Chapter 186: Frozen Seal
Chapter 186: Frozen Seal
The fist that was thrown curled around the abdomen of the Blue Pheasant, emitting a dull thud.
Cuzan was lifted off the ground by this punch, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. But soon, the body that had flown into the air quickly fell back down.
"Huff"
He exhaled a freezing breath, and half of his body suddenly froze over, extending to the hand that Sagake had grabbed, as well as Sagake's arm, quickly encasing it in ice.
"So you've caught me, then what?"
"Cuzan said calmly, and with just this sentence, Sagake was suddenly on high alert. His body twisted abruptly, his abdomen angling away from Cuzan's fist. He moved in close, and his head rammed viciously towards Cuzan's head."
Bang!
This time, Cuzan didn't dodge in time and was knocked back a few steps. It was at this moment that Sagake shattered the frozen layer that encased his body, and at the same time, he stomped heavily downward, instantly creating several smoke rings in the air as he leaped high into the sky.
"Whoosh!"
Cuzan took a few steps back, rubbing his head. As he looked up at the sky, his expression changed, "Still not done causing trouble?"
Is his physical body really that frail?
Sagake didn't feel that way.
What he could sense was that this guy, like Karp, also possessed extremely advanced body techniques.
A Fleet Admiral would never solely focus on their abilities...
Let's focus on their abilities for now. Dealing with their techniques was already proving to be a challenge for Sagake.
However, regardless of the strength of their martial arts, Sagake had originally intended to capture a natural system and deal some damage first.
But instead, he was the one taking the damage.
The frozen layer had been shaken off by his conqueror's haki, but that didn't mean he hadn't taken any harm. His body had actually been frostbitten as well, but in that posture, the wounds had already healed by the time he shook off the ice layer.
But this wasn't a sustainable strategy; he had to admit, he couldn't keep up with this guy in close combat.
We have to deplete their conqueror's haki!
Sagake took a deep breath, and with his fists aimed downward, he unleashed a barrage of afterimages.
Boom boom boom boom!
A rapid-fire Galaxy Impact!
Cuzan scratched his head, looking at the haki assaults that were almost piled on top of each other. He exhaled more and more freezing breath, and even the sky began to gradually turn cold, with ice crystals falling from the cloud layer.
Whoosh!
He reached out towards the sky, and as the cold wind howled past, thick layers of ice swiftly took shape in the air, repelling the assault of that haki. No matter how much power the Galaxy Impact move unleashed, and no matter how many layers of ice it destroyed, they would always be swiftly replenished.
No matter how many blasts Sagake unleashed, the outcome was always the same.
Conqueror's haki was ultimately an amplifier of power, not an all-purpose panacea. As long as the strength of their abilities increased, they could naturally counter haki.
"How strange."
Borsalino, floating in the air, voiced his surprise, "Is his haki inexhaustible? It looks like I'll have to get serious too."
Whoosh!
He transformed into a flash of light and appeared at Sagake's side. His legs glowed as he delivered an unbelievably fast kick to Sagake's side.
Bang!
The swift kick, combined with its speed and inertia, demonstrated tremendous power. Even though Sagake had blocked it with one hand using his Armament Haki, he was still kicked downward, crashing into the ice layers that had piled up like a mountain, creating a huge dent.
"Yatsukahagi!"
Just as Sagake bounced back up, countless rays of light flashed above, and a torrent of laser rain fell towards them, instantly destroying the ice layers and striking Sagake's body.
He gritted his teeth and subconsciously used his hands to defend himself. Even with his haki protecting his body in an instant, he still couldn't block this intense rain of light pellets.
This time, the light pellets almost penetrated his body surface. It was only thanks to his incredible recovery ability that he didn't suffer any harm; otherwise, his body would have been riddled with holes.
Whether it was the previous kick or the current laser rain, they were on a completely different level from before!
Could haki defend against light?
Of course not.
Just as using haki couldn't grasp water, these natural forces couldn't be directly captured. Using haki only amplified one's defensive power, forcibly bolstering their defense.
But now, even that defense was struggling...
Whoosh!
A red dot appeared in Sagake's eyes, and he subconsciously lowered his arm. But in that instant, a sword made of laser light pierced through his arm, penetrating all the way to his chest.
"Oh~ looks like you didn't block it."
Borsalino pouted, "My attack seems to have taken effect as well."
Sagake's expression turned gloomy, and he kicked out with his legs, but he only kicked a cluster of flickering light. Borsalino appeared in the air, smiling cheerfully, "I certainly don't want to be hit by you.
"You little punk!"
With a flying leap, Karp threw a punch that connected with Sagake's head, causing a few tendrils of black energy to burst forth from his fist and send Sagake plummeting into an iceberg, creating a massive fissure in the iceberg that extended all the way down to the sea.
Boom!!
The lower portion of the iceberg was blasted apart, causing the upper section to lose its support and topple to the side, splitting into several segments and sending ice shards and hail flying everywhere, as if a hailstorm had descended from the sky.
Sagake stood up again on the ice-covered sea, spitting out a mouthful of thick, dark blood.
There were no visible wounds on his body.
Any injuries had healed in that brief moment.
However, his chest was heaving violently.
While Haki was infinite and could be used without intervals, this move consumed an enormous amount of stamina! If he hadn't been facing these three opponents, he wouldn't have resorted to using it.
But now, it seemed useless anyway.
Sagake swept his gaze across the three of them.
Facing him head-on was Karp, baring his fangs in a menacing grin that exuded power.
To his side was Kuzan, his entire body exuding freezing air. In the gradually cooling air, amidst the falling ice crystals and hail, his figure was blurry, like a demon capable of freezing everything in its path.
And floating in the sky was Borsalino, his body still glowing with light, like a sanction of light descending from the heavens, leaving no room for escape.
None of them were easy to deal with!
Evacuation?
Ever since these three individuals had appeared, that option had already flown out the window.
Kuzan's ability allowed him to freeze the sea and even extend his reach underwater. Since he could freeze the very air they breathed, he could undoubtedly reach deep into the sea as well.
Borsalino's ability could stop Sagake from escaping in any other direction. No matter how skillfully he used Moonwalk, his speed would always pale in comparison to light.
This old monkey was the fastest creature in the entire sea!
As for Karp, even if he displayed a hint of confusion, he remained unfathomably powerful!
"Do you think your strength can force me to submit?"
Sagake clenched his fists, then pulled back with a fierce tug, directing his words at the three of them as he roared, "I am a pirate!"
Pirates cherished their freedom above all else, and no one could forcibly suppress their free will!
Having chosen this path, Sagake would remain dedicated to it until the very end!
With another fierce tug, his fists once again became enveloped in Haki, and although it appeared to be of the same intensity as before, there seemed to be a hint of crimson amidst the Haki this time.
Upon witnessing this, the three of them fell silent, their eyes revealing a hint of gravity.
"Oh~ How fearsome. Looks like you've got quite a bit of fight left in you." Borsalino exclaimed in surprise, "Still have some tricks up your sleeve?"
"Hehehe."
Kuzan held his hands flat, exhaling a breath of freezing air as his expression turned solemn.
"That move of yours... Haha! Well then, Sagake, I shall accept your challenge!"
Karp burst into raucous laughter, his body lowering slightly as he assumed a stance to receive the attack.
He had witnessed it.
Back on the bridge of the East Sea Kingdom, he had seen Sagake unleash that very same move, seemingly with all his might, like a 'King's Fist'.
And now, with Sagake's strength having reached even greater heights, that very same move would undoubtedly carry even more power!
Thud!
Karp lunged forward, his fist pulled back to his waist as he bared his teeth in a menacing grin directed at Sagake.
"Whoever stands before me shall be struck down!"
A savage glint entered Sagake's eyes, his feet dragging across the ground as he pulled his fist back to deliver a punch, his entire being pouring into this single strike.
"Eight-branched Octopus Fist!"
Suddenly, the sky erupted with countless rays of light, raining down towards them.
"My apologies, but I wouldn't want anyone getting hurt here. It'd be rather embarrassing if three of us ganged up on you like this."
Borsalino crossed his arms, from which light orbs emerged and rained down upon Sagake's body.
Sagake's eyes narrowed, his body twisting in the air as he changed directions, now lunging towards Borsalino in the sky.
"Then take this, you monkey! Galaxy Impact: Sky-Shattering Strike!"
Boom!!
The onslaught of laser rain was instantly swallowed up, and within Borsalino's sunglasses, a pillar of light that blended black and crimson loomed into view, sweeping him off his feet and surging upwards, piercing through the ice crystal clouds and continuing to climb skyward.
King's Destruction Fist!
Pouring every ounce of his strength into this single strike, coupled with the might of the Galaxy Impact, resulted in an explosively powerful move! This was Sagake's full power!
"It's not over yet!"
After throwing that punch, Sagake's body shrunk slightly, his stamina depleted to the point where he couldn't even muster his Haki anymore, his chest heaving violently as he panted for breath. But then, his eyes narrowed, and a ruthless glint entered his gaze as he grit his teeth and roared, his eyes now bearing a hint of crimson.
"Not yet! He still has his 'Domain Expansion'!
It's do or die now!!
Just as his arm began to move, a cold and indifferent voice suddenly sounded from his side.
"Ice Age!"
A frosty shadow flashed past him, and the sky above began to hail giant ice pellets and blood flowers. On the icy sea, a towering iceberg took form, freezing the ferocious figure of Sakaki in place.
"That's enough, Junior Brother."
Aokiji's figure appeared outside the iceberg, his entire body emanating freezing air and ice crystals. "Behave and let us capture you."
In that fleeting moment when Sakaki was too exhausted to even muster his aura, Aokiji seized the opportunity to strike.
"Tsk, just like you. What a stubborn fool of a disciple!"
Karp slowed his pace and approached the towering iceberg, patting the outer layer of ice. "So hard."
"I learned it from you, Captain Karp."
Aokiji turned his head, glancing at the frozen Sakaki within the iceberg. "Frozen solid. You're as good as dead, aren't you?"
"Well, I've got no objections. Frozen like this, you'll die sooner or later anyway."
On the other side of the iceberg, a figure of light appeared, and Borsalino emerged unscathed. His body glowed with light as he smiled cheerfully.
"That move packed quite a punch. If I hadn't dodged in time, it might've hurt me. Seems like he's got something more up his sleeve."
He extended a finger, and the tip began to glow with a brilliant light.
But the glow flickered and eventually faded away. He chuckled, "Nevermind. This hardness isn't so easy to break. If it were Akainu, he'd probably do it like this."
Hearing this name, Aokiji's expression turned cold, but he remained silent.
As fellow admirals, their relationship wasn't exactly amicable.
"Damn! What a fight, Sakaki, you! You'd make a fine Marine!" Karp burst into hearty laughter.
"Impossible, Vice Admiral Karp. He's a survivor of Ohara."
Borsalino lowered his head, and beneath the lenses of his sunglasses, an eerie light flickered. His voice took on a deeper tone, "We'd be willing, but the higher-ups wouldn't like it."
Like a bear, they'd squeeze everything out of him and then discard him.
"It's over. I was just passing by anyway."
Aokiji waved his hand dismissively and walked towards his bicycle parked on the ice, "Phew, luckily my bike's still intact."
"Then I'll be off too. My ship's been requisitioned, so I'll be waiting for it in Water 7." Karp turned and began walking towards the Seven Waters.
"Hmm."
Aokiji thought for a moment, then laughed, "I recall there's another one frozen in Impel Down. Might as well put them together, eh?"
He turned and started walking towards the Seven Waters as well.
"This ice is pretty tough. It'll probably take more than seven days to melt, eh, Aokiji? You really went all out this time."
Karp stomped on the ice, then laughed again. The massive sheet of ice extended all the way to the island of the Seven Waters, allowing him to walk there directly.
"Well, I'll be off then. See you, Yellow Monkey!"
Borsalino smiled and waved, then opened the black Den Den Mushi on his wrist. "Hello? Anyone there? This is weird. No one's picking up?"
...
Two to three hours later, Borsalino realized he had grabbed the wrong Den Den Mushi and had instead summoned a Marine ship from headquarters to tow away the massive iceberg.
At the same time, Enies Lobby was struck by a devastating attack, reducing the judicial island to rubble.
And amidst the chaos, the Straw Hat Pirates miraculously escaped from Enies Lobby, making their way towards the Seven Waters.
(End of Chapter)
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