Vermilion Bird Divine Wind, Aokiji Arrives!

Just as the two clashed fiercely, a warship sped across the distant sea.

However, as it sailed, several Marines aboard who possessed Observation Haki seemed to sense something. They suddenly looked ahead, their expressions changing drastically!

"What is that?"

"Careful, we're under attack!"

"A flying slash? How is that possible?!"

"Where did the attack come from? I didn't sense anyone's 'voice' nearby!"

"Stop it, or the warship will be hit!"

After seeing what lay ahead, everyone aboard the warship was terrified!

Because before them, a slash nearly a thousand meters long was charging straight toward the warship. Its terrifying might made even vice admiral-level officers feel immense pressure!

At that moment, on the deck, a tall man wearing an eye mask and lazily reclining in a deck chair seemed to sense something. He abruptly pushed up his eye mask, vanished from the chair in a flash, and appeared at the bow.

"My, my. We haven't even arrived, and they're already giving us a show of force?" The tall man looked at the incoming slash, a hint 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 as frost surged around him. He raised and opened his right hand, and a lifelike ice bird the size of a building suddenly condensed into existence. Without any further movement from him, the ice bird spread its wings and soared forward, crashing toward the slash!

Boom, boom, boom!

The ice bird and the slash collided, shattering at the same instant. Sword energy scattered in every direction, cold air overflowed, and the terrifying chill instantly froze that stretch of sea. An iceberg rose from the surface, blocking the warship's path!

"What tremendous power..." Aokiji's gaze narrowed slightly. He had not held back with that attack, yet the slash that had come flying from who knew where had actually destroyed itself together with his attack.

He looked toward the island of Gold Coin Island, at the landmark building that had been sliced in half, a grave expression appearing in his eyes. Then he ordered his subordinates, "I'll go take a look first."

With that, he pushed off with his foot and shot forward, leaving a trail of cold air behind. Using Moonwalk to step through the air, he raced toward Gold Coin Island at incredible speed, becoming a black speck in the blink of an eye!

On the island.

The terrifying explosions of boom, boom, boom continued without pause.

Ian's battle with Owl, the chief of CP0, was still ongoing. The two traded blows relentlessly, and half the island trembled faintly beneath their clash. The scene was utterly horrifying.

Within a thousand-meter radius around their battlefield, everything was in ruins. Terrifying sword slashes had carved ravines into the ground, fist force had blasted out massive craters, and icebergs formed from frost stretched across the field!

"Sure enough, fighting a physical powerhouse like you is what makes things interesting!" The battle intent in Ian's eyes grew increasingly intense. Frost raged around him, and as time passed, the battlefield seemed to shift seasons, becoming covered in a thick layer of white frost.

With a swing of his sword, he shattered the incoming fist force. Ian spread his five fingers, gathering lightning into a beam of light that shot out fiercely. His body followed close behind as he flashed above Owl and brought his sword down with all his might!

"Don't get too arrogant, Ice Dragon Ian! Staff Fist!" A cold gleam flashed across Owl's face. He punched the air, and explosive fist force directly shattered the lightning beam.

Facing Ian's slash that followed immediately after, he snorted and struck out with clawed fingers, meeting Ian's sword head-on.

Boom!

The ground beneath them could not withstand the force and split apart. Amid the scattering shockwaves, Owl was forced back by Ian's strike.

"Tempest Kick Strike!" After dispersing the force several times and landing, Owl swept out his right leg. Feather-shaped Tempest Kicks tore through the air and slashed 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!" Yet Owl charged again, his body becoming like an illusion as he split into several clones 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 dwell on it.

"Are they all real?" Ian swept the area with his Observation Haki, surprise appearing in his eyes. In his perception, every figure charging at him was solid, not some illusionary creation. All of them posed a threat!

His thoughts raced, and Ian chose not to take the attacks head-on. With a tap of his foot, he prepared to evade.

"Don't think of running!" However, Owl's several figures pursued him closely, unleashing attack after attack directly at Ian!

Bang, bang, bang!

Facing attacks from several enemies, Ian blocked repeatedly and began to feel the strain. He swung his sword, cutting one of Owl's figures apart and turning it into black mist that dispersed into nothingness.

However, at that moment, one of Owl's figures seized the opportunity and punched directly at Ian.

A red gleam flashed through Ian's eyes as he raised his sword to block. With a boom, the attack was stopped, but Ian's body was still blasted from the air and slammed into the ground, creating a crater.

Ian waved away the dust with one hand. He was uninjured as he stood in place and muttered, "A Mythical Zoan's special ability?"

Compared with ordinary Zoans, Mythical Zoan abilities were incredibly varied, and some even came with elemental attacks.

The solid clones before him were probably some special ability of Owl's Mythical Zoan!

Although Ian found it strange, he was not overly surprised.

The next moment, his brows furrowed as he looked up and saw that several figures had already surrounded him.

"Just lie down already. Impel Down is where you belong!" A chilling voice rang out as several figures attacked Ian from all sides. Tempest Kicks, Finger Pistols, and fist force erupted at once, engulfing Ian at the center!

"It won't be that easy! Nameless Divine Wind Style Tortoise!" Ian chuckled 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 into one, and the form of the Black Tortoise appeared around Ian. It was the ultimate defense, as heavy and solid as the sky itself, blocking every incoming attack!

Boom, boom, boom!

The terrifying explosions continued, yet they could not shake Ian's Black Tortoise Divine Wind!

Moreover, serpentine streams of air spread outward, catching the several surrounding figures 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 Bird!"

Ian rarely used the secret art of Vermilion Bird, not because Vermilion Bird Divine Wind was weak, but because it was too flashy and could not change shape like White Tiger Divine Wind!

Furthermore, Vermilion Bird Divine Wind was an area-of-effect attack. In Ian's recent battles, he had mostly fought opponents one-on-one and rarely encountered situations where he faced multiple enemies!

In a one-on-one battle, the more concentrated power of White Tiger Divine Wind and Azure Dragon Divine Wind, which could prevent enemies from escaping, were both more convenient for him to use than Vermilion Bird Divine Wind!

As his sword descended, golden-red flames roared from its edge, and the phantom of a divine bird seemed to emerge. In the next moment, it spread its wings and flew out, growing with the wind until it instantly exceeded a hundred meters in size!

Its wings beat as a brilliant tail of flame trailed behind it. The scorching fire swept away the surrounding cold, and the divine bird hovered in midair. Its scarlet eyes swept over the figures restrained by Black Tortoise Divine Wind. With a whoosh, it dived down at lightning speed, dragging a fiery rainbow behind it as it charged forth with unstoppable force!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Its body flashed several times in succession. The flaming divine bird shot forward at a speed invisible to the naked eye, its beak and claws piercing and tearing through its enemies' bodies. Fierce flames blazed, and the ice crystals and white frost covering the area melted rapidly under the scorching heat waves like snow beneath sunlight!

Owl's several figures also completely disintegrated in the flames, turning into black mist and dispersing...

"Damn it, what kind of ability is this?" Haki surged from Owl's body. With his full power erupting, he managed to break free from the restraints of Black Tortoise Divine Wind. But as he looked at the flaming Vermilion Bird in the field, horror flashed behind his mask.

Of his several clones, only one remained, and even that seemed unable to hold itself together. It could barely maintain the shape of a human figure...

This ability could not be used for long. It could only be maintained for a limited time, and it consumed an enormous amount of his stamina!

Watching the Vermilion Bird dive at him again, Owl's face darkened. The wings on the backs of both figures flapped, and in the next instant, they vanished. Rather than retreating, they advanced, charging directly at the Vermilion Bird.

This was the correct choice. The flaming divine bird was too fast. In almost an instant, it had destroyed several of his clones. Even at his speed, he might not be able to evade its attack!

"Six Powers Secret Art: Staff Gun!" The two Owls erupted with momentum and shouted as all four fists unleashed terrifying fist force at once. The vast force surged forward!

Rumble...

Deafening thunderous crashes rang out as the diving Vermilion Bird was struck by the horrifying fist force and shattered into fragments of flame. The fist force continued onward without slowing, blasting straight into the clouds 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 flame fragments gathered toward a single point once more. A sharp cry rang out, and the immortal Vermilion Bird spread its wings again. Its scarlet eyes locked onto Owl's true body as it dived once more, trailing a long tail of flame behind it!

"This... how is this possible?" Terror flashed across Owl's face. His old strength had just been spent while his new strength had yet to rise. Trying to evade the Vermilion Bird as it dived again at such terrifying speed was harder than reaching the heavens!

"How could I lose?! I am Owl, chief of CP0! Iron Body!" At the moment of crisis, Owl's desire to survive erupted in his eyes. He could not simply wait for death. He crossed his hands before him as the wings on his back folded around his body again. He activated Iron Body and reinforced himself with Haki, preparing to take this attack head-on!

"Then let's see whether your defense can withstand this attack of mine. If it can't, you die!" Ian said with a cold smile as he watched Owl make his final struggle!

However, in the next instant, he looked in another direction, surprise appearing in his eyes.

Within the range of Ian's Observation Haki, an ice bird with spread wings was also diving toward them, intending to block Ian's Vermilion Bird.

"Hmm? Someone else? But do you think I'll let you succeed? Destruction Art Eighty-Eight: Heavenly Thunder Cannon!" Ian sneered. Naturally, he would not simply stand by and watch. He spread the fingers of his right hand as his momentum erupted. Lightning gathered in his palm, and a thick lightning beam struck 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, sending him flying backward before smashing down 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 cold air and ice crystals shattered. In another, blazing flames burned as fire surged into the sky!

"An ice ability... Is that Admiral Aokiji?" Ian ignored Owl, who was covered in flames, and instead looked toward a figure stepping through the air.

Cold air surged around the man, and it was not the slightest bit inferior to Ian's own.

Ian also found his appearance familiar. After a moment's thought, he understood the man's identity: Navy Admiral Aokiji!

"Rashly interfering in someone else's battle is rather rude, Admiral Aokiji!" Ian looked at Aokiji, his tone filled with mockery.

Aokiji walked through the air, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. When he saw the battlefield in such utter ruins, a trace of surprise flashed through his heart.

Then he looked at Ian, exhaled a breath of cold air, and said coolly, "Ara ara, there's no need for us to observe such rules when facing an extremely evil criminal..."

After speaking, he turned his gaze toward Owl, who had been swallowed by raging flames. He swept the area with Observation Haki, his brows furrowing slightly as he thought, Even he was no match for Ice Dragon Ian?

"Extremely Cold Wind." In the next moment, Aokiji flashed to the raging flames and exhaled a wave of freezing air, swallowing and extinguishing the burning fire!

Fire and cold naturally restrained each other.

It was difficult to extinguish Vermilion Bird Divine Wind through physical means, but Aokiji's frost was precisely its nemesis.

He could completely extinguish the flames and deny it any chance of rebirth!

"Cough, cough..." Owl's entire body looked charred. Half-kneeling on the ground, he coughed up blood while his chest heaved violently.

Clearly, even with a Zoan's physique, being hit by Vermilion Bird Divine Wind had left him seriously injured!

Aokiji looked at Owl, an unreadable glint flashing in his eyes. He said lightly, "So you can end up this pathetic too, Vain..."

Owl spoke coldly, "Kuzan, are you mocking me?"

Vain was Owl's real name!

Before becoming a member of CP0, Owl had been a Navy vice admiral. He had 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 joined CP0, gradually climbing his way to the position of chief of CP0!