*Chapter 235*

In midair, Kizaru pulled out the black rod that had pierced his body and threw it straight into the sea.

The Almighty Push (Shinra Tensei) hit Kizaru, but it felt like a mere tickle.

Such an attack had no effect on him at all, and he didn’t even use his Logia-type Devil Fruit ability. In fact, his body wasn’t affected in the slightest; it was just a light tap.

However, it did make him a bit surprised. The attack was strange, but the technique itself wasn’t very effective.

And how did this guy sense his movements?

Kizaru had a lot of confidence in his Devil Fruit.

His fruit made him the fastest person on the sea.

But the moment he moved, it was as if this guy had eyes on the back of his head, immediately looking his way and attacking right away.

Clearly, something was off.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

While Kizaru was deep in thought, a bald man suddenly appeared in front of him!

A massive hand reached for Kizaru’s neck!

"Is the target the sea?"

Kizaru realized the opponent wanted to grab him and press him into the ocean.

The sea is indeed the natural enemy of Devil Fruit users. Once someone falls into the sea, no matter how powerful they are, they’re helpless.

Few Devil Fruit users can resist the ocean’s weakening effect.

Some might manage with external help.

But if he were completely submerged, it would be very hard to escape.

So, without hesitation, Kizaru turned into a beam of light and dodged the attack from Asura Path.

However, three more figures immediately followed and charged at Kizaru.

Pain never intended to let Kizaru leave so easily!

He knew that without mastering Observation Haki or Armament Haki, dealing with Kizaru was going to be tough.

His goal was to buy time; as long as he delayed long enough for his people to retreat, he could leave as well.

“Yasakani no Magatama!”

Kizaru clasped his hands, and in the next moment, countless light beams exploded in the sky.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Three of Pain’s bodies were instantly riddled with light beams and fell straight into the sea.

The Naraka Path, protected by the others, was unharmed. It landed on the water and began retrieving and repairing the damaged bodies.

Tendo Pain glanced at Asura Path, who stood in front of him, looking a mess, and frowned.

Although he could block these attacks, repairing his bodies took time.

Dealing with this guy was quite troublesome!

It might be best to have Animal Path summon him out of here.

Now wasn’t the smartest time to go head-to-head with a Navy Admiral.

Pain understood the gap between him and an Admiral.

He had plenty of tricks up his sleeve!

But the Admiral’s Logia-type fruit power was extremely annoying.

If he couldn’t find a way to catch the real body, there was no way to win.

However, Pain didn’t plan to retreat so easily. He wanted to test if he had a method to counter these Devil Fruit users.

Seeing several of his bodies defeated, he knew he had to use something unconventional.

In a cabin somewhere on the island, Nagato took a deep breath.

The next moment, his chakra burst forth.

Pain, standing before Kizaru, brought his hands together.

Unintentionally, a black glow appeared in his palm.

A small black sphere slowly left his side and floated into the sky.

“What is that?”

Borsalino’s face showed a trace of curiosity.

Was this guy really done with his tricks?

“Navy! Next time we meet, it won’t be like this,” Pain said, giving Kizaru a deep look.

“I’d advise you not to waste your efforts. I’m the Glint-Glint Fruit user, a being of light!” Kizaru remarked. “If you come with me willingly, I might be able to pull some strings for you.”

Though this guy had been quite disrespectful earlier, Kizaru didn’t mind. Just based on his hatred for Dressrosa, Kizaru thought they could be allies. After all, there weren’t many in the Navy capable of taking on Dressrosa.

A guy like this? Kizaru thought he’d be worth keeping around.

If they became allies, at least he wouldn’t be fighting Dressrosa alone.

“Well, let’s see if you can catch me,” Pain scoffed, glancing at Kizaru.

At that moment, Animal Path, standing far away, made a summoning hand sign.

Pain and Naraka Path, who was on the sea, both vanished in a puff of white smoke.

“They left?”

Kizaru immediately used Observation Haki to search for Pain.

In the distance, he spotted Pain retreating toward the island.

Watching that figure fade away, Kizaru’s face showed a mysterious smile.

His speed on the sea was unmatched, and he thought this guy might have some new tricks up his sleeve.

He didn’t expect him to run away.

But Kizaru wasn’t going to let him go so easily.

"Boom!"

At that moment, the black sphere floating in the sky began to expand.

A dark glow erupted!

The ocean waves surged violently, as if a tsunami was about to descend at any moment.

The Navy sailors aboard the warships felt the ships shake. The next moment, a massive force pushed them, sending them sprawling on the decks as they were pulled toward the black sphere.

Even rocks, corals, and debris from the ocean’s depths began to rise.

It wasn’t just their warship; the other ships they brought, even the wreckage of sunken vessels, were being pulled up.

Fear spread across the faces of the sailors as they were helplessly drawn toward the black sphere.

“This...”

Kizaru’s eyes widened as he felt a powerful pull on his own body.

It was similar to Pain’s earlier move!

But this time was different!

This was a large-scale attack!

It even enveloped the entire Navy fleet.

This guy really went all out when he made his move!

“Admiral Borsalino, we might need to retreat and call for reinforcements from Navy Headquarters.”

“This is the ability of the Float-Float Fruit, once held by Golden Lion. This guy must’ve gotten his hands on that Devil Fruit.”

“Against him, we stand no chance. We need more people to carry out the capture plan,” one of the sailors, his face smeared with blood, shouted to Kizaru.

Given the current situation, retreat was the only realistic option.

Their fleet was almost entirely wiped out.

The losses were enormous. Even when fighting other pirates at sea, they hadn’t suffered such severe casualties.

Who would’ve thought they’d be so humiliated by a rookie on the sea?

This generation’s rookies were monsters!

Previously, there was a king of Dressrosa named Uchiha Raijin.

When he first gained some fame, he directly confronted a few of the major pirates on the seas.

Now, another monster has appeared, possessing such incredible abilities that his future potential seems limitless.

“This probably isn’t the power of a Devil Fruit; it must be what they call ninjutsu,” Kizaru thought as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

His gaze turned to the sphere in the sky that was still attracting surrounding objects. In just a short moment, it had grown into a massive object, now the size of a small mountain. The sheer terror of it was unimaginable.

“We can’t let this guy keep causing havoc.”

A flash of light appeared at Kizaru’s fingertip, aimed directly at the mountain-sized sphere in the sky. Several warships were caught in it, but most of the marines on board had already perished. Even those who hadn’t died were likely crushed under the constant barrage of rocks, unable to move.

Even from this distance, the gravitational pull was strong. If anyone were stuck to it, only superhuman strength could break free.

So, Kizaru fired a laser from his fingertip, piercing right through the Chibaku Tensei. A streak of yellow light shot through the Chibaku Tensei and into the endless sky.

All across the sea, only that single beam of light could be seen. It was as if the entire ocean had been paused.

Kizaru stared intently at the Chibaku Tensei, waiting to see if anything would change.

“Still not enough?” he muttered to himself as he fired five or six more lasers from his fingertips. In an instant, it looked like meteors were streaking across the sky.

Boom!

The massive construct of rocks that had formed began to fall apart, like an island crumbling in midair, causing the sea to churn violently.

A heavy expression crossed Kizaru’s face. His suspicions were confirmed.

But this time, most of his men had been lost. Without capturing anyone, he knew he’d be in for a harsh scolding from Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

The information he’d gathered was scant, which left him feeling embarrassed.

“I didn’t expect such a big commotion,” Kisame Hoshigaki said from the bow of the ship, a slight smirk on his face as he watched the fragments of the Chibaku Tensei fall in the distance.

No matter what, their leader possessed the Rinnegan, a power not to be underestimated. Escaping with them should be no problem at all. Kisame realized his earlier concerns had been unnecessary.

“Hahaha, so this is the power of the Rinnegan? I never thought it would be this strong!” Jūzō Biwa, carrying his beheading sword, laughed heartily at the sight. They had thoroughly defeated the marines in this battle.

But unfortunately, only their leader had stolen the spotlight this time. They hadn’t even had a chance to show themselves. Jūzō knew that the power of Devil Fruit users was the sea itself. He had planned to collaborate with Kisame to drown these marines, but now it seemed there was no chance at all. Jūzō felt a bit of regret.

“Retreat!”

At that moment, a figure quickly appeared before them. Pain descended from the sky, and the five other Paths of Pain entered the ship’s cabin to rest. The chakra expenditure had been immense, and Nagato was now utterly exhausted. After all, the Chibaku Tensei was not something he could use casually. Such high-level ninjutsu took a massive toll on him.

If he had the chakra of a tailed beast, it would be easier, but such a thing wasn’t available. He would have to recover his chakra slowly, delaying his next move.

“Yes!” Kisame and Jūzō had no objections. They immediately began to retreat with their crew. As for the civilians on the island, they had been moved to a safe place. If the marines decided to act against them now, there was nothing they could do.

Pain slowly walked into the cabin, entering a stasis pod and closing his eyes. Nagato wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glanced at a corner of the room.

“Come out. Are the Revolutionaries planning to act like pirates, hiding in the shadows?” Nagato said.

“So, you’re the real body? I was wondering why all those people seemed like the walking dead,” Dragon replied as he slowly emerged from the corner of the room.

He had followed Pain back. But he hadn’t expected that the true form of the Akatsuki leader would be like this—a frail, weak figure.

This made Dragon feel that he could easily take him down with just a casual strike. Nagato’s body seemed utterly depleted.

“Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army,” Nagato remarked, recognizing him as the same man registered in the newspapers. Even without any aura emanating from him, Nagato could sense Dragon’s strength.

If they were to fight now, it wouldn’t be easy. He had already used up half his chakra, and without the Gedo Statue to assist him, it would be difficult to take on someone like Dragon.

“I mean no harm. I simply want to invite your Akatsuki to join us in the Revolutionary Army. After all, our goals align. What you want to achieve is something we’ve been working towards for a long time. We both strive for peace on the seas, so join us!” Dragon said, his gaze fixed on Nagato.

Although young, this man’s eyes held the weight of countless hardships. Those sharp eyes, and those unique eyes, seemed to peer straight into Dragon’s soul. This immense power—was it all derived from those eyes?

What exactly were these eyes? They exuded such a powerful pressure that even Dragon felt it. He wondered how they compared to the eyes of that Uchiha. What was the difference between these two kinds of eyes? Dragon had many questions but knew it wasn’t the right time to ask.

“I’ve heard of your Revolutionary Army. When I came here, Uchiha Raijin mentioned that joining your army would be the best fit for me. He even said that within your ranks, we could find true comrades who would help protect my village and my country from the ravages of war. But...” Nagato’s eyes flashed as he recalled the group that had once formed Akatsuki with him, including Yahiko, who now lay in stasis. Those who once stood by his side had all vanished.

Their original ideals had changed after that battle. Nagato no longer had the innocence he once did. He no longer had the courage to follow another Yahiko and challenge the world again. That kind of courage was hard to come by.

“I think we should have a good talk!” Dragon’s eyes lit up with hope. Uchiha Raijin sent them? Thank goodness!