Violent hurricanes, carrying countless wood chips, swept across the sky. As Admiral Aramaki and Dragon clashed in a violent battle of nature itself, Aokiji and Garp collided with equal intensity.
Both of Aokiji's hands were coated in icy blue frost, crackling with black and red Haki lightning, while Garp relied solely on his overwhelming Armament Haki, his fists resembling indestructible iron.
In this timeline, Aokiji had never served directly under Garp, nor had they ever fought side by side on missions. There was no emotional burden weighing on his heart, allowing him to unleash the full potential of his Ice, Ice Fruit without hesitation.
Their hands locked together, torrents of Haki lightning exploded around them, releasing terrifying shockwaves that rippled through the battlefield.
Looking into Garp's empty, lifeless eyes, Aokiji spoke in a low voice.
"Old Man Garp, I'll free you from this as soon as possible."
Garp offered no response. Stripped of his consciousness by Joy Boy, he could only fight through instinct. His Armament Haki surged continuously as thick veins bulged across his muscular arms. The freezing air invading his body was completely unable to overcome the overwhelming defense of his Haki.
However, without his conscious mind, the decades of combat experience that had made him the Marine Hero could no longer be fully utilized.
A sharp glint flashed through Aokiji's eyes.
He suddenly forced Garp's arms downward, used the recoil to propel himself upward, and drove an ice-covered knee directly into Garp's chin.
The devastating strike disrupted Garp's balance.
The instant Garp's strength faltered, Aokiji unleashed an enormous wave of freezing air from his entire body, instantly sealing Garp inside a massive block of solid ice.
Without wasting a moment, Aokiji threw a powerful punch, intending to shatter both the ice and Garp in a single blow.
But Garp's body was truly monstrous.
The moment Aokiji's fist touched the frozen prison, the entire block exploded.
Wrapped in black and red Haki lightning, Garp burst free and immediately countered with a devastating punch.
Crack!
Aokiji's body shattered into countless ice fragments.
The scattered shards rained down onto a nearby giant dandelion. Almost instantly, they gathered together again, reforming Aokiji's body until he stood completely restored.
Half kneeling on the soft dandelion, Aokiji raised a hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Watching Garp dive toward him once more, he sighed helplessly.
"Ara la..."
Before he could finish speaking, Garp was already upon him.
Somehow, a slender white petal had appeared between Aokiji's fingers. Wrapped in intense freezing air, it instantly transformed into a razor sharp ice blade.
The instant the blade formed, Aokiji thrust upward without the slightest hesitation.
The tip of the ice blade stopped just short of Garp's fist.
Between them, a sphere of black and red Haki lightning rapidly condensed.
Violent winds screamed.
Lightning erupted in every direction.
The giant dandelion beneath them could no longer withstand the pressure. It crumbled into powder and scattered into the air.
With their footing gone, both fighters began falling toward the Black Sea.
Even as they plummeted, neither side relaxed their attack.
Seeing the dark sea rapidly approaching, Aokiji roared.
An intense icy blue radiance burst from his body.
Freezing air condensed beneath his feet, taking the form of a gigantic ice bird that soared upward, carrying him back into the sky.
At the same moment, the ice blade pierced straight through the Haki sphere.
Boom!
The violent explosion cracked the surface of Garp's Armament Haki coated fist.
White steam immediately poured from the wound.
Another enormous ice bird materialized from the surrounding frost and slammed violently into Garp from the side.
The tremendous impact blasted him backward over a thousand meters.
By then, the entire battlefield surrounding Aokiji had transformed into a frozen domain.
The temperature plummeted.
Countless sparkling ice crystals continuously appeared throughout the air.
Aokiji slowly opened one hand.
Every ice crystal in the surrounding area converged toward his palm.
In the next instant, he swung his arm toward Garp.
"Awakening, Final Ice Dome."
A brilliant blue rainbow suddenly appeared across the sky.
Before Garp could react, he was completely sealed within the frozen rainbow.
This time, even his monstrous strength failed to shatter the ice.
After using the power of his Devil Fruit Awakening, Aokiji let out a long breath.
Pure physical monsters like Garp were among the most troublesome opponents for Logia users.
Ice excelled at control, but its offensive power was naturally inferior to many other Logia abilities.
Fortunately, Garp had lost his consciousness.
Without his own judgment guiding him, Aokiji had successfully seized the opening necessary to end the battle in one decisive strike.
Far above, Dragon witnessed Garp's defeat while still locked in battle against Admiral Aramaki.
His expression immediately changed.
"Father!!!"
"Eh?"
Aramaki responded without missing a beat.
His face emerged from the trunk of a massive tree, wearing an infuriating grin.
"My dear son, did you call for your Father?"
Already consumed by anxiety, Dragon was instantly enraged by Aramaki's mockery.
A large mouthful of white steam escaped his lips as his body became increasingly ethereal.
Naturally, Aramaki would never miss such a perfect opportunity.
With a single thought, an ocean of thick vines surged forward, completely surrounding Dragon.
Countless spikes coated in jet black Armament Haki extended from the vines, aiming to skewer him from every direction.
Dragon reacted instantly.
He forced his body into a rapid spin.
"Wind Scythe, Thousand Thistles!"
Endless emerald wind blades erupted around him.
The torrent of slicing winds shredded every Haki coated spike into countless wood chips.
Aramaki had never expected that attack to finish Dragon so easily.
Above Dragon, countless vines rapidly intertwined, forming an enormous tree giant.
The colossal wooden guardian raised a massive fist before smashing it downward with overwhelming force.
Still rotating through the air, Dragon failed to evade in time.
He was struck like a volleyball and sent hurtling toward the Black Sea.
During his rapid descent, Dragon gritted his teeth and activated his Wind Barrier, barely stopping himself in midair.
Fortunately, his Wind, Wind Fruit granted true flight.
Unlike Joy Boy, once Dragon's body touched the Black Sea, the Nika power sustaining him would be consumed by the endless darkness.
After stabilizing himself, Dragon ignored Aramaki completely.
Instead, he immediately flew toward Garp's frozen location, clearly intending to rescue him.
Seeing this, Aramaki clicked his tongue before chasing after him while riding atop a rapidly spinning giant dandelion.
"My dear son, don't run. Let your Father show you some proper affection again."
Dragon continued flying at full speed, unleashing countless wind blades behind him as he roared in fury.
"Aramaki, sooner or later I'll rip that filthy mouth of yours apart!"
Aramaki burst into loud laughter.
"Then hurry up! I'm right behind you!"
High above the battlefield, Dragon raced through the sky while Aramaki pursued relentlessly.
Although Aramaki's speed was impressive, it simply could not compare to Dragon, who had become the wind itself.
Realizing he was gradually falling behind, Aramaki launched another verbal attack.
"Dragon, our Navy has already wiped out the Revolutionary Army. As their leader, you should stop struggling. The best apology you can offer is your own death!"
Dragon's pupils suddenly contracted.
"What?!"