Fierce Battle with Aokiji

"So this is the power of a Marine Admiral? Even with several Devil Fruit powers combined, I'm still nowhere near his match!"

After trading just one blow with Aokiji, Jiang Lin immediately realized how wide the gap between them was.

Aokiji had developed his Devil Fruit power to an astonishing degree, while Jiang Lin had only had a few days to get used to his. In terms of mastery, he was far behind Aokiji.

But Aokiji's mastery did not mean Jiang Lin had no chance. He did not need to defeat Aokiji. He only needed to hold out against him for one minute.

You have attacked Kuzan, wielder of the Ice-Ice Fruit. The system is copying his Devil Fruit power. Host, please hold out for one minute.

Watching the time tick down on the system display, Jiang Lin gritted his teeth and launched an attack on Aokiji.

"Laser Beam!"

Several yellow beams shot from Jiang Lin's hands in midair, streaking toward Aokiji below.

"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"

Aokiji answered by unleashing a giant ice bird that hurtled toward Jiang Lin in the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ice bird soared upward, smashing countless connecting bridges and walkways on Level 4. Chunks of rubble fell into the sea of blood below as it beat its wings.

The sheer force of the attack made Jiang Lin's face tighten. Aokiji clearly had no intention of letting him stall for time. He had opened with a major attack to force him out of the air.

And if Jiang Lin fell, he would most likely be frozen.

Facing the ice bird, Jiang Lin crossed his arms again and unleashed Yasakani Sacred Jewel. A dense barrage of light bullets hammered its body. Ice shards rained onto the ground and into the sea of blood below amid thunderous blasts.

"Got you!"

Aokiji barked the words. The giant ice bird opened its enormous beak and swallowed Jiang Lin whole.

Once it had swallowed him, the ice bird dropped like a kite with its string cut, plunging headfirst toward the ground.

"Ama no Murakumo Sword!"

"Laser Beam!"

Trapped inside the ice bird, Jiang Lin did not wait helplessly. He blasted its body with Laser Beam while striking the same spot with the Ama no Murakumo Sword.

Just before the ice bird dragged him to the ground, his attacks finally worked. He blasted a passage wide enough for one person through its massive body.

The moment the passage opened, Jiang Lin used Yata Mirror to escape the ice bird and return to midair.

"What a nuisance!"

Aokiji's eyes turned cold. He leaped high, stretched out both arms, and fired a thick pillar of ice from each hand, connecting them to the walls on either side of Level 4.

Once the ice pillars were in place, cold poured steadily from Aokiji's body. Under its influence, the scorching Level 4 rapidly began to freeze.

"Hey, hey, hey! Do you really have to take this so seriously? You're even using Ice Age?"

Jiang Lin watched the cold close in, his composure vanishing.

Faced with Ice Age, a technique known for its unmatched control of the battlefield, Jiang Lin would not have dared ignore it even if he had developed the Glint-Glint Fruit's power to Kizaru's level.

Twenty seconds left. Fight or run?

Jiang Lin had little time. Brilliant white ice spread upward from the sea of blood, freezing the walls and bridges. At last, it all converged on Jiang Lin in midair.

"Aokiji, one of the Marines' strongest fighters—your power is going to be mine!"

As ice filled the air, Jiang Lin decided to risk his life and fight. Akainu was even stronger than Aokiji. If he ran from Aokiji now, would he still have the courage to face Akainu when the time came?

"Gum-Gum-Gum-Gum Pistol!"

Just as Jiang Lin resolved to fight to the death, Luffy arrived with Buggy, Galdino, and Bon Clay, who had fallen behind.

Without hesitation, Luffy stretched out an arm, grabbed an ice pillar suspended in midair, and sprang upward to attack Aokiji at its center.

"M-Marine Admiral... Aokiji!"

Buggy's face changed at the sight of Aokiji taking on two opponents at once. Without so much as a word to Luffy, he turned and fled.

"Wait... for me!"

Galdino immediately ran after Buggy.

"Luffy! I'm coming to help you! Yo!"

Bon Clay did not flee with them. Spinning as he went, he sped toward Luffy.

"Straw Hat!"

Aokiji's expression changed noticeably when he saw Luffy.

"Partner! I'm here to save you!"

Luffy looked up at Jiang Lin with utter resolve. He had welcomed Jiang Lin into his crew, making him a friend and a brother.

Now that Jiang Lin was in danger, Luffy could not stand by and let him die.

"Thanks, brother! Be careful!"

Jiang Lin knew how powerful Aokiji was. Even he could not claim to have any chance of winning.

"We meet again!"

After giving Jiang Lin a solemn nod, Luffy turned to Aokiji.

"You shouldn't have come here."

Aokiji's voice was low. Cold still poured from him, and the ice had already spread to Jiang Lin's side.

"I had to come!"

Luffy's voice was firm, his face set with a resolve that words could not express.

"Then I'll stop you!"

As Aokiji spoke, biting cold began at the soles of Luffy's feet and spread up his body.

"Luffy! Watch out!"

Seeing Luffy in danger, Jiang Lin immediately used Yata Mirror to move beside him and kicked through the ice climbing rapidly upward.

"Gear Second!"

White steam billowed around Luffy as his body turned faintly red in an instant.

"Got you! Ice Ball!"

The moment Aokiji saw Jiang Lin come down from above despite the danger, he seized the rare opening and attacked.

Five pillars of ice shot toward Jiang Lin. The piercing cold made him furrow his brow.

Is it still not enough?

Jiang Lin sighed helplessly. But when he saw that less than five seconds remained on the system's timer, hope flared in him again.

"Petrify!"

Jiang Lin spread his hands. Five dazzling rays shot from his fingers toward the ice pillars Aokiji had unleashed.

Jiang Lin met ice pillars with beams of light and freezing with petrification. They stood on a bridge of ice, staring each other down in a final clash.

One minute has elapsed. The Ice-Ice Fruit's power has been copied.

As the system message appeared, a violent explosion erupted between Aokiji and Jiang Lin. Dense white mist surged outward, instantly obscuring everyone's view.