Chapter 59: Wrath of the Monkey King
Kuzan and Bogard gritted their teeth in anger and sadness as multiple auras vanished from their Observation Haki.
Both landed on the frozen sea. Many soldiers were injured, most dead or petrified. From the destroyed warship, Yamato walked out, Conqueror's Haki coiling around her as she stepped forward.
"You bastards dare attack Shirahoshi?"
Her body began shifting into her Human-Beast form. A freezing cold aura started emitting from her as her eyes locked onto Sakazuki.
"Tsk, you think I'm afraid of you?"
Sakazuki's arm turned into magma as he launched his attack. "Meigo!"
Kuzan and Bogard sighed. A battle was unavoidable now.
"Namuji Hyoga!"
A white beam of frost energy shot forward and pierced the magma, cooling it instantly.
Yamato raised her kanabo. "No one can take anything from me again. Not my freedom, not my friends. I won't let it happen. No shackles shall bind me!"
Yamato roared as she became a white blur.
"Divine Swiftness: Glacier Fang!"
Her kanabo infused with advanced Armament, Conqueror's Haki, and frost energy as it turned white with blood-red lightning coiling around it.
From above, Hancock dove down from Nimbus, Conqueror's Haki coiled around her leg. "Perfume Femur!"
"Twin Ice Pheasant Beak!"
Kuzan shot two ice birds toward Hancock. Bogard drew his sword and swung it as a green slash shot toward Hancock.
Shirahoshi looked on in amazement and gratitude. "They are going so far for me?"
Her eyes grew moist. With her unique Observation Haki, she could sense the true feelings of others.
Ren smiled. "Don't be stupid. Of course we will fight for you. You are part of our family."
Shirahoshi blushed as she nodded.
Down below, Yamato's kanabo slammed into Sakazuki's magma fist, ice and magma colliding violently. On the other side, Hancock fought Kuzan and Bogard. The three of them were clearly holding back, yet their clashes said otherwise.
Kuzan gritted his teeth.
"That still doesn't give you the right to kill all those soldiers!" Kuzan shouted angrily.
"Wooow… and what about the destruction of Ohara?" Ren's voice came casually from above.
The single sentence alone made Kuzan freeze.
His fists clenched harder as his head lowered slightly. Memories he had buried deep inside surfaced again. Fire. Screams. The island sinking beneath endless bombardment.
He had no answer.
Sakazuki didn't waste time talking.
"Magma Hound!"
A gigantic molten hound burst from his arm and rushed toward Yamato, melting the frozen sea as it moved. The heat distorted the air itself.
Yamato grinned.
Her kanabo swung downward, coated in freezing energy. Frost and magma collided violently, releasing a massive explosion of steam that blasted outward across the sea.
BOOM!
The frozen ocean cracked beneath them.
Without hesitation, Yamato charged through the steam. Her kanabo came crashing toward Sakazuki's head with monstrous force.
"Raimei Hakke!"
Sakazuki crossed his magma-coated arms.
The impact exploded like thunder.
Black lightning burst around them as Conqueror's Haki clashed. Sakazuki was forced backward across the ice, his feet carving deep trenches into the frozen sea.
Yamato didn't stop.
Her kanabo swung again and again, each strike heavy enough to split the sea itself. Frost spread wildly around her attacks while Sakazuki answered with exploding magma fists.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Dozens of molten fists rained down from the sky.
Yamato roared as white freezing energy erupted around her body. The incoming magma fists froze midair before exploding apart into burning fragments.
"Glacier Fang!"
Her kanabo slammed into Sakazuki's chest, launching him across the frozen sea.
"Ice Saber!"
A blade of solid ice formed instantly in Kuzan's hand as he rushed forward. Hancock calmly met him head-on, her leg coated in black and crimson Haki.
Their attacks collided.
CRACK!
The surrounding ice shattered from the force.
Kuzan narrowed his eyes. Hancock was far stronger than before. Her Haki had grown to a terrifying level after staying beside Ren.
Hancock flicked her hair back proudly.
"You should have stayed away from Amazon Lily."
Kuzan sighed coldly. "You pirates really don't know when to stop causing trouble."
"Oh?" Hancock smirked. "And marines do?"
She vanished with Geppo.
Kuzan's Observation Haki screamed.
"Perfume Femur!"
Her kick came from above, coated in Conqueror's infusion and Armament Haki. Kuzan crossed both arms just in time.
BOOOOM!
The frozen sea beneath him exploded apart.
Kuzan slid backward, ice rapidly reforming under his feet.
"Ice Age!"
A massive wave of freezing energy spread outward. The ocean froze instantly for kilometers.
Hancock simply smiled.
"Slave Arrow."
Hundreds of pink arrows rained down. Kuzan's ice froze them midair, but the moment they touched his ice, parts of it began turning into stone.
Kuzan's eyes widened slightly.
"What a troublesome ability…"
Back on another part of the frozen sea, Bogard faced Ren's clone.
The old marine's grip tightened on his sword. Even though this was only a clone, the pressure radiating from it was monstrous.
Ren's clone spun the golden staff casually on his shoulder.
"You look too serious, old man."
Bogard didn't answer.
He moved instantly.
His sword flashed toward Ren's neck with incredible speed. The clone blocked using the golden staff.
CLANG!
Shockwaves spread across the sea.
Bogard attacked again and again with precise swordsmanship, but Ren's clone blocked every strike while grinning casually.
"You marines really love protecting the Celestial Dragons, huh?"
Bogard's eyes sharpened.
"We protect order."
The clone laughed loudly.
"Order? Slavery is order?"
Bogard remained silent.
The clone's grin slowly faded.
"You know… that silence says enough."
"The order you talk about is just an illusion created by you people to give everyone a false sense of security. The order you talk about is just bullshit. All you are is a dog of those people sitting high above you, nothing more."
The golden staff suddenly expanded violently.
Bogard barely blocked before being blasted backward across the ice. His boots dug deep trenches into the frozen sea as his sword trembled from the impact.
Shirahoshi looked down silently.
"I will become stronger," she said quietly. "So you guys don't have to worry about me."
Ren smiled warmly.
"Of course you will, our cute warrior princess."
He pinched her cheeks lightly.
Shirahoshi giggled, her earlier worry easing slightly.
Below them, Yamato and Sakazuki continued destroying the frozen sea with every clash.
Magma and frost exploded endlessly.
"You damn brat!" Sakazuki roared.
Yamato's kanabo slammed into Sakazuki's shoulder, forcing him to one knee. Before he could recover, Yamato spun and kicked him directly in the chest.
BOOM!
Sakazuki crashed through multiple frozen ridges.
On another side, Hancock gracefully danced around Kuzan's attacks. Ice spears shot toward her constantly, yet she avoided them effortlessly.
Kuzan suddenly appeared behind her.
"Ice Time!"
Hancock twisted elegantly.
Her kick landed directly against Kuzan's ice-covered arm.
Black lightning exploded.
The surrounding sea shattered apart again.
Kuzan frowned. Hancock's Haki was strong enough to resist his freezing now.
"Tch… troublesome woman."
Hancock smirked proudly.
"Of course. I am the most beautiful woman in the world."
Even Kuzan's mouth twitched slightly hearing that in the middle of battle.
Nearby, Bogard breathed heavily as Ren's clone casually rested the golden staff on his shoulder again.
"You're pretty strong, old man."
Bogard narrowed his eyes. "And you monsters are destroying the balance of the world."
The clone grinned.
"Who cares about your so-called balance? We do whatever we want. You got a problem? Why should we care? What does that have to do with me?"
"If my girls living freely is breaking the order of the world, then let it be destroyed."
Ren raised his hand.
"If the world won't let them have the happiness they deserve, then I shall burn the whole damn world down," Ren declared from the Nimbus with absolute seriousness.
Hancock grinned. "That's my man."
Yamato blushed. "Wh-what's that idiot talking about?"
Shirahoshi covered her face shyly.
Ren's Conqueror's Haki burst outward as the storm clouds completely covered every direction as far as the eye could see.
Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Bogard trembled from the declaration and the weight of Ren's Haki.
At that instant, they were absolutely sure Ren wasn't joking.
Ren's eyes landed on Sakazuki as he vanished from the Nimbus.
Their Observation Haki screamed as Ren appeared above Sakazuki. Sakazuki punched upward as Ren's kick slammed into him.
A massive explosion happened as everything was blasted away by the shockwaves. The frozen sea shattered as massive waves erupted everywhere.
"Not good… Ice Age!"
Kuzan used Ice Age as the sea froze once more.