Above the sea, the world had transformed into an expanse of ice and snow. The terrifying freezing air roared over the waters, turning the atmosphere frigid. For ordinary people, a single breath in this environment would be fatal, freezing the water within their bodies instantaneously.
Kuzan stood on the deck, half of his body turned to ice, exhaling the freezing breath that enveloped the sea. The entire area had frozen solid, and the freezing air rose into the sky, causing the moisture in the atmosphere to condense into falling snowflakes. The sea had become a blizzard-ridden landscape.
"Kuzan... hoo! hoo! You!" Zephyr gasped. Half of his body was encased in ice, and his only movable right eye glared at Kuzan, filled with anger and unwillingness.
Beside Zephyr, his students and followers, including Ain, had been completely transformed into ice sculptures. Their expressions, frozen in disbelief, were still visible beneath the ice. The disparity in strength was overwhelming.
Even though Zephyr had tried to shield them from Aokiji's main attack, Kuzan's freezing air, using the seawater as a conduit, had immobilized them instantly. Their Haki proved futile against the overwhelming power of Kuzan's Frozen Fruit ability.
While Armament Haki can counter Devil Fruit abilities, there is no inherent superiority between Haki and Devil Fruits. Both are formidable powers, and when the strength gap between them is vast, Devil Fruit abilities can prevail effortlessly. In the face of such an attack, Zephyr's lack of Conqueror's Haki and reliance solely on Armament Haki and martial arts rendered him helpless. He could only watch as his students and followers were frozen solid by Kuzan's power.
This harsh reality of the One Piece world was undeniable. Without a powerful Devil Fruit ability or Conqueror's Haki, even mastering Armament Haki and martial arts to the utmost could only make one a gatekeeper against the peak combatants of the sea.
Zephyr, despite being a formidable Marine, was considered the weakest among the Admirals in Marine history. Pure martial arts and Armament Haki offered limited options on the battlefield, especially against Logia Devil Fruit users. Large-scale attacks could only be countered by personal defense, leaving subordinates vulnerable.
The devil fruit Kuzan consumed, the Frozen Fruit, is renowned for its unparalleled field control. With moisture omnipresent in the atmosphere, the freezing air could spread through the atmosphere, leaving no escape for enemies. Only those with the peak combat power of the sea could resist the pervasive freezing air of the Frozen Fruit. For others, even a moment of weakened Haki or insufficient coverage would allow the freezing air to penetrate their pores, freezing the water and blood within their bodies instantly.
This was why the Frozen Fruit was deemed the most restrictive field-controlling Devil Fruit on the sea. On the moisture-rich battlefield of the ocean, without the strength of the top-tier combatants, escape from Kuzan's terrifying freezing air was impossible.
"Teacher Zephyr, no, Z, times have changed," Kuzan said calmly, stretching out his right hand as he looked at Zephyr, who was half encased in ice.
Zephyr's right eye, the only part of him not frozen, widened in shock. His Haki had been defeated.
"This is the Era of the Flame Emperor," Kuzan declared, his eyes narrowing as a terrifying burst of freezing energy erupted from him.
"Crack! Click!"
Zephyr tried to speak, but the freezing air had already penetrated every cell of his body, silencing him. His eyes, filled with unwillingness, were the last to freeze as he was completely transformed into an ice sculpture.
"Phew! Anyone who interferes with the captain's business will be frozen by me, the captain of the Entei Pirates' First Fleet, Kuzan," Kuzan proclaimed, exhaling a breath of ultimate freezing air.
"Teacher Zephyr!!!" Hina and Smoker cried out from the Marine warship, their eyes red with emotion. They were both elites who had joined the Marines in the first batch and were students of Zephyr. Despite Zephyr having left the Marines, the bond between teacher and students remained strong.
Yet, their senior and former leader, Kuzan, had frozen Zephyr and their fellow disciples into ice sculptures at Ace's command. This cruel turn of events was unbearable for Smoker and Hina.
But there was nothing they could do. At that moment, Smoker, Hina, and all the Marines were frozen from the waist down. The terrifying freezing air continued to seep into their bodies, causing their cellular activities to slow.
In this state, they were utterly helpless. If Kuzan willed it, they would all be turned into ice sculptures in an instant, just like Zephyr. The moment Kuzan acted with full force, the fearsome frost energy spread to them through the water vapor above the sea.
Even when Smoker used his Smoke Fruit to rise high into the air, half of his body was instantly frozen, and he was smashed back down onto the warship. Hina and all the Marines on the ship were similarly frozen from the waist down, unable to move or resist.
"Kuzan! Damn it!!!" Smoker roared angrily, struggling futilely against the encroaching ice.
"Don't waste your energy, Smoker. We're not on the same level as this man. He is one of the strongest combat forces in the former World Government," Hina said, her voice tense as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
Although she and Smoker were now Rear Admirals at Naval Headquarters, the difference in power between them and Kuzan was like the difference between heaven and earth. Kuzan didn't even need to engage directly; the cold air he emitted alone was enough to overpower them. Their Haki was simply too weak.
What terrified Hina even more was the man Kuzan was speaking with over the phone. Despair began to flicker in her eyes.
How powerful was the world government's highest combat power? Most Marines didn't truly understand. The Admirals of Headquarters were the pinnacle of Marine strength, facing off against the strongest pirates in the era of the Four Emperors, Shichibukai, and Naval Headquarters. Admirals were strategic forces who rarely needed to display their full power.
During the Entei incident, Hina and Smoker had been at the Sabaody Archipelago but had lost consciousness under the impact of Entei's Conqueror's Haki before even stepping onto the battlefield. They had only glimpsed the purgatory-like scene from the periphery, not experienced it firsthand.
Now, Hina truly understood the meaning of peak combat power on the sea. She had sparred with Vice Admirals before, especially those trained by Zephyr, and had grown stronger, mastering Armament Haki and becoming a Rear Admiral. Yet, today she felt an absolute, despair-inducing gap in power. Her Haki and Devil Fruit abilities were utterly powerless against Kuzan's Frozen Fruit, unable to withstand even a moment of the freezing air spreading through the atmosphere.
The difference between an Admiral of Headquarters and a Vice Admiral seemed like just a military rank, but in actual combat, a Vice Admiral was like an ant compared to an Admiral, easily crushed in one blow. Below the Admirals and Emperors, everyone else was insignificant.
Only by facing it personally could one understand how terrifying the true peak combat power on the sea was and how vast the gap remained. Hina finally grasped the true might of the man behind Kuzan: Portgas D. Ace, the Flame Emperor.
He was the source of the current chaos on the sea, orchestrating the Alabasta and Enies Lobby incidents, and masterminding the Entei Incident. He had single-handedly defeated the newly appointed Naval Headquarters Marshal, Akainu, who was still stronger than Kuzan, and used cunning plans to outmaneuver former Marine Marshal Sengoku. Leading the Entei Pirates, he had defeated the Naval Headquarters head-on.
Hina's red lips felt bitter as she looked at the frozen sea. The Naval Headquarters had recently described Ace as a man capable of burning the whole world to the ground. Now, she understood the terrifying truth behind that claim: Portgas D. Ace possessed the power to truly destroy the world.
"...Captain, do you need to get rid of Smoker and the others, or take them back?" Kuzan asked calmly, his gaze fixed on the distant figures of Smoker and the other Marines.
For Kuzan, now fully aligned with Ace, carrying out orders with unwavering determination was second nature. This resolve needed to be demonstrated to Ace, the man he had chosen to follow.
"No, there's no need," Ace replied, leaning back on Robin's lap, a faint smile playing on his lips. "A Devil Fruit like the Smoke-Smoke Fruit is too weak. Let them contact the Marines to take them away. Killing is merely a tool; our ultimate goal lies beyond that."
Ace's disdain for the Smoke-Smoke Fruit was evident. It was one of the weakest Logia Devil Fruits, providing minimal combat effectiveness. Even if awakened, it would only generate more smoke, which could suffocate enemies but was easily countered by covering one's mouth and nose with Haki. In Ace's eyes, it was a disgrace among the Logia Devil Fruits, and he had no interest in such a feeble power.
As for killing Smoker and the others? It was unnecessary. To Ace, Smoker was like a barking puppy, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Kuzan, now the captain of Ace's first team, was a top-tier fighter whose loyalty and resolve had been fully felt through Ace's Observation Haki. Kuzan was willing to follow Ace's orders without hesitation, even if it meant facing his former mentors and friends.
However, Ace understood that Kuzan still had a heart and feelings. Killing these people could affect Kuzan's mentality. Compared to Kuzan's formidable combat power, people like Smoker were inconsequential.
"Understood, Captain," Kuzan responded, his sharp intelligence immediately grasping Ace's intent. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, feeling a stronger sense of recognition and purpose.
Ace, I will use everything I have to make you the king of the world, Kuzan thought, gazing out at the distant sea, his resolve solidified.
"Alright, next comes the captain's order," Ace announced, rising from Robin's lap with a loud laugh. His eyes sharpened, and a pinpoint of light appeared in the atmosphere, quickly swelling with terrifying power.
"Buzz! Click!"
Kuzan watched in shock, while Hina and Smoker stared in disbelief. A colossal air door opened in the sky above them.
"Whoosh!"
A massive ship plummeted from the sky, yet it landed softly on the sea, causing no waves. It was an enormous sailing vessel with a fierce tiger head on the bow and a huge pirate flag flying on the main sail. The flag bore a skull engulfed in terrifying flames—the flag of the Entei Pirates. Below it, another flag displayed a large number "two."
"Long time no see, Kuzan," a blind middle-aged man on crutches called from the front of the deck, a slight smile on his lips. "By order of the captain, I will be with you on this mission."
"Fujitora," Kuzan greeted, the corners of his mouth curling upwards.
"Captain of the Second Team of the Entei Pirates' Grand Fleet, 'Dark Ranger' Fujitora?!" Smoker and Hina gasped in disbelief.
The simultaneous deployment of two peak combat powers from the Entei Pirates' fleet was shocking.
"What is the Flame Emperor planning?!" Hina wondered aloud, her mind racing with the implications of this new development.