"Although Aokiji's ability is powerful, I don't want it."
Marco responded as he refilled Whitebeard's cup with sake and continued.
"If I had to choose a Logia type, I'd prefer Akainu's Magu Magu no Mi."
"Oh? Why?" Whitebeard grew intrigued.
"Logia types vary greatly. The Magu Magu no Mi is the most powerful logia type in term of attack power!"
"I think when compared to Aokiji's Hie Hie no Mi, it's slightly stronger."
"Then why not choose Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi?" Whitebeard glanced at Marco.
"The Pika Pika no Mi grants incredible speed—your attacks will arrive in the blink of an eye."
"Pops, Kizaru's ability is probably the best."
"But since he is so fast, taking his blood will be incredibly hard!".
*****
At the harbor.
Aokiji frowned at the sea of people before him—their eyes gleaming greed!
The way they stared at him was like a pack of lustful men when they see sydney sweeney!
He had only come here to ask a question—was it necessary for the entire pirate crew to welcome him?
"Arara~ What a lively gathering." Aokiji lazily stretched. "Well, since I'm here... Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, what exactly happened here? What were those golden lights?"
Ace's brow furrowed.
So that was why he came—he had thought the admiral was just passing by.
"Aokiji, as an Admiral, are you that dumb or your brain's not working? Do you really think we'd answer you?"
"Hahaha, this admiral doesn't seem too bright, does he?"
"Who said admirals had to be smart? Brother, that's a dangerous thought!"
A barrage of mocking remarks filled the air, making Aokiji yawn as he picked at his ear.
"You trash of the sea are so noisy. Let me cool you all down."
With that, Aokiji launched his attack without hesitation.
His body began transforming, shifting from flesh and blood into solid, freezing ice.
The change was swift, as if the very space around him bent to an unstoppable force.
As Aokiji accelerated, his speed reached unprecedented levels.
Wherever he passed, whether vibrant flora and fauna or flying creatures, all instantly lost their vitality upon contact with his power—turned into ice sculptures.
"Move!"
Ace and the others swiftly retreated, evading Aokiji's freezing assault.
But many ordinary pirates weren't as lucky—struck by the cold, they instantly became frozen statues!
"Ice Spear!" Aokiji slowly raised his palm, and the moisture in the air seemed to be summoned by some mysterious force, rapidly condensing into five sharp, transparent ice spears.
Under his control, these ice spears shot forward like arrows released from a bow, heading straight for the enemies who hadn't yet reacted.
With several "whooshing" sounds cutting through the air, a few pirates were instantly struck down by the spears with precision.
A thin layer of frost immediately spread across their bodies and gradually expanding.
Then, an even more powerful freezing energy erupted from Aokiji's palm, encasing these unfortunate souls within a massive, crystal-clear ice sphere.
Not only was this ice sphere visually spectacular, but the temperature inside was also extremely low, rendering those trapped within completely immobile.
They could only watch helplessly as they slowly lost sensation from their feet upward until their entire bodies became completely frozen.
Throughout the process, aside from the occasional faint sounds of struggle, the surroundings were eerily silent.
Only Aokiji's calm and resolute gaze revealed his absolute confidence in the outcome of this battle.
"Mirror Flame!" Ace roared, his voice filled with fury.
A massive surge of flames erupted from his right arm like a volcanic explosion, carrying an intensely scorching heat and dazzling radiance as they traced brilliant arcs through the air.
The flames quickly took shape, forming a towering and sturdy wall of fire in front of his comrades.
Not only did it block Aokiji's bone-chilling attack, but it also radiated warmth, offering a sliver of comfort to his freezing allies behind him.
"You despicable bastard!" Ace cursed under his breath.
With his other hand, Ace released warm flames to melt his frozen crewmates, feeling a pang of regret.
He had been careless—if only he had acted sooner.
On the other side,
Faced with this sudden turn of events, Aokiji's expression remained as composed and indifferent as ever, as if he had long anticipated such a move from his opponent.
Yet, his demeanor showed no change.
"Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace. Now things are getting interesting."
Aokiji focused slightly, pushing his mastery of ice to its limits.
With a mere wave of his hand, one after another, ice spears brimming with cold energy flew in from all directions, their target was the barrier of pure flames.
"Hmph! The same trick again? Is this all an Admiral's got?" Ace taunted before thrusting his right hand forward.
The wall of fire surged ahead with a roar, aiming to engulf Aokiji in a sea of flames.
"Oh?" Aokiji watched calmly.
When the ice spears collided with the blazing wall of fire, they met unprecedented resistance.
First, their surfaces began to melt under the intense heat, then their structures gradually weakened.
After holding out for a few seconds, they ultimately shattered into puddles of water, dripping powerlessly onto the ground with faint splashes.
At that moment, everyone could feel the awe-inspiring impact of the clash between these two opposite forces.
"Pheasant Beak," Aokiji murmured, gathering frigid air into his right arm before releasing an ice bird.
This ice bird was also possessed tremendous force!
Wherever it passed, the air instantly froze and the ground rapidly became coated in a thick layer of frost.
Amidst the enveloping chill, everything around seemed frozen in time, even the tiniest particles in the air becoming distinctly visible.
While everyone stood dumbfounded by this sudden change, no one noticed that Admiral Aokiji's figure had quietly vanished.
At that moment, Ace erupted with towering flames, attempting to use the scorching heat to fend off the approaching cold.
Yet, despite their intense ferocity, these flames appeared insignificant against the powerfull ice attack.
Suddenly, a massive amount of cold air began coalescing behind Ace, forming a gigantic ice sculpture.
"To engage in battle with me, is to be prepared for death."
...