Rolan already understood that Gion's strength was monstrous, so close to Admiral level that it was no surprise she had once been considered a candidate for the position.
Zoro studied the tall female Marine, feeling a razor-sharp aura radiate from her. Standing motionless, she resembled a drawn blade, cold and deadly.
He smirked. "A female swordswoman, huh? That's rare."
Gion eyed the green-haired swordsman calmly. "Roronoa Zoro… That last strike of yours carried impressive resolve."
Zoro grinned, a thin thread of bloodlust rising off him. "Marines or not, you and I aren't meant to walk the same road."
Before the words fully left his lips, he gripped Silence, his body blurring as he used Soru, appearing directly before Gion.
"Night Silence, Draw-Blade Slash!"
Ding!
Steel clashed. Gion's eyes tightened—his speed was incredible, almost unnatural. She raised her sword just in time, the collision forcing her back as her boots slid across the ice for over ten meters before she regained balance.
"What speed…? And why do you know Soru?"
From behind, Rolan watched with calm detachment, arms folded. Unlike Sanji, Zoro never held back against a woman if she was strong enough. Rolan found that consistency satisfying.
Gion met Zoro's gaze, sharp and assessing. "Aside from Dracule Mihawk, you're the strongest swordsman I've met. And you're not even eighteen… You're terrifying."
Zoro smirked confidently. "Mihawk? I'll surpass him."
Before the tension could sharpen further, an obnoxious voice echoed across the ice.
"Gion-chan! I'm here to protect you! I won't allow anyone to harm you!"
Gion's expression soured immediately. "Not him again…"
Zoro turned and saw the newcomer—a short, squinty-eyed Marine Vice Admiral whose aura was surprisingly intense. Despite his comical appearance, he wasn't weak.
"Gion! Look! I rushed here with all my strength. Please accept my fifty-eighth confession!"
Gion glared at him. "Vice Admiral Tokikake, I've said this countless times. I don't like you. I will never accept your confession. Give it up."
Tokikake froze, then dramatically fell to his knees. "Oh heavens, why? I'm handsome! I'm sincere! Why does Gion continue rejecting me?"
Lina, who had been searching for a suitable opponent, spotted the man she disliked most. Without hesitation, she erupted into flames and shot forward.
"Fire Gun!"
The flames condensed into a burning spear in her hand, which she hurled at Tokikake. The Vice Admiral moved instantly, drawing his pistol and firing a black bullet at the spear.
With a sharp crack, the two attacks met—flame against metal. Eventually, the spear dissipated, and the bullet melted, dripping onto the ice with a hiss.
Tokikake straightened, eyes narrowing. "A Logia user… Mera Mera no Mi? Who is she? Is she part of Rolan's crew?"
The drifting flames gathered, forming into Lina's slender figure. Her red hair flicked back as she crossed her arms and eyed Tokikake with disgust.
"Uncle, you're too ugly. You're not worthy of this big sister at all. Do yourself a favor and give up."
Tokikake trembled with outrage. "Pirate girl! Gion clearly loves me! She's just too shy to admit it in public!"
Lina slapped her forehead. Completely hopeless.
Nearby, Akainu narrowed his eyes, displeased at how casually the Marines were fighting. "Useless. All of you. How can men like this uphold justice?"
Two Marines finally approached him—Vice Admirals Momonga and Yamakaji.
Rolan recognized them instantly.
Akainu's gaze darkened as he stared at Rolan. "Three against two now. Tell me, Rolan. How would you prefer to die?"
His hands turned to molten magma, Haki surging violently.
Rolan tilted his head. "Three against two? Who said that?"
A loud metallic stomp echoed across the ice.
"SUPER! I'm not late, right, Rolan?!"
Franky arrived, steam bursting from his legs, metallic body gleaming. He had clearly just come from defeating Kuro.
"You're right on time," Rolan said calmly, barely giving him a glance.
He faced Akainu again. "Now it's three against three."
Akainu snorted. "Pointless. Once I kill you, the Ion Tempest will crumble."
His body burst forward, magma roaring.
Rolan didn't even blink. "Coming at me alone? How arrogant."
He stepped forward, electromagnetic force sparking around his fist. "Typical behavior for a mad dog. I suppose that's why they call you Akainu."
They clashed.
BOOM!
The shockwave split the ice beneath them, cracks racing outward like lightning. Both stood firm, muscles coiled, Haki grinding against magma.
Rolan twisted his waist, adding more power. Akainu's magma fist shattered, sending the Admiral flying, smashing him deep into the ice below.
"Admiral!"
Panic swept the nearby Marines.
A crimson glow lit the hole—magma melting upward. Akainu launched out, fury twisting his face.
"Brat!"
"Great Eruption!"
A giant molten fist blazed toward Rolan, the heat blistering the air. Any ordinary man would evaporate in an instant.
But Rolan only exhaled, annoyed. "Too slow."
He coated his fist in electromagnetic force, shaping it into a sharp cone, and vanished through Electromagnetic Instant Transmission. He appeared behind Akainu instantly, driving his fist into the Admiral's back with a sonic boom.
The blow pierced Akainu's molten form.
And yet—
Rolan's expression didn't change. His eyes remained empty.
Because his Observation Haki—Super Heart Net—detected Akainu re-forming behind him.
"Dark Hound!"
Rolan disappeared again, reappearing several meters away.
BOOM!
Akainu's attack struck the spot Rolan had just occupied, melting a massive crater into the ice.
Akainu scowled. "Annoying power… Jumping everywhere like a damn monkey."
Rolan observed the destruction with mild irritation. Even with his peak physique, taking that attack directly would have been disastrous.
He narrowed his eyes, calculating. After being smashed into the ice earlier, Akainu had spread magma beneath the ground, turning any part of it into a possible extension of his body—undetectable to Haki.
Rolan exhaled, voice cold. "So that's how it works."
This wasn't something he remembered from his previous life's manga. Perhaps a hidden or awakened aspect of Akainu's Devil Fruit.
Either way…
He would have to be cautious now.
---
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