Aokiji doesn't lack Conqueror's Haki himself, so when facing Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki, he can only remain in a suppressed state.
Without the strength to withstand it, he fears he may not last a few seconds under this turbulence.
Although Aokiji knew that Whitebeard possessed Conqueror's Haki, he never imagined its power would be so overwhelming.
Not only did it completely suppress him in aura, but it also carried immense destructive power, causing substantial damage.
It's definitely not something an ordinary Conqueror's Haki could achieve.
Aokiji was deeply shocked because Whitebeard was the strongest person he had encountered. Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki felt entirely different from that of others.
This terrifying shock made his heart hesitate, like rough seas on the verge of overturning.
Luckily, Aokiji's strength remained unscathed in the face of Conqueror's Haki, aside from a slight shortness of breath.
However, on Whitebeard's ship, Marco and the others were greatly affected.
Under Whitebeard's pressure, almost no one remained unscathed. Even Jinbei, Benjamin, and others, utilizing their own Conqueror's Haki to fight, felt a chilling shock as if their hearts and bodies were being utterly crushed.
However, Whitebeard ceased releasing his Conqueror's Haki after a few seconds. He was quite satisfied with the level of suppression achieved.
At least under this deterrence, even Admirals could only ensure their own safety and couldn't retaliate.
"How was it, Aokiji? Did my Conqueror's Haki impress you?"
Whitebeard asked with a hint of amusement, as if showing off.
"It's truly remarkable. Yours is the most powerful Conqueror's Haki I've encountered. Whitebeard, you truly are the pinnacle of your era. It's no wonder the Marine government has placed such a high bounty on you. I can fully understand it now,"
Aokiji replied, impressed.
Whitebeard laughed, "Guurarara, I must admit I'm a bit surprised about that hefty bounty. But Aokiji, if you manage to defeat me, you can take me to the Marines and claim that bounty. I think it'll be more than enough for you to do as you please."
"Yeah, I've been considering that too,"
Aokiji nodded. Despite his calm exterior, his heart was already quite serious.
Just a display of Conqueror's Haki had brought him to this point. It's clear that the gap in their strength is still significant.
Aokiji couldn't help but feel that his chances of winning were close to zero.
No, he realized he had underestimated it— the gap between himself and Whitebeard was far wider than he had imagined.
From the start, Aokiji knew he was no match for Whitebeard.
Yet, as one of the top combat powers in the Marine Headquarter, he couldn't help but think he might have a few tricks up his sleeve against Whitebeard, perhaps enough to last a day.
But now it seemed that Whitebeard hadn't even used all of his strength against him. If he had, Aokiji wondered what terrifying power would erupt.
A massive tsunami could easily overwhelm dozens of Marine warships.
"I can only run away?"
Aokiji thought to himself. After experiencing the shock of Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki just now, Aokiji had no desire to fight.
The gap between them was too obvious, and Aokiji knew his limitations well.
Aokiji didn't want to be captured by Whitebeard after losing. Though he doesn't know Whitebeard's intentions, he knew he'd likely lose his freedom.
He had many things to attend to and wanted to see more of the world.
Therefore, Aokiji had only one goal now: to find a chance to escape. However, this would require careful planning, as Whitebeard wouldn't let him slip away easily.
As Aokiji glanced at Whitebeard floating in mid-air, he couldn't help but ponder. That man could stand and fly in the air.
In such a situation, how could he possibly escape? It seemed extremely difficult for Aokiji.
"It looks like I'll have to use to that trick,"
Aokiji thought, after pondering for a while and finally making up his mind.
Aokiji placed his palm on the ice. Despite freezing a significant amount in the previous battle, it was still limited in scope and failed to freeze Whitebeard's ship. This time, Aokiji was prepared to use his own trick.
"Ice Age!"
Aokiji unleashed a powerful blast of cold air, causing it to rapidly spread in all directions. As it swept through, the surrounding sea froze instantly, covering a radius of ten miles in ice.
The sea beneath Whitebeard's ship froze as well. Marco and the others were taken aback; their vessel was now unable to move.
They were also surprised by Aokiji's move, noting that while it was powerful, it wasn't directed at attacking Whitebeard.
As Whitebeard floated in mid-air, the ice had no effect on him. Observing Aokiji's actions, he contemplated his next move.
Soon, Whitebeard understood as Aokiji immediately used the ice to create numerous ice sculptures, each resembling Aokiji himself.
Though they appeared as ice sculptures, Aokiji's released air-conditioning caused them to gradually blur, creating a multitude of figures.
Aokiji wanted to use these ice sculptures as a cover to make his escape from the area.
As a vast amount of air-conditioning wafted through the air, it seemed to shroud everything in a layer of white fog, blocking the field of view.
Meanwhile, on the ice below, there were ice sculptures crafted by Aokiji scattered everywhere—each one resembling Aokiji himself.
"What's Aokiji up to? Is he trying to use decoys?"
Marco wondered aloud.
"Aokiji deliberately created thick fog and all those ice sculptures. He must be trying to deceive us. Is he planning to use this as a chance to attack Pops?"
Benjamin felt a bit uneasy. His concern wasn't for Whitebeard; he knew that even if Aokiji attempted to attack him, it wouldn't stand a chance.
Whitebeard's defense is impenetrable for ordinary folks, and getting close to him spells complete danger.
Benjamin's worried was actually for Aokiji, but the situation turned out contrary to his expectations.
Aokiji had no intention of attacking Whitebeard; his only goal was to run away in the cover of the fog.
He was well aware that he wasn't Whitebeard's match and didn't want to engage in a futile struggle. He knew he'd always come out on the losing end that way.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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