In a scorching place like the Alabasta Kingdom, how could the ground possibly be frozen?
Confusion appeared on Robin's face as an uneasy feeling crept into her heart. Slowly, stiffly, she lifted her head.
Yuuki frowned slightly.
He had already spotted Buggy, Mohji, and Cabaji, all frozen solid into ice sculptures. White frost continuously drifted off their bodies.
Yuuki's gaze lingered on them only briefly before shifting toward a stack of cargo crates near the shore, not far from their pirate ship.
A tall, thin man was lying there, wearing a green eye mask, seemingly taking a nap.
"Well… this is unexpected," Yuuki said, recognizing the familiar figure. A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Things just got interesting."
But the moment Robin saw the man on the crates, her entire body stiffened.
The relief she had just felt after joining the powerful Magic Eye Pirates vanished instantly.
Fear flooded back into her heart.
"Why is he here…?"
Her face turned pale as she took a trembling step backward.
"Hmm…"
Aokiji stretched lazily and sat up from the crate.
Removing the green eye mask, he looked at Yuuki and the others with half-lidded eyes.
"Good thing I waited here," he muttered with a yawn.
"I was hoping to get a decent nap."
"You came back a bit faster than I expected."
He scratched his ear lazily with his pinky.
Then suddenly—
His relaxed gaze sharpened.
"Crocodile?"
His eyes flicked briefly toward Robin before landing on the unconscious Crocodile dangling from Conrad's hand.
"Well, that's surprising. Didn't expect him to fall to you."
Aokiji raised an eyebrow.
"Seems this trip was worth it after all."
"You two are far more dangerous than your bounties suggest."
He jumped down from the crates, arms hanging loosely at his sides.
Then his cold gaze settled on Robin.
"And you too, Nico Robin."
"You've survived all this time in the underworld thanks to that clever brain of yours."
"So, this time you've chosen to hide with the Magic Eye Pirates?"
He shrugged slightly.
"Ah well."
"I might as well deal with all of you at once."
Sweat formed on Robin's forehead as fear spread through her body.
But then—
Yuuki chuckled.
"Thanks for taking care of our crew members."
He smiled casually, as if he were genuinely expressing gratitude.
"No need to thank me," Aokiji replied politely.
"In a moment, you'll look just like them."
"Or maybe you'll shatter into ice pieces."
"But don't worry. It probably won't hurt."
Robin snapped out of her shock.
Her terrified gaze shot toward Yuuki.
"Run! He's a Marine—"
Before she could finish—
Yuuki calmly continued.
"Admiral of the Navy Headquarters."
"One of the three highest combat powers of the Marines."
"Codename Aokiji."
"Kuzan."
Robin froze mid-sentence.
She stared at Yuuki's calm, smiling expression, unable to say another word.
"What a powerful aura," Yuuki said lightly.
"I didn't expect a Marine Admiral to appear here."
"But I've always wanted to see the strength of the Navy's greatest fighters."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Don't disappoint me, Admiral."
Robin swallowed.
Surely, she had misheard.
This was a Marine Admiral.
Even Aokiji fell silent for a moment, studying Yuuki carefully.
"That's quite a confident statement."
"But I'm not some small fry like Crocodile."
He sighed as the lazy expression on his face turned cold.
Seeing that Aokiji didn't attack immediately, Yuuki shrugged and waved his hand toward Conrad.
In an instant—
Whoosh!
Conrad vanished and charged forward.
His black robe whipped through the air as he rushed toward Aokiji.
"Black Robe Conrad," Aokiji said indifferently.
"If I remember correctly, your ability is controlling seawater."
"Not very useful on land."
He raised his hand.
Ice Time!
A terrifying cold burst outward.
The moisture in the air froze instantly, spreading forward in a wave of ice.
Before Conrad could even close the final two meters—
He froze solid into an ice statue.
Robin's face paled further.
Even someone who had defeated Crocodile so easily had been frozen instantly.
"Incredible," Yuuki murmured, raising an eyebrow.
So, this is an Admiral.
The temperature had dropped to an absurd level.
Not only the moisture in the air—
Even the water inside the human body had frozen instantly.
This was the first time Conrad had been suppressed.
Aokiji exhaled a puff of cold air and stepped past Conrad's frozen body, walking toward Yuuki and Robin.
Then he tapped the frozen statue casually with his finger.
Crack.
Fractures spread instantly through the ice.
The statue shattered.
"Hm?"
Aokiji paused.
Instead of collapsing with the ice—
Conrad stood there completely unharmed.
Bang!
A golden key appeared in Conrad's hand.
He thrust it like a dagger toward Aokiji's chest.
Even without Haki, Aokiji reacted instantly.
He stepped backward, leaving the attack range.
At the same time, he formed two ice spears in his hands and hurled them toward Conrad's throat and chest.
Buzz—
A green key-shaped portal appeared above Conrad.
The spears were pulled into it and vanished.
The two separated briefly.
Aokiji studied the green portal floating above Conrad and the ancient golden key in his hand.
For a moment—
He felt genuine danger from that key.
"Hey," Aokiji said lazily.
"Wasn't your ability supposed to control seawater?"
"This is quite different from the reports."
Conrad didn't respond.
He kicked off the ground and shot forward like a black shadow.
The portal flashed.
The two ice spears shot out again, blocking Aokiji's sides.
Aokiji simply raised his hands—
The spears stopped in midair.
Then—
Soru.
Aokiji vanished.
In the next instant he appeared behind Conrad, grabbing the suspended spears.
He stabbed them toward Conrad's back.
Buzz—
The portal flared brightly.
Both spears twisted into fragments and were pulled back inside.
"So that works too…"
Aokiji thought.
He switched movements instantly and pointed a finger forward.
Shigan.
Conrad turned and crossed his arms to block.
A massive force exploded.
Bang!
Conrad was knocked backward before landing smoothly.
"I see," Aokiji said.
"That portal absorbs attacks created by Devil Fruit abilities."
"No wonder Crocodile lost to you."
He cracked his knuckles and smiled lazily.
"In that case, this fight is over."
After all—
An Admiral's strength did not come solely from a Logia fruit.
He was also a master of physical combat.
Watching the fight, Yuuki slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Impressive," he thought.
"He figured out the portal's ability—and Conrad's weakness—in such a short time."
Key Magic was powerful.
But against pure physical combat, its effectiveness was limited.
Still—
Conrad had once been the Wizard King.
Even as a corpse animated by magic, his battle instincts remained formidable.
Robin approached Yuuki nervously.
"Shouldn't we help Conrad?" she asked quietly.
If Yuuki commanded Conrad so easily, then his strength must be at least comparable.
If they fought together—
Their chances might improve.
"You're too tense, Robin," Yuuki said without turning.
"Your past probably left you afraid of the Marines."
He smiled.
"But today you'll see something."
"Even a Marine Admiral isn't as invincible as people think."
"The battle has only just begun."
Meanwhile—
"Still not talking, huh?" Aokiji sighed.
He vanished again and appeared beside Conrad.
BOOM!
A simple punch blasted toward Conrad's head, the air roaring from the force.
Suddenly—
The portal above Conrad burst with light.
A green beam fired.
"Too slow."
Using Observation Haki, Aokiji had already sensed the attack.
He dodged before the beam struck.
Then he swung a powerful kick.
Mana Skin!
A faint layer of magic covered Conrad's body.
He grabbed Aokiji's ankle.
BOOM!
Shockwaves burst outward.
At that moment—
Four green portals appeared around Aokiji.
Another sealed the sky above him.
Five portals.
At once—
They fired beams of magic energy toward the center.
Aokiji's pupils shrank.
Five portals…?!
"Ice Age!"
Cold exploded from his body.
Everything around him froze instantly.
Even the incoming beams—
Were frozen solid.
Fortunately, Aokiji had already ensured the harbor was empty.
The Marines and royal soldiers had evacuated.
There were no civilians nearby.
Yuuki quickly used spatial magic to move Buggy and the others into another dimension before the cold shattered them.
"Stand next to me," he told Robin.
Silver magic flowed beneath his feet, forming a barrier that blocked the advancing frost.
Yuuki stared at the frozen portals.
"So, Devil Fruit powers can freeze magic itself…"
His eyes gleamed thoughtfully.
Aokiji looked up.
Conrad was no longer on the ground.
He hovered high in the sky.
Immense magic surged around him.
Behind him—
Portal after portal appeared.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
In only a few breaths—
More than one hundred portals filled the sky.
Then—
BOOM!
Hundreds of beams fired downward simultaneously.
Like a storm of green light.
Yuuki's eyelid twitched.
"This got a little out of hand."
He grabbed Robin and retreated.
Because Conrad retained his battle instincts, Yuuki had not interfered during the fight.
But Aokiji's devastating Ice Age had fully triggered Conrad's combat instincts.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The harbor was engulfed in explosions.
The ground shook violently.
Even towns thousands of kilometers away felt the tremor.
In an instant—
The harbor was reduced to ruins.
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