Frost

The night had not yet fallen, and the firelight still flickered on the Scorched Earth.

The smell of coke mingled with the embers of thunder in the air, accompanied by the sound of tumbling gravel; heat and desolation clashed in the same ruins.

The ground beneath Rock's feet was still smoking; he stood motionless, his gaze fixed ahead.

In the distance, a low, labored breathing came from the rubble.

Lucci's figure slowly rose to his feet.

The leopard print gleamed with a metallic sheen in the moonlight, muscles rippled beneath the skin, bones creaked and groaned, and the breath in its chest transformed into a low growl.

It was a resurgence of animalistic instincts.

He raised his head, his round eyes flashing with a cold light mixed with anger and humiliation.

"Old man..." Lucci's voice was hoarse and low, as if he were squeezing it out from his throat through gritted teeth.

"Are you... teasing me?"

He was manipulated.

They were completely fooled by an ordinary human being who was "already old".

At that moment, killing intent exploded in his blood like wildfire, the air pressure instantly increased, and the surrounding debris was pushed away by the invisible air wave.

Just as he was preparing to make a move—

"Click--"

A very faint cracking sound of ice suddenly rang out at his feet.

Lucci paused for a moment, then slowly looked down.

Frost.

Pure white and transparent, yet carrying the aura of death.

It spread rapidly along the Scorched Earth, devouring the remnants of the fire, like a silent venomous snake winding its way up from his ankle.

The chill, as if it were alive, seeped into his bones through his veins, causing his breath to freeze for a moment.

"This is...?"

He gritted his teeth and suddenly turned his head.

The night wind suddenly stopped.

The air seemed to freeze, even the burning sparks were suppressed in mid-air.

A tall figure stood silently behind him.

The man was enveloped in a pale blue aura of coldness, and the ground beneath his feet had turned into solid ice. As the icy mist churned, shattered ice crystals slid off his shoulders.

Moonlight shone on his half-open shirt, his Justice Coat fluttered in the cold wind, and his hair was covered with a layer of frost.

He exhaled a long puff of white mist, his voice languid and deep—

"Ara la~"

"You guys are really arrogant... making such a commotion in a place like this."

Kuzan's eyes were calm, yet colder than ice.

That wasn't anger, but a detached indifference that looked down on everything.

Lucci's pupils contracted sharply.

That biting chill wasn't just low temperature; it was a power strong enough to make even the most Beast instincts tremble.

"Kuzan...?"

His voice was almost broken, and his face was filled with disbelief.

"How could you... get here so quickly?!"

"Kaku and the others--"

Before he could finish speaking, frost had already climbed up his chest, catching his breath.

The cold air spread along the blood vessels, the freezing sound like fine cracking bones, spreading inch by inch from the feet to the neck.

Kuzan walked past him, his steps extremely slow, yet as imposing as the tolling of a bell throughout the entire arena.

"You really thought," he said calmly, as if he were merely sighing.

"Won't we take precautions against the Nezumi?"

"Click--!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the spread of frost reached its peak in an instant!

Lucci's body stiffened abruptly, his expression freezing at the boundary between anger and fear.

"Bang--!"

His massive leopard-man figure was completely swallowed up by the cold air.

In an instant, his entire body transformed into a crystal-clear ice sculpture, even his fierce expression frozen into a cold statue.

The wind swept by.

Ice crystals shattered and scattered across the sky, like stardust falling from the night.

--Camera transition.

Marineford - Outer perimeter of Marine Headquarters.

A storm swept across, carrying dust with it; the night sky was low, and the clouds churned.

A suffocating "humming" sound reverberated in the air, as if the heavens and earth were echoing it.

The ground cracked, and stone chips flew everywhere.

Dozens of CP agents lay sprawled on the ground, some unconscious, others still struggling, but all too exhausted to fight.

Blood and debris intertwine to create a mottled scene.

The leader, Kaku, knelt on one knee, his body covered in wounds, blood streaming down his face. He looked up, his face filled with disbelief.

"How... how is this possible..."

He uttered each word with difficulty, his voice hoarse.

"A mere Vice Admiral... actually managed to... completely defeat us..."

Before he could finish speaking, a soft metallic clang came from ahead.

Not far away, Yixiao quietly put away her Cane Sword.

The sound of the blade returning to its sheath was crisp yet heavy, making the night seem to tremble.

His blind eyes opened slightly, and starlight seemed to surge within his pupils.

The wind blew up his military uniform, casting a solitary silhouette.

"At such a crucial moment," he said softly, his tone as calm as ever.

"You've chosen the wrong path."

After he finished speaking, the world fell silent.

The wind stopped.

Dust settles.

All fighting spirit was completely crushed into the ground by the invisible force of gravity.

Kaku clenched his teeth, his eyes vacant, and collapsed onto the cold stone slab.

--Back to the scene.

On the boundary between Scorched Earth and frost, the night still trembled.

The chill of Kuzan lingered, and icy mist swirled in the air, carrying the residual low temperatures.

He strode toward Rock, each step leaving pale blue ice marks on the ground.

"Call--"

He brushed the ice shards off his shoulder, his expression languid, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Grandpa Rock, are you alright?"

Rock snapped out of his daze and his gaze fell on the leopard-man ice sculpture in the distance, which was completely frozen.

The ice reflected the moonlight, shimmering with a cold light—the once incredibly powerful Beast was now motionless, a frozen statue.

"I... I'm fine."

Rock answered in a low voice, his tone still carrying a mixture of shock and relief.

He smiled faintly, a hint of weariness in his eyes, "It's good you've come, Admiral Kuzan."

"Old man, you're being too stubborn!"

A burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence.

Airin came running up, panting, her hair disheveled, and her eyes still showing lingering fear.

As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at the ice sculpture, a tremor escaping her throat.

The monster whose pressure they couldn't even bear to approach was now easily and effortlessly defeated by Kuzan.

Kuzan scratched his head, his tone as relaxed as ever. "Grandpa, don't say that about me."

His lips curved slightly, a gentle yet warm smile.

"Well, you could say I'm Roy's senior, right?"

The word "Roy" made Rock pause in surprise.

He slowly raised his head, looking at the young man in front of him, his eyes gradually softening.

"That kid..."

Rock chuckled. "You've really made some remarkable friends."

Kuzan didn't respond, but instead noticed the light emanating from Airin.

He turned his head to the side, his gaze sharpening slightly.

Airin's accessories include hairpins, bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, and more...

It shimmered with a very faint red light under the moonlight; it was an energy pulse that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye, weak yet stable.

Kuzan's pupils contracted slightly.

That familiar surge of energy... it was Conqueror's Haki.

Moreover, it is a kind of "sealed" residual power.

Kuzan glanced at it, paused, and then his lips curved into a smile again, "But—"

He exhaled a puff of white mist, gazed at the night sky, and chuckled lazily:

"Even if I don't come, nothing will happen."