The air reeked of dust and scorched metal.
Kizaru stood with his hands in his pockets, but the lazy ease that defined him had faded.
King did not move.
He stood in silence, bloodshot eyes devoid of life.
To Kizaru's perception, the man before him was no longer human.
He felt like a gravitational collapse point — a pressure well condensing the surrounding space.
A faint sound echoed.
Crack.
A hairline fracture spread across Kizaru's brown-tinted lenses.
The Admiral stilled.
Those lenses were reinforced marine-grade glass.
"…Now that's troublesome."
For the first time, a bead of sweat slid down his temple.
This wasn't merely Conqueror's Haki pressure.
The air itself was compressing.
"KING… you wouldn't be thinking of sparring with this old man, would you?"
His tone remained languid.
But faint motes of golden light began gathering at his fingertips.
Emperor Engine: Maximum Output
THUMP!!
THUMP!!
THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP—!!!
KING's heartbeat thundered.
The Emperor Engine roared like an overdriven war machine.
Dust trembled.
Broken beams rattled.
Fragments rolled across the floor.
At that moment, the system interface flashed crimson across KING's vision.
[WARNING]
Absolute AFK Efficiency Compromised
Core Principle Triggered: Reject Ineffective Labor
Obstacle Detected: Marine Admiral Kizaru
Retrieving Host Status…
Golden data streamed across his retina.
Normally he ignored it.
Problems solved lying down should never be solved standing.
Problems solvable with words should never be solved with fists.
But now he had to weigh:
Knock Kizaru unconscious and ship him home in a barrel
vs.
Write a 20,000-word report
He glanced.
Host: KING
Evaluation: Walking Natural Disaster / Devil-Fruitless Hexagonal Combatant
Physique: 102,580
(Even Garp would call this "excellent punching material.")
Spirit: 50
(Emotionally unstable. Prone to panic and slacking.)
Speed: 5,240
(Below light speed at distance; faster than reaction speed at close range.)
Conqueror's Haki: 59,000
(Raw, overwhelming; no advanced infusion.)
Armament Haki: 51,300
(Admiral-tier hardness; no emission.)
Observation Haki: 50,800
(Admiral-tier perception; no future sight.)
Status: Extreme agitation
KING stared at the panel.
Emotionless.
"…Tsk."
The small click of his tongue echoed like thunder in the silent hall.
Eustass Kid froze in the rubble.
Trafalgar D. Water Law stopped breathing entirely.
Monkey D. Luffy instinctively felt danger crawl along his spine.
Is he… going to attack an Admiral?
The Decision
"Kizaru."
KING finally spoke.
He slowly raised his hand.
Golden light gathered instantly at Kizaru's fingertips.
If KING attacked, the Admiral would answer.
Even if Sabaody were erased.
But KING did not form a fist.
He raised a single finger.
Pointed at the unconscious Celestial Dragon.
Then to the ground.
Three short sentences escaped his teeth.
"Report. You write."
"Pirates. You arrest."
"I guard… the Celestial Dragon."
The final words sounded like disdain.
What Kizaru heard was different:
If I lose patience and kill this scum, paperwork becomes your problem too.
This was not negotiation.
Not a request.
A notification.
Why Kizaru?
Sengoku had sent Kizaru for a reason.
Akainu would escalate.
Aokiji might show leniency too openly.
Only Kizaru balanced force and discretion.
The Den Den Mushi at Kizaru's ear crackled faintly.
Sengoku's low voice transmitted one quiet instruction:
"Handle it."
He understood.
This was no longer about a Celestial Dragon.
It was about retaining KING.
Losing him over paperwork would be catastrophic.
If he defected?
If he became a pirate?
The balance of the seas would tilt.
Three Seconds of Silence
Golden particles faded from Kizaru's fingers.
His smile returned.
Relaxed.
Knowing.
"Yare yare~"
"I can't win against you in this kind of battle, King-kun."
He shrugged.
"Well, I am the senior officer."
"It's only natural I shoulder more responsibility~"
The pressure dissolved.
"But you'll still need to show your face when appeasing the Celestial Dragons."
Agreement reached.
KING's heart finally slowed.
"…Hm."
He grabbed the unconscious noble one-handed and turned toward the exit.
Witnesses to the Impossible
Kid stared, stunned.
An Admiral had… compromised?
Law's mind raced.
This sea keeps producing monsters.
Kid clenched the rubble beneath him until his nails split.
"How many more exist…?"
Work Overtime Begins
Kizaru raised his leg slowly.
Golden light gathered again.
This time, not for restraint.
For work.
"Since King-kun has left…"
His tone remained lazy.
But faint irritation seeped through.
"…you young men should keep this old man company."
A beam of light flickered.
"Writing a 20,000-word report is terribly frustrating~"