023 Speed, a Troublesome Ability

Standing to the side, even a tentative exchange was enough to put Xuan Ye on high alert. If not for his Observation Haki detecting a subtle disturbance, he might have been struck by Kizaru just moments ago.

Kizaru, too, wore a grave expression. He hadn't expected Xuan Ye's Observation Haki and bodily coordination to be so formidable. That previous attack would have incapacitated most opponents.

The flames crackled, wrapping Xuan Ye in golden fire as he silently shifted into his half-beast form. Raising his gaze, the two locked eyes, each reading excitement and tension in the other's stare.

"Xuan Ye, have you ever been kicked by light?" Kizaru asked.

"Kizaru, have you ever been burned by fire?" Xuan Ye replied.

Almost simultaneously, their lips curled into smiles. Light faded, the earth exploded beneath them, and gold and red clashed at blinding speed.

"Heavenly Cloud Sword." Blinding gold light burst forth as Kizaru revealed himself, a golden sword materializing in his right hand. Without mercy, it radiated the power of light as he lunged straight at Xuan Ye.

"High Temperature: Flame Blade."

Flames danced in Xuan Ye's golden-red eyes and hair. His right hand summoned a blazing sword, its heat almost palpable from beyond the battlefield.

The clash sounded like metal upon metal, the roar shaking the ground and splitting stone. The earth beneath Xuan Ye shattered, rocks flying skyward, yet he remained calm. In his left hand, another flame blade appeared, thrusting without hesitation toward Kizaru.

Simultaneously, as if anticipating the attack, Kizaru conjured another sword of light in his hand.

In an instant, sand and stone flew, terrifying collisions of flame and earth scattered everywhere. The ground was chaos, fissures spreading rapidly. Through the dust, only two blurred figures could be seen, splitting apart and converging again and again.

"Laser Beam." Golden light flashed as Kizaru appeared in midair, arms spread wide. Ten golden energy beams ignited the air, streaking down like falling stars toward Xuan Ye.

"Kizaru, your techniques are quite interesting. Flame Ray!"

Xuan Ye raised his hands, fingers splayed, flames burning brightly. Ten beams of fire shot skyward to meet Kizaru's attack.

Brilliant explosions, dazzling and radiant, rippled the air.

"Infinite Arrows!"

With a resounding crash, fire filled the sky behind Xuan Ye. Countless blades, spears, swords, and halberds emerged from the flames, launching skyward like cannonballs.

"Rain of Light."

Kizaru's expression was serious, his body enveloped in golden radiance. Countless points of light fell like rain, flooding the battlefield. Compared to Xuan Ye's endless arrows, the light rain was even more overwhelming.

He inhaled slowly, eyes ablaze, hair flying, arms transforming into fiery wings.

"High Temperature: Storm Fire!"

His wings spread wide, flames swirling violently, forming a tornado of fire that surged toward Kizaru.

The earth shattered beneath their feet. In a flash, Xuan Ye appeared behind Kizaru, his leg striking out like a pillar of darkness, kicking fiercely at Kizaru's back.

Sensing Xuan Ye's movement, Kizaru's eyes narrowed; Xuan Ye's speed was terrifying.

"Elementalization." Turning into points of light, Kizaru reappeared a hundred meters away, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Xuan Ye's Haki had grazed him.

"Impossible, how can you be so fast?" Kizaru's face was ashen, his gaze locked on Xuan Ye.

"Kizaru, light speed is not what you're showing. You haven't even reached the speed of sound. Clearly, you haven't fully developed your Devil Fruit. If that's the case, I'm sorry—you won't have another chance." Xuan Ye's face was calm. A closer look would reveal his feet were glowing red, even swollen.

"I don't believe you can outpace light." Kizaru's expression was dark, his mind raging. He'd always believed no one could match his speed.

Because speed was Kizaru's pride, his very strength.

"Is that so? Whether you've awakened your fruit or not, even if you have, there's a glaring flaw: light can only travel in straight lines, and you clearly haven't overcome this limitation yet."

"As long as I pay a price, I can match your speed for a short time—no problem at all."

"Impossible. Light is the fastest. No one can defeat it." Kizaru's face twisted, his figure disappearing and reappearing beside Xuan Ye, launching a powerful kick.

"Is that so?" The ground trembled. Xuan Ye vanished in a flash, reappearing behind Kizaru and kicking him as well.

Unfortunately, Kizaru vanished first, appearing five meters away.

The earth exploded again as Xuan Ye appeared before Kizaru once more.

"Impossible," Kizaru roared, his figure vanishing at high speed.

But no matter how Kizaru disappeared, Xuan Ye always reappeared at his side in the next instant.

Ten times they went back and forth. Kizaru's face twisted in a grimace, howling like a vengeful spirit.

The ground thundered once more. In midair, Xuan Ye suddenly paused, panting heavily. Such extreme speed was pushing him past his limits.

"Hahaha..." Golden light sparkled as Kizaru appeared overhead, staring at Xuan Ye's blood-soaked feet. First surprised, then endlessly excited, he said, "So you can't fully withstand this speed—you have to pay a price, right, Xuan Ye?"

Raising his head, Xuan Ye looked at Kizaru, who had regained his confidence. With a twisted smile, like a madman, Xuan Ye compressed his flames. Each explosion at his feet sent fountains of blood spraying, and in moments, the bone beneath was faintly visible.

"Madman."

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