Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of earth-shattering explosions tore through the heart of Punk Hazard. The island itself groaned under the immense force, its very foundation trembling. In the epicenter of this cataclysm, two figures, one cloaked in crimson and the other in icy blue, clashed with the fury.
It was Akainu and Aokiji.
For three days and three nights, their battle had raged without end, a spectacle of sheer power and unbridled animosity. They fought not as former comrades, but as mortal enemies locked in a duel to the death, each unleashing the full, terrifying might of their devil fruits.
The aftermath of their clash had carved the island in two—half of it a frozen wasteland, encased in perpetual ice and snow, the other a fiery inferno of molten rock and bubbling magma. It was a bizarre, shocking landscape, a testament to the colossal power of the two men. If Sengoku were to witness this, his fury would surely know no bounds. Aokiji, you bastard! You claimed you held back at the Summit War? If you had unleashed even half this power then, I wouldn't be...
"Kuzan, I'm giving you one last chance," Akainu's voice rumbled, the air around him shimmering with oppressive heat. Magma churned and swelled beneath his skin. "If you surrender now, I'll forget everything. You can go back to your lazy ways. I'll hold no grudge."
Aokiji's typically laid-back demeanor had vanished, replaced by a steely resolve. "Sakazuki, it's not that I particularly want the Fleet Admiral position..." he countered, his words sharp as ice shards. "But it's clear that I am far more suited to lead the Marines than you are!"
"Hmph, don't be so arrogant! You, with your 'lazy justice,' think you deserve that seat?!" Akainu sneered, his disdain undisguised.
"Everyone's understanding of 'justice' is different," Aokiji replied calmly. "But one thing I am sure of... is that 'justice' is never blind slaughter and repression." He paused, his gaze hardening. "Marshal Sengoku once told me that killing is never the only way to solve a problem. Sometimes, a proper amount of 'laziness' can bring about more peace than any direct action."
"Really?" A cruel smile twisted Akainu's lips. "So I should congratulate you? You managed to kill Marshal Sengoku with your 'lazy justice'!" The memory of Aokiji's inaction at the Summit War, still burned fresh in Akainu's mind. To hear Aokiji invoke Sengoku's name now, in a bid for the Fleet Admiral position, filled him with contempt.
"In this chaotic era of rampant pirates, only fear and terror can make those unscrupulous bastards cower!" Akainu's eyes blazed. "Kuzan, if you, a Marine, can't even grasp this simple truth, then I suggest you leave as soon as possible. Because the Marines have no use for trash like you!"
No more words were needed. The next second, a giant fist of searing magma met a majestic bird of solid ice. The resulting shockwave tore through the island, making it shudder once more. Even after three days, the battle only intensified, a duel to the death with no end in sight.
"Captain, this Admiral-level deathmatch is truly incredible!" On the icy half of the island, a figure named Bullet stood atop a miraculously intact research institute, watching the distant battle with an ecstatic look on his face.
"Of course it is," a voice from below responded, edged with annoyance. "But you'd better control your bloodlust. If you interrupt their fight and give away our position, I won't be sparing you."
Below, Adrian led Shiryu and Van Augur toward the entrance of the research institute. He knew that in the original story, Akainu and Aokiji's battle lasted ten days and ten nights, but he couldn't be sure if his presence, the 'butterfly effect,' would shorten it. To be safe, he had arrived early.
He had already taken precautions, leaving the Empress to guard his territory and entrusting the task of watching over it to Redfield with his Advanced Observation Haki, which was as sharp as his own. With Betty and the young Shirahoshi there as well, he would have ample time to return even if a Yonko decided to attack.
"You are?!" a patrolling pirate cried out inside the research institute. "Intruders at the main entrance! Report to Master Caesar—" His warning was cut short as Shiryu's sword sliced him in half.
The group soon arrived at Caesar's control room.
"Who… who are you?" Caesar stammered. Since Punk Hazard had no contact with the outside world, he didn't recognize Adrian.
"My name is Adrian," he said flatly. "From now on, everything here belongs to me. That includes your lives."
Caesar and his secretary, Monet, paled. Monet, her face contorted in anger, stepped forward. "You fools! Don't you know this place is under the protection of Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
Caesar scoffed, a smug smile returning to his face. "Heh heh heh heh, if you don't want to be killed by that clown, you'd better get out of here immediately."
"Tch, idiot," Shiryu scoffed, looking utterly bored. "That trash Doflamingo was killed by our captain. Now all his territory, including Dressrosa, belongs to us."
"What did you say?!" Caesar and Monet gasped in unison, their faces etched with disbelief.
"Impossible! The Young Master will never die!" Monet cried, her voice trembling. "He's the man who will become the Pirate King, how could he..." Her identity as a spy for Doflamingo meant she was fiercely loyal to him. She couldn't accept the news.
"Believe it or not, but you should know this ability," Adrian said, taking a step forward. A stone chair suddenly lifted from the ground, only to melt back into the floor. It was the power of the Stone-Stone Fruit, the ability of Doflamingo's top cadre, Pica.
Monet's legs gave out and she fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. This time, she truly believed him.
"Knock her out," Adrian ordered, sensing the shift in her emotions. He wasn't interested in a woman who would remain devoted to a dead man. The only reason he hadn't killed her already was because she was Sugar's older sister. Otherwise, given her loyalty to Doflamingo, he would have had her killed on the spot.
"Don't you dare mess with me!" Caesar yelled, trembling. "I'm the only one in the world who can manufacture the raw material, SAD, needed for SMILE! If you dare to—"
Before he could finish, Shiryu struck him with the hilt of his sword, sending him to the ground. "If it weren't for that," Shiryu said with a sneer, "do you think the captain would have let you live this long?"