"What!!!"
In an instant, Zoro drew his sword from his waist, and Sanji leaped to Robin's side. The two stood as shields, protecting Robin from both sides. Behind them, Bepo watched with wide eyes. Luffy and Trafalgar Law immediately shifted into their combat stances, while even the most timid of the group, Usopp, pulled out his slingshot to aim at the threat.
"Oh, not a bad reaction," a voice drawled.
Crack!
The ice beneath his feet shattered as the former Marine Admiral, Aokiji, slowly emerged from the flickering flames. His eyes, hidden behind black-rimmed glasses, remained fixed on the Straw Hat Pirates. "Compared to our first meeting, you've all grown quite a lot."
"Yeah!" Luffy's arm was suddenly enveloped in a swirl of black Armament Haki. His voice was a mix of tension and hard-won confidence. "We're not the same as we were two years ago. We've all grown, Admiral."
"No, no, no..." Kuzan's face showed a hint of dry amusement as he faced the fully prepared Straw Hat and Heart Pirates. "I'm no longer a Marine. Now, my identity is the Captain of the Blackbeard Pirates' Tenth Ship!"
The revelation left everyone astonished. Kuzan took a single step forward, and the entire group tensed.
"Don't move," Zoro warned, his own Armament Haki swirling around Wado Ichimonji. "Otherwise, I don't mind taking out an Admiral before we even enter the New World."
Compared to the youngsters, Kuzan seemed remarkably relaxed. He looked at them with a hint of helplessness. "I admit you little guys have gotten much stronger over the last two years, but you still can't stop me."
"Is that so? How would you know without trying!" Luffy stepped forward, standing firmly in front of Robin. The three fighters formed a pincer movement, keeping Robin safely behind them.
While moved by their protection, Robin's analytical mind was already working. "So that's it," she said. "Captain of the Tenth Ship, are you also here for me?"
"Ah." Kuzan scratched his head, looking troubled. "I can't help it. Since you're the only one in this vast sea who can read the Road Poneglyphs, Teach specifically ordered me to capture you. I don't have much of a choice. Well, Kaido might have other ways to get what he wants, but Teach wouldn't dare provoke him directly. Oh, by the way, I have some news for you. Charlotte Linlin has also sent her son to find you. He might be a bit weaker than me, but he's still more than you can handle."
The news made every face turn grim, including Law's. "It seems the situation is even more troublesome than I imagined, Straw Hat. I might need to reconsider our alliance."
"Hey! Weren't you the one who came looking for us?" Sanji retorted.
Law looked at them with regret. "I didn't expect these monsters to target you so quickly."
"You're not thinking of tearing up the agreement after we help you with Doflamingo, are you?" Sanji pressed.
"Why not? We're pirates, after all!"
Seeing the youngsters arguing even while facing him, Aokiji exhaled a cold breath that turned to mist. "Even though I was under Garp's care for many years, there's nothing I can do now, Straw Hat. Hand over Nico Robin obediently, or your journey to the New World ends right here."
"Dream on! Usopp, protect Robin! Zoro, Sanji, let's go!"
A fight was now unavoidable. Luffy didn't hesitate; he bit into his thumb and immediately activated his strongest state. "Gear Fourth: Boundman!"
"An interesting form," Aokiji remarked, his curiosity piqued. "That's a power I haven't seen before."
The cold air beneath the former Admiral's feet began to erupt, frost spreading rapidly toward the trio.
"Captain, should we help?" Bepo asked nervously.
Law looked around before nodding. "Of course. I am a Warlord, after all. Eliminating pirates is my responsibility."
Boom! A powerful chill erupted from Aokiji. "There's no other way. Let me see what you've become these past two years, Straw Hat!"
In an instant, Aokiji vanished. Unlike their first encounter where they couldn't touch his elemental body, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji used their Haki to pinpoint his location immediately.
"You're not getting anywhere near Robin!" Luffy's fist twisted and turned through the air, carrying immense power as it chased its target. "Gum-Gum King Cobra!"
Boom! Aokiji, who was attempting to dodge in his elemental form, was struck and forced back into his solid body. Zoro seized the opening instantly. "Three-Sword Style: 1080 Pound Phoenix!" A massive wave of compressed air slashed toward Aokiji the moment he reappeared.
"I'm here too! I won't let you take Robin-chan!" Sanji's leg ignited. "Diable Jambe: Boeuf Burst!"
The trio's coordinated pincer attack completely enveloped Aokiji in a mix of slashes and flames. Watching from below, Bepo was speechless. He hadn't expected the Straw Hat trio to be able to fight on par with an Admiral. Law, too, was convinced that his choice of partners had been correct. Robin watched with a sense of relief, realizing how much everyone had grown over the last three years.
Ara la la!
Aokiji's laughter echoed through the settling smoke. To everyone's disbelief, his hands were coated in black Armament Haki, and he had easily blocked all three attacks at once.
"How is that possible...?" The trio's faces filled with shock. They had trained so hard, yet they still felt powerless against this man.
"You have grown," Aokiji admitted. Crack! He lunged forward, grabbing Luffy's arm and Sanji's leg. Ice immediately began to crawl over their skin. "Too bad. Don't underestimate me—I am Garp's disciple, and my Haki is not weak at all."
With a powerful swing, he flung both of them away. They slammed into the ground, creating a ten-meter cloud of dust and cracking the earth. Five spheres of ice appeared in Aokiji's hand and were fired toward the downed pair.
"Watch out!" Zoro leaped into the air. "Three-Sword Style: Raven Hunt!" His slashes shattered the ice balls, but before he could land, Aokiji appeared in front of him and grabbed his face.
"Roronoa Zoro, you've clearly trained well under Mihawk, but it's still not enough. Like this, you can't even get past me, let alone challenge Kaido."
Ice began to frost over Zoro's face as he struggled. Just as he was about to be frozen, a roar echoed through the clearing.
"Gum-Gum King Kong Gun!"
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