"I won't die here, Aokiji!"
Ace roared as flames surged violently around his body. If it were Akainu standing before him, he would never be this reckless—but against Aokiji, Ace still carried confidence. Fire restrained ice. No matter how powerful the Admiral was, freezing him wouldn't be easy.
"Fire Fist—!"
"It seems I'll have to get serious."
Frost rapidly gathered in his palm, forming a towering wall of ice that slammed into place just as Ace's flames crashed forward—snuffing them out in a violent explosion of steam.
At the same moment, Kizaru's body dissolved into golden light.
In a flash, he reappeared above Ace, the Ama no Murakumo blade slicing downward toward Ace's head.
Clang!
Vista intercepted the strike with his twin blades, sparks bursting from the collision. His stance was firm, his voice unwavering.
"Even if it costs me my life, I will not let you touch Ace."
"Oh~~? Flower Sword Vista, must you always be such a nuisance?"
Kizaru took a leisurely step back, lips curling as light rippled across his body.
"Flash Clone…"
In the blink of an eye, his form split—ten identical Kizarus appearing at once, each radiating the same blinding glow.
"…Clones?"
Vista's eyes narrowed. Before him stood ten indistinguishable figures. There was no way to tell which was real.
"Ten Kizarus?!"
The Whitebeard Pirates gasped in shock. One was already overwhelming—ten felt outright absurd.
Crocodile wiped cold sweat from his brow and scoffed.
"Idiots. There aren't ten of him. They're light clones."
"Then which one's the real one?!" a pirate shouted.
Crocodile shot him an icy glare.
"As if I'd know."
At once, all ten Kizarus spoke in perfect unison:
"Don't interfere with my work, Flower Sword Vista."
The next instant, every clone transformed into streaks of light and surged forward.
"Vista—watch out!" Fossa shouted.
The commanders reacted instantly. Unable to distinguish illusion from reality, they launched their attacks at once, blades flashing and bullets flying.
With Flash Clone, Kizaru had successfully tied down the majority of the Whitebeard Pirates' top fighters.
Aokiji seized the opening.
A bone-chilling wave surged from his hand as he spoke calmly.
"Ice Age: Ice Ball…"
"Fire Fist!"
Flames and ice collided once more, erupting into a massive cloud of steam that swallowed the battlefield.
Ace straightened, a confident smile tugging at his lips.
"It's useless, Aokiji. Fire has the advantage over ice."
"Oh?"
Aokiji's gaze sharpened, the air around him growing colder still.
"Then it seems you're underestimating me."
Ice surged over his fist, forming a solid gauntlet—then darkened as Armament Haki hardened it to steel-like density.
"Fire can counter ice," he continued evenly, "but ice can just as easily suppress fire. Let me show you."
Ace's expression grew serious. Confidence aside, he knew better than to underestimate an admiral.
Still, his eyes burned with resolve as he answered,
"My life was bought with Pops' blood—and everyone else's sacrifice. I won't die here. Not to you. Not to anyone."
Aokiji was genuinely angered now.
In Ace's eyes, he saw it clearly—a trace of contempt, as if Ace truly believed that because of the elemental matchup, he was untouchable. That look alone was enough to sour Aokiji's mood.
After all, Fire Fist Ace had been overwhelmed by Sakazuki with a single blow. If he couldn't put Ace down himself, wouldn't that make him the weakest of the Admirals?
His voice dropped, cold and heavy.
"Don't talk so big, kid…"
The ground cracked beneath his feet as Aokiji pushed off, a long trail of jagged ice spikes erupting behind him. Ace reacted instantly, flames coiling into his fist as he roared:
"Fire Fist!"
"Ice Blade."
Aokiji's hand flashed. An ice-forged blade condensed in an instant and cleaved downward. The frozen sword energy split Ace's Fire Fist cleanly in two—vertically—the flames torn apart like cloth.
The icy slash didn't stop there.
It continued forward, cutting straight toward Ace.
"What?!"
Ace's eyes widened in disbelief. Every previous clash between fire and ice had ended with the ice melting away. This time, his flames had been cut through.
He barely managed to twist his body aside.
In the next heartbeat, Aokiji vanished.
Shunk.
Using Soru, he reappeared directly in front of Ace, fist already cocked back, cold raging like a blizzard.
"Ice Fist."
"Fire Fist!"
BOOM!
At point-blank range, their fists collided.
For a split second, flame and frost warred at the point of impact—then Ace's fire was snuffed out entirely. The freezing power surged forward, swallowing his fist whole.
CRACK!
Ace's frozen arm shattered instantly.
His entire right arm vanished, along with half of his shoulder and a portion of his chest. What remained was instantly encased in thick ice, the freezing power racing across his body—his shoulder, chest, neck, face, even his abdomen, all rapidly frostbitten.
"AAAAAARGH!!!"
Ace screamed and collapsed to his knees.
Staring down at himself, his pupils shrank in horror. He reached out with his left hand, touching what was left of his shoulder—only to feel bone-deep cold. The wound looked as if some monstrous beast had torn a chunk out of his body, leaving behind only ice and shattered flesh.
"Ace…!"
The Whitebeard Pirates were stunned.
His arm—gone. Half his shoulder—gone. This kind of injury should have killed him instantly. The only reason he hadn't bled out was because the ice had sealed the wound.
Ace clutched the frozen stump, breathing raggedly.
Aokiji looked down at him, eyes devoid of warmth.
"Do you understand now?"
His voice was calm, merciless.
"Fire can counter ice. And ice can counter fire just as easily. If your Haki were strong enough, you might have blocked that blow."
A pause.
"But your Armament Haki is far too weak."
Ace looked up at him, terror finally breaking through his pride. For the first time, he truly felt it—the absolute gulf between himself and an Admiral. Whether it was Akainu or Aokiji, the result was the same.
He was completely powerless.
As Ace struggled to stand, he realized too late—his feet were already frozen solid. The ice crept upward relentlessly. He summoned flames in panic, trying to melt it away—
Only to feel an even deeper, harsher cold radiating from Aokiji's body.
Aokiji raised his frost-covered fist once more, his tone flat and final.
"Now… die quietly. Like a man."
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