"Ice Age!"
Without hesitation, Kuzan used his speed from the technique "Soru" to position himself at the feet of the gigantic Raijin. Facing the towering thunder god, Kuzan unleashed his full freezing power. Chilling air spiraled like a whirlwind, rapidly encircling Raijin's massive form. In an instant, the freezing aura expanded across the surrounding ice fields, extending the frozen terrain far beyond Ohara's sea.
The air crackled as moisture froze, creating a chorus of ice forming. Within moments, the colossal Raijin was encased in ice.
"Oooh!"
A bone-chilling wind howled over the ice fields, its eerie sound resembling ghostly wails. The power Kuzan displayed in that moment was nothing short of astounding. The abilities of the Ice-Ice Fruit were magnificently showcased, transforming the surrounding sea into a winter landscape.
"Ha!"
Watching his own handiwork, Kuzan exhaled a frosty breath, relieved to have captured Nicholas in the ice. As long as he maintained his freezing power, it would be difficult for Nicholas to break free.
Encased in thick, ancient-like ice, with Kuzan continuously reinforcing the freeze, Nicholas's expression grew serious. Indeed, no strong person in the seas was simple. Although the previous attempt at freezing had failed, Kuzan had seized another opportunity to entrap him, this time intending a one-on-one trade-off to completely restrict Nicholas's movements.
"If it were anyone else, you might have succeeded. But…"
As Nicholas's voice trailed off, lightning danced across the surface of the massive Raijin. A strange force field began to emanate from Raijin, centered around Nicholas. This repulsive force surged outwards, shattering the ice that encased Nicholas instantly.
The invisible force field spread out like an unstoppable wall, destroying the surrounding ice as it expanded.
Buzz!
With a soft hum, the unseen force field around Nicholas oscillated, warping and distorting the air.
"Hah!"
Within this field, Nicholas's eyes sharpened, his aura becoming immensely powerful. Controlling the electric currents, Nicholas generated a magnetic field, which in turn created an even more mysterious force.
"Hoo!"
Kuzan, avoiding the encroaching ice wall, stood atop a large ice block and exhaled. His body was somewhat damaged, with half his shoulder missing, but the freezing air rapidly restored his form, quickly healing him.
Elemental powers of the Logia type rendered him immune to physical attacks. The destructive force from the repulsion hadn't harmed him.
But when Kuzan looked up and saw the vast crater around Nicholas, measuring kilometers in diameter and a hundred meters deep, his pupils contracted.
In the next instant, he saw Nicholas reach out towards him.
"Universal Pull!"
Suddenly, a powerful force gripped Kuzan, pulling him towards Nicholas with irresistible strength.
In mere moments, he was rapidly drawn towards Nicholas, as if throwing himself into a trap.
"Ice Spears!"
Realizing the danger, Kuzan quickly formed several ice spears on either side of his body, launching them at Nicholas with great force. Accelerated by the gravitational pull and Kuzan's own strength, the ice spears shot towards Nicholas at incredible speed, reaching him almost instantaneously.
Nicholas remained unfazed, calmly saying, "Shinra Tensei!"
With that, the pull transformed into a powerful repulsion force, deflecting the incoming ice spears effortlessly.
Bang!
As the rapidly shooting ice spears collided with the immense repulsive force, they shattered from the tips, disintegrating into ice shards that scattered in the air.
Taking advantage of this, Kuzan temporarily broke free from Nicholas's gravitational pull, quickly using Soru to create distance between them. When he reappeared, he was standing alongside Issho.
"Kuzan, what happened?" Issho asked. Although his strong Kenbunshoku Haki allowed him to 'see' the events as clearly as a sighted person, he couldn't perceive the invisible forces at play.
Kuzan was internally shaken, unable to express in words the astonishment he felt. Nicholas's ability to control both gravitational and repulsive forces was simply beyond belief.
"Kuzan, have you ever considered a question?" Nicholas's voice interrupted, making Kuzan pause momentarily. "What would you do when the justice in your heart conflicts with the orders you follow? Do you truly believe the actions of the World Government represent justice?"
Nicholas's words caused Kuzan to halt, but soon, his aura grew even colder. Exhaling a frosty breath, he looked at Nicholas. "Although some actions of the World Government are indeed a disgrace to justice, compared to the pirates rampaging on the seas, they are the embodiment of justice. And isn't it a bit excessive for a notorious pirate like you to lecture me about justice?"
Kuzan's tone was mocking, clearly indicating that despite his disdain for some of the World Government's actions, it did not waver his belief in his own sense of justice. The Navy was striving to maintain order on the seas, and the unnamed memorial on Marineford's hill was a testament to their justice.
In response, Nicholas vanished instantly, reappearing before Kuzan. Kuzan's pupils contracted as he saw a fist covered in Busoshoku Haki hurtling towards his face. The punch was so fast it was like a flash of lightning, giving him no time to evade.
In a split second, Kuzan felt a massive impact on his forehead. He was sent flying, his head shattering into shards of ice, scattering everywhere. His body tumbled across the ground before finally coming to a stop.
Struggling to stand, Kuzan's body, now half-formed from ice, began to regenerate. Watching Nicholas fiercely attacking Issho, Kuzan's mind buzzed. The suddenness and speed of that punch were overwhelming. And weren't they just discussing justice? What was the meaning of this sudden attack? Is justice determined by fists?
"Issho Vice Admiral, it's your turn to fall!" Nicholas's voice echoed, drawing Kuzan's attention. He saw Issho enduring a relentless barrage of attacks from Nicholas, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
Just as Kuzan was about to assist, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang. "What is it?" he snapped, irritation clear in his voice.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan, something's wrong with the fleet… everyone seems to have gone mad! Ah... stay away!"
"Hello? Hello?" Kuzan shouted as the connection abruptly cut off.
"Issho, there's trouble on the warship. We need to retreat!" Without hesitation, Kuzan called out to Issho. This mission had involved their subordinates, and losing them would be a significant setback.
"Nicholas?" Issho turned to Nicholas, frowning.
"Don't worry, their magnetic fields were just disrupted. If treated quickly, they'll be fine. But if delayed, I can't guarantee anything," Nicholas said calmly.
The trouble on the warship was indeed Nicholas's doing. The human body's organs and tissues possess weak, stable electromagnetic fields. Disrupting these with external electromagnetic waves can disturb these fields, impairing normal bodily functions. This is one of the hazards of electromagnetic radiation.
"Thank you." Issho nodded and, pulling back from Nicholas, swiftly flew towards the warship with Kuzan. The Buster Call on Ohara had undoubtedly failed.