Bahr's pupils contracted sharply as he teleported sideways using spatial fluctuations, barely avoiding Aokiji's subsequent freezing strike.
The chilling air grazed past his waist, carving a half-foot-deep white scar across the ice surface, its edges glittering with an eerie blue frost.
"Hah—"
Steadying himself, Bahr exhaled a white breath that crystallized into fine ice particles at his lips.
Tearing off his frozen left sleeve to reveal frostbitten skin, his gaze at Aokiji grew more solemn. "As expected of a Navy Admiral. Your freezing techniques leave nothing to be desired."
That momentary killing intent had been sharper than any previous attack—this man genuinely intended to end him here.
Aokiji remained silent as spiderweb-like ice patterns spread beneath his feet. Multiple Ice Spikes erupted around Bahr's position, their tips gleaming coldly blue, while Aokiji himself advanced like a specter behind their cover. His right hand, radiating blood-freezing coldness, slashed straight toward Bahr's face.
"Frozen - Double Thorn Spear."
Bahr pivoted away from the ice barrage, his Black Blade "Autumn Water" tracing a perfect arc to intercept Aokiji's strike. Upon contact, a thin layer of frost instantly coated the blade before being shattered by a twist of his wrist, scattering ice fragments with the sword's momentum.
"Clang—"
The metallic ring signaled their disengagement.
Bahr countered with an upward slash toward Aokiji's nape, the blade's wind tearing through space with a shrill cry. Aokiji evaded by bending backward, the blade grazing his cloak and freezing the fabric into crystalline shards that pattered onto the ice.
"Your reflexes keep improving," Aokiji remarked, stabilizing his stance as two ice swords materialized at his fingertips, crossed menacingly toward Bahr. "Pity no speed can escape frost's embrace."
Without warning, he stepped forward, the crossed swords releasing intersecting waves of cold. Moisture in the air instantly crystallized into an icy mist, forming an invisible net of piercing cold that enveloped Bahr, while intricate frost patterns spiderwebbed across the ground beneath him—as if solidifying the very space into a prison.
Bahr's eyes sharpened as faint Spatial Ripples shimmered around him. "Who says I need to escape?"
Vanishing from sight, he reappeared above Aokiji, Autumn Water descending with mountain-splitting force.
This time, Aokiji didn't dodge. Crossing his arms overhead, a torrent of cold energy surged forth, coalescing into a massive ice shield.
"BOOM—!"
The Black Blade's impact sent deafening shockwaves through the shield, cracking it extensively yet failing to shatter it completely. Aokiji slid back several meters from the recoil, ice fragments raining from his frost-whitened fingertips.
Landing lightly, Bahr observed the cracked but intact shield and raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
This battle would require more grinding.
As he prepared to advance again, Aokiji unexpectedly dismissed his ice swords, folding his arms as the shield melted behind him.
Through swirling mist, his typically languid eyes locked onto Bahr with unreadable calm. "'Blasphemer' Bahr. You understand Nico Robin's danger. What exactly does someone like you want with her?"
Bahr's grip on his hilt hesitated momentarily before curling into a provocative smirk, his tone breezy as discussing weather. "What else? Because Nico Robin is... exceptionally smooth."
He hoisted Autumn Water onto his shoulder, deliberately leering. "You've no idea—her figure, that skin. Absolutely peerless. Especially when she bites her lip, holding back—"
The air seemed to freeze solid.
Aokiji's faint smile vanished instantly, his pupils contracting to pinpoints as an unprecedented wave of cold erupted from him. The surrounding ice cracked violently, developing a visible frost layer within seconds, even freezing airborne ice particles into tiny crystals.
The temperature plummeted as if vacuumed away, chilling to the marrow with each breath like inhaling needles.
Bahr's eyelids twitched violently, the hairs on his nape standing upright. He could distinctly sense Aokiji's typically indifferent aura replaced by winter-storm killing intent.
"..."
His original plan—to exploit Aokiji's past connection as Robin's "Uncle Longlegs" by provoking him—had spectacularly backfired. This old man appeared careless about everything except matters concerning Robin.
A peripheral glance confirmed the vanished Ark Maxim in the distance. His tense shoulders relaxed abruptly, his previously grave expression transforming into a smirk as he retreated half a step.
"Alright, enough games." Bahr's tone turned playful. "See you around, Admiral Aokiji."
Transparent spatial ripples enveloped him—the telltale sign of his Spatial Ability activation. Once fully formed, he'd vanish instantly.
"Hm?"
Just as the ripples were about to consume him, Bahr's smile stiffened. The normally fluid spatial waves now felt viscous, his transition slowed by at least seventy percent, as if countless needles tugged at dimensional fabric, making every micron of movement laborious.
Before he could react, the ice beneath him shattered as three razor-sharp Ice Spikes shot upward with howling winds.
Bahr kicked off the surface, twisting felinely backward to evade the main spikes, though flying ice shards still tore his sleeve, leaving a thin bleeding line on his forearm. The emerging blood droplets froze instantly into crimson ice.
Eyes darkening, Bahr glared at Aokiji. "What trick did you pull?"
Aokiji stood motionless, his gaze glacial as imperceptible frost patterns silently webbed across the battlefield, sealing the area.
"Your Spatial Ability is indeed peculiar," he stated, all former nonchalance absent from his voice. "But all abilities have limitations."
From his palm materialized a glittering ice crystal. With a flick, it exploded midair into microscopic particles that hung suspended despite the wind.
Upon closer inspection, these particles floated persistently like frozen mist.
"Countless microscopic ice crystals now saturate this area's atmosphere," Aokiji intoned, his eyes twin pools of black ice. "Ordinary winds can't disperse them."
His voice deepened. "Freezing slows all motion—including spatial vibrations. While I can't solidify space completely, these crystals suffice to hinder your ability."