Faced with Doflamingo's desperate, all-or-nothing gambit, the expressions on Aokiji and Akainu's faces turned grave. At the same time, they didn't hesitate, unleashing their own ultimate techniques to try and destroy the heaven-blotting curtain of lightning.
"Meteor Volcano!"
"Ice Age!"
"Abyssal Tarn of the North!"
The three worlds of fire, ice, and lightning collided, sending a shiver down the spines of the watching Marines. The sheer scale of this clash was far beyond anything they could ever hope to withstand.
Sizzle!
When the ice met the liquid lightning, it was like hitting a wall of fire; the intense heat instantly vaporized it into steam. On the other side, the usually all-consuming magma met its match. The temperature of lightning is far greater than that of magma, and Akainu's attack was relentlessly pushed back.
Neither of them could gain an advantage. Doflamingo's attacks had become more bizarre and unpredictable, making him an even more difficult opponent to handle.
"Cough, cough…"
Doflamingo coughed up another mouthful of blood. Although he currently had the upper hand, it was coming at a great cost. The pressure from two Admirals was immense, and his injuries were severe. After such a short burst of intense exertion, his body was already starting to give out.
Hearing Doflamingo's cough, and considering he had unleashed such overwhelming power from the very beginning of the fight, Akainu and Aokiji immediately understood the precariousness of his condition. Perhaps this time, they could truly capture him.
"Ararara, Donquixote Doflamingo, your injuries look pretty bad. Why don't you just surrender?" Aokiji advised, though the wave of cold air from his hands continued to clash with Doflamingo's lightning.
"Aokiji, you're an Admiral, how can you still be so naive? Asking a pirate to surrender… is that even possible?" Doflamingo shot back.
"Well now, Doflamingo-kun, if you won't accept my kindness, then don't blame me. I thought that after our few encounters, we had at least built up some sort of rapport," Aokiji said lazily, completely ignoring Akainu's opinion.
"Aokiji, I have to say, the Marines are wasting your talents. Ever consider becoming a pirate?" Doflamingo chuckled, finding the Admiral's words amusing.
"Ararara, that's a serious proposition. You're actually trying to persuade a Marine Admiral to become a pirate. What an interesting idea," Aokiji replied, not angered, but with a new note of seriousness in his voice.
"Who knows? Marine? Pirate? It's all the same in my eyes. You'll understand one day, Aokiji," Doflamingo said, his words laced with a deep, hidden meaning.
Aokiji was a little bewildered, unsure of what Doflamingo was talking about.
"But if you're going to be a Marine, then do your job properly! You should learn a thing or two from your old partner there." Doflamingo gestured with his eyes, and Aokiji glanced over at the hard-working Akainu.
Akainu was struggling to clear away the liquid lightning, clearly not having as leisurely a time as Aokiji.
"Aokiji, pirates are pirates. They should be eradicated without exception. Why are you wasting your breath on them?" Akainu declared domineeringly, the clean, efficient motions of his hands demonstrating his resolve. He had, of course, heard their entire conversation, but with the brunt of Doflamingo's attack focused on him, he hadn't bothered to interject, curious to see what nonsense the two would spout.
"Donquixote Doflamingo, for the sake of the justice on my back, I won't let a villain like you escape," Aokiji said coldly, hearing the implicit threat in Akainu's words.
"Justice, evil… it's all a pointless debate. The only ones who are just are the ones who win. And I, Donquixote Doflamingo, will be the winner," he declared with the air of a king, showing no regard for any of the Marines present.
"Arrogant fool!"
Akainu burst through the thunder marsh and appeared directly in front of Doflamingo.
"Akainu? It's a pity, but you're no longer a match for me."
Doflamingo's expression didn't change as he watched the charging Admiral, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Die!" Akainu was unmoved. In his eyes, there was only the enemy.
Doflamingo raised his fist, wreathed in black liquid lightning and infused with both Armament and Conqueror's Haki. Today, he was going to show this red dog what true power was and make him suffer for it.
"Get lost!" Doflamingo roared, putting all his strength into a single punch.
An overwhelming aura, a pressure like a collapsing mountain, bore down on Akainu. Even before their fists connected, he could feel the immense danger radiating from the attack.
"Dark Hound," Akainu gritted out, his voice cold.
Their fists stopped half a meter apart, unable to advance another inch. In fact, Akainu's fist was slowly being pushed back. The pressure he was under was extraordinary. If nothing changed, he would not be able to take this punch.
Aokiji, of course, wouldn't stand by and watch Akainu get hurt. Seeing them locked in a stalemate, he made his move.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
Doflamingo noticed Aokiji's attack and pushed even harder. This power struggle was taking a toll on him as well. He needed to leave now, before he was truly crippled.
"Fall, Akainu!" he yelled at the man before him.
"Damn you, pirate! Don't even think about it!" Akainu snarled, holding his ground.
"Aaaargh!"
Their roars tore through the sky with deafening force.
BOOM!
A figure was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ice below. The spectating Marines recognized the familiar silhouette and gasped in disbelief.
At the same time, Doflamingo was struck by Aokiji's Ice Time Capsule and was also sent flying back several meters.
"Ice Age!"
A wave of super-chilled air swept across the sea, rushing toward the fallen Doflamingo.
Frost clung to his chest, his face was pale, and blood trickled from his lips. His stamina was almost completely gone. Doflamingo was in a truly terrible state.
But one crisis followed another. Aokiji pressed his advantage, determined to finish him off.
Swoosh!
Just before the cold air could freeze him solid, Doflamingo shot into the sky, pulling the entire thunder marsh with him in a spectacular display of power. To the onlookers, it was a breathtaking sight, like a waterfall hanging between the sky and the sea, connecting the two realms.
Aokiji's face was grim as he watched Doflamingo's maneuver. Alarms blared in his head; he understood Doflamingo's intention.
High in the sky, the thunder-fall hung, deceptively calm, like an ordinary cascade of water.
"Solar Eclipse."
Without a moment's hesitation, Doflamingo waved his hand, and the entire thunder marsh plunged toward the frozen warships below.
"Damn it, run!" Aokiji's expression changed drastically as he yelled to the Marines on the ships. He had intended to intercept Doflamingo, but now he abandoned that thought. In the end, he couldn't just watch his subordinates die.
Just as Aokiji was about to move, Akainu's cold voice sounded in his ear.
"Aokiji, now is not the time for sentiment. Remember the mission we carry on our backs."
With those parting words, Akainu shot into the sky after Doflamingo.
Seeing Akainu approach, Doflamingo sent a few lightning bolts down to block his path.
"Until we meet again!"
With his farewell speech delivered, Doflamingo wasted no more time and vanished.
"Damn you, Donquixote Doflamingo!" Akainu cursed, striking the air in frustration. Hearing the cries of the sailors below, his mood soured even further.
The thunder marsh rolled in like a tidal wave, its oppressive weight suffocating the ordinary marines. Those who couldn't escape died honorably in the line of duty.
"Ice Age!"
In the end, it was Aokiji who intervened, saving them. Without its master, the thunder marsh was no match for an Admiral, and it quickly dissipated.
"Thank you, Admiral Aokiji! We would have been dead without you!"
"Yeah! Who would have thought Doflamingo was so powerful!"
The survivors celebrated their narrow escape.
Hearing the marines' whispers, Akainu's face was dark. Aokiji's expression was no better.
"Aokiji, if you hadn't hesitated, Donquixote Doflamingo would never have gotten away," Akainu said, adjusting his cap and staring intently at his colleague, his dissatisfaction clear.
"Akainu, the lives of so many Marines were at stake. Which was more important?" Aokiji retorted.
"Doflamingo wasn't wrong. You really are naive, Aokiji," Akainu sneered.
Without waiting for a response, Akainu turned and left, leaving a stunned, frustrated, and angry Aokiji to contemplate his life choices.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo dragged his heavy body through the air. He flew for a long, long time until he finally saw a patch of land. He crashed into the forest below and fell into unconsciousness.