention of the World Government.

There was no way this incident would end so easily.

...

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