A biting wind whipped up icy shards and tugged at the robes of the three figures.
An eerie stillness settled over the battlefield for a moment. None of them moved, each seemingly probing the others for weaknesses.
The trio represented the pinnacle of martial prowess in the world.
Kojin, the prized disciple of Marine Hero Garp, had risen to fame quickly, boasting an unparalleled combat record, astonishing battle experience, and a physique that rivaled a monster's.
Sengoku the Buddha, also known as the Resourceful General, possessed the mythical Zoan Human-Human Fruit, Model: Mythical Beast, which granted him unfathomable power.
Black Arm Zephyr, chief instructor at Marine Headquarters, had trained countless Marine elites.
On a distant battleship, Marines frantically set up imaging Den Den Mushi and aimed the cameras at the battlefield.
No sound came through, and the three figures stood motionless. Yet, the entire crew of the battleship were on edge, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"Are the two Admirals going to clash with Vice Admiral Kojin?"
"This is an unimaginable battle!" someone murmured, their throat bobbing slightly.
Suddenly, a suffocating gale howled across the landscape as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the air.
Everyone looked up in shock as they witnessed two overwhelming, majestic auras collide on the battlefield, shattering the ice beneath their feet into countless cracks.
"A Conqueror's Haki clash!" the Marines exclaimed in awe.
Just a breath or two later...
"Admiral Sengoku has moved!"
"The battle begins!" an officer roared, sweat beading on his forehead.
Almost simultaneously, a golden light erupted before Kojin.
An immensely colossal and majestic figure materialized before his eyes immediately afterward.
It was a Great Buddha, radiating overwhelming power. Its body was like molten gold, and its eyes glowed with golden light. Even the void seemed to hum with an otherworldly chant.
"Zephyr! Here he comes!" Sengoku roared.
His golden legs buckled, crushing the ice beneath him. He launched himself skyward. His palm buzzed as he pressed it downward, aiming for the figure ahead, which was wrapped in Conqueror's Haki-infused Thunderlight.
"Shockwave!"
Light blazed anew, as if all the air around them had been sucked away.
A pressure like a thousand mountains bore down on Kojin, forcing his body to bend involuntarily. Then, an earth-shattering pressure wave slammed into him with devastating force.
The speed and power of the strike were utterly overwhelming.
Puh!
A mouthful of blood nearly burst from his lips, and he narrowed his eyes with intense concentration.
His right fist clenched tightly; the Black Seastone gauntlet creaked ominously, and sparks of lightning crackled from it.
With a ruthless swing, he met the expansive shockwave head-on.
Bang!
The air froze momentarily. The glowing shockwave flattened under the impact, distorting its form before erupting outward into a razor-sharp, circular blast.
But the attack wasn't over yet.
Shua!
Zephyr launched his assault almost simultaneously, materializing behind Kojin.
"Surrender, Kojin!" A deep voice rumbled as his fist came crashing down.
Kojin spun around and crossed his arms in defense.
Boom!
The tremendous force drove Kojin skidding backward across the ice.
After sliding dozens of meters, he saw Zephyr charging again. Suddenly, his right hand erupted with thunderous light, and he thrust his finger forward.
"Two hundred million volts - Discharge!"
A dense barrage of electric beams shot forward, lancing toward Zephyr.
Kojin's pupils contracted at the sight of Zephyr's towering figure nimbly dodging through the barrage of lightning bolts and closing the distance to him in just one or two breaths.
Then, another ruthless punch hurtled toward him.
Kojin's eyes narrowed as a sudden grin spread across his face. "Truly worthy of being Zephyr-sensei!"
His right fist shot out and met Zephyr's head on.
Bang!
A shockwave radiated outward as their fists collided, sending sparks of electricity flying from the point of impact.
Less than a second later, a colossal figure swooped down beside Kojin, its golden fist slamming mercilessly toward him.
"Sengoku Admiral!"
Crackling with lightning, Kojin swiftly evaded the attack.
Bang!
The punch shattered the ice across a kilometer-wide radius, exposing the seawater beneath. The water surged upward and engulfed the splintered ice fragments.
Kojin's form materialized on the opposite side, his expression grave.
He had to admit that the combined assault of the two Admirals exerted far greater pressure than the previous trio of young soon to be Admirals. This was an entirely different level of oppressive force.
His right hand shot up, fingers splayed, aimed directly at Sengoku.
"800 million Volts - Heavenly Punishment!"
A pillar of blue thunder erupted forth, reaching the towering golden Buddha in an instant.
But what made Kojin's eyes flicker was Sengoku's casual wave of his massive hand. With a flash of golden light, the Thunder Pillar was redirected with a single punch, soaring into the sky and vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Is this the true power of an Admiral-level fighter?" Kojin murmured softly.
He took a step forward with his right foot and vanished in an instant, only to reappear before Zephyr.
Twin fists ruthlessly hammered out. Zephyr roared with laughter, blocking the onslaught with his own powerful fists.
After exchanging dozens of punches, Kojin twisted his waist, raised his right leg high, and brought it down in a devastating kick.
"Rankyaku!"
But, to his slight surprise, Zephyr raised his leg too, blocking Kojin's kick midair with his right foot and preventing it from landing.
"The Six Powers... I taught you those!"
"Kojin!"
Simultaneously, Sengoku charged forward once more.
In his golden Buddha form, which resembled a true deity, Kojin radiated immense power as he crashed his colossal palm down.
Kojin twisted his body in an attempt to evade using Elementalization, but the giant Buddha's palm had already descended, striking his back with ruthless force.
Puh!
The terrifying force made him instantly cough up a mouthful of blood.
Seeing this, Zephyr seized the opportunity to end the battle decisively. But as he moved to strike, he hesitated.
"He's still my student, after all!"
In that split second, Kojin raised his right hand. Blue arcs of electricity crackled and converged, coalescing into a ten-meter-long Thunder Spear.
Kojin gripped the spear tightly and infused it with Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki. Then, he thrust it upward with all his might.
Pfft!
Blood splattered as the Thunder Spear pierced Sengoku's shoulder. The Admiral's massive frame staggered backward several steps.
Zephyr's expression shifted instantly. He appeared before Kojin and punched him in the cheek.
Bang!
Kojin's body twisted as he flew through the air and crashed onto the distant ice.
"Are you all right, Sengoku?" Zephyr asked gravely.
"I'm fine!" Sengoku replied through gritted teeth. "Just a minor wound."
Sengoku suppressed the pain and yanked the Thunder Spear from his shoulder, hurling it away.
"But remember, Zephyr!" Sengoku continued grimly. "Until we capture this brat, there can be no more holding back. Don't forget our mission!"
Zephyr's expression froze momentarily before he nodded heavily. Nearby, Kojin shook his head in resignation. He slowly rose to his feet and wiped the blood from his cheek.
"Truly worthy of being called Admirals!" He muttered. "I've even gotten to experience the treatment usually reserved for the Golden Lion."
His gaze sharpened as he locked onto the two figures ahead.
At that time, the two Admirals were at the peak of their physical and combat prowess, a far cry from their aging selves twenty years later.
He might be able to handle one of them.
But two?
"This is going to take some effort!" Kojin breathed softly.
With a sudden gesture, he thrust his hand forward and pointed sharply. Instantly, arcs of lightning crackled through the void and lashed out toward their targets.
The two Admirals reacted instantly, blurring across the ice and leaving behind trails of afterimages as they deftly evaded the lightning strikes.
Sengoku charged straight through the lightning, undeterred.
In the blink of an eye, they were upon Kojin.
"You're being reckless!" Zephyr roared, his fists hammering forward like a tempest; each strike was a razor-sharp assault.
Kojin took a deep breath, and black-and-crimson lightning erupted from his fists. He retaliated with equal ruthlessness.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of earth-shattering explosions tore through the Void, creating shockwaves that radiated outward in luminous rings.
Sengoku matched his opponent punch for punch, generating ring-shaped shockwaves with his fists.
Meanwhile, Kojin managed to temporarily hold off two Admirals with his fists alone.
Their figures blurred across the battlefield, leaving deep craters in their wake. After a dozen breaths, Sengoku punched Kojin in the head, drawing blood and leaving his head ringing.
But Kojin gritted his teeth and immediately retaliated with a punch to Sengoku's cheek.
The Admiral staggered backward, his nose bleeding profusely.
The next instant, Zephyr's knee shot up and slammed into Kojin's abdomen.
Ugh!
Kojin spat out a mouthful of blood.
A mooment later, he raised his palm, unleashing a Billion-Volt Thunder Pillar at point-blank range.
Zephyr's pupils constricted as he raised his arms to defend himself.
Zephyr's formidable Haki forcefully blocked the ultra-high-temperature, devastatingly powerful Thunder Pillar.
After skidding across the ice for over ten meters, Zephyr's body glowed crimson. Dense arcs of electricity crackled around him, and black smoke billowed from his form.
"The Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit), the Devil Fruit with the strongest offensive power!" Zephyr declared in a deep voice. His body trembled slightly as he suddenly found himself unable to move.
By then, Sengoku had recovered.
"Don't forget our primary objective!" he roared.
His massive frame leaped high into the air, and he unleashed a shockwave toward Kojin below with a raised palm.
Bang!
Kojin was struck. His Elementalization seemed to fail as he coughed up blood repeatedly.
Zephyr moved instantly, appearing before Kojin in a flash.
His right hand shot out and seized Kojin's right arm.
Seastone shackles materialized in his other hand and clamped down with a snap.
Click!
The entire sequence unfolded in an instant, before Kojin could react, his right arm was locked in the shackles.
"We did it!" Sengoku exclaimed, his expression jolted with relief.
But before he could celebrate, a brilliant blade of light flashed across his vision. The long blade at Kojin's waist was drawn, carving a graceful arc through the void.
Then, as Zephyr and Sengoku watched, it cleaved down upon Kojin's Seastone-locked right wrist.
Snikt!
Blood splattered as the seastone shackles, along with his right hand, tumbled onto the ice.
Clang!
The crisp sound rang out, yet time seemed to freeze in that moment.
"This kid...?"
"Has he gone mad?"
Sengoku glared at Kojin; his eyes were now as dark as the abyss.
(End of Chapter)
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