"Oh dear! I'm sorry, young man! Just in case my worries come true, I can only… ask you to take a trip to Impel Down!" Aokiji's voice was apologetic, but more than that, it was resolute!
Luffy's pupils sharply contracted, and he looked up at the sky!
He saw an ice coffin, formed from pure ice and snow, solidify in the sky above,
Then it plummeted down, engulfing Luffy and falling towards the icy surface!
"Boom!"
The moment the ice coffin hit the ground, Aokiji extended his right hand, and an ice bird flew out!
In the sky, eight ice spears solidified! Pointing at the ice coffin!
These techniques were all completed at the same time, and all contained top-tier Armament Haki!
No Yonko Commander could escape; this was his confidence as the strongest controller!
"Bang!"
Black lightning shattered the ice coffin, and with a flap of his wings, Luffy dodged the ice bird.
As the ice spears came, Luffy waved his hand, and nine black lightning dragons shone!
The two collided, stirring up an air storm!
He used his wings to block the impact, and just as Luffy stabilized,
A fist instantly appeared before his eyes.
"Bang!"
A huge crater was blasted out.
"Ugh!" Destructive black lightning surged through his body. The top-tier Armament Haki that had invaded his flesh not only damaged Luffy's internal organs but even caused his black lightning to momentarily stagnate!
A moment was enough to do many things!
An ice coffin covered Luffy, then turned into an icy mist!
Only that lifelike ice sculpture remained!
Aokiji raised his hand, "Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
The ice bird flew out, heading straight for Luffy!
In an instant, the ice sculpture shattered, and the ice bird grazed past by a hair's breadth.
"Hoo—!" Luffy panted loudly, but he dared not stop, quickly putting distance between himself and Aokiji!
"Oh dear, really, Monkey D. Luffy!" Aokiji raised his hand. Unlike the zero-frame activation just now, he… began to charge!
Pure ice condensed on his arm, first the bird's legs, then its body, its wings, its beak!
Finally, a majestic ice bird, lifelike, appeared in the sky!
It was huge, over a hundred meters long, and every icy feather was so stunning!
Luffy wasn't idle either; a black giant dragon spanning a hundred meters soared in the sky.
If the ice bird represented beautiful decay, then the lightning dragon was domineering destruction!
Separated by ten thousand meters, the two looked at each other from afar!
They attacked simultaneously!
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
"Billion Volt: Dragon of Destruction!"
The two collided, tearing the air and creating cracks in space.
Everything within a ten-mile radius was annihilated, and Luffy, despite spreading his wings, was still forcefully blown away.
Aokiji stood on the turbulent sea, the ice continent that had spanned ten miles now reduced to only a one-meter area beneath his feet!
Aokiji was shattered by the impact, half of his body turning into ice and snow. Seawater, carried by the waves, splashed onto Aokiji, but he was oblivious!
He merely gazed over a hundred miles, staring at the closed Gate of Justice!
"Buster Call! It's activated, it's… mine!" Aokiji stood desolate in the wind!
He remembered Spandam's promise,
"Admiral Aokiji, I guarantee that the Buster Call is only a means to make Robin obey! I absolutely… will not activate the Buster Call!"
...Just then, Luffy seemed to sense something!
The Gate of Justice, which had never been fully opened, slowly opened a crack, and continued to open until it was fully ajar!
"Bang!"
When the first cannonball exploded on Enies Lobby, when large warships emerged from the mist, it meant that the Navy's strongest military force—the Buster Call—had begun!
...On Enies Lobby, the Straw Hats watched solemnly as the warships slowly advanced through the thick fog!
"The explosive power is very strong; if they fall like rain...!" Sanji's voice was heavy.
"I sense… very powerful swordsmen!" Zoro squinted, his hand involuntarily resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Dozens of cannonballs were fired, cutting through the air!
"One Sword Style: 36 Pound Phoenix!"
Zoro instantly swung his sword, and the cannonballs heading for the Bridge of Hesitation were smoothly cut into countless pieces!
"Since there's no ship, let's seize a warship!" Zoro stomped his foot, flying towards a warship like an arrow from a bow!
In mid-air, Zoro adjusted his posture, placing his two swords behind his left shoulder, and pounced with the might of a fierce tiger towards the highest-ranking officer of this warship—Vice Admiral Doberman!
"Extreme: Tiger Hunt!"
"Hmm?" Doberman, his face scarred, instantly drew the katana from his waist, covered it with Armament Haki, and flexed his biceps.
"Clang!" Swords clashed, and Doberman was repelled, sliding over ten meters on the deck.
"Whoosh—" Doberman swung his sword, and the sound of wind breaking filled the air, as if the air itself was torn!
A three-meter sword slash flew rapidly towards Zoro.
"Three Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
Zoro, with the stance of a demon god, tore through the sword slash and attacked Doberman!
Doberman swung his sword to counter.
"Clang—clang—clang!"
The sound of clashing swords was incessant, and their figures moved as if teleporting, completely invisible to the naked eye!
"That… that's Roronoa Zoro! The Pirate Hunter with a bounty of 80 million!" A Marine suddenly realized something.
Looking at the confused Marines moving their gun barrels around, an officer spoke,
"Don't worry about that 80-million pirate. Our current objective is to bombard Enies Lobby. I'm sure Vice Admiral Doberman...!"
Suddenly, a figure was violently sent flying backward, slamming into and knocking down the speaking officer, and that figure was… Zoro!
"Cough, cough!" Blood spilled from Zoro's lips, a streak of blood staining his clothes.
"So strong! As expected of a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral!" Zoro stared intently at Doberman and the "black blade" in his hand!
Clearly, Doberman, seasoned by years of battle, had far superior Armament Haki, even compensating for the gap in their swordsmanship!
Zoro sheathed Wado Ichimonji, gripping his two swords tightly, and slowly closed his eyes.
A powerful sword aura surged into his two swords.
"Two Sword Style: Iai - Rashomon!"
Zoro opened his eyes, his body bursting forward, the sword aura emanating from his blades!
"Clang—!"
Zoro stood behind Doberman, yet his face showed shock!
His sword had slashed across Doberman's chest, but it only produced tiny sparks!
This was… Armament Haki, advanced Armament Haki! Concentrated in the abdomen, its hardness surpassed steel!
"So, are you ready to die, you damned pirate!" Doberman was filled with killing intent!
"Bang—!"
Flashes of fire erupted on Enies Lobby!
And on the Bridge of Hesitation,
Robin crossed her arms.
"Delicate Spiderweb!"
Immediately, a net woven from countless hands blocked many cannonballs.
As for Sanji, he too was caught in a bitter struggle!
...A few minutes later,
Seeing Zoro board a warship, Sanji couldn't hold back either!
"Robin-chan! Nami-chan! I'm going too!" Sanji, with his cool skywalk, flew towards a warship.
On the warship, there was a Marine Vice Admiral with a round nose, thick lips, narrowed eyes, a thick brown beard covering his chin, a cigar in his mouth, a smiling face, dressed in a dark double-breasted suit with a yellow-and-red-dotted shirt underneath, wearing a Marine coat, and a sword at his waist—Onigumo!
"Diable Jambe: Premier Hachis!"
Sanji's leg, wreathed in scorching flames, approached Onigumo at high speed and kicked out!
Onigumo drew his long sword, covered it with Haki, and blocked the attack in one fluid motion, but his beard was still singed by the flames, and he was heavily pushed back!
"Soru!"
Onigumo instantly appeared beside Sanji.
"Shigan!"
He extended his finger, aiming for Sanji's chest!
"Boom!"
Sanji was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the deck railing, sending wood chips flying!
"You all, get out of this area quickly!" Onigumo warned the Marines, then raised his sword and slashed!
Sanji pushed off with his leg, dodging the attack! He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his mouth,
Slowly raising his leg, flames burned, and he flew into mid-air!
"Diable Jambe: Poêle à Frire - Spectre!"
Sanji aimed at Onigumo, his legs bursting with super-high speed, the flames attacking like a blazing inferno!
"Armament! Tekkai!" Inky black Armament Haki covered his hands and upper body, standing firm like an iron bull!
Sanji's fiery kick left Onigumo in an extremely sorry state; he coughed up blood, and parts of his body were charred, yet he didn't suffer any overly severe injuries!
Sanji, on the other hand, felt the familiar bone-breaking pain in his right leg again!
Zoro and Sanji were both caught in bitter struggles!
PS: The author only recently learned that Sanji possesses Conqueror's Haki! So he doesn't really need the Goro Goro no Mi anymore!
The Goro Goro no Mi's spot is open, but giving it to Nami seems a bit of a waste; her physique and Haki aren't strong enough for an Admiral, it would be a bit of a waste!
The author wants to give it to Sabo, but he feels that Sabo is more suited for the Gura Gura no Mi, after all, Armament Haki + Dragon Claw Fist + Gura Gura no Mi would directly activate War God Mode!
And the three brothers would each have a different type of Devil Fruit.
So, the author is very conflicted and needs some suggestions from the readers!