Kizaru's golden afterimage flickered across the battlefield, his movements so fast that even seasoned warriors like Hikari and Demetrius struggled to follow. The air crackled with each burst of light, forcing Hiro to stay on high alert.
Yet, as Hiro flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders as if nothing had happened, Kizaru's normally relaxed demeanor shifted slightly.
"…Strange," the Admiral mused. "You fell into the ocean, didn't you? I wonder… why are you still moving so freely, hmm?"
The Night Guild Pirates tensed. It was an obvious issue—Devil Fruit users were supposed to sink like stones, helpless in seawater.
But Hiro stood tall, unhindered.
Hikari exhaled, a barely perceptible smirk on her lips. So he noticed… Well, of course he did. It's an Admiral, after all.
Hiro dusted off his coat, his smirk returning. "What, you thought a little water would be enough to deal with me?"
Kizaru studied him for a moment, his glowing fingers still poised to fire another barrage. Then—realization dawned.
"…Ohhh, I see," Kizaru muttered, adjusting his sunglasses. "You're using your shadows as an extension of yourself, hmm? How cunning."
Celeste, hanging from the ship's mast, raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"
Hikari explained, her voice carrying through the battlefield. "Hiro's Night Night no Mi doesn't just let him create and manipulate darkness—it lets him become it."
Soruto's eyes widened. "You mean—"
Hikari nodded. "As long as a shadow exists… he isn't fully submerged."
Kizaru chuckled. "Hohhh, that's quite the neat little trick."
The answer was simple: when Hiro fell into the water, he had extended his darkness beneath the ship, linking himself to the shadows cast by its hull.
Rather than sinking, he had never truly 'fallen' at all.
By making sure his body was always in contact with a shadow, Hiro had bypassed the Devil Fruit's weakness. The ocean still sapped his strength, but it didn't completely paralyze him like it would a normal Devil Fruit user.
Hiro grinned. "Took you long enough to figure it out."
Kizaru sighed dramatically. "Oya oya, you young pirates always have these annoying little tricks. But…" His smile returned. "I wonder how well that trick holds up if I erase all the shadows?"
Hiro's eyes flickered.
Shit.
The battlefield flashed.
Kizaru became light itself.
And in the next instant—
The entire battlefield was swallowed in blinding, merciless daylight.
No shadows.
No escape.
And now… the real fight had just begun.
The world was blinding.
Hiro's feet barely touched the ground before a golden beam lanced toward him.
BOOM!
A shockwave tore through the battlefield as he twisted midair, barely dodging Kizaru's light-speed kick. The force alone shattered the deck where he once stood, sending planks flying into the sea.
"Hmmm, it's quite troublesome, isn't it?" Kizaru's lazy drawl echoed across the battlefield. "No shadows anywhere. I wonder what you'll do now, Night Terror~"
Hiro clicked his tongue, blinking rapidly as his vision tried to adjust. No darkness. No way to anchor himself. His Night Night no Mi was all but useless in this overwhelming brightness.
Damn it… this guy's no joke.
Kizaru lifted a glowing finger.
"Pew~"
A laser fired.
BOOM!
Hiro dodged—barely. The attack seared past his cheek, leaving a faint burn.
Celeste and Soruto watched in shock from the ship.
"He's moving even faster than before," Soruto muttered, gripping his rifle. "Hiro's on the defensive."
Celeste's eyes darted between the two. "That's what happens when you fight an Admiral."
Hikari clenched her fists. "We need to do something."
But Demetrius, silent until now, spoke.
"No." His voice was firm. "We can't interrupt."
Hikari turned to him, confused. "What?"
Demetrius' eyes stayed locked on Hiro. "If he can't handle this… then he has no business being our Captain."
---
Hiro exhaled, trying to steady his breathing. He could still feel the effects of the sea's energy-draining properties. He wasn't at full strength, and without shadows, he was at a severe disadvantage.
Kizaru tilted his head. "You're pretty fast, hmm, but…"
His body blurred.
Light-Speed Kick!
CRASH!
Hiro barely raised his arms in time to block, but the sheer impact sent him flying, crashing through a broken mast and skidding across the battlefield. He coughed, tasting blood.
Kizaru didn't stop.
He vanished—
And reappeared.
Hiro's instincts screamed.
Another kick.
Another explosion.
The pain barely registered as Hiro flipped, rolling to his feet.
He had to counter.
He had to create shadows.
Then it hit him.
A grin spread across Hiro's face.
Kizaru raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh? You're still smiling?"
Hiro exhaled. "Yeah. Just realized something."
He stomped his foot—hard.
The impact cracked the deck beneath him.
Debris rose.
Shattered planks, broken beams, splinters—they all scattered in the air, blocking the constant sunlight.
And in that moment—
Shadows returned.
Hiro's eyes glowed with power.
"Now then…" He cracked his knuckles, darkness swirling around him.
"Let's get serious."
Darkness surged.
Hiro's smirk widened as the battlefield twisted to his advantage. The debris floating in the air was all he needed—shadows now littered the ground.
Kizaru blinked. "Ohhh? How troublesome."
Hiro wasted no time. His body sank into the darkness, vanishing before the Admiral's eyes.
"Night Step."
He reappeared behind Kizaru, his fist already coated in Armament Haki.
BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave through the air, but Kizaru had already turned into light, dispersing into shimmering particles before reforming a few feet away.
"Scary~" Kizaru chuckled, raising a glowing hand. "But it won't work."
Pew—
A laser shot forward, but Hiro had already melted into the shadows again.
Kizaru's eyes followed the flickering movement below.
He's moving through the darkness itself… Like that Warlord…
Hiro burst from another shadow, this time delivering a high-speed kick, but Kizaru lazily leaned back, dodging by mere inches.
"Speed isn't enough," Kizaru mused, disappearing into light once more.
Hiro's foot barely touched the ground before the Admiral reappeared—
Light-Speed Kick!
CRACK!
Hiro blocked, but the force sent him flying backward, crashing into the remains of a mast.
He coughed, wiping blood from his lip. Damn… Even with my shadows, he's too fast…
Kizaru sighed dramatically. "Tsk, tsk. Such a shame~ Even with all that planning, you still can't keep up."
Hiro exhaled, feeling the burning ache in his muscles. His Night Night no Mi gave him immense mobility, but Kizaru's speed was unnatural. Even the Yonko feared an Admiral's strength.
Then I just need to stop him from moving.
He clenched his fists.
"Shadow Lock."
Kizaru's eyes widened slightly as black tendrils erupted from the battlefield's shadows, lunging toward him.
"Oh?"
The darkness reached for his legs—
But light flashed.
And he was gone.
He reappeared midair, unharmed.
"Tsk." Hiro clicked his tongue. He needed something stronger.
Something faster.
He looked down at his hands, tightening them into fists.
He had one move. But it was unfinished.
It could kill him.
But he had no choice.
Kizaru sighed. "Ohhh? What now?"
Hiro exhaled.
And his shadow… expanded.
---
On the Night Guild's ship.
Hikari's eyes narrowed.
"…He's going to do it."
Demetrius crossed his arms. "That idiot."
Celeste tightened her grip on the wheel. "That move… He said it wasn't ready."
Soruto's hands twitched over his rifle. "We need to be ready. The moment he lands that hit, we move."
The crew all watched as Hiro's entire body darkened, his form vanishing into an abyss of pure black.
---
Kizaru stared at the swirling mass of darkness in front of him.
"Hmmm~? That doesn't look very nice."
Hiro's voice echoed, distorted.
"Nightmare Form."
Then he vanished.
And for the first time…
Kizaru lost sight of his opponent.