"What the heck…"
Chewing on meat clinging to a bone, seeing a flock of birds scatter from the distant shoreline followed by a violent tremor, Luffy asked with a blank expression.
"With such a huge commotion, could it be a Sea King attacking a ship?"
Luffy's group had only just set up camp on the isolated island and hadn't had time to rest before such an unexpected situation occurred.
But the moment Luffy heard "Sea King," he immediately thought of piles and piles of meat, and drool instantly flowed from his mouth.
"Hey, hey! Then let's go capture that Sea King! We can roast it!!!"
"...Fine, the food on the ship is almost gone thanks to you anyway."
Sanji nodded in agreement.
"Then let's go take a look at the shore together."
...
At the same time the Straw Hats were rushing over, something rather unpleasant was happening on the coast.
"Clatter clatter clatter…"
With the bicycle rolling forward, clusters of ice crystals instantly spread across the sea, releasing cold mist. A tall, lanky figure was approaching the island.
"…"
Looking at the vast sea ahead, Kuzan yawned.
Ever since Orin had half-retired from the world, Kuzan always felt that something was missing. The longer he served in the Marines and the more he experienced, the more he lost the passion and fire he once had.
The darkness of the World Government… years without seeing his old rival Orin… it felt like he'd lost his motivation.
Although he still had his own justice in his heart, once one's spirit dims, it's simply gone.
Thus, on the surface, he had become the second-biggest slacker in the Marines—only one person slacked off more than him.
"That Orin guy seems to have returned, but he hasn't shown himself. Looks like he's been doing something behind the scenes… that bastard is definitely plotting to turn the world upside down again, isn't he?"
"But with where I stand now, I don't really have a chance to intervene…"
"Well… whatever. I'll go check on old man Garp's grandson."
With that mood, Kuzan pedaled his sea bicycle toward the area where the Straw Hat Pirates were reported to be.
But from afar, he already heard a loud "Zeha ha ha ha!" and felt a strangely familiar sensation…
"Zeha hahaha! Move out! Let's take down Straw Hat Luffy and his crew!!!"
The fat, black figure led his subordinates forward, ready to capture Luffy, who was worth over 100 million, and hand him over to the World Government.
Once he secured a Shichibukai position, dealing with the Whitebeard Pirates would be much easier.
"Oi, Hades, stay here and guard the ship. The rest of you, move!!!"
But before they could leave, a bone-chilling cold swept over them.
When they turned back, at some unknown point, a tall blue-white figure was standing there silently.
"Y-you're…!!!"
Turning back, Teach's face twisted in shock.
"Marine Admiral Aokiji!!!"
"Ah-la-la… You all look like pirates to me."
"I didn't come here on a mission, but since I've run into you, I'll handle things properly…"
Cold breath misted from his mouth as Aokiji stared expressionlessly at the entire Blackbeard crew.
"Damn…"
Teach's eyes turned serious and vicious. He never expected to run into a Marine Admiral here.
"Oi!!! Kuzan! We're candidates for the Shichibukai! We have no reason to fight you here!!!"
Seeing the intention to fight in Aokiji's eyes, Blackbeard immediately raised his hand to stop things.
The Blackbeard Pirates and Aokiji stood off against each other from a distance.
What a joke—
Their plan was underway; there was no way they could fight a Marine Admiral right now.
Cold sweat dripped down Teach's face.
He had to try…
"Hey hey hey!!! Who cares about Marine Admirals?! We're not afraid of Devil Fruit users!!!"
At that tense moment, a voice suddenly rang out.
From the other side, the previously dazed Hades suddenly snapped awake, gripping his two axes as he stepped forward with bright eyes.
He stared at Aokiji with a grin.
"A mere Marine Admiral. I'm the man who will become the deputy of the future King of the World!!!"
"!!!"
Everyone in the crew froze in shock—especially Teach, whose expression became wonderfully colorful.
How could he forget Hades, the man afraid of absolutely nothing??!
This was the guy who even dared to set his sights on the Warp-Warp Fruit!!!
"Wait, Hades!!! Now is not the time to fight a Marine—"
Teach tried to continue, but at that moment—
"Whooo…"
A massive wave of cold erupted, frigid air surging violently from the tall figure opposite them.
"Clatter clatter clatter—!!!!!!"
Sky-piercing cold froze the entire coastline in an instant, spreading across the distant sea!!!
There was no mistaking it—
Even if the voice, appearance, and mannerisms were different…
My heartbeat recognized you before my mind did.
Did you really think changing your appearance would fool me?
Orin!!!
"Nani!!!"
Teach didn't understand why Aokiji suddenly snapped, but the ice forming under his feet made it clear that things couldn't be settled peacefully anymore.
"Damn it!!! Dark Vortex!!!"
Slamming his hand onto the ground, endless darkness spread out, swallowing the ice.
"Zeha ha ha ha… No choice now! Looks like we must fight. Prepare for battle, boys!!!"
Cold sweat—now literally frozen—dripped from Teach's face. His Dark-Dark Fruit suppressed the freezing, allowing him to move again.
"Clang—"
Hades also stepped forward. His twin axes wrapped in a dense, pitch-black aura of Armament Haki, clashing together with a metallic ring.
"A Marine Admiral can be slain as well!!"
As for the rest of the crew, all they could do was provide support. The most useless one, Burgess, had already been frozen into an ice sculpture.
Thus, with the combined "full power" of Teach and Hades, they managed to briefly exchange blows with Aokiji.
With the Ice-Ice Fruit's power gone, and both Teach and Hades being Haki specialists, they could barely keep up—
But against the rampaging Aokiji, Teach clearly took heavier damage.
Meanwhile, in the distant forest, several people were secretly watching the battle.
After Robin got a clear look, she fell directly onto her rear, trembling violently.
"Th-that's…"
Childhood memories surged forth.
"The Marine fighting those two men… is a Marine Headquarters top-tier power… Admiral Aokiji!!!"
Perhaps noticing their presence,
Hades smirked and shouted toward the forest:
"Oi oi oi!!! Are you so scared of Marines that you hide instead of fighting???"
"Truly low-tier pirates!!!"