Just after the Beasts Pirates' Fish-Man unit had all returned to the ships, Kuzan slowly walked to the bow. He bent his knees slightly, then exerted force, leaping into the sky like an arrow from a bow.
"Ice Age!"
With a low utterance, Kuzan stretched his hands forward, and the power of the Chill-Chill Fruit erupted instantly. An arctic chill surged from his palms, striking the vast expanse of sea below.
Under the astonished gazes of both the Big Mom Pirates and the Golden Lion Pirates, the previously churning sea surface visibly began to freeze over at a shocking speed. In the blink of an eye, it had become an endless ice field.
"This... this is..." Perosperro's eyes widened, his tongue stumbling over his words. He watched in disbelief as Kuzan effortlessly accomplished this and then casually landed back on the Beasts Pirates' ship as if nothing had happened.
It wasn't just Perosperro. The other officers of the Big Mom Pirates were equally stunned. Katakuri's brow furrowed deeply. Daifuku and Oven exchanged grave looks. They had never imagined that aside from Kaido of the Beasts, anyone else in the Beasts Pirates could freeze an entire sea so quickly. Such power—at present, no one in the Big Mom Pirates aside from Mama herself could achieve it.
"Mmmhahaha!" Queen laughed triumphantly. "No need to be so surprised! This is our Beasts Pirates All-Star, 'Frost' Kuzan!"
Perosperro's gaze shifted between Kuzan and Queen. If every All-Star of the Beasts Pirates possessed this level of power, then the balance of strength between the two crews deserved serious thought. He silently resolved to report this situation in detail to Mama after this operation concluded.
As the eldest son of the Big Mom Pirates, Perosperro understood the importance of alliances. An ideal alliance should be based on roughly equivalent strength, ensuring an equal partnership. But now, it seemed the Beasts Pirates' overall power was clearly superior. This meant that in future cooperation, the Big Mom Pirates would likely find themselves in a passive position.
However, for now, such considerations were premature. The primary task at hand was to focus on dealing with their common enemy—the Golden Lion Pirates. Perosperro took a deep breath, pulling his attention back to the battlefield. The frozen sea glittered with a blinding glare under the sun, as if reminding everyone: this battle had only just begun.
The sea surface froze rapidly under the effect of Kuzan's ability. The once turbulent waters transformed into a vast ice plain in an instant. Crewmen from both sides leaped down from their swaying ships onto this newly created battlefield.
"Brothers, charge!" With a shout, the first pirates to set foot on the ice were already waving their weapons and rushing toward the enemy.
The clang of metal echoed all around; the battle's true opening had sounded.
Kuzan stood at the bow, calmly observing the situation. He turned to Queen and the two Shinuchi beside him. "Queen, the Fifth Division Commander Sack is yours. Cedric, Perick, you go too. Live combat is the best training ground."
"Understood!" Cedric and Perick responded without hesitation, immediately leaping from the ship to join the fray.
"Hey, hey, hey," Queen pouted in dissatisfaction. "Kuzan, we're both All-Stars. You don't get to order me around."
Kuzan chuckled lightly, his gaze still fixed on the distant battlefield. "Is that so? I recall someone saying he wanted to make a name for himself across the seas. I've frozen the entire sea. As long as the Marines aren't blind, my bounty is sure to skyrocket. What about you? Are you going to keep settling for that measly bounty of just over a hundred million?"
"You bastard!" Queen, predictably provoked, snapped. "Remember this, I'm taking action of my own free will! Not because you ordered me to!" Having said that, he jumped off the ship in a huff.
By now, the battle on the ice was in full swing.
On the icy battlefield, the combined forces of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates were locked in fierce combat with the Golden Lion Pirates. A biting cold wind, carrying the sounds of clashing metal, echoed across the pristine white snow.
Suddenly, a giant metallic broadsword, gleaming coldly, sliced through the air, aiming directly for the spot where Katakuri and his brothers stood. The shrieking sound of the blade tearing through the air was bone-chilling.
"Mochi!"
Katakuri reacted with lightning speed. His right hand instantly transformed into flowing mochi, from which a jet-black trident condensed into shape. Gripping the weapon with both hands, he held it firmly in a horizontal guard before his chest.
CLANG——!
A deafening metallic crash resounded across the battlefield. The eighteen-year-old Katakuri felt an unimaginable force slam into him, sending his entire body skidding backward over a dozen meters, carving two shocking trails into the hard ice.
"Genie Slash!"
Charlotte Daifuku reacted immediately, rapidly rubbing his hands over his abdomen. With a zzzt sound, a plume of blue smoke billowed forth, swiftly coalescing into a lamp genie over three meters tall, wielding a longsword. Without hesitation, the genie swung its blade with a sound of cutting air, slashing at the assailant.
Yet, to everyone's shock, the tall figure didn't budge an inch, allowing the sharp longsword to strike its body.
CLANG—!
Another clear metallic clang rang out. The genie's full-power strike couldn't even tear the assailant's clothing.
"An attack of this level is barely good enough to scratch an itch for me," the assailant sneered, his voice echoing with a metallic resonance.
"Albert, Second Division Commander of the Golden Lion Pirates!" Katakuri steadied himself, his sharp gaze piercing through the wind and snow to recognize the formidable foe before him. He noted the metallic sheen covering the man's entire body—clearly no ordinary Devil Fruit user.
"Since you know it's me, did Charlotte Linlin send you here to die?" Albert looked over the three Charlotte brothers with contempt, a scornful expression on his metallic face. "And you allied with the Beasts Pirates? What, you think that'll be enough to stand against our Golden Lion Pirates?" His gaze swept over the chaotic battlefield toward the distant Beasts Pirates fleet, a trace of gravity flashing in his eyes.
Katakuri's composed voice cut clearly through the cold wind. "Mama sent us to take your head back with us."
"Take my head?" Albert let out a grating laugh like grinding metal. "With a few brats like you? Charlotte Linlin should have come herself if she wanted that."
"Brother Katakuri, why waste words on him? Just attack! Heat Fist!" The hot-tempered Oven had already lost his patience. Utilizing the power of the Atsu Atsu no Mi, his fists instantly turned crimson red, the air around them warping from the intense heat. With a roar, a wave of scorching hot air blasted directly toward Albert.
"Too green, kid." Albert sneered. His right arm suddenly morphed, transforming into a metallic chain tipped with sharp blades, shooting toward Oven at an astonishing speed.
"Oven, watch out! Genie Slash!" Daifuku reacted swiftly, immediately controlling the lamp genie to swing its longsword. With a sharp CLANG, it batted the incoming chain away.