Swain vs. Kuzan!
"You hurt my crew like that. It would make me lose face."
Swain appeared in front of Norton.
With one hand held aloft, a mirror made of seawater instantly appeared.
Swain charged up and punched the seawater mirror.
A powerful shockwave then burst forth, seeming capable of tearing the very air apart.
It swept away the dense barrage of Ice Arrows, reducing them to a heap of shattered ice.
Yet the shockwave showed no sign of stopping. As it passed over the sea, it tore apart the frozen surface as well!
"Another troublesome one, huh?" Kuzan said.
"But you look unfamiliar."
"Really? I'm not unfamiliar with you, Admiral Aokiji!"
"So you know me."
"I'm this famous now? That's pretty cool!" Kuzan said with a smile.
Norton, who was recovering behind Swain, was startled when he heard that the other man was a Marine Admiral!
"So he's an Admiral?" He could not help looking toward Kuzan.
Kuzan also turned and glanced at Norton.
"The man behind you isn't easy to deal with." Kuzan slipped his other hand into his pocket.
Yet a deep chill still rose from his body, clearly showing that he had no intention of stopping.
"Hand him over to me. You can't protect him, and he'll get you killed too."
Norton and Swain both fell silent.
The standoff immediately became tense.
Kuzan could not see Swain's expression beneath the hat shading his eyes.
Still, he thought Swain would hand Norton over. After all, an Admiral stood before him.
Suddenly, Swain laughed.
"Bastard, what the hell are you talking about?"
"How could I possibly hand Norton over to you?!"
Swain refused without hesitation.
Kuzan pulled both hands from his pockets, and the ground began freezing outward.
This battle could no longer be avoided!
Though Swain was uncertain deep down, he was also incredibly excited.
He wanted to see where his strength stood on these seas!
Standing in the air, he stomped down on nothing beneath his feet.
A wave rose beneath his foot and shattered. The frozen sea ahead then rapidly broke apart, and waves more than ten meters high surged out from beneath the ice!
The enormous waves crashed toward Kuzan's seemingly slender figure.
Just as they were about to swallow him whole.
He slightly opened his mouth, cold air spilling from it as he said, "Ice Age!"
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
The sound of seawater freezing came from all directions.
The surrounding temperature dropped by dozens of degrees. Even under the midday sun, Swain could feel the cold.
And he discovered that he had lost control over the frozen seawater!
The freezing was even fiercer than before.
It really does counter me, Swain silently thought.
But... he did not only have a Devil Fruit ability.
He teleported in front of Aokiji, coating his fist in Ryuo.
Then he drove a punch into Aokiji's abdomen, shattering him into pieces.
"He predicted it!"
Aokiji had transformed into his elemental form in advance, predicting Swain's move.
He then gradually re-formed into human shape in the distance.
Swain watched Aokiji with a grim expression.
As expected of an Admiral!
The Marines could place bounties on the Four Emperors and powerful pirates across these seas because these three Admirals deserved much of the credit!
One strike failed? Then he would strike again!
Swain launched himself forward, his fist carrying unstoppable force.
Kuzan's fist was also coated in Armament Haki as they both threw their punches at once.
Their collision was like two meat grinders crashing together. The resulting shockwave cracked the ground around them.
Swain let out a roar, pouring Conqueror's Haki into his hand and throwing a punch that forced Aokiji back.
Swain himself staggered back several steps before stopping.
They were evenly matched!
This was an Admiral, a true powerhouse of these seas!
Aokiji also shed his lazy demeanor. "What powerful Haki. That's really impressive!"
"At such a young age, you've already reached this level. But the last powerhouse like you is still behind bars!"
He was naturally referring to Bullet, a former crew member of the Pirate King Roger.
This time, Aokiji took the initiative.
After several more exchanges, although every one of Swain's attacks was fierce, Aokiji still evaded them.
It left him feeling somewhat helpless.
By all rights, Swain's Observation Haki should have been stronger than Aokiji's, but Aokiji had been tempered through countless battles!
Every bit of his growth had come through danger, while Swain had learned through Woli's guidance.
It was somewhat like why Luffy had been crushed by Katakuri after two years. What Rayleigh taught him was ultimately only theory; true strength could only be gained through battle!
"Ah, this is a little embarrassing," Kuzan said, somewhat displeased.
After all, being fought to a draw by some unknown brat would make it hard for him to keep face in the Marines!
"Ice Block: Partisan!"
A massive ice bird charged toward Swain.
"Sea: Great Tentacle Spike!"
Several enormous tentacles appeared behind Swain and charged at the ice bird together.
When they clashed again, neither side gained the upper hand.
Watching the battle, Norton was also learning from their combat experience.
Though Aokiji's Devil Fruit somewhat countered Swain, Swain's Haki was likewise far stronger than Aokiji's!
Neither side could do anything to the other.
In the blink of an eye, they exchanged dozens more rounds, and Swain's weakness gradually became exposed.
He had too little combat experience!
Between experts, details determined victory. Whoever avoided exposing openings would win. Clearly, Swain did not yet have that ability.
Kuzan seized an opening in Swain's movements, and cold air spread from his leg onto the ground.
"Ice Age!"
The battle changed in an instant.
Swain sensed unprecedented danger and hurriedly flipped backward.
But when he landed, Kuzan had already arrived at his side, his body almost pressed against Swain's!
"Stand still and be quiet!" Kuzan said.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle! Swain was instantly frozen into an ice statue.
He did not even have time to use Conqueror's Haki to defend himself.
"You're too young! You may be strong, but this is as far as you go!" Kuzan pronounced mercilessly.
He could not allow Swain to keep growing. In the future, he would inevitably become a great pirate and a threat to the Marines!
He had to nip that danger in the bud.
"Captain!" Norton shouted urgently.
Seeing Swain about to be killed by Kuzan, Norton desperately flapped the wings behind him so quickly that they became invisible to the naked eye.
Within a single breath, a piercing screech rang out—it was the sound of his speed tearing through the air.
Norton moved so fast that he seemed to vanish entirely; even Kuzan's Observation Haki could not sense him.
"How could I let you touch my captain?!" Norton roared furiously.
Scorching flames erupted around his feet as he kicked Kuzan away from Swain.
"Great!"
Frozen into an ice statue, Swain saw that Norton had bought him time.
The next moment, he burst out of the ice!
He was alive! That had been a truly dangerous moment. Though he wanted to ask why Norton was so fast, he still had to deal with the great enemy before him!
"Thanks!" Swain said to Norton.
Norton nodded, then sat down nearby to rest. He had used every ounce of strength he had to increase his speed just now.
Fortunately, it had worked and saved Swain.
"Ah, what a headache. You two are really hard to deal with!" Kuzan said helplessly.
"Get somewhere safe!"
Swain told Norton to move farther away so he would not get hurt later.
His eyes burned with anger. Though Aokiji had been the Admiral he admired most, that man had clearly tried to kill him just now, turning that admiration into fury!
He was going to use his final trump card! He had comprehended this move during the three years before setting sail, and it was also an application of his Devil Fruit.
He steadied his breathing. The next moment, he said in a deep voice:
"Blessing of the Sea God!"
Three rings of waves appeared around his wrists and legs. The moment they appeared, they began circling and spinning, with several Ripples etched upon them.
His Haki also coated them, giving off a sense of endless vitality.