Metal Knight had already sent war machines to cause him trouble—there's no way he'd also pay compensation. Most likely, this was just the Association's upper brass acting on their own.
"Eh? Then… does this mean the matter is settled?"
William asked cautiously. With his own business taking a serious hit, the last thing he wanted was infighting within the Hero Association—or worse, an S-Class hero dying.
"I'm afraid that's not going to be so easy."
Kizaru responded sincerely.
It wasn't even about him picking a fight with Metal Knight anymore—Metal Knight was coming for him.
But more importantly, Kizaru had set his sights on Metal Knight's war machines and the vast cache of weapons hidden in his underground base.
Always one to "run a thrifty household," Kizaru couldn't bear the thought of all those treasures being buried underground. So he decided: after taking out Metal Knight, he'd move the guy's entire base back to the One Piece world.
With that, he didn't bother waiting for William to argue and simply cut the comms again.
Seeing this, Fubuki's team—including Lily—began to feel nervous. William was a top executive of the Hero Association, yet Kizaru had just hung up on him—twice.
And now Kizaru was going to clash with Metal Knight—one of the most mysterious S-Class heroes.
"Should we have those small fry move away a bit? Metal Knight's weapons pack quite a punch. If things go south, the whole place might get leveled."
Tatsumaki didn't think much of Metal Knight. Her powers were a perfect counter to opponents who relied on tech and equipment like him.
Even if Metal Knight deployed a full army of robots, in the face of her godlike psychic powers, they were just scrap metal.
Still, while she didn't care, she had to consider the others. Besides the small-fry heroes here for the training camp, there were also members of Fubuki's "B-Class Fan Club." She couldn't just let them get wiped out by collateral damage.
"No need. It's just a little toy. I can handle something this minor."
Kizaru replied lazily.
Tatsumaki didn't push the matter. She didn't believe for a second that Metal Knight could actually defeat Kizaru.
"Someone seems to be looking for you, Kizaru."
Fubuki suddenly reached around her lounge chair and poked Kizaru on the back. She didn't say who, but Kizaru had already guessed.
"Yeah, I know."
Kizaru nodded, then closed his eyes and entered the dimensional chat group.
---
[Random Guy Who Wants to Ride Luo Feng's Coattails]: @Kizaru come quick! We successfully recreated Pure Gold!
[Kizaru]: Huh? You guys can make Pure Gold now?
[Ai Haibara]: Don't listen to that idiot. We're not quite there yet. We've just started analyzing the structure of Pure Gold and managed to physically recreate it—at least at a basic level.
[Ai Haibara]: This replica only looks and feels like Pure Gold. It's not the real deal—not by a long shot.
[Tony Stark]: Ugh, it's a headache. The good news is we made Pure Gold. The bad news? It doesn't have any immortality effect.
[Orochimaru]: A shame, really. The true secret of Pure Gold hasn't been uncovered. My guess is that it's been treated with some kind of ritual or secret art to gain its powers.
[Kizaru]: Tch. Just looking the part won't fool anyone. Those old geezers aren't stupid.
[Kobayashi]: Is it just me, or would Pure Gold make really pretty jewelry?
[Ai Haibara]: ??? You're not the real Kobayashi! Give us the real one back!
[Fubuki]: Since when are you into girly stuff, Kobayashi…?
[Kobayashi]: How rude! I am a girl! That's a horrible thing to say!
[Fubuki]: A girl who drinks and obsesses over maids, huh…
[Ai Haibara]: And stays up all night coding…
[Kobayashi]: Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I just thought Tohru would like something shiny, so I wanted to buy her a piece of fake Pure Gold! That's all!
[Random Guy Who Wants to Ride Luo Feng's Coattails]: So jealous… I want a dragon maid too…
[Ai Haibara]: Same here…
[Random bystander trying to cling to Luo Feng's coattails]: "Toxic-tongued girl, what are you even jealous of? Just wear a maid outfit yourself, problem solved."
[Ai Haibara]: "Get lost!"
[Tony Stark]: "Unless it grants immortality, it's not exactly practical. Replicating pure gold costs over 700,000 USD per gram. Even as jewelry, the market value is limited."
[Kobayashi]: "That's so expensive… Can I pay with Dimensional Coins?"
[Tony Stark]: "Sure, but are you sure you want to? From what I can tell, this stuff only looks like pure gold. It doesn't actually do anything."
[Kobayashi]: "Hmm, Thor will probably like it anyway. It's not like I'm gonna run into danger. Might as well use the coins for something."
[Tony Stark]: "Alright then. I'll whip up a piece of jewelry for you. Want a ring or a necklace?"
[Kobayashi]: "Necklace. Rings just feel kind of… weird."
[Kizaru]: "Hmm, make a few rings with embedded pure gold for me too. Let me think… Let's start with twenty."
[Fubuki]: "...Twenty?!"
[Kizaru]: "Ahem, don't worry, you and Tatsumaki each get one."
[Fubuki]: "Shameless…"
[Esdeath]: "Darling, I want one too!"
[Kizaru]: "Don't worry, don't worry—everyone gets one."
[Random bystander]: "Even the Five Elders probably wouldn't know how to use pure gold. What if someone wraps a fake magic stone in pure gold and tries to pass it off as real?"
[Hermione Granger]: "Impossible. The Philosopher's Stone was destroyed. Other than Nicolas Flamel, no one knows how to make it."
[Random bystander]: "Then we just need to ask Nicolas Flamel, right? He's still alive, isn't he?"
[Hermione Granger]: "Nicolas Flamel is a close friend of Dumbledore. Even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named couldn't find him!"
[Random bystander]: "Just because Voldemort couldn't doesn't mean Kizaru can't. If Kizaru gets involved, even a resurrected Merlin wouldn't be a match!"
[Hermione Granger]: "I strongly object! I won't let you people mess up my world!"
[Random bystander]: "All we want is the Philosopher's Stone recipe. How is that messing things up? Would you rather see it lost forever?"
[Orochimaru]: "Heh. If Kizaru-kun is otherwise occupied, I'd be happy to pay Nicolas Flamel a visit myself."
[Tony Stark]: "The world of magic is fascinating. But Stark's newest suit isn't finished yet—looks like I'll have to sit this one out."
[Kizaru]: "No rush. We've got time. If all else fails, we can consider bluffing with a fake Philosopher's Stone."
[Fubuki]: "It's almost time—aren't you heading out to prepare?"
[Kizaru]: "Already? Tony, I'll be picking up a mecha suit soon. I'll let you examine it later."
[Tony Stark]: "A mecha? Think it can top my Iron Man armor?"
[Kizaru]: "Possibly. It's Metal Knight's trump card—it's probably no slouch."
[Random bystander]: "Whoa! Kizaru already found Metal Knight?! That was fast!"
[Kizaru]: "Yep. My Observation Haki seems to have evolved. Now, as long as someone harbors enough hostility toward me, I can lock onto their location—and even see their actions."
[Kizaru]: "I haven't confirmed the max range yet, but so far, I can detect within a 900-kilometer radius."
[Orochimaru]: "What an incredible ability… Looks like I'll need to trade for an Observation Haki manual to study."
[Esdeath]: "Hostility detection, huh? Sounds fun. Maybe I'll put some effort into awakening a similar ability in my own Haki."
[Random bystander]: "So… so OP! I haven't even learned Armament Haki yet… sob"
[Kizaru]: "Anyway, I'm off to retrieve Metal Knight's mecha."
—
As Kizaru exited the group chat, one of Metal Knight's war mechs reached the outskirts of City B—still ten-plus kilometers from Kizaru's training ground.
> "Status scan in progress… System integrity: 100%. Energy reserve: 96%. Energy shield system: fully operational. Primary weapon systems…"
> "Environmental scan complete… Threats ruled out. Beginning strategic protocol… Pre-Program Triggered. Unit One, initiating deployment!"
The camouflaged green war mech crouched deep within the forest, its rounded head constantly sending and receiving commands.
Under its control, a pre-prepared semi-cybernetic warrior appeared in the center of City B, immediately launching a spree of destruction across the surrounding buildings.
At the same time, Flashy Flash, who had been in the middle of training, suddenly received an urgent directive from the Hero Association—he was to head to the city center at once to neutralize the rampaging cyborg.
Unlike obedient types like Genos, Flashy Flash wasn't exactly enthusiastic about fighting monsters, but as a hero, there was no way he could just sit back and let civilians get hurt.
What puzzled him was… why was he the only hero summoned?
Before he could think it through, the Hero Association sent another urgent message demanding he move out.
Left with no choice, Flashy Flash approached Kizaru to request a short leave to deal with the situation.
"A diversion, huh? Slightly more cautious than I expected. Go ahead—but be quick, I want you back for training soon."
Kizaru cheerfully approved Flashy Flash's request for leave, speaking in a way the ninja couldn't quite understand.
At that moment, Flashy Flash realized something. He furrowed his brows, seemingly about to say more—
—but the thought of Kizaru's strength, coupled with the presence of the terrifying Tatsumaki right beside him, made him swallow his words.
With these two "monsters" teaming up, even Blast, the S-Class Rank 1, might have to flee with his head in his hands. Nothing to worry about there.
"Tch, already making a move? Guess it's my turn next then."
Tatsumaki floated up from her beach chair, arms crossed, fully expecting Metal Knight to pull some elaborate stunt to lure her away next.
But to her surprise, she waited a while and saw… nothing.
"He's here."
Kizaru, holding a grilled fish in one hand, suddenly looked up.
Floating in the sky above them was a massive humanoid mech over three meters tall, wearing what looked like a futuristic space suit with a perfectly round helmet.
"He's not even trying to get rid of me first?!"
Tatsumaki stared in disbelief. She was Tatsumaki the Terrible Tornado, the S-Class Rank 2 hero! Metal Knight had gone through all the trouble of getting rid of a small fry like Flashy Flash, but was now completely ignoring her?
Rage surged through her. Despite her petite, almost childlike appearance, Tatsumaki was infamous for her explosive temper.
Without hesitation, she used her psychic powers to rip an entire building out of the ground.
That building, once intended to house Hero Association staff when this site was designated as a branch HQ, was fourteen stories tall and easily weighed tens of thousands of tons. But now, it hovered in the air, held aloft by sheer psychic force—ready to be used as a supersized brick.
"ALERT! ALERT! High-priority target detected: Tatsumaki the Terrible Tornado!"
"Activating energy shield! Switching to defense mode!"
The mech's "eyes" flashed red, and a soft blue spherical shield enveloped its body.
BOOM!
Before the mech's defenses could fully activate, Tatsumaki's "brick" slammed down like a flyswatter from hell, smashing the robot out of the air.
Instead of shattering on impact, the building remained eerily intact—held together by her telekinetic grip—and was lifted again, then slammed down once more like a giant hammer.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The entire training ground, and the surrounding area for dozens of kilometers, shook like it was being hit by a magnitude-eight earthquake.
The crater left by the impacts was dozens of meters deep, and soon filled with groundwater, forming a sizable artificial lake.
"Let's see if you dare ignore me again!"
Only after turning the building into a mountain of rubble did Tatsumaki angrily toss it aside.
°°°
If you want to read ahead and access 20 advanced chapters, check the patreon
Link: Patreon/Moziel