Clash with Aokiji!

"Jiang Lin! Go!"

Inside the bay, everyone heard Jiang Lin's voice and looked toward the edge of the square with anticipation.

"Jiang Lin, I'm coming to back you up!"

Luffy shouted encouragement toward the distant fight as he battled Kizaru.

"Brat! Let me shatter that confidence of yours!"

Aokiji emerged from the icy mist, one shoulder partially caved in. Jiang Lin had clearly gotten the better of him in their last exchange, leaving his expression a little more vicious.

"Aokiji! My invitation still stands. Really!"

Jiang Lin smiled at Aokiji and attacked first. Their earlier exchange had given him a slightly better grasp of the Devil Fruit Cards.

As Jiang Lin collected more Devil Fruit Cards, the number of tactics available to him kept growing.

Just now, for instance, he had switched Devil Fruit Cards midfight and caught Aokiji off guard with the Dark-Dark Fruit. The blow had caved in a small part of Aokiji's shoulder—a solid result.

That kind of tactic would become one of Jiang Lin's main ways of attacking.

"Tremor-Tremor Fruit loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."

Jiang Lin removed the Ice-Ice Fruit and swiftly loaded the Tremor-Tremor Fruit Card.

"Black Vortex!"

A powerful suction suddenly seized Aokiji, dragging him straight toward Jiang Lin.

"Ice Saber!"

Four ice spears appeared around Aokiji and shot toward Jiang Lin, trailing bone-chilling cold.

Crack!

The air fractured with a faint sound. Jiang Lin raised his left hand and shattered the incoming ice spears.

Whoosh!

Aokiji's attack had failed. Jiang Lin caught him by the shoulder with his right hand, wreathed in black mist, and slammed him hard onto the ice.

Boom!

A violent shock rang out. Aokiji's face turned pale, and blood burst from his mouth.

Whoosh!

After taking the heavy blow, Aokiji coated his right hand in Haki and thrust it straight at Jiang Lin.

Facing a Haki-infused attack, Jiang Lin had to retreat. He stepped back and instantly switched Devil Fruit Cards.

"Sand-Sand Fruit loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."

As the system's voice sounded, Jiang Lin formed a small sandstorm in his right hand and hurled it at Aokiji.

"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"

Aokiji's furious shout rang out as the sandstorm came at him. A huge ice bird spread its wings and hurtled straight toward Jiang Lin.

"Flame-Flame Fruit loaded. Duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: thirty seconds."

Jiang Lin quickly removed the Sand-Sand Fruit and loaded another Devil Fruit Card.

"Fire Fist!"

An enormous fist of flame erupted from Jiang Lin's right arm and swelled as it flew. By the time it met Aokiji's Ice Block: Pheasant Beak, the two attacks were almost the same size.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted where the attacks collided.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The piercing hiss of burning air poured from the blast. Thick white vapor rose with an acrid smell and spread across the square and into the bay.

"Run!"

Ice fragments and scalding steam flew in every direction. The pirates and Marine Soldiers, already some distance from Jiang Lin and Aokiji, fled another few dozen meters.

"Have all the video feeds been cut?"

On the Execution Platform, Sengoku paced anxiously. Jiang Lin was only a step from the square, and Sengoku's face was tight with worry.

"Not yet! Please give us a little more time!" After reporting to Sengoku, a Marine Soldier hurriedly picked up a Den Den Mushi. "Hello? Haven't you found it yet?"

"Yes! We're searching everywhere!"

An anxious Marine voice came from the other end.

While the Marines were in chaos, Buggy and a group of prisoners who had escaped from Impel Down were in a corner of the battlefield, putting on a "live broadcast."

"Pwahaha! Is that Buggy's show?"

Jiang Lin saw Buggy standing before the Den Den Mushi, getting the prisoners to talk up his impressive "connections." He laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.

Maybe bringing Buggy aboard would be fun.

Jiang Lin suddenly understood why the Pirate King had taken Buggy on as an apprentice crewmate. Someone who could make people laugh like that would be welcome anywhere.

The thought passed in a flash. Right now, Jiang Lin's priority was dealing with Aokiji.

After having his attacks blocked one after another, Aokiji was visibly seething. His eyes burned with anger as he stared at Jiang Lin.

"What is this? I told you to cut that ridiculous feed! We can't even continue the operation like this!"

Sengoku was just as furious on the Execution Platform. He clenched his fists and glared at the soldier below, veins bulging on his face.

"W-well... the Impel Down prisoners stole one of the Den Den Mushi."

Below him, a Marine Soldier delivered the news, sweat streaming down his face.

"What? What are you talking about?" Sengoku glared down at him, then roared an order. "Stop them!"

Cannons thundered. Smoke and dust swallowed Buggy's position, cutting off any view of what was happening there from Sengoku and Jiang Lin.

Crack!

A fierce chill swept toward Jiang Lin. He raised an eyebrow and turned to its source. Aokiji stood there, his body covered in bone-chilling ice, glaring at him.

"Aokiji! This fight is pointless. You can't stop me!"

Jiang Lin melted Aokiji's blast of cold with a punch, then turned toward Luffy.

Wait. Why is he there?

As Jiang Lin's gaze swept across the battlefield, his eyes suddenly narrowed. On the Moby Dick, he had spotted the last person he wanted to see—Squard!

"Jiang Lin, is this really the time to look around?"

Aokiji's cold voice came from behind him. An ice spear shot from Aokiji's hand, pierced Jiang Lin's chest, and passed through his body.

"Ugh!"

A mouthful of bright red blood burst from Jiang Lin's lips. Badly wounded, he forced Aokiji back with a punch, then rushed toward the Moby Dick.

No way... Can history really not be changed? Horror filled Jiang Lin's face. When Garp had sent him flying, he had warned Whitebeard. The warning had not been very clear, but Whitebeard was perceptive enough to understand what he meant.

Yet Jiang Lin watched as Whitebeard let Squard draw closer, step by step, without seeming to be on guard at all.

"Whitebeard! All of you! Stop Squard!"

Jiang Lin transformed into a blue Phoenix, leaving a trail of vivid blood through the air. Panic filled his face. His roar caught the attention of the Whitebeard Pirates, but it seemed everything was already too late.