Chapter 108: Sol vs. Aokiji – Thunder-Flame Dragon vs. Ice Pheasant
Seeing Luffy and the other two defeated so easily, Nami and the others were too shocked to speak. "How… how could Luffy and the others have no chance to fight back at all…" Chopper's voice trembled, eyes full of disbelief.
Robin bit her lower lip hard; her nails dug deep into her palms. "It's all my fault… if I had left earlier…" Her voice was filled with self-blame and pain.
At that moment, a warm hand gently rested on her shoulder. Sol stood beside her, gaze firm yet gentle. "Don't take all the blame on yourself." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried undeniable strength. "I said I'd protect you—even if Kuzan comes, he won't take you away."
Sol stepped forward slowly. With every step, the surrounding temperature rose. Blazing flames gradually wrapped around his body, forming a flowing armor of fire. The ice encasing Luffy and the others began to melt under the heat wave; crisp cracking sounds rang out as the ice shattered.
"Achoo! F-f-freezing to death!" Luffy shivered violently but still glared stubbornly at Kuzan. Though Zoro and Sanji's faces were pale blue, their grip on their weapons and their stances showed they refused to back down.
"Stand back." Sol's voice was calm and resolute. "Leave this to me."
The three exchanged glances and ultimately chose to trust their nakama. Supporting each other, they retreated to where Nami and the others waited. "Be careful—that guy's freezing power is really troublesome," Zoro warned in a low voice.
In the center of the battlefield, Kuzan finally dropped his lazy demeanor; his eyes turned sharp. "Finally going to get serious, huh? Let me see whether your strength has improved over the years—or if it's been worn down by playing pirate."
A confident curve lifted the corner of Sol's mouth: "As you wish." He took a deep breath; his chest swelled high. The surrounding air warped and distorted from the extreme heat.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
With a low shout, layered magic circles bloomed in front of Sol. Scorching dragon flames erupted like a volcanic explosion, igniting even the air as they surged forward.
"Ice Pheasant Beak!"
Kuzan refused to yield. Chilling air condensed into a massive ice bird that flapped its wings to meet the attack. Two completely opposing forces collided violently in midair. Amid the deafening explosion, ice and fire intertwined in a spectacular display—freezing ice crystals sublimated in the flames; searing tongues of fire were frozen solid by the cold.
The violent energy shockwave whipped up a gale, forcing everyone to shield their faces. Thick steam instantly blanketed the entire battlefield, blurring all vision.
Crackling ice fractures and roaring flames echoed through the fog…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Within the steaming mist, Sol and Kuzan's figures clashed at high speed. The dull thuds of fist and foot collisions exploded continuously. Both men's arms and legs were already coated in pitch-black Armament Haki; every clash sent visible shockwaves rippling outward, cracking the surrounding ground.
"Ora ora ora ora!" Sol roared; his fists rained down like a storm.
"Muda muda muda muda!" Kuzan countered with equal ferocity, cold smile on his face.
Bang!
In the end, Sol's heavy fist smashed into Kuzan's left cheek, while Kuzan's punch simultaneously struck Sol's right. The two held their ground for an instant under the massive impact—then both were blasted backward several meters, carving deep furrows in the earth.
"Peh!" Sol spat out a mouthful of blood, rubbed his swollen right cheek, and grinned: "How's that? Not disappointed, right?"
Kuzan wiped blood from his mouth; his left cheek was visibly swollen. He stared at Sol, noticing the other man's injuries healing at a visible speed, and tsked: "What a monstrous recovery…"
"Warm-up's over—time to get serious!" Sol slammed both fists together; blazing flames once again wrapped his entire body, battle intent surging.
Kuzan gave a cold laugh and slowly raised his left hand: "Heh. I thought you were already serious."
"Two Thorn Spears!"
The moment the words left his mouth, dozens of razor-sharp ice spears condensed in midair, glinting with cold light under the sun. In the next instant, the spears rained down like a storm!
Swish swish swish!
Sol flashed through the gaps between spears at high speed while compressing all his flames to the top of his head; the searing energy nearly distorted the air! "Fire Dragon's Horn!"
With a low roar, he transformed into a blazing meteor and charged straight at Kuzan!
Kuzan's gaze sharpened. His right leg lifted sharply—then stomped down hard.
BOOM!
A massive ice wall erupted from the ground, blocking between them! Yet Sol's momentum didn't slow at all. Flames and ice collided; the wall shattered explosively!
But in that split second, Kuzan swung his right hand; a sharp ice blade instantly formed, wrapped in pitch-black Armament Haki. It slashed viciously toward Sol's incoming fist!
Clang!!
Flames and ice, fist and blade—two ultimate forces collided head-on in that instant!
"Looks like after all these years away from the Navy, your skills haven't rusted—they've actually gotten sharper," Kuzan said with a trace of admiration, yet still carrying that seasoned calm. "But…you're still too young, Sol."
"Hm?" Sol was locked in a fierce struggle with Kuzan when he suddenly felt the resistance vanish—Kuzan had voluntarily released the ice blade and fully elementalized!
Swish!
Sol's flame-wreathed fist shattered Kuzan's body, but the cold air had already surged up his arm at terrifying speed. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was encased in thick, solid ice!
"Damn it!"
Kuzan re-formed not far away. He snapped his fingers casually: "Ice Pick Rain."
Whoosh!
Countless razor-sharp icicles plummeted from the sky like a downpour! Sol had just shattered the ice around himself and looked up—only to see the sky filled with deadly cold light descending on his head.
"No way to dodge…!"
He made an instant decision: every muscle tensed; pitch-black Armament Haki instantly coated his entire body!
Ding ding ding ding!
The icicles struck him like bullets, producing metallic clangs. But there were simply too many. Soon they piled up around him into a small mountain of ice, finally burying him completely…
Crack, crack!
Cracks suddenly spiderwebbed across the ice mound's surface; blazing firelight burst from the fissures!
"RAAAGH!!"
With an earth-shaking roar, Sol exploded out of the ice! Violent flames and crackling lightning intertwined around him, forming a red-and-blue energy storm. His hair tips burned with fire; his pupils danced with thunder. His aura surged several times over in an instant!
"Thunder-Flame Dragon Mode"
The air warped from the heat; the ground blackened from lightning. Sol slowly raised his head; thunder-and-flame eyes locked dead on Kuzan.
"Finally getting serious?" Kuzan shoved both hands in his pockets, an excited curve on his lips. Frost quietly spread beneath his feet; tiny ice crystals formed in the air around him.
(Looks like I really have to go all out today… or I might actually lose here…) Sol gritted his teeth internally. (This lazy bastard… he's actually fighting for real!)
And in the distance, watching the battle, Kuzan's eyes flickered with complex emotion: Let me see… do you now have what it takes to protect Nico Robin's future?
---------------------------
Support me and be 100 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/inkshield