Kuzan Injured!

029 Kuzan Injured!

Vulture had already thought of Kuzan when the sea was frozen, but Vulture was still very surprised when he actually saw Kuzan in person.

Because this was different from the intelligence!

The intelligence stated that this was a warship escorting a Devil Fruit, departing from Marine Headquarters to the nearest island.

Since the journey was relatively short and the waters were near Marine Headquarters, the highest combat power on the warship was only a Vice Captain!

He had also deliberately used a weak pirate crew to test the warship's combat strength.

That's right, the Takaya Pirates were intentionally sent by Vulture into the warship's path; otherwise, with his strength, he could have annihilated the Takaya Pirates in the initial engagement.

Kuzan already possessed Captain-level combat strength three years ago, and he was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user!

Vulture wouldn't foolishly ask, "Why are you here?" Smart people hide their true intentions and present a plausible objective to deceive the enemy.

"Ice Kid? You got away last time, but you won't be so lucky this time!"

"I'm different from who I was three years ago."

Kuzan exuded a chilling aura, visible white frost mist swirling around him. He had turned into an ice man!

Vulture's eyes narrowed slightly. He had fought Kuzan before and was naturally aware of Kuzan's abilities.

The Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit was slightly weaker in offense, but very powerful in control and defense.

Logia-types were known to be invincible in the first half of the Grand Line and the Four Seas.

The reason for this was a special ability of Logia-type Devil Fruits: Elementalization.

Elementalization could render physical attacks ineffective.

Without Armament Haki or a counteracting Devil Fruit ability, the mere ineffectiveness against physical attacks was enough to allow them to run rampant in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line.

Vulture was noticed by Golden Lion in this chaotic era not only because he was a Devil Fruit user but also because he had mastered both types of Haki.

Vulture did not fear Logia-types!

"Is that so? Let me see how much you've improved!"

"I'll show you!"

Their gazes collided like sharp arrows in mid-air.

A whistling wind accompanied the clash.

Vulture flapped his wings and swooped down, charging directly at Kuzan. Kuzan neither dodged nor evaded, instead conjuring an ice blade and leaping forward.

Clang! Clang! Clang!!

Sharp talons and bone-chilling ice blades met with a violent collision. Both their bodies trembled, and they were pushed back.

At this moment, the Vulture Pirates' low-level grunts also rushed over, stepping on the ice. Their objective was clear.

It was the warship behind Morito!

Vulture would eliminate the warship's main force, while the pirate grunts would be responsible for snatching the Devil Fruit and treasure.

The most common and effective tactic.

A horde of pirates swept past Kuzan and Vulture's battlefield, all charging towards the warship. Morito was directly ignored as if he were a grunt!

"Going for the warship?"

"Shouldn't Vice Admiral Tarantula be colluding with pirates, intending for me to die unexpectedly in a naval battle? Why is the script going wrong?"

Morito stood on the frozen, dilapidated pirate ship as the Vulture Pirates swarmed past him as if they hadn't seen him.

A few pirates passing by happened to notice him.

One of them, holding a flintlock pistol, shouted, "There's a Marine on deck!"

Bang!

Accompanied by the gunshot, two pirates nimbly leaped onto the deck, brandishing large sabers and charging at Morito from left and right.

Morito tilted his head slightly, dodging the bullet. Two gleaming sabers chopped down at him.

"Too slow. Are you worried I won't be able to dodge?"

Morito flicked his finger, and Chakra from his fingertip struck the blades.

Zing!

The two pirates immediately felt a sharp pain in their tiger's mouth, unable to hold their large sabers any longer. They involuntarily released their grip, and the sabers flew out of their hands.

"What?"

"This?"

Their pupils contracted, their expressions filled with disbelief.

They seemed not to have understood what happened before a figure closed in. The two men felt their vision go black and lost consciousness completely.

No one had seen how the Marine had made his move!

Several nearby pirates stopped in their tracks, staring at Morito with horrified expressions.

"That kid shouldn't be more than twenty, right?"

"Isn't that kid wearing Reserve Navy clothes?"

"That kid took down those two in an instant?"

After finishing off two minor opponents, Morito's attention refocused on Kuzan and Vulture.

Among the Vulture Pirates, the only one Morito cared about was Vulture himself.

A master proficient in both Armament Haki and Observation Haki!

This was a rare practice target!

Morito looked up, "Hmm? Kuzan is actually at a disadvantage?"

Centered around a dilapidated pirate ship, the sea had frozen into an ice field. Kuzan and Vulture were battling fiercely on the ice.

Kuzan already had several gashes on his body, bleeding profusely.

Vulture, from his superior position, repeatedly gained the advantage with his diving attacks.

Kuzan seemed to struggle against an enemy that could fly.

While Geppo from the Marine Six Styles allowed for brief aerial suspension, it was vastly different from true flight.

A cold wind howled across the ice field.

Vulture seized a momentary opening from Kuzan, imbued his sharp claws with Armament Haki, and then stomped down with all his might.

Crack!

A crisp sound of shattering ice crystals rang out. The solidified ice blade in Kuzan's hand was actually broken.

Before Kuzan could form a new ice blade, Vulture's other claw struck Kuzan's cheek. The force of the blow stirred up a gale that sent Kuzan flying.

"You're still as weak as you were three years ago. Did you spend those three years sleeping?"

"Wasting a Logia-type Devil Fruit like that."

Vulture landed on a sharp shard of ice, looking down at Kuzan, who lay on the ground.

However, the next second, the 'Kuzan' whose head had been struck suddenly shattered, turning into a pile of broken ice scattered across the ground.

"What?!"

"Ice Time!"

Behind Vulture, a mass of ice crystals rapidly condensed, forming a human figure at a visible speed.

Kuzan emerged from the ice crystals, pressing his hands forward, releasing extreme cold from his palms.

Crack, crack, crack--

Frosty white cold air instantly froze the moisture in the air, forming ice threads. These threads, like small white snakes, shot towards Vulture.

Vulture instinctively flapped his wings, trying to take flight, but his movements were ultimately a beat too slow.

Ice threads wrapped around him, and chilling energy surged.

In an instant, a lifelike ice sculpture of a vulture appeared on the ice field.

Kuzan slowly retracted his hands, exhaling misty cold air.

He looked indifferently at the frozen Vulture and said coldly, "You're still as arrogant as you were three years ago."

"Oh really?"

Suddenly, a ghostly voice came from behind him. Kuzan, as an ice-man, felt a chill crawl up his spine.

Vulture had reverted from his beast form to his human one.

He was a tall, burly muscular man with strong arms, wielding a pair of specially made eagle claw weapons.

Buzz!

The sharp eagle claws were enhanced with Armament Haki!

Vulture swung his arms violently, and three deep, bone-revealing gashes appeared on Kuzan's back. The powerful force sent Kuzan flying backward.

Blood sprayed out, dripping onto the ice.