"Vice Admiral Kuzan! Save me! Hurry!"
Spandine's shrill voice echoed as soon as he spotted Aokiji standing not far away.
But before he could take another breath, Mislanda pressed a dagger against his neck.
"Stay still," Mislanda said coldly, his tone devoid of mercy. "Otherwise, I'll show you what your body looks like without a head."
"Hmph! If you've got the guts, kill him then!"
Before anyone could react, a deep, aged voice cut through the tense air.
From the other side of the square, the rest of Spandine's men arrived—led by the strongest among them, who was clutching a Den Den Mushi.
It was clear the voice had come from the snail.
"Kuzan, capture everyone immediately. Forget about Spandine's life!"
"Yes, sir."
Kuzan's calm yet firm reply echoed in the silence. He didn't even hesitate to obey.
Mislanda's eyes narrowed slightly.
A direct order from one of the Five Elders, he guessed instantly.
That matched his memories perfectly—those self-righteous old tyrants had indeed intervened during the Ohara Incident.
"Sorry, kid."
"Ice Age!"
Kuzan slammed his palm into the ground. A violent wave of frost exploded outward, instantly freezing the terrain beneath their feet.
Mislanda instinctively dissolved into black mist, narrowly avoiding the spreading ice.
He darted toward Kuzan like a shadow streaking through the air.
"Wait—Logia?!"
Kuzan's eyes widened as his icy hand caught hold of the boy's shoulder.
"You're a Logia user? I didn't expect that… What a surprise."
He stared at the child in shock. There were so few Logia fruits in the world—and yet one had appeared here, on Ohara of all places.
"But too bad," Kuzan muttered, tightening his grip, "I'm a Logia too—and a much stronger one."
For a moment, Mislanda was completely restrained in Kuzan's grasp.
Yet instead of fear, a faint, eerie smile curved his lips.
"Is that so? Then try this."
"Dark Water!"
Being caught was exactly what he'd planned. Only by making direct contact could he unleash the full potential of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Mislanda's right hand shot up, seizing Kuzan's wrist. Instantly, a stream of black mist burst from the point of contact, spreading up Kuzan's arm like creeping smoke.
Kuzan frowned, his expression darkening.
"You—"
He suddenly froze, eyes widening in disbelief.
His body felt… wrong. The cold essence that always flowed within him—the very power of the Ice-Ice Fruit—was gone.
"What did you do to me?!"
"Nothing special," Mislanda said, his voice calm. "I just made you lose your Devil Fruit powers for a little while."
With that, he drove his dagger straight toward Kuzan's chest—
Clang!
The blade struck, but didn't pierce. It was as if he'd stabbed solid metal.
Armament Haki!
The next moment, Kuzan's expression hardened. He grabbed Mislanda by the throat and lifted him effortlessly into the air.
"Kid, I don't know how you shut off my powers," he said coldly, "but even without them—you're still no match for me."
He hurled Mislanda across the clearing like a ragdoll. The boy crashed into a massive tree, the trunk splitting under the impact.
As soon as the physical contact broke, Kuzan's freezing aura returned.
"I see," he murmured. "As long as I'm not touching you, my powers stay intact."
Raising his foot, he stomped the ground—sending a surge of glacial energy straight at Mislanda.
A burst of frost enveloped the boy before he could even move.
Within seconds, Mislanda was encased in ice.
"No! Mislanda!"
Professor Clover shouted in alarm. Over the past two years, he'd come to see the boy as a friend—almost as family.
"Kuzan… do you remember me?"
The voice from the Den Den Mushi spoke again—the same deep, imperious tone as before.
And just as Mislanda suspected, it was indeed one of the Five Elders.
As the snail crackled with static, Clover lifted his head and began to speak, his voice trembling yet determined.
"That lost kingdom from eight hundred years ago… its name was—"
"That's enough!"
The Elder's voice cut him off sharply.
"Kill him. Now."
At once, the government agents raised their rifles, aiming at Professor Clover.
But before a single shot could fire—
A wave of black mist exploded outward, sweeping across the clearing. The soldiers screamed as the darkness swallowed them whole.
Mislanda shattered the ice around him with a roar.
"Dark Convergence!"
An overwhelming gravitational pull radiated from his body, dragging everything nearby toward him—trees, stones, even Kuzan himself.
"What is this kid's power…?" Kuzan muttered in disbelief, struggling to stay on his feet.
He'd already confirmed it was a Logia, but this? A power that could erase Devil Fruit abilities and manipulate gravity? It defied reason.
He's only ten years old, Kuzan thought, and already this strong…
He could clearly see it now—the monstrous potential hidden within this boy.
The entire island trembled as the pull intensified. Trees bent, debris lifted off the ground, and everyone in the vicinity was being dragged toward Mislanda's swirling darkness.
"Enough, kid!"
In an instant, Kuzan flashed behind Mislanda, pressing his hand against the boy's back.
No matter how powerful the gravitational pull was, he could still overpower it.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
"Damn it—!"
Mislanda tried to twist away, but it was too late. His limbs froze in place; his body turned rigid and pale.
Within seconds, his consciousness faded, sealed within a crystal coffin of ice.
Kuzan sighed heavily, lowering his arm.
"What a troublesome brat…" he muttered.
At last, it was over.
"Marines—keep your distance from him."
He stepped forward—
Slash!
A thunderous roar tore through the air as a blinding sword light cleaved across the battlefield.
Kuzan barely had time to react before it struck him full-on, sending him hurtling backward. Blood splattered across the frozen ground.
Everyone stared, stunned.
Even Saul and Olvia were speechless.
Aokiji—one of the Navy's mightiest vice admirals—had been struck down in a single blow.
Before anyone could comprehend what had happened, a tall, broad-shouldered man appeared amidst the smoke.
A long sword glimmered in his right hand, and a small girl—Robin—rested safely in his left arm.
"Rayleigh!"
The Dark King himself had arrived—just in time.
He stepped forward, placing himself between Mislanda's frozen form and the enemy lines, his eyes cold and sharp.
After days of rushing across the seas, Silvers Rayleigh had finally reached Ohara.
And this time… the world would remember his blade.
~~--------------------------
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