A single sentence cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Maude's words were a direct strike at the crux of the situation.
Aokiji's gaze grew slightly heavier.
If this battle with Maude continued here, his comrades who had arrived with him would fall one by one until none remained.
Unless he could take down Maude in a short span of time.
But that was clearly impossible.
The man before him—one with an extraordinary background who had grown incomparably powerful in just three years—now possessed the strength to stand against him on equal footing.
In a one-on-one fight, even he couldn't guarantee victory.
In fact, he should consider himself fortunate.
It had only been about a week since the war ended.
In such a short time, Maude's stockpile of shadows was likely close to zero. Even if he had any left, there wouldn't be many.
Otherwise—
If Maude unleashed the shadow technique he used against Whitebeard, the one that dramatically enhanced his strength, things would become even more troublesome.
As it stood now—
The abilities Maude showcased during the Summit War had already been meticulously documented, analyzed, and categorized by the Navy's intelligence division.
Such treatment was reserved for individuals of Yonko caliber.
Thus, Aokiji had a considerable understanding of Maude's shadow powers and was well aware that, throughout their dozens of clashes, Maude had yet to reveal his full arsenal.
So, what was the best course of action now?
Aokiji let out a quiet sigh in his heart.
He had no concern for his own safety. Even if his comrades fell one after another and he found himself besieged by the entire Maude Pirates, he didn't believe he would be defeated.
However, to single-handedly take down the entire Maude Pirates? That was another matter entirely.
Ultimately—
Aokiji's way of handling things was different from Akainu, who upheld absolute justice.
In a situation like this, Aokiji wouldn't allow his comrades to suffer needless sacrifices.
Besides, the mission was already halfway complete.
Although it remained uncertain whether using the Heart Pirates' crew as leverage would compel Trafalgar Law to hand over a "living heart" in exchange, at the very least, it gave Aokiji the confidence to abandon a second operation altogether.
"This was a miscalculation."
As if he had made his decision, a subtle change flickered in Aokiji's eyes.
By "miscalculation," he meant failure.
He could have waited for reinforcements, but by the time they arrived, Onigumo and the others would likely be long gone.
"Ice Age!"
Having made up his mind, Aokiji unleashed a massive surge of freezing air, sweeping it toward Maude.
If the previous Ice Age had been meant to eliminate Maude—
Then this one was meant to restrain him.
A difference in intent led to a difference in the technique's power and effect.
This time, the Ice Age that surged toward Maude was focused more on expanding the range and speed of the cold, rather than maximizing the rate of ice formation.
Having already endured several of Aokiji's Ice Age attacks, Maude, aided by Observation Haki, instantly grasped Aokiji's intent and the nature of this particular technique.
"I only forced you into making a choice—I never said I'd let you have your way."
Maude narrowed his eyes, fully aware that Aokiji had made his decision.
In that case—
His next move was clear: make things as difficult for Aokiji as possible.
"Shadow Vortex."
The shadows gathered at Maude's feet abruptly transformed into a vast, flowing mass, spreading across the ground at high speed toward the oncoming Ice Age.
Leveraging the free-form nature of his shadows, Maude could easily replicate techniques from other powerful individuals.
For instance, Ace's Fire Fist and Doflamingo's Holy Bullet.
And now, this move—Shadow Abyss—was a replication of Blackbeard's Dark Vortex (Black Vortex).
However, Maude's development of the Shadow Casket space was not yet fully mature.
Unlike Dark Vortex, he couldn't spread darkness across the ground and absorb large amounts of matter into another dimension.
But—Shadow Vortex had other abilities derived from the nature of shadows.
"Aokiji, you can't freeze my shadows. Which means—my shadows can keep erasing your techniques."
Under Maude's control, the vast shadow surge rapidly spread forward.
In an instant, the ground before him was covered by a roiling, restless tide of shadows.
The icy gusts of Ice Age swept over the shadow tide, freezing it under thick layers of ice before continuing their relentless advance toward Maude.
"If you want to destroy it, then go ahead and try…"
Aokiji had no intention of getting caught up in a battle of pride. His gaze remained calm as he glanced at the frozen shadow tide.
His entire body gradually transformed into an elemental state, turning into a flurry of ice shards that shot toward Grove 13, where Onigumo and the other marines were.
Now that part of the mission was accomplished, there was no need to continue this fight with Maude. Minimizing losses was the most important thing.
Aokiji's movements didn't escape Maude's eyes.
"What's the rush? Why not stay and play a little longer?"
Maude extended his hand toward the approaching Ice Age, clenching his fist.
"Shadow Vortex—Strangling Vines!"
The frozen shadow tide suddenly morphed into countless thorn-covered brambles that burst from the ice, like a massive maw lined with interlocking fangs, snapping shut in an instant.
Boom! Crack!
The immense ice sheet was instantly torn apart by the countless writhing shadow brambles.
Shattered ice fragments rained down from the sky, crashing heavily onto the already fractured Grove 14.
The repeated impacts finally proved too much—the battered island, unable to withstand further destruction, began sinking into the sea at a visible rate.
"Partial Armament Enhancement."
Maude paid no attention to the island's fate. His sharp gaze followed Aokiji's every move.
With a mere thought, the now-blossoming shadow brambles, having shredded the ice, surged toward Aokiji, who was still in midair as a flurry of ice shards.
"So, you even coated them with Armament Haki…"
Aokiji's eyes narrowed as he studied the incoming thorn-covered brambles, searching for an opening to slip through.
However—
Maude was determined to block his retreat. Having seized the advantage, he wouldn't give Aokiji any chance to escape.
The Armament-coated bramble mass closed in, forming an airtight assault, slamming toward Aokiji midair.
Realizing he couldn't slip through, Aokiji decisively abandoned his elemental form.
Returning to his human shape, he wasted no time releasing high-grade Armament Haki, covering his arms while forming an ice blade in his palm.
Against an enemy whose shadows could endlessly morph, pure defense would only lead to a slow defeat.
Only through an overwhelming offense could he break through.
This was something the Navy had already studied extensively.
Though Aokiji had prioritized his comrades' survival, he wouldn't miss the chance to counterattack.
"Ice Thorn Lance."
Aokiji's eyes flashed crimson as he drove his blade toward the shadow brambles.
"ROOM."
In that instant, a hemispherical spatial field materialized, encompassing both Maude and Aokiji—along with the shadow brambles.
The sudden emergence of Room made Aokiji's expression shift slightly.
Meanwhile, Maude's lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"Didn't see this coming, did you? I've still got one more player in this game."
"Shambles."
From the shadows, Law revealed his presence, his expression cold as he activated his ability.
With a swift motion, Aokiji—who had originally been facing the shadow brambles—was instantly repositioned, his back now turned toward them.
The powerful attack meant to strike at the shadow brambles instead slashed at empty air, an awkward and wasted effort.
In the next instant, the shadow brambles lunged from behind Aokiji, ruthlessly striking his back with tremendous force.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A rapid series of concussive blasts erupted.
Aokiji was sent flying by the impact, his body turning into a dark silhouette as he hurtled through the air, crashing into the massive trunk of the No. 15 Yarukiman Mangrove in the distance.
Meanwhile—
To close the distance between himself and Aokiji, Maude swiftly swapped places with the shadow brambles using his ability.
SWISH!
In a flash, Maude appeared midair, at the very spot where the shadow brambles had just launched Aokiji.
"Hakoku."
Suspended in the air, Maude's presence surged with power.
A faint white glow flickered to life along the blade of Shusui, like fireflies dancing in the night.
"Slash!"
With a decisive swing, Maude unleashed his attack.
The glow along Shusui's edge suddenly intensified, transforming into a brilliant crescent-shaped slash that cut through the air, streaking toward the airborne Aokiji.
At that moment—
Aokiji's body crashed into the trunk of No. 15 Yarukiman Mangrove.
The impact blasted a massive crater into the tree while sending a deafening shockwave reverberating across the nearby tree islands.
His body was deeply embedded in the tree's surface, and from the cold mist radiating off of him, layers of frost rapidly formed around the edges of the crater.
"That was close..."
Aokiji muttered, his tone calm despite the situation.
He appeared mostly unharmed as he braced his hands against the crater and pulled his upper body free.
Just as he did, an intense white light shone from behind him, casting his shadow over the tree's surface.
Aokiji, maintaining his Observation Haki, showed no sign of surprise.
The devastating Hakoku Slash roared past, tearing across his back before continuing its rampage—brutally severing No. 15 Yarukiman Mangrove in half.
Then—
Under the astonished gazes of onlookers, the massive crescent-shaped energy wave continued its path, effortlessly slicing through No. 16, No. 19, No. 22, No. 25, and No. 28 Yarukiman Mangroves in succession.
The attack didn't dissipate until it reached the distant ocean beyond Grove 28.
RUMBLE—!!
As Grove 14 collapsed into the sea, the five other Yarukiman Mangroves, now severed, began to fall one after another.
The tremendous force of their collapse triggered a chain reaction, sending powerful tremors radiating throughout the Sabaody Archipelago.
For those on the archipelago—whether Marines, civilians, or even pirates—there was no hiding their fear.
"What… what did I just witness!? The guy who got smashed into the tree… That was Admiral Aokiji, wasn't it?!"
A pirate with a bounty nearing 100 million berries stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the devastation caused by a single Hakoku Slash.
"SMACK—!"
His crewmate suddenly slapped him across the face, making stars dance in his vision.
"Did that hurt?"
"SMACK—!"
The pirate snapped out of his daze and retaliated with a slap of his own.
"Did THAT hurt?"
"YES!!"
"Then… we're not dreaming, right?"
"SMACK—!"
"SMACK—!"
"We're definitely not dreaming!"
"So what the hell did we just see?!"
"Admiral Aokiji… just got sent flying by Maude…!"
"Did he just… die?"
The pirates, still struggling to process what they had witnessed, looked on in horror at the sinking tree islands.
As the reality of the situation set in, their initial shock quickly turned into deep-rooted dread.
For a fleeting moment, they entertained the worst possible scenario—
What if Maude destroys the entire Sabaody Archipelago?
At this moment, the fear that Maude had instilled spread like wildfire across the archipelago.
The Hakoku Slash, delivered at full power, had obliterated nearly one-third of Sabaody's lawless zone.
With Grove 14 now submerged, Maude and Law had retreated to the edge of Grove 13.
"Sigh."
Maude looked at the massive chasm left behind by his attack, remarking:
"Taking down an Admiral… really isn't that easy, huh?"
Through his Observation Haki, he could still sense Aokiji's presence—strong and unwavering.
This meant the Hakoku Slash had not inflicted significant damage.
Hearing this, Law couldn't help but feel speechless.
As if taking down a Marine Admiral would be so simple. If it were, the Marines would've collapsed long ago.
"It's not just his Devil Fruit ability," Law muttered as he cradled Kikoku, his expression grave.
"His Armament Haki and Observation Haki… are absurdly powerful. He's a monster among monsters."
Maude cast Law a surprised glance.
"Oh? You actually managed to see that?"
"…"
Law's mouth twitched.
"Just how weak do you think I am?"
"My bad, my bad. That's not what I meant."
Maude flashed an apologetic smile.
Law sighed, rubbing his forehead before speaking in a low voice:
"Maybe it's not that Aokiji's Observation Haki is especially strong… Maybe my ability was just too slow, giving him enough time to react."
"No."
Maude placed a hand on Law's shoulder, his voice calm yet firm.
"Don't assume that just because Aokiji is a Logia user, his Observation Haki is weak. The truth is—anyone strong enough to become an Admiral is a complete monster, whether in terms of Haki or Devil Fruit mastery."
"…Yeah."
Hearing this, Law silently nodded.
Aokiji's mastery of Armament and Observation Haki, displayed in that critical moment, had been terrifying.
For a brief instant, Law had even overlooked the fact that Aokiji was a top-tier Logia user.
Maude withdrew his hand and turned his gaze toward the now-flooded Grove 14.
From the freezing mist rising above the water, thick layers of ice rapidly spread across the surface.
"Did that attack… actually wound Aokiji?"
Watching the ice form, Maude contemplated.
If I had the power of 500 shadows at that moment… maybe I could have seriously injured him…
But "what ifs" didn't matter.
Gathering 500 high-quality shadows was no easy feat.
The sea had frozen over.
Aokiji's figure emerged from the ice.
Maude's eyes immediately caught the trace of blood at the corner of Aokiji's lips.
But Aokiji's attention was focused elsewhere—on Law, standing beside Maude.
Then, in a quick glance, he checked on Vice Admiral Onigumo's situation—things weren't looking good.
With a resigned sigh, Aokiji scratched his cheek and said:
"Trafalgar Law… This might not be the best timing, but…"
His gaze sharpened.
"We have your people."
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