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Chapter 695: Do You Think You're Kuzan?
Chapter 695: Do You Think You’re Kuzan?
"Hohoho! I’ll go first!"
Arams gripped his dual blades and leaped again. From the warship—significantly smaller than Golden Lion’s—he sprang forward, seemingly poised to land a direct assault.
Once he closed in, it would be a slaughter.
This Golden Lion, hyped by the Navy as some unstoppable force, was exactly the kind of opponent everyone wanted to test their strength against.
"Cannon fire."
Kuro’s calm voice cut through the air.
From Golden Lion’s ship, cannon barrels extended, locking onto the airborne Arams.
The sight of those dark muzzles made Arams’ breath catch.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Cannonballs roared toward him in unison, closing the distance in an instant.
This was naval warfare—no one had time for one-on-one duels.
"Cold Stream!"
Arams slashed downward with his dual blades, unleashing swirling currents of freezing air that intercepted the cannonballs.
"Ice Slash!"
With a flurry of blade arcs, the icy currents surged forward, instantly encasing the cannonballs in frost. Their momentum halted for a split second.
Arams used the frozen projectiles as footholds, springing upward to a height even above Golden Lion.
His eyes gleamed with cruelty as his body twisted mid-air. The Cold Stream erupted around him, transforming into a spiraling whirlwind of ice.
"Cold Stream!"
The frigid tornado blasted toward Kuro, chilling the air as it expanded outward.
Arams descended rapidly, the icy vortex crashing against Kuro’s face. His twin blades aimed for Kuro’s neck.
Kuro lifted his head—unmoving.
Bang!
A shadowy figure materialized before him. A thunderous impact rang out as Arams’ spinning body halted, his crescent cutlasses blocked by someone’s hands.
Klah stood with arms crossed, using Haki to halt Arams’ blades.
"Mr. Kuro isn’t someone you can touch!"
Bang!
Klah’s boot slammed into Arams’ abdomen. Arams grinned maliciously, unleashing a burst of Cold Stream that coated Klah’s legs in frost, slowing his movements.
"Calm Step!"
A blue slash erupted from Klah’s legs.
Arams twisted his body like a dancer, narrowly evading the strike. Mid-air, he pivoted and landed on the ship’s railing.
"Hohoho, not bad. Quick reflexes", he sneered at Klah.
Crack!
Klah shook his legs, shattering the ice into shards.
He glanced down, frowning. "A Devil Fruit user?"
"Hohoho! I’m the ‘Freezer,’ who ate the Cold-Cold Devil Fruit."
Arams twirled his crescent cutlasses like a magician, their Cold Stream spreading across the metal railing, leaving a fresh layer of frost.
"Anyone I strike gets frozen solid", he hissed, sticking out his tongue in a grotesque grin.
"Is that so? You think that level of cold can freeze me?"
Klah’s voice deepened. His body swelled, his upper face morphing into a wolf’s snarling head, fur spilling from his neck to cover his chest. A wolf’s tail lashed from his back.
"Freeze a mighty Klah officer? I’ll rip you apart piece by piece!"
Arams laughed. "Hohoho! Decided to turn into a beast? Makes no difference! I’ll turn you into an ice sculpture and carve you up slowly!"
His arms spread wide, blades like wings. Cold Stream erupted furiously from his body and blades, manifesting as visible currents spiraling outward.
"Cold Stream: Blizzard Cascade!"
He roared, "Under my ability, you’ll all freeze to death! Feel it—your body heat vanishing! No warmth on the skin, no warmth in your organs. Eventually, you’ll just be corpses!"
Frost spread from his feet, creeping across the deck.
Even Klah’s pupils constricted. He crossed his arms, blocking the sudden Cold Stream. This technique had a Logia-class feel—like a natural disaster.
The cold itself was a calamity.
This old pirate, locked away in Level Six, was no joke. Klah needed to transform fully into his Beast Human Form to withstand the chill and fight properly.
Klah’s legs trembled, his body preparing to shift.
"I said—"
Suddenly, an impatient voice cut through from behind.
"Don’t let every stray cat or dog board my ship."
Kuro stepped forward, strolling casually through the raging Cold Stream as if strolling through a garden.
"Oh? You’re still moving? Then I’ll crank it up!"
Arams tightened his grip on his blades, crouching low on the railing. The swirling currents intensified, his blades now coated in Armament Haki.
As an elder who’d terrorized the Grand Line a decade ago, he wasn’t some rookie Super Nova. His Haki mastery and ability development were formidable.
He wouldn’t underestimate Golden Lion. The Navy’s hype meant this opponent had real power. But he had even more confidence in himself.
A young Navy officer claiming to have slain old masters? Probably with help from his subordinates and Navy allies. But Arams was different—he’d always been cautious.
He’d kept his Observation Haki active since combat began, his Armament Haki ready. Even if Golden Lion charged now, he’d cut him down.
Defeat Golden Lion, seize G-3’s resources, strike back at the World Government and Navy, then challenge the New World’s big pirates. Fresh out of prison, he needed a bold move to reclaim his infamy.
The man before him was perfect prey.
Kuro strode forward through the frenzied Cold Stream, unaffected by the intensified assault.
Arams gripped his blades tighter as Kuro drew closer.
Closer... Closer...
Just within range—
Kuro stepped within striking distance. Arams raised his blade for a slash.
It was like slicing through resistance—effortless, unhurried.
A simple arc, a black line flickering across Arams’ neck.
A faint sound—then his head parted from his shoulders.
"This..."
Eyes wide with disbelief, Arams’ severed head stared at Kuro.
Why?
Why hadn’t he seen the strike coming?
Surely he sensed it.
But why couldn’t he dodge?
The speed wasn’t fast. His opponent’s stance reeked of openings.
How could such a simple slash...?
His head plunged into the sea. His body toppled backward, following.
Kuro glanced downward, Autumn Water in hand, a cigar clenched between his teeth. He scoffed, "You call that freezing someone? Do you really think you’re Kuzan?"
(End of Chapter)
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