Lin Ning's gaze was profound, staring at the land covered by thick ice.
Below the frozen world, even the air carried a bone-chilling cold.
He slowly spoke, a rare hint of solemnity in his tone: "...What a terrifying Move."
Aokiji, standing in the center of that ice field, slowly withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping over the four figures in front of him.
A slight smirk played on his lips, his voice calm yet with an imperceptible sharpness:
"To actually force me to use 'Ice Age'... Lin Ning, I have to admit.
Your Conqueror's Haki is very strong, so strong that even my Devil Fruit ability is suppressed..."
Aokiji paused, the smile on his lips gradually fading.
His tone slowly turned cold: "But... it's still not enough."
As this world completely transformed into a frozen land.
The cold air completely dominated this Domain.
And the influence of Lin Ning's Conqueror's Haki on Aokiji's Devil Fruit ability... was gradually weakening!
Lin Ning slightly narrowed his eyes, feeling Aokiji's Aura slowly rising.
He tightened his grip on the halberd in his hand and said coldly, "Stop talking nonsense, let's fight!"
"Slash—!"
Zoro didn't hesitate, stomping his foot, and the ice surface cracked.
His figure was like an arrow released from a bowstring, the three swords in his hand gleaming with cold light.
His Aura was astonishing, his sword intent sweeping, as he slashed furiously towards Aokiji!
Luffy clenched his fists, wrapped in Armament Haki, and charged at Aokiji with a roar!
Flames ignited around Sanji, and Diable Jambe, carrying a scorching heat, kicked towards Aokiji's back!
Lin Ning, on the other hand, held his halberd, enhanced with Advanced Armament Haki.
The long halberd swept across, tearing through the sky, black and red lightning intertwined, striking down with a crash!
"Well, there's no helping it..."
Aokiji sighed helplessly, but his gaze grew sharper.
Facing the fierce attack of the four, he suddenly raised his palm.
Surging cold air churned out like a tide, and violent frost condensed in his palm.
In an instant, it transformed into four extremely cold currents, shooting out like meteors!
"Ice Ball!"
The four cold currents, like icy lightning, instantly struck the four who were rushing forward at high speed!
"Bang!!"
As Lin Ning's halberd had just swung out, terrifying cold instantly invaded him.
His movements suddenly froze, and frost rapidly spread from his limbs.
He was instantly frozen into a giant, crystal-clear block of ice!
Zoro roared, his three swords covered with Armament Haki.
Before his slash could land, the cold air had already invaded, and he resisted with all his might.
But the frost still swept over his entire body, completely freezing him!
Luffy's attack had not even gotten close before his entire body was engulfed by the cold current, instantly solidifying into a block of ice!
Sanji kicked out fiercely at the last moment, flames burning brightly.
But in the face of extreme cold, the flames extinguished in an instant.
The cold air instantly covered his body, and in the next second.
His figure was completely fixed, sealed within a giant block of ice!
"Crack—"
Four massive blocks of ice stood on the battlefield, reflecting a crystalline and chilling cold light under the sunlight.
Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Robin, and the others in the distance cried out in alarm, their eyes filled with shock and fear—
"Luffy! Zoro! Sanji! Lin Ning!!"
Usopp's body trembled violently, his voice tinged with despair:
"Ho-how could this happen?!
All four... all four were frozen in an instant?!"
Nami's face was pale as she looked at her comrades sealed in the ice blocks.
Her voice trembled slightly: "Luffy, Lin Ning...!!!"
Chopper's eyes were bloodshot, desperately trying to rush forward.
But he was stopped by Robin, who said in a low voice:
"Don't go... Against Aokiji, we have no chance of winning at all..."
Frost fell everywhere, and the world entered an eternal silence.
The air was suffocatingly cold, and even the breeze was frozen.
Only chilling ice sculptures remained on the battlefield, reflecting the bleak sunlight.
Aokiji stood quietly on the frozen ground, his gaze indifferent.
He slowly scanned the four completely frozen figures.
Four colossal blocks of ice stood in place.
Reflecting a chilling cold light, silently proclaiming the end of this battle.
However, Aokiji did not show any joy of victory; instead, he carried a sense of calmness and casualness.
He had no intention of capturing the Straw Hat Pirates; this battle was merely a thrill of the hunt.
He admitted that these young brats were stronger than he had imagined, but this was the end of it... Aokiji sighed slightly and lifted his foot, preparing to leave.
However, just as he turned around—
"Crack—snap!!"
A sudden, muffled cracking sound came from behind him, and Aokiji's brow furrowed slightly, his footsteps pausing.
The next moment, he slowly turned his head, his gaze slightly condensed, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
He saw—
A hideous crack had appeared on the surface of the gigantic ice block that encased Lin Ning!
Beneath the ice, an astonishing power was surging madly, ready to break free from this icy prison at any moment!
Not only that!
The ice blocks sealing Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji also began to show subtle cracks.
Frost peeled away, faintly revealing an extremely unstable Aura!
Aokiji's eyes narrowed slightly, and a rare hint of astonishment appeared between his brows.
"Oh?"
This was not an ordinary situation.
One must know that once frozen by his "Ice Ball."
Even elite Marine Vice Admirals, or some great pirates, could not break free in a short time.
The Seal was not just a physical freezing, but an extreme cold that penetrated deep into flesh, bones.
And even the depths of the Soul, causing everything to completely stagnate.
However... these four guys were all about to break out of the ice?!
Aokiji's gaze involuntarily fell on Lin Ning in the very center.
As the "crack" sounds continued, the cracks in the ice block covering Lin Ning grew larger and larger.
Spreading like a spiderweb, the entire giant ice block began to tremble slightly.
Beneath the ice, a rampant and unparalleled Aura.
Like a sleeping beast awakening, it was frantically impacting the cage that bound it!
"Crack! Crack—!!"
The ice layer that originally covered Lin Ning completely shattered in a deafening explosion.
Ice shards scattered everywhere, and a shockwave swept in all directions!
A frantic and utterly violent Conqueror's Haki, like a raging storm, swept across the entire island with Lin Ning as its center!
The air instantly boiled, and the atmosphere vibrated violently.
The ground began to crack into countless bottomless fissures, and the ice layer was forcefully shattered, revealing the long-frozen earth!
A wild will, powerful enough to turn the world upside down and shake the heavens, swept in all directions, as if a Heavenly God had descended!
Aokiji's gaze suddenly froze, staring intently at the gradually clearing figure in front of him.
Lin Ning's figure, under that terrifying Aura, was visibly growing taller and larger!
His originally slender and powerful body was now rapidly expanding.
His muscle lines became more defined, as if cast from steel, each muscle containing explosive power!
"Bang—!"
The wind howled, and Lin Ning's figure became even more imposing.
In just a few breaths, his body size soared to a height similar to Aokiji's!
No—
Not only that!
Lin Ning's Aura was still rising wildly!
An unparalleled sense of oppression swept across the heavens and earth!