183. Gear Second?

Besides the first-round match between Izumi vs Luffy, there was another match that pitted Naruto vs Neji, Temari vs Shikamaru, then Sasuke vs Gaara. This actually made Izumi think that Kakashi, who should have known the storyline, was the one who arranged all of this. Although there is a slight difference. Izumi vs Luffy, Naruto vs Neji, then Temari vs Shikamaru would start the match in the first round, after which the examinees who won would advance to the quarter-final.

Izumi headed to the arena with a disappointed look on his face. Behind him, there was Luffy who walked after him with a smile from ear to ear. It was clear that Luffy was so enthusiastic about being able to fight Izumi again.

"You look happy to have me as your opponent, Luffy." Izumi started the conversation with Luffy.

Izumi was seen wearing a white tight combat suit specially designed to be used with his IS. And since there would be a big event after this, Izumi had to prepare everything and was ready to use his IS if needed.

"Hihihi. Of course. I thought of a way to beat you." Luffy answered Izumi happily. Izumi was a little confused about where his confidence came from.

"Can you? Without the Haki, you won't be able to do so."

"You will see later!"

As they stood against each other in the arena, Hayate looked at both of them, and then announced that the match had started.

Luffy started by slamming his feet to the ground and jumped forward to get closer to Izumi swiftly. The moment he was in front of Izumi, he immediately launched a barrage of fast punches that formed multiple illusions like blows.

Izumi didn't move at all, and Luffy's punch just looked like hitting the wind where Izumi's body was controlled with his Logia Devil Fruit ability.

"I told you, it's useless..." Suddenly Izumi's words stopped.

"Gomu Gomu no Baku Baku."

Luffy opened his mouth wide and tried to swallow Izumi. Izumi lowered his guard and didn't expect Luffy would want to swallow him alive. It was a technique he had used against Crocodile who had a Logia type, the Sand Devil Fruit. And since Izumi's Wind Devil Fruit was a Logia type, it would be so easy for Luffy to swallow him.

"Fuck!" Izumi cursed loudly.

He didn't have time to use his magic, so he retreated backward to avoid Luffy's technique. However, due to Luffy's speed of attack, Izumi couldn't dodge completely and part of his body was swallowed.

Everyone who watched their battle couldn't help but scream.

They didn't know that Izumi could turn his body to the wind. So it was understandable if they were terrified after Izumi's half-body was swallowed.

Izumi regenerated his upper half by using the wind. Since only half of his body got swallowed up, he could reshape his body with no problem. Just like what Crocodile did when his head was swallowed by Luffy.

On the other hand, if Luffy swallowed his whole body, he would be trapped inside Luffy's body and could only free himself by splitting Luffy's body. In other words, killing him. That was the case if Izumi wanted to do that.

"What the fuck is on your mind, Luffy! Don't think I'm your emergency food!"

Luffy exhaled through his mouth while looking at Izumi. His mouth started to move as he spoke.

"I thought I could win with that move. Hehe!"

"'Hehe' your head!!!"

With both of his palms, Izumi compressed the wind which was then released toward Luffy and caused a shockwave strong enough to blast Luffy away into the arena wall.

*bang*

Luffy crashed into the wall and fell to the ground afterward. His straw hat also slipped from his head. At the place where Luffy crashed into the wall, there were some cracks indicating that the impact was quite strong.

Luffy got up from the ground rubbing his head, then he picked up his fallen straw hat. Luffy shook off the dust on his straw hat and hung it around his neck so it wouldn't fall off easily.

He looked at Izumi with a smile, then said.

"As expected, you really are strong. I'll be serious this time."

"Really? What do you want to do now? Gear Second? Hehehe." Izumi chuckled. Izumi didn't know what it was like when Luffy got serious. He didn't believe Luffy had mastered Busoshoku Haki. If he had mastered that, there was no way Luffy would be battered after fighting Crocodile. Izumi started joking. Because the Gear Second was Luffy's advanced technique that he should be able to master in the next few months. However…

"Eh, how did you know?"

Surprising counter-question from Luffy. Izumi couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

"Eh…Seriously?" Izumi was taken aback as his words paused for quite a while. Then Luffy replied.

"Neko told me. If I meet a strong person, I should use the technique that she taught me. And I call it the Gear Second. But, how did you know that I call it the Gear Second? I never tell anybody."

"That's because the Gear Second is a technique you created in the future!! You don't like to see your future because you will know how your future adventure will be. How can I say that the Gear Second is your future technique?" Izumi cried inwardly. He also thought that what Kuroneko said was necessary. Although Luffy's path of adventure remained the same as in canon, there would be a significant difference in the long run.

The cause was Luffy's strength was already much more powerful than he should be. Honestly, even though Luffy was already strong enough, it was still nothing in front of an admiral-level Marine.

Even Izumi himself wasn't strong enough to defeat them one by one, much less if he fought against two or more. If he wanted to defeat them, at least Izumi should have mastered all types of Haki.

In truth, Izumi disliked the actions of most pirates. However, he also despised the Marine and the world government in Luffy's world. With the pretext that they were allies of justice, they took advantage of their power by manipulating ordinary people.

It was sickening.

Izumi immediately threw those thoughts. It wasn't the time to care about something in Luffy's world. For now, he should focus on the things that currently happen.

Izumi tried to calm himself, then said.

"Well, actually I was just guessing, I didn't think I was right." Izumi said it while scratching his head and showing his awkward smile.

"Wow, you're amazing, Izumi. You're like a fortune teller." Luffy's eyes shone in being impressed by Izumi's fortune-telling guess.

"I'm glad that he's stupid." Izumi said in his mind.

If Kuroneko, Tabane, Kazuma, and the others could hear their conversation and hear the words in Izumi's mind. They will probably burst out laughing while holding their stomachs.

"So, do you want to fight more seriously now? It's useless if you can't use Haki, you're just wasting your energy."

"How would I know before I tried it."

Even though Luffy didn't seem to believe Izumi's words. Luffy himself knew that he could not defeat Izumi without using Haki. Even so, he still wanted to try to fight him. Just like when he fought against Izumi on the previous mission, Luffy accidentally used Busoshoku Haki. It might happen again if he tried.

Luffy initiated the Gear Second technique by using his feet as a pump to speed up blood flow throughout his body. Luffy's body throbbed after his legs were used as a pump. At that very instant, all of his metabolic rates became so high that his sweat evaporated quickly making his body look like it was steaming. As a result, his entire skin turned slightly pink and shiny from the increased blood flow.

Basically, Luffy increased blood flow by forcing more blood through his blood vessels which required a lot of oxygen and nutrients, thereby increasing his strength, speed, and senses. Since his organs and blood vessels were made of rubber, this allowed them to expand and contract faster without tearing when Luffy added red blood cells to his body parts.

"It's really the Gear Second." Izumi murmured as he looked at Luffy in amazement.

All the spectators in the stands were astonished at what happened to Luffy's body. It was the first time they saw a Jutsu that was so foreign to their eyes.