Battle at Its Fiercest, Ice Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral!

"Be careful. This guy is incredibly troublesome, and this time, he's very likely here for this place!" After resting for a while, Owl had regained the strength to fight thanks to the powerful recovery abilities of a Zoan Awakening user!

Standing beside Aokiji, Owl looked at Ian with a grave expression. "That firebird from before should be the product of a perfect fusion between swordsmanship and his ability. His powers aren't limited to lightning and ice! The old intelligence on Ice Dragon Ian can only be used as a reference..."

When he had fought Ian earlier, he had not held the advantage. He had been suppressed from start to finish!

The other man was monstrously powerful, with almost no weaknesses...

The only thing that barely counted as a weakness was that Ian's physique was not as strong as his!

But bolstered by the slashes of a Great Swordsman, that slight disadvantage meant nothing at all!

That firebird capable of being reborn through nirvana had also left a deep impression on Owl. Swordsmanship alone could never produce such an effect!

It was most likely a combination of swordsmanship and an ability!

This guy had far too many secrets!

"I know," Aokiji said flatly.

Even without Owl's warning, Aokiji had already raised his guard to the maximum.

The strength Ian had displayed was already terrifying enough. On top of that, his immunity to cold was enough to give Aokiji a headache...

"Then let the battle continue! Today, we'll see whether you can capture me, or whether I'll crush you!" Ian's eyes blazed with battle intent. His Conqueror's Haki continued pouring out without pause, crushing down on those before him.

He raised his hand and slashed his sword downward. "Nameless Divine Wind Style: Azure Dragon!"

The winds suddenly surged. A gentle breeze transformed into chains that bound the surroundings, while high in the sky, the phantom of an Azure Dragon appeared once more. A dragon's roar spread through the air, and the lifelike Azure Dragon suddenly dove down, sweeping across all directions with boundless wind!

"That move again..." Owl's expression darkened. Haki burst from his body, tearing apart the wind chains around him as he moved away from his original position.

"Looks like I can't hold back anymore..." Aokiji looked up at the lifelike Azure Dragon and exhaled a heavy breath of cold air. Icy blue light flickered in his eyes as freezing air—endless freezing air—erupted from his body, forming currents that swirled around him!

Snowflakes fell from the sky, and the frost on the ground grew even thicker. The surroundings, already transformed into a frozen wasteland by Hyorinmaru's chill, became even colder.

It was as though even life itself would completely perish in this cold, turning the world into a realm of utter extinction!

"Let's see whether you can still ignore the cold after my Awakening! Awakening: Extreme Cold Wind!" Aokiji raised his hand and spread his fingers. Intense cold condensed, transforming into fine streams of extreme frost that spread toward the sky!

The freezing currents seemed capable of freezing space itself as they collided with the descending Azure Dragon!

There was no expected explosion. Instead, only the cracking sound of ice crystals freezing rang out!

The tangible yet incorporeal Azure Dragon formed from the breeze was actually frozen solid!

Then, in the next instant, it abruptly shattered, turning into countless icy fragments that rained down from the sky!

"Extreme Cold: Twin Thorn Spears!" Aokiji spoke as he raised his hand. The currents swirling around him condensed into ice spears that shot through the air, sweeping forward with boundless cold that could even briefly interfere with Observation Haki!

"Are all Logia Awakenings this dangerous?" Ian's Observation Haki swept over the incoming ice spears, and he sensed a threat from them. It was as though everything in their path would be frozen and shattered, carrying a cold that could annihilate all things!

This was cold enough to freeze the movement of particles!

Yellow Monkey's Awakening had once given him a similar sense of danger. Still, Ian had always felt that Yellow Monkey had held back during their last battle and had not used his full strength...

Only during Yellow Monkey's final outburst had Ian sensed a powerful threat. But just when Ian's battle intent had reached its peak, Yellow Monkey had run away...

That guy Yellow Monkey was slippery as hell. His last battle had most likely been mostly perfunctory. It wasn't as if he had not tried at all, but he definitely had not gone all out!

"Nameless Divine Wind Style: Twin Dragons Convergence!" Ian sneered. His aura surged as he unleashed two consecutive sword strikes. Two Ice Dragons soared out, carrying equally terrifying, endless frost as they crashed into the two incoming ice spears!

Boom! Boom!

With two explosions, both attacks shattered at once, scattering ice crystals in every direction!

Over there, Owl had moved farther away from Aokiji. A Logia Awakening directly assimilated an entire region, and the frost leaking out would not care whether someone was an enemy or an ally.

Still, he was also a Zoan Awakening user. Though it was difficult to endure, it was not enough to keep him from approaching!

Of course, it still affected him. Owl felt his reactions slowing and his movements becoming somewhat sluggish!

"Tempest Kick: Dark Owl!" He swung his right leg, sending a pitch-black Tempest Kick soaring out like a hawk spreading its wings, crashing forward with overwhelming force!

"Tempest Kick: Ice Blade!" At the same time, Aokiji attacked again, kicking out an extremely cold Tempest Kick that resembled a sharp blade of ice. Everything in its path was frozen!

Ian was completely unaffected by the cold, moving freely as he used Flash Step to dodge the attacks. Then he charged straight at Owl, his blade trailing ice crystals as he swept it horizontally!

"Hmph, such a straightforward attack. Do you really think you can hit me?" Owl snorted coldly, preparing to evade Ian's strike.

"You can't run. Six-Garment Ice Purification Formation!" However, Ian revealed a faint smile and pointed a finger forward!

"Hm? Not good!" Seeing Ian's smile, Owl was immediately alarmed. Looking down, he saw icy blue light shining from six spots around his feet. Terrifying cold began converging around those six points of light!

The cracking sound of spreading ice crystals rang out. Six pillars of light shot into the sky, accompanied by extreme cold. Ice crystals spread upward from beneath Owl's feet, seeking to freeze him completely!

Faced with this situation, Haki erupted from Owl's body. His muscles bulged as he tried to break free from the frozen crystals!

But how could Ian possibly stand by and watch?

"Ice Dragon Tailspin!" Ian sneered as he charged in. Gripping his sword with both hands, he slashed down fiercely!

"Ah la la, you haven't forgotten about me, have you? Ice Dragon Ian!" At that moment, Aokiji attacked. A thin ice blade appeared in his hand, coated in Armament Haki. Before Ian's sword could descend, Aokiji instantly stepped in front of him.

He swung his ice blade upward, colliding with Ian's strike!

Boom!

Their weapons clashed, unleashing a terrifying roar as violent force burst outward!

"So what?" Ian pressed down on Aokiji, raised his right leg, coated it in Armament Haki and wrapped it in Conqueror's Haki, then kicked toward Aokiji's abdomen!

Aokiji's gaze turned cold. He made no visible movement, but an ice wall rose from the ground, blocking Ian's kick just in time.

With a boom, the ice wall shattered into crystals under Ian's kick, but the strike still missed its target.

Using that brief instant, Aokiji had transformed his body into an element in advance. A hollow opening appeared in his abdomen, right where Ian's kick landed!

Ice crystals flowed around Ian's leg, completely locking it in place. Aokiji said coldly, "Got you, Ice Dragon Ian!"

Behind him, Owl broke free and shattered the ice crystals. He flashed forward, held his hands loosely against Ian's chest, and his aura surged. Power erupted from beneath his feet as he shouted, "Six Powers Secret Art: Staff Gun!"

The attack came too suddenly, and from too close a range. Ian had no way to dodge it!

"Die!" Coldness showed through Owl's mask. Even monsters with physiques like Big Mom and Kaido would not have an easy time taking this attack head-on!

Boom!

Crack!

A deafening blast rang out as penetrating force struck Ian's chest, followed immediately by the sound of ice breaking!

"Hm? A fake?" Owl and Aokiji's expressions both sank. Before their eyes, Ian had been struck by the penetrating force, but the sound that rang out was that of ice shattering.

Then, in the next instant, Ian's body turned into countless shattered pieces of ice!

"Nameless Divine Wind Style: Twin Gods!" Ian's voice rang out from high in the sky!

In midair, the Azure Dragon coiled through the air while the White Tiger crouched low. Dragon roars and tiger cries echoed out, and in the next instant, they dove fiercely toward the two below!

"Block it!"

"Zero-Degree Wind!"

"Tempest Kick: Dark Owl!" Aokiji and Owl's expressions darkened as they shouted at the same time, unleashing their techniques against the Twin Gods diving down from the sky!

BOOMMMMM!!

The heavens collapsed and the earth split apart. The world seemed to contain nothing but the attacks colliding!

In the next moment, a tsunami-like shockwave spread outward in all directions, causing nearly the entire island to tremble!

The ground began to shatter. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the entire island, and Gold Coin Island, as though it had finally reached its limit, split in half down the middle. Seawater rushed in, but it was quickly frozen by the extreme cold surrounding it!

The shockwave continued sweeping outward with unstoppable force, and the frozen sea began cracking beneath the impact!

The sky fell and the earth split apart!

A true collapse of heaven and earth!

Meanwhile, at the underground harbor.

The battle there had briefly stopped because of the island's collapse.

The fractured island allowed massive amounts of seawater to pour into the sealed underground harbor, forcing them to flee upward!

"Damn it, what the hell is happening up there? Is it the captain fighting Ice Dragon Ian? They're practically destroying the whole island!" Behind Night Hawk's mask, her expression was grave. Seeing seawater surge toward her, she sent out a Tempest Kick to force back the flood, used Moonwalk to rise into the air, then launched another Tempest Kick to split apart the earth and escape through the opening!

"The materials on the island have all been swept away by the seawater. This is going to be troublesome. How are we supposed to explain this to the higher-ups?" Tailed Fox took a deep breath and looked at the huge amount of supplies swallowed by the sea, her face turning ugly.

Another CP0 agent in a bizarre mask, codenamed Lone Wolf, also revealed a cold glint in his eyes. "We can't worry about that now. Let's get up there first. That blind man is probably Ice Dragon Ian's companion. We can't let him escape!"

Earlier, they had fought Issho, but Issho was immensely powerful. Even with all three of them joining forces, they could not take him down!

Issho had sensed something in advance and had already left the harbor.

"Don't worry. My Observation Haki has already locked onto him. He can't get away!"

"Get up there!"

"Alright!"

The three did not waste any more words. They rushed through the fissure and emerged onto the surface!

Elsewhere, Issho had already reached high ground. His blank eyes faced that direction as he muttered, "Such intense battle fluctuations. Who is Ice Dragon Ian fighting...?"

Issho had learned Ian's identity from the CP0 agents.

It was only then that Issho learned that the person he had encountered before was Ice Dragon Ian, whose name had caused such a stir recently!

"Never mind, it has nothing to do with me. I can only do what lies within my power. Since the matter is settled, it is time to leave... I have no desire to be watched by the World Government..." Issho looked in that direction once more and shook his head. His ability pulled up a boulder, and he prepared to leave.

However, the three CP0 members appeared again and launched an attack against him!

"You bastard, where do you think you're running?" Night Hawk kicked out a Tempest Kick, stopping Issho's movement.

Tailed Fox and Lone Wolf also used Moonwalk, surrounding Issho from all sides.

Issho exhaled softly and said, "I merely wished to do what little I could for the people. I have no desire to make enemies of the World Government..."

Issho had a headache over this as well. He had only intended to perform a small act of chivalry, yet he had somehow ended up clashing with the World Government...

Although he was not weak, he had no wish to oppose a colossal force like the World Government. It was simply far too troublesome!

In the past, he had always been careful when acting chivalrously. He would not intervene in situations beyond his control!

As he said, he merely did what little he could. There was too much darkness in this world, and he could not manage all of it!

He simply did not know why his Observation Haki had failed to detect these CP0 agents this time, leading to this series of events...

"Enough nonsense! You dared attack agents of the World Government. Your crime has already been decided!" Lone Wolf snorted and attacked directly!

The other two CP0 agents had no intention of wasting words either. They would capture this blind man first!

"This truly is giving me a headache..." Issho smiled bitterly, but he would not simply wait to be captured!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The four began a fierce battle, and the commotion was far from small!

Back here, the shockwaves from the earlier clash gradually subsided.

Ian stood in midair, breathing somewhat heavily. After erupting with power several times in a row, he had expended a great deal of strength. But when he looked down, his brow furrowed slightly. "They withstood that too?"

"What an absurd attack!" Aokiji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He had also been injured in the previous clash. A wound stretched from his neck down to his lower abdomen, blood flowing steadily from it!

But he had not completely lost his ability to fight. He could still battle!

"Cough, cough... Damn it..." Nearby, Owl knelt on one knee and could not stop himself from coughing blood. His aura had weakened considerably. Clearly, he had been wounded again in that collision!

And this time, his injuries were extremely severe. If not for the powerful vitality of a Zoan user and his astonishing willpower, he might already have fallen unconscious!

"I refuse to believe I can't defeat you today!" Ian looked at the two below. He had truly become ruthless now. His aura erupted again, icy blue light filling his eyes as terrifying cold poured from his body!

Hyorinmaru pointed toward the sky. Looking down, he coldly spoke, "Taste my final move! Ice Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral!!!"

Buzzzzz...

The clouds in the sky seemed to awaken as they suddenly began to churn, as though something terrifying lay hidden within them!

Then, snowflakes began drifting down from the heights above, beautiful beyond compare!

Though they fell slowly, they were filled with endless killing intent!

This was Hyorinmaru's ultimate secret art, and also the strongest technique Ian could currently unleash with Hyorinmaru—Ice Heaven Hundred Flower Funeral!