The power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, huh?
Kuzan (Aokiji) was genuinely surprised by Sabo's mastery of the Dark-Dark Fruit. But after thinking about it, he supposed it made sense.
After all, Sabo was now a high-ranking officer under Ghidorah. Possessing the Dark-Dark Fruit seemed like a fitting inheritance.
Still, Kuzan couldn't help feeling some unease. This was the very fruit that once appeared briefly during the Paramount War—its true power still cloaked in mystery.
Not that he knew its specifics. But even back then, if Blackbeard hadn't had that fruit, he might not have dared to act so boldly.
Though powerful, he'd clearly picked the wrong opponent.
But Sabo was a very different beast. His physical abilities were on par with Kuzan's—and with the Dark-Dark Fruit added to the mix… this was no easy matchup.
For the first time in this encounter, Kuzan dropped his nonchalance, narrowing his eyes seriously at Sabo.
"I guess there's no point in holding back anymore."
With that, Kuzan leapt into the air and shouted:
"Ice Ball!"
Suddenly, five massive ice pillars launched from his hands, surging straight toward Sabo.
Whoa! He's going all out from the start?!
Sabo was shocked—he hadn't expected Kuzan to start the battle with such ferocity. He tried to react, but it was too late.
The overwhelming cold swept over him, and in dodging, he was momentarily caught—
—frozen solid.
"Damn it…!"
Sabo scowled and activated the Dark-Dark Fruit, but the ice came faster than his reaction.
Before he could break free—
Snap! Crackle…!
Kuzan, who had been preparing to walk over and free him, suddenly paused.
From within the frozen mass came the unmistakable sound of fracturing ice.
KRRRSHHH!
A thick wave of darkness exploded out, shattering the ice and engulfing the area.
"Didn't take you for such a cold-blooded bastard."
Free from the ice, Sabo exhaled deeply. The dark mist surrounding him rolled out like a living fog.
"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?"
Kuzan said with a straight face, lifting his arm and forming three spears of ice.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
"Still pretending you're not?"
Sabo scoffed and summoned a massive wall of darkness behind him.
"Release!"
From within the dark wall, countless ice crystals burst forth, intercepting the incoming ice spears.
"…You can absorb my ice?"
Kuzan was surprised, watching his own elemental attack turned against him.
But Sabo gave him no time to regroup.
He raised his palm toward Kuzan, who was still midair, and shouted:
"Dark Gravity!"
A black vortex spiraled open in his palm, unleashing a gravitational force that pulled Kuzan straight toward him.
Despite using Rokushiki to hover midair, Kuzan couldn't resist the pull.
"Wait—he can do that too?!"
Wide-eyed, Kuzan hastily coated his fist with Armament Haki, ready to land a blow before being dragged too close.
But Sabo's cold smile deepened.
"Dragon Claw."
BANG!
Their fists collided, but Sabo's claw intercepted it perfectly.
"Got you."
"Absorb!"
Once again, the black vortex expanded—this time locking Kuzan in place, unable to escape.
Without warning, Sabo drove a Haki-infused punch straight into Kuzan's gut.
Kuzan's eyes widened as he tried to activate his Logia form—
—but nothing happened.
"What?!"
He gasped.
"My Devil Fruit… it's not working!?"
"Feel that?"
Sabo grinned.
"I hold grudges."
WHAM!
The punch landed with bone-crunching force, the sensation of raw impact satisfying Sabo immensely.
WHAM! BAM! THUD!
Kuzan flew backward, tumbling across the sand three times before coming to a painful stop.
He clutched his stomach and looked up at Sabo in disbelief.
"He held back…"
Though the punch had looked brutal, Sabo had intentionally pulled about 40% of his strength at the last second.
Otherwise, Kuzan might have suffered serious internal injuries, if not outright collapsed.
Now, it was mostly surface damage.
Kuzan stood up slowly, brushing the sand off his clothes.
"Done already?"
Sabo called out.
"Can't keep going."
Kuzan grumbled, walking back toward the campfire.
"What? That's it? Don't wimp out now."
Sabo teased, catching up with a grin.
"If this is how your people fight, I might rethink joining you!"
Kuzan replied, a little wounded in pride.
Despite leaving the Marines, Kuzan hadn't changed much. He was still lazy, but now had a slightly warmer, more human air about him.
The two sat on the beach, chatting about the future, and Ghidorah's ambitions.
When Sabo explained Ghidorah's dream of building a kingdom of true equality, Kuzan immediately waved it off:
"That's impossible."
"Why?"
"Long ago, our teacher, Nika, and Joy Boy created a kingdom just like that—'The Great Kingdom.'
But because of betrayal, it was wiped from history."
"We're trying to revive that kingdom now."
As a former admiral, Kuzan knew bits and pieces about the mysterious Will of D.
But what he heard from Sabo now went far beyond anything in government records.
"…Wait, so you're preparing for war?"
Looking around at the stripped-down island, he pieced things together.
"No. We're not preparing anymore. The war has already begun."
"Our logistics team supports from behind—but the real war has already started."
"That's why I invited you. Not to fight, but because the backlines need your skills—especially that ocean-freezing ability."
"A tool, huh?"
Kuzan gave himself a label with a crooked smile.
His eyes looked at Sabo a little strangely—but before he could say anything, a thunderous rumble came from the sea.
Both men turned toward it.
"What the hell is that?!"
Even Kuzan, usually unshaken, stood frozen, eyes wide as he stared at the monstrous silhouette approaching across the ocean.
"Are they trying to kill me with work…?"
Sabo's expression collapsed into disbelief.
The colossal structure growing larger on the horizon was a battleship the size of an island.
"That's just a remnant of Pluton…"
Sabo sighed.
"Only a part of it—it's under the control of Ivankov's Group."
"P-Pluton!?"
"And… a remnant!?"
Kuzan was in utter shock.
He had never imagined that in his lifetime, he'd lay eyes on **not just one—but two Ancient Weapons.
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