Seeing Mr. Tanaka attempting to escape, Yuuki lightly lifted his foot and tapped the ground.
Key Magic!
An invisible wave of magic spread across the surface, instantly placing the surrounding ground into a "locked" state.
"What—what's happening?!"
The sudden change caused Tanaka's body—already halfway submerged underground—to become firmly stuck in place.
Pressure surged upward from below, and his face flushed red in an instant.
At that moment—
He experienced firsthand the crushing force he had just inflicted on others.
A shadow fell over him.
Tanaka looked up at Yuuki, who had walked right in front of him, his expression filled with terror.
"W-What are you trying to do? I'm one of—"
"A subordinate of the Golden Emperor, Gild Tesoro, right?"
Yuuki smiled faintly.
"You're exactly who I was looking for."
He raised his hand and gently pressed a finger against Tanaka's head.
Originally, he hadn't expected to actually draw out one of Tesoro's people.
But now that one had appeared—
It saved him quite a bit of trouble.
After all—
Tesoro's location in the New World wasn't fixed. Tracking him down would have taken considerable effort.
But through Tanaka—
He could directly obtain the location of the world's greatest entertainment city—
Gran Tesoro, the city at sea.
Thud!
Tanaka's head jolted violently.
Blood seeped from his nose and mouth as his eyes rolled back, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Yuuki pulled him out of the ground with one hand and glanced over the increasingly chaotic Sabaody Archipelago.
"…Time to set sail again."
Whoosh—
His figure flickered and vanished once more.
Meanwhile—
"Pururururu…"
Cold mist drifted from both shoulders of Aokiji.
In one hand, he held Buggy—frozen into a solid block of ice.
With the other, he took out a Den Den Mushi that was ringing from his pocket.
"Mos—hello, Aokiji!"
As the call connected, the snail's face took on Kizaru's distinctive features.
"The Marine fleet sealing off Area 7 has been forcibly broken through!"
"It's one of the Four Emperors—the Red-Haired Pirates!"
"They've already entered the Sabaody Archipelago. Their objective is unclear, but it's highly likely they're after the Magic Eye Cross… and the 'Mage' Yuuki!"
"Headquarters has received the report—do not act independently. Regroup with Akainu immediately!"
Kizaru's voice carried a rare urgency.
Aokiji exhaled a breath of cold air.
His lazy gaze drifted forward—toward the figures of the Red-Haired Pirates standing ahead.
"…They're already right in front of me."
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
"I'll send reinforcements immediately!"
After a short pause, Kizaru's tone turned serious, and the call ended.
Aokiji slipped the Den Den Mushi back into his pocket, a hint of resignation appearing on his face.
"Didn't expect even someone like you to be drawn here."
The figures before him—
Some smiling, some expressionless—
Though they emitted no obvious aura—
Still placed an unprecedented pressure on him.
At that moment—
Aokiji's gaze shifted to Shanks's missing left arm.
A trace of understanding—and gravity—flashed in his eyes.
First Shiki the Golden Lion…
Now Red-Haired Shanks.
Did the Magic Eye Pirates even realize what kind of monsters they had attracted?
"Hahaha! Honestly, I don't really care much about losing my arm."
Shanks noticed Aokiji's gaze and casually waved his empty sleeve, laughing freely.
"But if it could be restored… that wouldn't be bad either."
Crack—crack—
Aokiji's expression remained cold.
He gave no response.
Instead, frost spread rapidly beneath his feet, freezing the ground solid.
"I didn't come here to fight."
Shanks smiled lightly.
"Would you mind handing over that guy you're holding?"
"…Hmm."
Aokiji glanced at the frozen Buggy.
He hadn't expected Shanks to be interested in him.
"Mind telling me why?" Aokiji asked.
Shanks looked at Buggy—encased in ice—and a hint of amusement appeared on his face.
"He used to be my crewmate."
"If the Marines take him, it'll be troublesome."
"And besides… I'm rather interested in his current captain."
…Former crewmate?
For once, Aokiji's composure wavered.
The Marines had already investigated Buggy thoroughly—
He was nothing more than a small-time pirate from the East Blue.
And yet—
Shanks claimed he had once been his crewmate.
That was no trivial piece of information.
After all—
The only people Shanks would call "crewmates"—
Were either his current crew…
Or members of the Roger Pirates.
In an instant—
Yuuki's figure flashed through Aokiji's mind.
Several thoughts raced through his head.
"…I see."
His gaze grew colder.
Even the ice encasing Buggy thickened further.
"Negotiations failed, Captain."
Yasopp grinned, lifting the long rifle from his shoulder.
The moment his gun was aimed—
"Ice Ball!"
Aokiji's expression tightened.
He retreated swiftly, sweeping his arm forward as freezing air surged outward.
Boom!
Five massive ice pillars formed in an instant—
Shooting toward the Red-Haired Pirates at incredible speed.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out simultaneously.
The five ice pillars exploded midair.
However—
Instead of dispersing—
The shattered ice fused together in an instant—
Forming a massive sphere—
Like a falling meteor crashing down toward them!
Taking advantage of the momentary obstruction—
Aokiji turned and retreated immediately.
He had no intention of continuing the fight.
After all—
He was facing an entire Yonko crew.
"Oh? Where do you think you're going?"
A teasing voice sounded from beside him.
Vice-captain Benn Beckman of the Red-Haired Pirates—
Had appeared at his side without warning.
A flintlock rifle was already pointed at Aokiji's head.
Aokiji's retreat halted.
A chilling aura erupted instantly.
Bang!
At the same time—
Beckman pulled the trigger.
Crack!
The sound of ice shattering came from Aokiji's arm—the one holding Buggy.
By transforming his body into ice in advance—
He managed to block Beckman's Haki-coated bullet.
But—
His grip loosened.
Buggy slipped free.
Boom!
At that same moment—
The massive ice sphere crashing toward Shanks and the others—
Was obliterated by a violent force—
Shattering into countless fragments.
Beckman made no move to pursue Aokiji further.
Instead, he grabbed Buggy—
And returned to Shanks's side.
"Damn it, you stole the spotlight again!"
Yasopp lowered his rifle, complaining loudly.
"Your aim's just too slow," Beckman replied flatly, tossing the frozen Buggy in front of Shanks.
Their exchange drew bursts of laughter from the rest of the crew.
Despite a Marine Admiral standing not far away—
Not a single one of them showed the slightest concern.
Shanks chuckled along with his crew.
He placed a hand on the frozen Buggy and gave a slight shake.
Crack!
The ice instantly fractured—
Then shattered into fine frost, dispersing into the air.
"Ah—ah-choo!"
Buggy regained consciousness and immediately shivered.
"He's just got a bit of a cold. Nothing serious."
A familiar, easygoing voice reached his ears.
(End of Chapter)
Next Bonus Chapter at 5600 powerstones.