The Ice Field Battlefield
War raged fiercely across the frozen wasteland—battle cries, weapon clashing, and death wails echoing endlessly.
"Ice Block: Partisan!"
Kuzan swung his arm. Freezing air erupted around him, instantly solidifying into sharp ice spears that shot toward Yamato like arrows.
"Ha!"
Yamato's eyes sharpened. Her kanabo, wrapped in fierce wind, swung violently, smashing the incoming spears into countless crystals. Immediately after, her feet pushed hard against the ice. The frozen ground exploded beneath her as she launched forward like a bullet directly at Kuzan.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Black-red Haki wrapped around her kanabo. Her arm muscles bulged as the club tore through the air, smashing downward at lightning speed.
"Conqueror's Haki coating? How terrifying."
Kuzan remarked lazily, though his eyes showed no real concern. Haki coating represented a top-tier technique, but its actual power depended entirely on the user's strength. Yamato clearly hadn't reached a troublesome level yet.
The ice blade in his hand instantly covered with Armament Haki as he met her club without dodging.
Bam.
An explosive collision erupted with black-red and pitch-black Haki violently clashing. The resulting shockwave shattered the surrounding ice field into fragments.
"Still so much strength. As expected of Kaido's daughter."
Feeling the tremendous force transmitted through his blade, Kuzan frowned slightly. Racial talent, combined with Mythical Zoan abilities, meant that even an unripe Yamato's raw strength already approached his level.
He needed a different approach.
The next second, Yamato felt her kanabo lighten. It passed through Kuzan's body without resistance. She'd landed a hit, but her face showed no joy. This same scene had been repeated several times already.
Not far away, Kuzan emerged intact from the ice, his posture perfectly composed.
"Damn it, not again!"
Glaring at Kuzan, Yamato complained. "Can't you just fight me head-on?"
Kuzan replied leisurely. "Battle requires strategy. There's no reason not to use convenient abilities."
As he spoke, a massive ice bird took form, its wings spread wide, carrying freezing intent toward Yamato with piercing shrieks.
"Hm?"
Just as Yamato was about to move, she discovered her feet frozen solid to the ice.
"Not good!"
Her heart jolted. She violently broke the ice around her ankles, but this delay cost her the perfect dodge timing. With no choice, she swung her kanabo hard at the approaching bird.
Bam.
The bird shattered into thick white mist, obscuring her vision.
Freezing air suddenly erupted.
Crackle. Crackle.
Fine freezing sounds echoed as Yamato remained in her swinging pose, her entire body from feet to hair completely frozen into a lifelike ice sculpture. Her face was locked in shock.
Only then did Kuzan lazily retract his right arm, slowly calling out the technique. "Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
Knowing he couldn't hold Yamato long, Kuzan quickly formed two massive ice spears.
Whoosh.
The spears tore through the air with terrifying power, launching like missiles toward her.
At the critical moment, a black shadow flashed before her like a phantom.
Bam. Bam.
Both spears shattered instantly, exploding into countless ice shards.
Kuzan's pupils contracted sharply. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as his expression turned grave. "Kai."
He understood perfectly what Kai's appearance meant. Sakazuki's side was almost certainly lost.
Almost simultaneously with Kai's arrival, the ice encasing Yamato's body cracked before exploding. Yamato suddenly broke free, ice shattering everywhere.
"Phew!" Yamato exhaled deeply, then smiled seeing Kai's arrival. "Why are you here?"
Her expression turned dejected. "Kuzan is so strong. I couldn't land a clean hit."
Kai naturally reached out, gently ruffling her slightly messy hair. "You've already done very well, exchanging blows with him this long."
Yamato's current strength falling short against Admiral-level opponents was perfectly normal. Handling Vice Admirals would be light work for her. The gap between Admiral and Vice Admiral was that extreme.
Kuzan showed no discouragement. "I'd say the same."
If he defeated Kai, the Marines could catch their breath and retreat. At this point, he'd already abandoned hopes of eliminating Kai's crew. Preserving as many of his Marine colleagues as possible and ending the war with dignity became his sole objective.
Unless Kai granted him time for reinforcements. But would he?
While Kuzan's thoughts raced, Kai underwent a shocking transformation.
Brilliant green light burst from his body. His already towering dragon form grew taller. Most striking were two elongated ribbons of solidified golden light extending from his horns, fluttering behind him like living entities.
What was this?
Kuzan's heart shook violently. Though this form differed from any beast-type awakening he knew, the aura screamed awakening. Absolutely certain.
"Unfortunately, time's tight," Kai said, grinning. "I must use this power for battle. Kuzan, you're the first experiencing this directly."
Sakazuki differed from Kuzan in one critical way. Seawater rendered him powerless. But Kuzan? The moment seawater touched him, it would freeze. The Ice-Ice Fruit was among the few abilities that partially negated seawater's weakness.
"Ara ara. Should I feel honored?"
Kuzan's smile carried bitter undertones. A formidable enemy with unclear victory odds had now evolved into something far worse.
Without wasting words, Kai's form flickered, vanishing. The ice beneath him exploded the instant after he left.
"Fang Strike!"
A fist wrapped in black Haki lightning rapidly enlarged in Kuzan's pupils.
"So fast!"
That was his only thought. No time for secondary considerations.
Bam.
The black fist pierced Kuzan's head without obstruction. Violent punch pressure erupted, his entire body instantly shattering into ice shards.
The punch's momentum remained unstoppable, carving a hundred-meter-deep chasm across the ice field.
"Caught you."
Kai's eyes flashed red, his mouth curling wickedly. Without pausing, his form blurred again, launching two more punches toward seemingly empty ice.
There, Kuzan's elemental body was just solidifying its upper half.
"You discovered me so quickly?"
Facing the incoming Kai, Kuzan's pupils shrank. Having just reformed, he had no time for effective evasion. He hastily covered both arms with ice, hardening them with Armament Haki in a defensive stance.
"Ice Glove!"
The punch wrapped in Conqueror's Haki struck solidly against his crossed, ice-reinforced arms.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Kuzan felt an irresistible force rolling toward him. His crossed arms transmitted bone-cracking pain as he spun like a top across the ice field, shattering countless ice hills before finally stopping in scattered debris.
How impossibly strong.
Just moments ago, fighting Yamato with apparent ease, Kuzan now looked utterly pathetic. His pristine Admiral uniform was now tattered rags. Exposed skin showed blood and wounds everywhere.
"Still getting up?"
Kai watched the distant figure shakily supporting itself, silently admiring his durability. Not undeserving of Admiral status. Such willpower was rare across the seas.
Exactly then, a low shout, echoing with resolved determination, broke the silence. "Ice Age!"
"Oh? Another problem-solving approach?"
Knowing the future left no escape routes, Kai remained stationary.
Absolute zero descended. Starting from Kuzan, visible white cold waves spread fan-shaped in an instant. As the freezing wind passed, Kai was directly encased in colossal blue ice, like a specimen in amber.
This was Kuzan's solution to precognition. Large-scale attacks covered all escape routes. Even seeing the future meant unavoidable doom.
The moment Kai froze, prepared ice spears descended from all directions like a commanded army, piercing howls echoing as they bombarded the statue.
Yet Kai's consciousness within remained active. Tsk. This is the greatest difference between Logia and Mythical Zoan. Yamato couldn't manage this casually.
But you've seriously underestimated me.
Kai's muscles within the ice suddenly tensed.
Boom.
The steel-hard blue ice shattered internally, explosive force erupting outward. Before pieces fell, the frozen man vanished.
"Divine Speed!"
Accompanying a light flash, countless ice spears encountering the speedster crumbled uselessly.
The conclusion needed no suspense. Kuzan, exhausted from all-out offense, now lacked reserves for defense.
"We all fight hard living."
For Kai at this level, Kuzan was merely a speed bump.
Aokiji Kuzan, defeated.