Just as the two clashed fiercely, a warship sped across the distant sea.
However, while it was sailing, some Marines aboard who possessed Observation Haki seemed to sense something. They abruptly looked ahead, their expressions changing drastically!
"What is that?"
"Watch out, an attack!"
"A sword slash? How is that possible?!"
"Where did the attack come from? I didn't sense anyone's 'voice' nearby!"
"Block it, or the warship will be hit!"
After seeing what lay ahead, everyone aboard the warship panicked!
Because before them, a sword slash nearly a thousand meters long was charging straight toward the warship. Its power was so immense that even vice admirals felt pressure!
At that moment, a tall man wearing an eye mask and lazily reclining in a deck chair seemed to sense something as well. He suddenly pushed up his eye mask, vanished from the chair in a flash, and appeared at the bow.
"My, my. Before we've even arrived, someone's already giving us a show of force?" The tall man looked at the incoming slash, a trace of seriousness appearing in his eyes.
Even he had to take a Great Swordsman's slash seriously!
This man was Navy Admiral Aokiji!
"Ice Time Beak!" Aokiji exhaled a breath of cold air. Frost surged from his body as he raised and opened his right hand. A lifelike ice bird the size of a building instantly condensed into existence. Then, without any further movement from him, the ice bird spread its wings and flew forward, crashing toward the slash!
BOOM!
The ice bird and the sword slash collided, shattering simultaneously in the next instant. Sword energy scattered in every direction, and freezing air spilled out. The terrifying cold directly froze that stretch of sea, forming an iceberg that stood above the waves and blocked the warship's path!
"So powerful..." Aokiji's eyes narrowed slightly. He had not held back with that attack, yet the slash that had flown in from who knew where had matched it and shattered alongside it.
He looked toward the landmark building on Gold Coin Island, half of which had been sliced away, his eyes turning grave. Then he ordered his subordinates, "I'll go take a look first."
With that, he tapped off the ground and shot forward, leaving a trail of freezing air behind. Using Geppo to kick through the air, he flew directly toward Gold Coin Island at incredible speed, becoming a black dot in the blink of an eye!
On the island.
The terrifying explosions continued without pause.
Ian's battle against Owl, the head of CP0, was still ongoing. The two traded blow after blow in an unending fierce battle, and half the island trembled faintly under the utterly horrifying spectacle.
Within a thousand-meter radius of their battlefield, everything was in ruins. Ravines carved by terrifying sword energy, craters blasted out by fist force, and icebergs formed by frost stretched across the area!
"Fighting a powerhouse with a physique like yours really is the most fun!" The fighting spirit in Ian's eyes grew increasingly intense. Freezing air raged around him, and as time passed, the battlefield seemed to shift seasons, becoming covered in a thick layer of white frost.
With a raised hand, Ian slashed apart the incoming fist force. He opened his five fingers, condensed lightning into a beam, and blasted it forward. His figure followed closely behind, instantly appearing above Owl's head before swinging his sword down with force!
"Don't get too arrogant, Ice Dragon Ian! Staff Fist!" A cold glint flashed across Owl's face. He punched the air, unleashing fist force that directly shattered the lightning beam.
Facing Ian's follow-up slash, he snorted coldly and struck out with clawed fingers to meet Ian's sword.
BOOM!
The ground beneath them could not withstand the force and split apart. Amid the scattering shockwaves, Owl was forced back by Ian's attack.
"Tempest Kick Strike!" After dispersing the force several times and landing, Owl swung his right leg. A feather-shaped Tempest Kick tore through the air, slashing straight toward Ian's waist.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG...
A red gleam flickered in Ian's eyes. Smiling faintly, he raised his sword and blocked every attack.
"Phantom Body!" However, Owl charged again at that moment. His body became like a phantom, splitting into several duplicates that attacked Ian from different angles. Killing intent erupted from him as he shouted, "Whether you're from the Olycia Tribe or something else, you will die today!"
The Olycia Tribe? Ian was puzzled, but he had no time to think further.
"They're all real?" Ian swept out with his Observation Haki, surprise appearing in his eyes. In his perception, the several figures rushing at him were all physical entities rather than mere illusions. Every one of them posed a threat!
His thoughts raced, and Ian chose not to take the attacks head-on. He tapped off the ground, intending to evade.
"Don't even think about running!" However, Owl's several figures followed close behind, launching attack after attack directly at Ian!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Faced with attacks from multiple enemies, Ian blocked repeatedly and began to feel strained. He swung his sword, directly cutting apart one of Owl's figures, which turned into black mist and dispersed.
However, at that very moment, one of Owl's figures seized the opportunity and punched directly at Ian.
A red gleam flashed through Ian's eyes. He raised his sword to block, and with a BOOM, although he stopped the blow, his body was still smashed down from midair, blasting a crater into the ground.
Ian raised a hand and blew away the dust. He was not injured, standing where he was as he murmured, "A special ability of a Mythical Zoan?"
Compared with ordinary Zoans, Mythical Zoans possessed all kinds of bizarre abilities, and some even came with elemental attacks.
The physical duplicates before him were likely some special ability of Owl's Mythical Zoan!
Although Ian found it surprising, he was not overly shocked.
The next moment, his brows furrowed. Looking up, he saw that several figures had already surrounded him.
"Just lie down already. Impel Down is where you belong!" A chilling voice rang out as the several figures attacked Ian together. Tempest Kicks, Finger Pistols, and fist force erupted simultaneously, engulfing Ian at the center!
"It won't be that easy! Nameless Divine Wind Style: Black Tortoise!" Ian chuckled softly and swung his sword. One of the secret arts of the Nameless Divine Wind Style—and its only defensive Divine Wind—Black Tortoise!
With a hum, Divine Wind gathered around him, and the form of the Black Tortoise appeared around Ian's body. It was the ultimate defense, as heavy and solid as the sky itself, blocking every incoming attack outside!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Terrifying detonations rang out endlessly, yet they could not shake Ian's Black Tortoise Divine Wind!
Moreover, snake-like currents spread outward, catching the several figures around him and restricting their movements!
"Got you!" Seeing that his attack had bound the enemy's figures, Ian smiled coldly and swung his sword. "Nameless Divine Wind Style: Vermilion Bird!"
Ian rarely used the Vermilion Bird secret art. It was not because the Vermilion Bird Divine Wind was weak, but because it was too flashy and could not change shape like the White Tiger Divine Wind!
Furthermore, the Vermilion Bird Divine Wind was an area-of-effect attack. In Ian's recent battles, he had mostly fought one-on-one and rarely encountered situations where he faced multiple opponents!
In a one-on-one fight, the more concentrated White Tiger Divine Wind and the Azure Dragon Divine Wind, which could prevent enemies from escaping, were both more convenient for him to use than the Vermilion Bird Divine Wind!
As he swung his sword down, golden-red flames roared across the blade. The phantom of a divine bird seemed to emerge, spreading its wings in the next instant. It expanded with the wind, instantly growing over a hundred meters in size!
Its wings beat, trailing a dazzling tail of flame behind it. The scorching fire dispersed the surrounding chill. Suspended in midair, the divine bird swept its scarlet eyes over the people bound by the Black Tortoise Divine Wind. With a whoosh, it dove down at lightning speed, trailing a blazing arc as it charged forth with unstoppable momentum!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Its figure flickered repeatedly. The flaming divine bird shot forward at a speed invisible to the naked eye, its beak and claws piercing and tearing through the enemies' bodies. Blazing flames burned fiercely, while the ice crystals and white frost covering the surroundings melted rapidly under the scorching heat waves, like snowflakes beneath the sun!
Owl's several figures completely collapsed within the flames as well, turning into black mist and vanishing...
"Damn it, what kind of ability is this?" Haki surged from Owl's body. With a full-force burst, he finally broke free from the restraints of the Black Tortoise Divine Wind. Yet as he looked at the flaming Vermilion Bird in the field, shock flashed behind his mask.
Of his duplicates, only one remained. Even that one seemed unable to hold itself together, barely retaining the outline of a human figure...
This ability could not be sustained for long and could only last for a period of time. Moreover, this move consumed an enormous amount of his stamina!
Watching the Vermilion Bird dive toward him again, Owl's expression darkened. The wings behind the two figures flapped, and in the next instant, they vanished. Rather than retreating, they advanced, charging directly toward the Vermilion Bird.
This was the correct choice. The flaming divine bird was simply too fast. It had shattered several of his duplicates in almost an instant. Even with his speed, he might not have been able to avoid its attacks!
"Six Powers Secret Art: Staff Gun!" The two Owls surged with momentum as they roared. All four fists erupted with terrifying fist force, which charged forth mightily!
RUMBLE...
A deafening explosion rang out. The diving Vermilion Bird was struck by the horrifying fist force and exploded into scattered fragments of flame. The fist force did not diminish, instead blasting straight into the clouds overhead and punching a massive hole through the thick cloud cover!
Seeing this, Ian grinned. "The Vermilion Bird represents immortality. It will be reborn from blazing flames again and again until it hunts its enemy to death!"
As Ian's words fell, the scattered fragments of flame gathered once more at a single point. A sharp cry rang out as the immortal Vermilion Bird spread its wings again. Its scarlet eyes fixed upon Owl's true body, and it dove down once more, dragging a long tail of flame behind it!
"This... How is this possible?" Terror flashed across Owl's face. At this moment, his old strength had been spent while new strength had yet to emerge. Trying to evade the Vermilion Bird's renewed dive at such astonishing speed was simply as difficult as ascending to heaven!
"How could I lose?! I am Owl, head of CP0! Iron Body: Hard!" In the moment of crisis, Owl's desire to survive erupted from his eyes. He refused to await death. He crossed his arms before him, and the wings behind him folded around his body once more. He activated Iron Body and reinforced himself with Haki, intending to take this attack head-on!
"Then let's see whether your defense can block this attack of mine. If it can't, you die!" Ian sneered, watching Owl struggle desperately.
However, in the next instant, Ian's gaze shifted toward a certain direction, surprise appearing in his eyes.
Through Ian's Observation Haki, he sensed an ice bird spreading its wings and diving toward them as well, intending to block Ian's Vermilion Bird.
"Hmm? Someone else? But do you think I'll just let you succeed? Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!" Ian sneered. Naturally, he would not stand by and watch. He opened the five fingers of his right hand as his momentum erupted. Lightning gathered in his palm, and a thick beam of lightning shot out later but arrived first, colliding directly with the incoming ice bird.
At the same time, the immortal Vermilion Bird struck Owl's body. Its beak pecked into him, driving him backward as he fell from the sky!
BOOM! BOOM!
Two earth-shaking explosions rang out across the battlefield in succession. The ground rumbled and shook. In one place, force exploded as freezing air and ice crystals shattered. In another, blazing flames burned as firelight shot into the sky!
"A power of ice... Is that Admiral Aokiji?" Ian ignored Owl, who was covered in flames, and looked instead toward a figure approaching through the air.
Freezing air surged from this person's body, and it was not the slightest bit weaker than Ian's own at the moment!
Ian also found the man's appearance familiar. After a brief thought, he understood the man's identity—Navy Admiral Aokiji!
"Rashly interfering in someone else's battle is very rude, Admiral Aokiji!" Ian looked at Aokiji, his tone filled with mockery.
Aokiji approached through the air, sweeping his gaze over the surroundings. After seeing the battlefield in such ruin, surprise flickered in his heart.
Then he looked at Ian, exhaled a breath of cold air, and said coldly, "My, my. When dealing with an extremely evil criminal, we don't need to worry about such principles..."
After speaking, he looked toward Owl, who had been swallowed by roaring flames. Sweeping the area with Observation Haki, his brows furrowed slightly as he thought, Even he wasn't a match for Ice Dragon Ian?
"Extremely Cold Wind." In the next instant, Aokiji flashed over to the fiercely burning flames and exhaled a stream of freezing air, swallowing and extinguishing them!
Fire and freezing air naturally restrained one another.
It would be difficult to extinguish the Vermilion Bird Divine Wind through physical means, but Aokiji's freezing air happened to be its nemesis.
It could completely snuff out the flames and deny it the chance to be reborn!
"Cough, cough..." Owl's entire body looked scorched. He knelt on one knee, coughing blood as his chest heaved violently.
Clearly, after being struck by the Vermilion Bird Divine Wind, even a Zoan physique had suffered serious injuries!
Aokiji looked at Owl, an unreadable glint flashing in his eyes as he said calmly, "So even you can end up in such a sorry state, Vain..."
Owl spoke coldly upon hearing that. "Kuzan, are you mocking me?"
Vain was Owl's real name!
Before becoming part of CP0, Owl had been a Navy vice admiral. He had once been colleagues with Aokiji, Akainu, Yellow Monkey, and the others, so they were no strangers to one another.
However, after an accident, Owl left the Navy and entered CP0, steadily climbing until he became the head of CP0!
Before you continue