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Boom! Rumble!
Deafening thunder echoed overhead, and lightning bolts like majestic electric dragons snaked from the Thunder Cloud.
At some point, the skies above Ohara had become overcast, as if a torrential downpour were imminent.
Whoosh!
A violent gust of wind swept across the battleship, causing the Marines' eyes to narrow.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki fired a cannon shell at the rescue ship!" Someone shouted in alarm.
Many Marines trembled inwardly, unable to fathom why anyone would attack a rescue ship. All eyes instantly turned toward the ship from which the cry had come.
"Did he miss?"
The Marines felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of relief.
Attacking defenseless civilians went against their principles.
Boom!
Thunder roared, and lightning tore through the sky.
"Something's wrong with the weather!" a Marine on the Kuzan Battleship said grimly.
Just moments ago, the sky had been clear and blue. In the blink of an eye, lightning flashed, and dark clouds blanketed the horizon.
"Wait, is that a figure?" Someone suddenly shouted, pointing toward the rescue ship.
Zzzzz, Zzzzz!
Blue arcs of electricity crackled. As the smoke from the explosion of the cannon shell on the rescue ship slowly dissipated, a tall, muscular figure materialized before everyone's eyes.
"Attacking civilians... How utterly despicable!"
A deep voice resonated as Kojin's eyes locked onto the still-smoking cannons of the Kuzan battleship.
Then, in the next instant:
Buzz!
A wave of wind and sea surged forward, buffeting the Marines on the battleship ahead and sending them staggering.
"Oh my God! It's Vice Admiral Kojin!"
"Did my cannon shell actually hit him?"
"I deserve to die!"
"We attacked Vice Admiral Kojin!"
A chorus of panic, fear, and regret erupted, further darkening the expression of the icy, volcano-like figure at the bow of the ship.
The wind howled, whipping at the edges of everyone's clothing.
Electric arcs crackled around Kojin's body. In an instant, he vanished and reappeared directly in front of Kuzan, firmly shielding Saul behind him.
"You're in quite a state, Saul," He said calmly, his voice carrying a weight that made Saul tremble.
"Kojin!" Saul exclaimed.
He let out a joyful and emotional shout, tears streaming down his face.
"I knew it! I knew you wouldn't abandon us! Derereheeheeheehee!"
However, Kojin's gaze remained fixed on Kuzan, his expression solemn. "Long time no see, Kuzan."
"The most troublesome scenario I imagined has finally come to pass," Kuzan sighed.
Then, his eyes suddenly turned sharp. "Have you made your decision, Kojin? You should know the consequences of standing in our way!"
Kojin fell silent for a moment, then slowly surveyed the burning ruins of Ohara, his domain expanding with him.
Clusters of flames raged and engulfed the Tree of Knowledge. Desperate scholars risked their lives to hurl books into the lake, clinging to the hope of preserving a sliver of their civilization and a fragment of the island's legends.
"Knowledge must not be destroyed!" Kojin threw his head back and roared. "If this is the justice you uphold, Kuzan! I am utterly disappointed in you!"
His words, like thunder cracking across the Ohara shore, made the figure before him flinch.
Simultaneously, thunder and lightning raged across the sky with deafening intensity.
"Justice must have its own unwavering principles. It is you who has forgotten your duty, Kojin!" Kuzan retorted, his voice heavy with disapproval.
Kojin suddenly burst into laughter, growing louder and louder until it merged with the thunder, echoing like the mad cackling of a god.
"Then let's see which of our Justices is stronger!"
"Yours or mine!"
Kuzan's pupils constricted and his eyes gleamed with an icy light as his expression turned grave. As a former comrade, he was well aware of the sheer power his opponent possessed, a terrifying, berserker-like force that ranked among the world's strongest warriors.
"Before coming here, I had no interest in this at all," Kuzan said in a calm yet resolute voice.
"But seeing you stirs an inexplicable excitement within me," he said, suddenly tearing off his outer coat.
His eyes narrowed sharply as he locked onto the man before him.
"Let's see!" he declared. "How far have I truly come since we last met!"
A bone-chilling aura erupted from him, and a thin layer of pale white frost spread rapidly across the ground. Kojin ripped apart his upper robe with a swift tug of his right hand, revealing his granite-like, powerfully sculpted muscles.
"Saul!" he barked. "Take Robin and join the scholars on the island. My forces will be here to support you soon!"
"As for everything here..."
"Leave it to me!"
Saul looked up, cradling Robin in his arms. "Kojin," he said anxiously. "This is a Buster Call!"
Kojin grinned.
"In this world... There's nothing that can destroy me!"
Saul's body stiffened for a moment. Then, he gritted his teeth and turned to flee.
At the same moment, aboard Sakazuki's flagship:
"Multiple battleships are approaching from the northwest!"
"Identification confirmed! They're Vice-Admiral Kojin's subordinates from the G-18 force!"
A tense voice rang out from a Marine.
Sakazuki's expression twisted as he whipped his head around and glared northwest. He saw the battleships speeding toward them and joining the burning rescue ship to take civilians aboard.
"Assholes! Do you all want to die?!"
With a furious roar, magma erupted from Sakazuki's body.
Barely three breaths passed before searing magma projectiles shot into the sky, hurtling toward the distant rescue ships.
"You're all going to pay! I will cut the weeds at the root!" The icy words hissed from Sakazuki's lips.
The Marines behind him trembled, not daring to utter a word.
But then, something unexpected happened. A massive cloud of sand suddenly erupted from the rescue ship, forming an impossibly vast wall that blocked the magma barrage firmly.
On the lead battleship's prow, Crocodile exhaled a smoke ring with a cold smirk on his face.
Then, he abruptly turned his head.
"What are you standing there for? Get the civilians evacuated now!"
"Yes, Sir!" The soldiers snapped out of their daze and immediately moved to guide the civilians to safety.
Meanwhile, Bullet and several other battleships had docked on the opposite shore of Ohara and were advancing rapidly inland.
Approximately twenty more battleships formed a defensive line on the sea, confronting the twenty warships of the Buster Call.
The tension surged, suffocating the air above the waves.
"It's the G-18 Branch! What are they up to?"
"Are they planning to fight us?"
The Marines on the Buster Call fleet exclaimed in disbelief, their faces etched with shock.
On the coast, Kojin's eyes turned ice cold as he watched the molten lava rain down.
His right hand slowly rose and clenched into a fist.
A thunderlight, a lightning-charged spear about one and a half meters long, materialized in his grip.
Sizzle!
Electricity crackled as the Thunderlight emitted a brilliant flash.
Across from him, Kuzan's expression darkened. He was about to step forward when Kojin hurled the Thunderlight with all his might.
Whoosh!
A piercing whistle tore through the air as the Thunderlight streaked forward, arcing lightning across its trajectory and reaching Sakazuki in an instant.
"You dare attack me?!" Sakazuki roared.
Faced with the blinding speed of the Thunderlight, he had no time to dodge. His body instinctively underwent elementalization.
Pfft!
The Thunderlight struck Sakazuki in the chest. The tremendous force behind the strike sent him flying backward at breakneck speed.
Bang!
The moment he hit the mast of the battleship behind him, there was a deafening explosion, followed by a chaotic burst of electrical sparks. Several nearby Marines, caught off guard, were instantly electrocuted. Their bodies convulsed violently before they collapsed limply onto the deck.
"You're planning to defect?!"
"Kojin!"
Sakazuki's furious roar echoed across the sea.
He whirled around and bellowed at his stunned subordinates, "Bring the ship closer, now!"
On a nearby battleship, Borsalino watched the scene unfold, sighing softly.
"If it weren't absolutely necessary... I really wouldn't want to fight a monster like that!"
On the coast, thunder flickered as an overwhelming icy aura surged toward Kojin.
"If you strike him now, there will be no turning back!" Kuzan warned coldly.
"I never intended to leave any room for retreat!" Kojin grinned savagely.
Lightning blazed around him as he transformed into a bolt of electricity and appeared instantly before Kuzan. Suspended in midair, he extended his right hand and clenched his fist.
A shimmering thunder blade materialized in his grip, and he slashed downwards with ruthless force.
Kuzan conjured an ice military sword and swung it upward.
Bang!
The collision sent out a shockwave of icy air and electric sparks that radiated outward and struck the nearby sea surface.
"Heh heh!" Kojin laughed wildly.
He suddenly increased the force of his Thunder Blade, unleashing a blinding flash of electricity.
Buzz!
The void trembled as the sand beneath Kuzan's feet caved in. A split second later, the immense force transmitted through the blade slammed him knee-deep into the sand.
"Still that monstrous power!" Kuzan gritted his teeth and roared. He extended his free hand and grabbed Kojin's body.
"Ice Capsule!"
Kā cha!
Kojin's entire body was instantly encased in frigid frost.
Seizing the opportunity, Kuzan wrenched his legs free from the sand and quickly backed away. As he did so, he spread his arms wide.
Two ice spears materialized in the void and hurtled toward the frozen Kojin without hesitation.
"Partisan — Two Thorn Pikes!"
Suddenly, the ice mass encasing Kojin shattered, and his muscular figure leaped out. He braced his legs against the ground and propelled himself forward with explosive force.
Bang!
The ground crumbled, splitting into fragments as sand and gravel sprayed outward.
In an instant, he stood before the ice spear, his right fist raised high.
Bang!
With a thunderous impact, the ice spear shattered. Kojin landed lightly, a smirk playing on his lips.
Bang!
Bending his knees, he stomped the ground, and sand erupted as a massive crater formed beneath him.
Like a cannon shell wrapped in crackling electricity, he hurtled toward Kuzan.
Creak!
He clenched his five fingers into a fist, and tendrils of electricity flickered across its surface.
"Tekkai!"
"Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki): Hardening!"
His fist hardened like steel, and the muscles in his right arm coiled like a spring, channeling explosive power.
"Fist Bone!"
CRACK!
Light blazed from Kojin's eyes as he unleashed a devastating punch.
Kuzan, standing mere inches away, shifted his expression dramatically. He instantly raised his arms to shield himself, and a frigid ice mass rapidly materialized and coalesced into a massive shield.
Bang!
A muffled impact reverberated, sending a shockwave rippling outward.
The steel-hard ice shield shattered instantly when the relentless, unstoppable fist brutally struck the arms Kuzan had raised to protect his cheek.
Crack!
Kuzan's arms shattered as if something had shattered.
The fist was then mercilessly hammered into his face.
Bang!
Another thunderous boom echoed as Kuzan was sent flying backward like a cannonball, skidding across the beach and splashing into the sea.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan!"
Concerned shouts rang out from the distant battleship.
But the battle was far from over.
Hong long!
A deafening thunderclap reverberated. On the shore, a bolt of lightning shot skyward and then abruptly veered at a sharp 90-degree angle, streaking toward Kuzan's falling trajectory.
Reaching a certain point, it made another 90-degree turn and plunged straight down.
Crackle!
Lightning streaked across the sky, tearing through the darkness with blinding flashes.
Simultaneously, the colossal Thunder Cloud looming over Ohara roared to life, unleashing ten thousand lightning bolts that flickered and surged across the heavens.
With a thunderous roar, torrential rain suddenly began to fall.
Bang!
Lightning snaked downward, illuminating every eye.
Fist Bone, Impact!
Suddenly, a deep, commanding voice reverberated through the void.
The Marines looked up and saw a figure materialize at the apex of the 90-degree dive. He raised his arm and clenched his fist, and lightning coiled around him like twisted branches.
Crackle.
Black-red lightning erupted from his right fist, which was enveloped in Haoshoku Haki Infusion.
For a moment, the entire sky seemed to take on his colors.
Then, he swung his fist.
Buzz!
The serpentine, black-red lightning plunged downward with unimaginable force... unstoppable, razor-sharp, and utterly frenzied... and struck the sea with a thunderous bang.
Bang!
The entire sea erupted. Within a radius of several kilometers, the seawater abruptly collapsed inward. The black-red lightning surged across its surface, leaving a web of jagged black fissures in its wake.
From a distance, it looked as if the sea itself had been shattered by a single punch.
How utterly shocking!
How utterly shocking!
Yet the aftershock of that punch showed no signs of abating. The surging seawater, now even more violent, coiled upward into the sky, forming a towering wave hundreds of meters high.
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"
"Turn the ship around! Evade it quickly!"
"Vice-Admiral Kojin's punch has created a tsunami!"
"We're doomed!!"
Panic-stricken screams erupted.
Within the Marine ranks, the lower-ranking soldiers held Kojin in a reverence and terror that went bone-deep.
This spectacle now made them feel as if they were witnessing the power of a god.
Suddenly, another voice cut through the roar of the waves:
"Ice Age."
Instantly, a frigid aura radiated outward, freezing the surging seawater solid. The flowing currents stilled, and the icy chill spread rapidly in all directions.
Patches of sea froze over, stretching all the way to Ohara and beyond the horizon.
The entire sea was frozen solid in an instant!
(End of Chapter)