Aokiji's ice spear, infused with Haki, hurtled toward Kaizen. At the last moment, Kaizen twisted his body, throwing a powerful, Haki-clad punch to deflect the attack.
Aokiji's eyes widened in surprise. Kaizen's reactions were sharp and seamless—especially for someone so young, his mastery of Haki was impressive. He had clearly underestimated him.
"Not bad, kid, but don't get cocky," Aokiji warned, his tone less condescending than before.
With a shout, Aokiji stomped on the ground, and ice spread around him like a tidal wave.
"Ice Age!"
Seeing the frozen surge racing toward him, Kaizen stomped down hard, sending a shockwave that halted the ice's advance. Before he could react, however, Aokiji glided over the ice, swiftly maneuvering behind him with an ice blade drawn.
But Kaizen was ready. Sensing Aokiji's movement, he turned, his fist charged with Haki, and countered with a decisive strike. Aokiji's ice blade shattered upon impact, and he himself was sent flying, fragments of ice scattering like glittering shards.
"Vice Admiral Kuzan… taken out by a Haki strike! I've never seen him in such a state!" exclaimed one of the Marines watching from the nearby ships.
"What's Kuzan doing, slacking off like this?" Sakazuki growled, frustrated that Aokiji had stepped in first.
"Didn't I tell you?" Borsalino said, leaning lazily against the mast, "This guy's strong, but none of you paid attention."
"Don't be deceived," Zephyr interjected, watching calmly from the ship's bow. "Kuzan takes his time to warm up. The fight's not over yet."
After Kaizen's strike, ice crystals fluttered around him, glimmering in the air like deadly butterflies. Realizing the danger, Kaizen moved to retreat, but his feet were suddenly frozen in place. In that brief moment, the ice crystals swirled and enclosed him, encasing him in a gleaming sculpture.
Aokiji materialized from the frost with a smug expression. "The capture is complete," he declared.
On the Marine warship, the crew cheered.
"As expected of Vice Admiral Kuzan—dealing with one of Roger's men with ease!"
"Of course! He's the one favored by Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Meanwhile, on a distant part of the sea, a cluster of pirate ships lay in wait.
"That kid was doing well at first, but look at him now—couldn't even beat a Marine vice admiral!" grumbled a bearded pirate as he lowered his telescope.
"Don't be so quick to judge," responded a young, aristocratic-looking pirate. "He's up against Aokiji—a favorite of Admiral Zephyr, no less."
"Bah! You're all jumping to conclusions!" scoffed a third pirate with a heavy build. "Roger's crew hasn't shown up yet—the real fun's yet to begin! Hahaha!"
Back onshore, as the Marine forces celebrated, a figure suddenly landed on the coast.
"Kuzan, orders from above are to deal with this criminal on the spot. Your methods are too soft—let me take over!" The voice was Sakazuki's. Before Aokiji could respond, Sakazuki's fist, blazing with magma, crashed down on Kaizen's frozen form.
As molten rock met ice, thick clouds of steam billowed into the air.
"There, that's taken care of," Sakazuki said, looking at Aokiji with a smug expression.
Aokiji glared at him. "That was uncalled for, Sakazuki. Interfering in my battle? There's no justification for it."
Sakazuki retorted, "When it comes to justice, what does it matter if it's you or me who carries it out?"
Aokiji's eyes darkened, clearly disturbed by Sakazuki's unyielding mindset.
Their relationship had always been tense—not only due to the opposing nature of their Devil Fruits, but also because of their conflicting ideas of justice.
"Enough," Sakazuki said, turning away. "Let's leave. Soon this island will be engulfed in flames—a fitting end."
"What about the villagers?" Aokiji asked, though he already knew the answer.
"They're just Roger's accomplices. Their lives don't matter," Sakazuki replied coldly, his tone filled with menace.
"They're innocent civilians, Sakazuki!" Aokiji shot back, his voice rising. For him, the concept of "pure justice" was deeply personal. The massacre he'd witnessed on Ohara had already left him questioning Marine's methods.
Sakazuki narrowed his eyes, clearly losing patience. "Remember your place, Kuzan. As a Vice Admiral, it's your duty to obey orders. If the higher-ups label them as threats, then they're threats. Justice doesn't require us to question it."
At that moment, a familiar voice interrupted them.
"Ahh… What a nice hot bath! So relaxing!"
Both Marines turned, stunned. As the steam cleared, Kaizen stood tall and unscathed, a grin on his face.
"This… this can't be!" Aokiji and Sakazuki exclaimed in unison, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.