Chapter 51: Meeting Admiral Kizaru

Lin Yan stood before the Pacifistas, extending his fists. He was more inclined to test their strength rather than simply confront them. After all, who wouldn't be intrigued by mechs? With a sharp gaze fixed on the Pacifistas, Lin Yan unleashed the power of the Goro Goro no Mi in his hand.

"Zzzzz!!" Lightning crackled as he snapped his fingers. Instantly, five bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, piercing through the five Pacifistas. Sparks flew and electricity flickered, reducing the once unstoppable machines to molten iron and scattered debris.

"Not too great," Lin Yan remarked, shaking his head at the sight of the melted Pacifistas. They couldn't withstand a single bolt of lightning.

Sentomaru, watching his precious mechs destroyed in mere moments, was stunned. "My Pacifistas!" he shouted, but it was too late. The damage was done, and the expensive Pacifistas, meant for reporting back, were now nothing but scrap.

Feeling a chill in his heart, Sentomaru knew he faced severe consequences. Clutching his axe tightly, he glared angrily at Lin Yan, wishing he could strike him down.

Just as Sentomaru was about to act, a voice called out, "Stop, Sentomaru!" From a distance, Kizaru spoke up, instructing him to stand down. Sentomaru, who usually found no one pleasing, was obedient to Kizaru. "Old man, let me go up and kill him!" he pleaded.

"You are no match for him," Kizaru replied with a faint smile, hands in his pockets. He turned to Lin Yan and said, "Nice to meet you, Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"Hello, Admiral," Lin Yan greeted back. Their exchange left Sentomaru puzzled. Captain? He recalled recent news about the Whitebeard Pirates recruiting a new crew member. Realization dawned on him—this was the new captain. Understanding why Kizaru didn't let him fight, Sentomaru accepted that he couldn't win.

"Oh my, I didn't expect the new captain to know me. It's really an honor!" Kizaru took two steps forward, removing his sunglasses. His relaxed demeanor was characteristic—hands in pockets, kicking a supernova with ease.

"The name of the Navy Admiral is known far and wide. Who wouldn't recognize you?" Lin Yan replied with a laugh.

"Do you want to fight with me?" Kizaru asked, a trace of vigilance in his eyes.

"Of course not, I'm just passing by," Lin Yan assured him.

"If that's the case, does it mean my task is completed today?" Kizaru was surprised, not expecting Lin Yan didn't intend to fight. His task was to capture all the supernovas, and with Rayleigh injured, he could easily take them to the underwater prison if Lin Yan didn't intervene.

"In principle, yes…" Lin Yan responded enigmatically.

"What about in reality?" Kizaru pressed.

"Of course… No!" Lin Yan declared. "The second division captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace, is Luffy's brother. Although I'm not very familiar with the Straw Hat Crew, we are somewhat related. If you want to take them away in front of me, that won't do!"

"Oh my, does this mean I have to fight again?" Kizaru sighed. "Fighting a strong person like you is really troublesome!"

"Who wouldn't…" Lin Yan admitted, though Shakky, standing beside him, kicked him to change his tone. "Ah, no, Admiral, what do you suggest?"

"Since you don't want to fight, and I don't want to fight either, how about this: you leave Luffy to me, and I take away the rest of the Straw Hat Crew who have nothing to do with you?" Kizaru proposed.

"That's a terrible idea!" Lin Yan disagreed, clenching his fist. "What if I want them all?"

"Oh my~~~! Captain, you're making it difficult for me!" Kizaru expressed his difficulty, hands still in his pockets.

Seeing the deadlock, Lin Yan pondered. Then a faint light flickered in his eyes. "Admiral, let me give you an idea. Leave the rest of the Straw Hat Crew here, and you take Luffy away. How about that?"

"What?" Rayleigh, shocked, stood up. Luffy was the backbone of the Straw Hat Crew. He couldn't be taken away, destined for the dreaded Impel Down. Once there, endless darkness and torture awaited him. No one really believed Luffy could break out of that nightmare.

"Captain... you can't do this!" Shakky, noticing Rayleigh's distress, tried to persuade Lin Yan.

"I have my plans!" Lin Yan signaled Shakky to calm down and then addressed Kizaru. "Admiral, what do you think?"

"I have my plans," Lin Yan assured, explaining his strategy. Letting Luffy be captured while saving the rest seemed a good deal. Luffy could break out of prison and cause chaos, possibly affecting the war at Marineford. If the entire crew was captured, it would be troublesome. Acting alone, Luffy wouldn't be held back.

Kizaru hesitated, "Oh yo~! Captain, I'm afraid we need to discuss this matter!" He was under orders from Garp to protect Luffy discreetly, motivated by a bribe. Kizaru didn't intend to take Luffy back but to deal with other Supernovas and report to Sengoku.

"No, you must take Luffy!" Lin Yan insisted."That won't do!" Kizaru refused, leading to a strange conversation. Lin Yan, connected to Luffy, insisted on his capture, while Kizaru refused due to Garp's influence.Their back-and-forth left everyone dumbfounded. The captured Straw Hat crew members were even more bewildered, wanting medical attention as their captain suffered.Lin Yan demanded a reason, but Kizaru refused to explain.

"Did you perhaps take a bribe from Garp~~~!" Lin Yan asked Kizaru suspiciously.

At these words, Sentomaru, Shakky, and Rayleigh all turned to look at Kizaru.

"This..." Kizaru felt a moment of unease, especially under the intense stares of Sentomaru, Rayleigh, and the others. He immediately responded, "I'm telling you, don't speak nonsense. Do you believe I'll sue you for defamation?"

In the end, because Lin Yan had seen through his intentions and everyone was watching, Kizaru had no choice but to tearfully escort Luffy onto the ship. From then on, except for Zoro, all the Supernovas were taken aboard the warship. Kizaru stood gloomily on the deck, blowing in the sea breeze.

They say whatever you fear most will happen. The more he didn't want to take Luffy, the more he ended up taking Luffy! Thinking about this, Kizaru sighed repeatedly. Sorry, Garp, I can't complete the task you gave me! If he had known, he would have fought Lin Yan. Win and become Hokage, lose... Ahem!

At this moment, the news of Kizaru completing the mission perfectly reached Marineford.

"How did it go, how did it go?" In the Fleet Admiral's office, the door was suddenly slammed open by Garp.

He came in a hurry to hear the outcome of the Sabaody Archipelago incident.

"Garp!!" Sengoku clenched his fists, glaring at the old troublemaker in front of him.

"What? As a Vice Admiral, can't I listen to the intel?" Garp retorted fearlessly, seeing Sengoku's furious expression.

Sengoku's face darkened. He finally chose to stay silent. Garp was right—he did have the right to listen. It wasn't hard to guess. Kizaru probably didn't capture Luffy! How many times had he told him? How many times!! Stop shielding him. If this continues, Luffy will become a major threat to the Navy. So hateful! If only Akainu were here. Sengoku first realized how fortunate it was to have someone like Akainu around.

"Report, Fleet Admiral. Of the eleven Supernovas on Sabaody Archipelago, Admiral Kizaru captured ten, exceeding the mission you set for him!" The lieutenant who entered saluted and explained the situation.

"Good!" As soon as the lieutenant finished, Garp clenched his fists and shouted. Of the eleven Supernovas, ten were captured. Who else could the escapee be but his grandson? Garp grinned and laughed heartily! Well done, Kizaru! If you want to become Fleet Admiral in the future, I'll vote for you! What are human connections? This is what they are! With Garp backing him, Kizaru's career path was clear!

First, it was Aokiji. Now it's Kizaru. Sengoku suddenly felt isolated, struggling to lead effectively. Tsuru, operating at her peak, faced extraordinarily skilled opponents, and her team of amateurs left her with a pained expression. Listening to Garp's happy outburst, the lieutenant nearly burst into laughter but held back to maintain professionalism. He knew that laughing could jeopardize his position, so he lowered his head slightly to hide his suppressed mirth from Sengoku and Garp and continued his Report.

Despite Sengoku's anger, Kizaru still managed to capture Straw Hat Luffy. For the Navy, this was undeniably a good thing, an unexpected joy. At least one thorn was removed, preventing further trouble. Sengoku calmed his anger, grateful for the rare piece of good news. However, Garp's previously happy demeanor turned gloomy. His expression darkened with frustration. "Kizaru, you take money but can't solve the problem. What kind of admiral are you? Damn it, refund the money!"

In the Sabaody Archipelago, the entire Straw Hat Pirates crew was brought into Shakky's bar, which was closed. Shakky began treating their wounds. Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Robin had all suffered brutal beatings from the Pacifista, their faces bruised and bodies bloodied. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, really tragic!" Lin Yan laughed. Despite the severity of their injuries, he didn't take it seriously. The characters in the pirate world had tough skins, especially this group, blessed with the protagonist's luck.

Under Rayleigh's curious gaze, Lin Yan told him directly that Luffy was imprisoned in Impel Down but would break out in a few days. Rayleigh was stunned. How could anyone escape from the dark, undersea prison known for being inescapable? Even Shiki the Golden Lion, one of the three great pirates of the old era, barely managed to escape by cutting off his own legs. Lin Yan, unaware of Rayleigh's thoughts, would have just smiled and told him "You underestimate the protagonist's aura! If Luffy really got serious, he could even beat Kaido to the ground! And besides, Luffy's grandfather is Garp. Surely Garp would risk his life to protect his grandson!"

While Ace is also Garp's grandson, Ace's importance is incomparable to Luffy's. For now, Ace is Sengoku's main concern as the last remaining bloodline of the Pirate King, a symbol of evil. Even Garp can't do much. But Luffy is different. First, he's just a super rookie with a bounty over a hundred million, not worth the Navy's major efforts. Second, his reputation isn't that significant yet. Third, dealing with Ace has already pushed Garp to his limits. If they move against Luffy too, even Sengoku might not be able to suppress Garp. Garp's current status is evident, forcing Sengoku to consider his feelings.

Rayleigh gradually accepted this explanation. Zoro, barely conscious, grabbed Lin Yan's clothes. Although puzzled by why Lin Yan handed Luffy over to Kizaru, he trusted Lin Yan due to his connection with Ace and his position as a captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. In a trembling voice, Zoro said, "Captain... please... bring back Luffy..." The Straw Hat Pirates had come this far thanks to Luffy's leadership. They didn't want Luffy to remain in Impel Down, surrounded by darkness and loneliness forever. "Rest assured," Lin Yan patted Zoro's shoulder. He was counting on Luffy to cause chaos in Impel Down. After settling the scene, Lin Yan knew the structure of the sea was about to change. He had to return to the Whitebeard Pirates immediately to prepare for the unexpected.