"Bang..."
Lin Yuan's blade shattered the ice, then struck Kuzan hard. Under Lin Yuan's gaze, Kuzan's body shattered into ice crystals.
Lin Yuan Observation Haki to sense his surroundings, his expression slightly wary.
Not far from him, on the frozen sea, a figure slowly emerged—it was Kuzan.
He was unharmed at this moment. Although he had been distracted, he had managed to transform into his own element and transfer his body at the last moment.
"It seems I need to focus on improving my Observation Haki. I didn't even notice how Kuzan teleported just now."
Lin Yuan was aware of his weaknesses. Over the years, he had been working hard to improve his physique and attack power, but he hadn't put enough effort into developing his Observation Haki.
On the one hand, Observation Haki is more difficult to cultivate than Armament Haki; on the other hand, Lin Yuan did not have a suitable opponent.
Although the powerful boost from the Mythical Zoan Fruit and the Great Swordsman's swordsmanship gave him the strength of Admiral, he rarely fought against opponents of the same level.
Lin Yuan still lacks practical experience.
"Oh my, what terrifying power! I never expected you could surpass me in strength. What an astonishing talent."
Despite saying this, Kuzan's expression remained calm.
"Hmph, I'm still a bit lacking compared to you, but it won't be long before I surpass you!"
Upon hearing this, Kuzan did not refute it, seemingly agreeing with Lin Yuan's words.
"Now, let's have a good fight."
After Lin Yuan finished speaking, he charged towards Kuzan again, unleashing terrifying slashes with his Famous Sword.
" Ice Glove..."
" Iron Fist..."
Kuzan also started to get serious, his hands instantly transforming into elemental forms. Combining Armament Haki with Garp's signature technique, he unleashed a terrifying punch.
This punch was terrifying; it shattered all of Lin Yuan's attacks and then continued smashing towards Lin Yuan without stopping.
Lin Yuan did not retreat. He instantly sheathed his Famous Sword, then mobilized all his strength, covered his right hand with Armament Haki, and threw a punch as well.
At the same time, Lin Yuan also sensed danger from Kuzan's punch, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted the instant he threw the punch.
The two enormous fists collided violently, neither of them retreating. In the collision, the air seemed to explode with a loud bang.
Shockwaves emanated from the two of them, and terrifying energy spread outwards. The ice beneath Lin Yuan and Kuzan's feet shattered instantly, sending countless ice shards flying hundreds of meters away.
If anyone were here, they would be shocked to find that the ice beneath Lin Yuan and Kuzan's feet had sunk by more than ten meters, and a huge crater with a radius of hundreds of meters had appeared around them.
Countless bolts of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the faces of the two people.
At this moment, both Lin Yuan and Kuzan had veins bulging on their faces, seemingly not expecting their opponent's attack to be so terrifying.
Kuzan's attack was a combination of Vice Admiral Garp's Iron Fist and Armament Haki; it's said that even Garp was blasted away by this attack.
Lin Yuan also mobilized all the abilities of the Mythical Zoan Fruit and his own powerful physique.
A glint of light flashed in their eyes, and after simultaneously withdrawing their hands, they unleashed another attack.
Amidst the swirling mist and ice shards, terrifying sounds echoed – the sounds of two people wrestling hand-to-hand, abandoning everything else.
As time passed and the fog dissipated, the two parted ways again.
At this moment, both Lin Yuan and Kuzan had a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of their mouths. Judging from the scene, the two were still evenly matched.
"Oh dear, what a terrifying boy!"
Just as Lin Yuan was about to attack again, Kuzan suddenly withdrew his attack and said with a smile.
Seeing Kuzan like this, Lin Yuan suddenly realized that he also had no desire to continue fighting.
"That's settled then. With our strength, it would take us ten days and ten nights to determine a winner. You can leave now, and I'm returning the Mandala to you."
"Aren't you Marine Admiral? Giving up like this? That's not like you."
Lin Yuan asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Oh dear, what I'm after are pirates and the stability of the seas. Come to think of it, you're not a pirate, are you!"
Kuzan's lips curled into a meaningful smile.
Lin Yuan was stunned. If it weren't for the " Masked Man's" bounty, he really wouldn't be considered a pirate. As for the " Masked Man's" identity, what did it have to do with him, Lin Yuan?
"Heh, since Admiral Kuzan has said so, it seems there's really no need to continue fighting."
Lin Yuan smiled, but a hint of murderous intent instantly flashed across his face.
"However, if the World Government and the Navy dare to issue a bounty on me, I wouldn't mind destroying a few Marine Base, and as for the Celestial Dragons, I'll kill them one by one!"
Lin Yuan's voice was cold. He didn't want to expose himself to the World Government too early, as it would greatly affect his future plans.
Sensing the killing intent emanating from Lin Yuan, Kuzan's expression also turned serious. He had no doubt that Lin Yuan would do this, after all, the scene where Lin Yuan was willing to die to provoke him was still vivid in his mind.
Kuzan felt that if Lin Yuan were to be put on the bounty, he would definitely turn completely against the Navy and might even retaliate by destroying Marine Base.
With Lin Yuan's strength, apart from the few powerful figures at Marine Headquarters, no other base could stop Lin Yuan.
Moreover, if what Lin Yuan said is true, as long as the Celestial Dragons leave Mary Geoise, Lin Yuan will also mercilessly kill them, and in that case, the whole world will be turned upside down.
This was not the scene Kuzan wanted to see. He looked at Lin Yuan seriously, not expecting that the other party would threaten him so blatantly, and that he was powerless to do anything about it.
"I can guarantee that I won't tell anyone about what happened today, and our matter will be considered settled from now on. But if I ever find out that you've done anything wrong, I will personally take action and throw you into Impel Down."
Kuzan appeared to be compromising, but his tone remained equally serious.
Lin Yuan curled his lip, then walked towards the " Mandala " stuck in the ice not far away, seemingly unconcerned that Kuzan might launch a sneak attack.
Lin Yuan didn't take Kuzan's threatening words to heart. In a few years, he would definitely surpass Kuzan.
"Zheng..."
Seemingly sensing the return of its former master, Lin Yuan easily picked up the " Mandala " stuck in the ice.
Lin Yuan slowly slid two fingers across the scabbard, feeling the trembling that seemed to be filled with excitement, and then drew " Mandala " and slashed out with his sword.
Suddenly, a terrifying slash blasted into the distance, shattering the massive ice surface for over a thousand meters.
"Hehe, you've been tarnished all these years. No one will ever be able to take you away again. From now on, you'll stay with me and I'll take you to see the whole world."
"Zheng..."