"Ice Age!"
Facing Don charging forward, wreathed in flames, Kuzan raised his hand and unleashed his ultimate attack—but the target wasn't Don. It was the ocean itself.
In an instant, the sea froze over.
The ship Robin was on, far off, became immobilized, frozen solid atop the ice.
"What…?"
Robin stared at the frozen expanse, a flicker of despair in her eyes.
Had he failed?
Before she could dwell on it, flames erupted.
"Burning City Walls!"
This move would normally consume enormous energy for Don. But now that he had decided to go all out against Kuzan, there was no need to hold anything back.
The endless flames roared, melting the ice Kuzan had formed along the shoreline. Don had already adapted his tactics when he realized his flames weren't at their highest temperature.
The flames moved constantly, their rapid motion raising their heat dramatically.
"This is our fight. No one else should get caught up in it!"
Don spoke to Kuzan, his blade clashing with ice in a tense struggle.
"You've got a bold mouth for a kid!"
Kuzan couldn't hide his surprise. He'd heard plenty about Don from Garp, even while contacting him from the West Blue.
But the kid… too young, too arrogant.
Then it was time to teach him a lesson. There were stronger people in this world; he shouldn't be so reckless.
"Ice Ball!"
Several ice spheres formed in Kuzan's left hand and shot toward Don's chest.
They pierced through the flames and air.
Don responded with a swirling fireball in his left hand, smashing toward Kuzan's head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fists and attacks collided with a deafening roar that echoed far and wide.
"Don't hold back!"
After the impact, Don staggered back—but a smile spread across his face.
"Give it your all. Show me the true strength of a Marine Admiral. Show me how far I still have to go to match you."
"What an insufferable little brat!"
Kuzan pressed his forehead, annoyed. He already regretted appearing. From their previous skirmish, he'd roughly gauged Don's abilities.
Protecting Robin would be no problem; as long as he didn't intervene, she'd be safe.
Yet this kid… he had his own designs on Robin.
Kuzan flung two ice spears.
Don dodged to the side. One spear deflected, revealing Kuzan's body behind it.
Boom!
A leg, hardened with Busoshoku Haki, slammed into Don's torso.
Flames trailing, Don crashed to the ground. Even with Haki hardening, that strike had shaved nearly twenty points off his health.
This was likely Kuzan's first true strike since the fight began.
Don's eyes followed the fallen Kuzan. Kuzan, in turn, stared back, puzzled.
Something was off!
That kick wasn't held back—and this kid hadn't even flinched?
At least, outwardly.
Had he misjudged him? Kuzan hesitated.
"Nice hit!"
Don grinned, fire now licking along his blade. Busoshoku Haki combined with flames etched dancing patterns along the sword.
"Remnant Flame Katana: Infernal Daybreak!"
His figure became nearly invisible. Super-concentrated flames distorted the air around him. The heat was so intense that the seawater began evaporating rapidly; nearby ships and cargo instantly caught fire.
Pushing his abilities and Haki without restraint, Don's health began to drop. His natural recovery could no longer keep up with the strain.
Kuzan's expression darkened. He felt the threat acutely.
Fire and ice, normally opposites, now collided in violent force. Previously, dealing with Don was relatively easy; though he was a Logia, his ability usage lagged far behind.
Now…
Through the heat-warped air, Kuzan realized the blurred, fiery figure in front of him could truly harm him—or worse.
Ice formed on Kuzan's body, the chill trying to counteract the oncoming heat. Fire and ice struggled fiercely. Kuzan exhaled cold air in steady streams, his face set in determination.
"Underestimated you!"
Kuzan's tone was grave.
"Then get serious!"
Don's voice cut through, and before Kuzan could react, the fiery figure teleported, trailing flames, right in front of him.
The blazing blade slashed downward.
Fire and ice collided; white steam rose only to instantly evaporate or freeze into crystal.
Swish!
Don's sword-wielding figure froze briefly in ice—but Kuzan didn't relax.
The frost shattered in an instant, along with more furious flames.
The fiery torrents warped the air around them.
Bang!
Don's Haki-reinforced right leg collided with Kuzan's fire-hardened leg.
Both staggered backward. Kuzan slid dozens of meters before stopping, and Don wasn't far behind.
This strike alone was a perfect match.
"Alright, kid. Not bad. Seems I can't stop you!"
Kuzan waved, not here to kill. This kid clearly was going all out. If he didn't intervene, time would eventually finish him off.
"That won't do—I haven't finished yet!"
Don's voice rang out as flame slashes shot toward Kuzan.
Kuzan dodged them all, frustrated. This brat was stubborn.
Fine, then a swift end.
He moved instantly, appearing behind Don.
"Ice Gloves!"
Ice crystallized on his fists, striking toward Don's head.
Bang!
Before the fists could land, Don dispersed into flames.
"Here's a tip: never rely on elemental form against an equal opponent."
Kuzan's palm smashed against the flames, sending Don spinning sideways. His sword buried itself in the ground, sliding hundreds of meters until hitting a cliff.
"That should be about it."
Kuzan thought—but then he saw Don rise, sword in hand, again.
"That won't do either!"
Don's voice echoed, exasperated.