Chapter 28: The Chase
Year 1516 - Paradise Waters, Immediate Pursuit
"FASTER!" Isra commanded from the helm. "He's gaining!"
The Hakusetsu Kai cut through the water at speeds that should have torn apart a normal vessel, but Akainu's battleship—powered by the full resources of Marine Headquarters—was closing the distance. And worse, the Admiral himself was attacking while in pursuit.
"Ryusei Kazan!" Meteor Volcano!
Akainu's fists fired massive magma projectiles into the sky, each one reaching the clouds before arcing back down like meteoric judgment. Dozens of them, all targeted at the Hakusetsu, all capable of sinking them with a direct hit.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Akira shouted, steering hard to port. Three magma meteors splashed into the ocean where they'd been seconds before, instantly boiling the water, creating steam explosions.
"I can't keep dodging forever!" Akira's hands were white-knuckled on the wheel. "He's predicting our movements!"
"Then we make them unpredictable!" Franky dove into the engine room. "Emergency thrusters on my mark! Three... two... NOW!"
The ship lurched forward with acceleration that pressed everyone against the deck, the cola-powered thrusters adding a burst of speed. They pulled ahead slightly—but only slightly.
"He's still coming," Koji reported from the crow's nest, his sniper scope tracking their pursuer. "And he looks angry. Like, really angry. I can see the rage from here."
Aiko stood at the stern, watching Akainu's ship pursue relentlessly. The Admiral stood at its bow, magma dripping from his arms, his expression absolute determination.
"He's not going to stop," Aiko said quietly. "He'll chase us across the entire Grand Line if necessary."
"Then we need to lose him," Isra replied. "Find somewhere to hide, break line of sight, disappear."
"Where? We're in open ocean. No islands nearby, no storms to hide in—"
"Actually," Akira interrupted, checking his charts, "there IS something. The Florian Triangle. It's about twenty kilometers northeast. A region of perpetual fog where ships disappear regularly. If we can reach it—"
"The Florian Triangle?" Robin's voice was worried. "That's where Thriller Bark operates. Gecko Moria's territory."
"The Warlord?" Yuki asked. "That's just trading one problem for another!"
"Maybe," Aiko said. "But Moria hates the World Government despite being a Warlord. There's a chance he'd let us pass through. And even if not, we're better equipped to handle him than Akainu."
"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of our plan," Koji observed.
Another volley of magma meteors fell around them. One grazed the ship's mast, instantly igniting it. Marcus and Yuki rushed to extinguish the flames before they spread.
"We don't have better options!" Aiko decided. "Akira, set course for the Florian Triangle! Everyone else, prepare for anything!"
The Hakusetsu changed bearing, heading for the fog bank visible on the horizon. Behind them, Akainu's ship adjusted course to follow.
"SNOW ADMIRAL!" The Admiral's voice carried across the water. "You can't run forever! Eventually, you'll tire, your ship will fail, or you'll make a mistake! And when that happens, I'll be there! Absolute Justice never wavers! Never tires! NEVER GIVES UP!"
A massive magma fist—easily the size of a building—formed in the air above Akainu's ship.
"Dai Funka!" Great Eruption!
The projectile launched with force that created a visible shockwave. It wasn't aimed at where the Hakusetsu was—it was aimed at where they'd be in five seconds, accounting for speed and direction.
"PORT! HARD PORT!" Aiko's Observation Haki had seen it coming, but the ship's momentum fought against the turn. The magma fist struck the water just meters from their starboard side, the explosion sending a wall of boiling water over the deck.
"Hull integrity at 87%!" Franky reported from below. "She can take a few more hits, but not many!"
"We need to slow him down," Aiko said. "Buy time to reach the fog. Isra, take the helm. I'm going to engage."
"What? Are you insane?" Isra grabbed his arm. "You can barely walk after fighting Enel! You're in no condition to face Akainu!"
"I don't need to beat him. Just delay him." Aiko pulled away gently. "Trust me."
Before anyone could stop him, he used Geppo to launch himself backward, toward the pursuing battleship. His crew watched in disbelief as he closed the distance between ships.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen him do," Marcus said.
"And that's saying something," Yuki agreed.
Aiko landed on Akainu's ship, ice spreading from his feet, freezing the deck beneath him. Marines scattered, uncertain whether to attack.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Akainu commanded, stepping forward. "The Snow Admiral is mine!"
They faced each other again—snow and magma, two philosophies of justice made manifest.
"You came back," Akainu said. "Brave, but foolish. You can't win this fight, Commodore. You could barely match me at Iron Haven when you were at full strength. Now, exhausted and wounded, you're no threat at all."
"I don't need to win," Aiko replied, drawing Yukikaze. "I just need to be annoying enough that you focus on me instead of my ship."
"Your crew abandons you?" Akainu's expression was contempt. "Some loyalty."
"They're following my orders. Getting to safety while I buy time. That's what leadership looks like—putting your people's survival above your pride."
"No. That's what weakness looks like." Akainu's entire body transformed to magma. "A true leader would have the strength to protect his followers without sacrifice. Your weakness necessitates these desperate plays."
"Maybe. But I'd rather be weak with principles than strong without them."
They attacked simultaneously.
The battle on Akainu's deck was brutal but brief. Aiko was operating at maybe forty percent capacity—Haki depleted, body exhausted, fighting on pure stubbornness. Every exchange pushed him closer to collapse.
But that was fine. He wasn't trying to win.
"Yuki no Mai: Hyōshō!" Snow Dance: Ice Crystal!
His technique created a field of razor-sharp ice across Akainu's deck, making footing treacherous, forcing the Admiral to either melt it constantly or risk his crew's safety. It was harassment, not genuine threat.
"Inugami Guren!" Hell Hound Crimson Lotus!
Akainu's magma dog construct lunged at Aiko. He tried to dodge, wasn't fast enough, took the hit on his reinforced shoulder. The burn was immediate and agonizing, but he'd kept it away from his vital organs.
"You're delaying the inevitable," Akainu said, pressing the assault. "Your ship is still in my visual range. Once I finish with you, I'll sink it. Everyone you're trying to protect will die anyway."
"Maybe. But every second I keep you busy is another second they get further away." Aiko blocked a magma fist with Yukikaze, the clash sending him sliding backward. "And in thirty seconds, they'll reach the Florian Triangle. Can you track them through that fog?"
Akainu's expression darkened. "You're sacrificing yourself for nothing."
"I'm sacrificing myself for people I care about. There's a difference."
Another exchange, and Aiko felt a rib crack from the impact. He was losing badly, accumulating damage faster than he could manage. But ahead, through the battle, he could see the Hakusetsu reaching the fog bank.
"Twenty seconds," he gasped.
"Then I'll finish this in fifteen!" Akainu's power intensified, magma coating the entire deck, making it impossible to stand anywhere without burning. "Ryūsei Kazan: Zetsubō!" Meteor Volcano: Despair!
Dozens of magma fists launched simultaneously, not at Aiko but at the Hakusetsu, now at the edge of the fog. It was a final, desperate attempt to sink them before they escaped.
Aiko made a choice.
"Yuki no Mai: Sekai Hyōketsu—Zesshō!" Snow Dance: World Freeze—Perfection!
Every ounce of remaining Haki, every fragment of Devil Fruit power he could summon, poured into one technique. A barrier of absolute zero cold that intercepted the magma meteors, freezing them mid-air, turning volcanic fury into harmless ice that fell into the ocean.
The effort dropped Aiko to his knees, blood leaking from his nose and eyes.
"Impossible," Akainu breathed. "That level of power, in your condition—you should be dead from the strain!"
"Probably," Aiko agreed, vision blurring. "But they're safe now. That's enough."
The Hakusetsu disappeared into the fog.
"You fool," Akainu said, something almost like respect in his voice. "You've killed yourself to save criminals and traitors."
"I've... saved... my family," Aiko corrected, collapsing completely. "Worth it..."
Consciousness faded. The last thing he saw was Akainu standing over him, magma fist raised for what should be the killing blow.
Then nothing.
The Hakusetsu - Inside the Florian Triangle
"WE HAVE TO GO BACK!" Isra's voice was anguished. "He sacrificed himself for us! We can't just leave him!"
"We can't fight Akainu," Robin said, though her expression showed she hated the logic. "Aiko knew that. He made his choice."
"So we abandon him? Leave him to die or be captured?" Isra's Armament Haki was unconsciously coating her arms. "That's not what crew means!"
"But it's what leadership means," a new voice said.
Everyone turned to find Lucci standing in the doorway, his seastone chains removed—apparently, someone had let him out during the chaos.
"Your Commodore understands tactical sacrifice. He drew the Admiral's attention, allowing you to escape. That's what commanders do when protecting their subordinates." Lucci's expression was unreadable. "Though I question the wisdom of serving someone willing to die for those beneath him."
"He's not dying," Franky said firmly. "That's NOT how this story goes! We'll find a way to—"
The ship lurched violently. Something massive had bumped them from below.
"What was that?" Yuki asked, drawing her katana.
Through the fog, a shape emerged. Not a ship—a island. An entire floating island, its edges lined with walls and towers, moving through the mist under its own power.
Thriller Bark.
And standing at its shore, surrounded by zombies and shadows, was Gecko Moria—one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. His distinctive laugh echoed across the water:
"Kishishishi! What do we have here? The famous Wandering Marines, fleeing from Akainu? How delicious!" His shadow powers manifested, dark tendrils reaching toward the ship. "Welcome to my domain! You can stay... FOREVER!"
"This day keeps getting better," Koji muttered.
"All hands, battle stations!" Isra commanded, forcing herself to focus despite her worry about Aiko. "We're not captured yet! Prepare to repel boarders!"
As Thriller Bark's zombies began swarming toward the Hakusetsu, as Moria's laugh echoed through the fog, as the crew prepared to fight yet another impossible battle, one thought dominated every mind:
Aiko was in Akainu's hands.
Either captured or dead.
And they had no way to save him.
Akainu's Battleship - Minutes Earlier
Akainu stood over the unconscious Snow Admiral, his magma fist raised. One strike would end this. One blow would eliminate a threat that had embarrassed the Marines repeatedly.
It would be justice. Absolute, final justice.
His fist descended—
And stopped, inches from Aiko's head.
"Damn it," Akainu muttered, extinguishing the magma. "Damn idealistic fools making me question Absolute Justice."
He looked at the boy who'd fought an Admiral to protect his crew. Who'd sacrificed himself without hesitation. Who believed so strongly in his principles that he'd die for them.
"Take him to the brig," Akainu ordered his subordinates. "Seastone chains. Maximum security. And get medical treatment—I want him alive for trial."
"Sir?" His Vice Admiral looked confused. "Your orders were to eliminate—"
"My orders were to use any means necessary. I'm choosing necessary over convenient." Akainu turned away. "Contact Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Tell him the Snow Admiral is captured. Alive. Request instructions for tribunal."
"And his crew?"
Akainu looked toward the Florian Triangle, where the Hakusetsu had vanished into Moria's territory.
"They're Gecko Moria's problem now. And if they survive him..." Akainu's expression was cold, "then perhaps they'll learn that loyalty to criminals only brings more suffering."
As his ship turned toward Marine Headquarters, as Aiko lay unconscious in the brig, as the chase finally ended, one thought dominated Akainu's mind:
He'd captured the Snow Admiral. Won the engagement. Achieved his mission.
So why did it feel like a hollow victory?
Mary Geoise - Im's Chamber
"The Snow Admiral has been captured," Saint Warcury reported. "Admiral Akainu is transporting him to Marineford for trial. His crew escaped into the Florian Triangle."
"Perfect," Im said simply.
"Perfect, Im-sama?"
"He's separated from his support network. Imprisoned. Vulnerable. His crew will attempt a rescue—they always do. When they gather at Marineford, when they bring their allies, when they commit everything to saving him..." Im's ancient smile was terrible. "That's when we exterminate them all. One strike. Total annihilation."
"And the Snow Admiral himself?"
"Keep him alive. Let him watch as we destroy everyone who believed in him. Let him see his idealism crushed. Let him understand, in his final moments, that hope was always an illusion." Im turned from the window. "Then, and only then, do we execute him. Publicly. As a lesson that lasts another eight hundred years."
"It shall be done, Im-sama."
Far away, Danzo Aiko remained unconscious in his cell, unaware that his capture wasn't the end of his story.
It was the beginning of his execution.
And the trap—eight hundred years in the making—was finally about to close.
END OF CHAPTER 28
Next Chapter: "Thriller Bark - Alliance with the Darkness"