Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
________________________________________
Chapter 16: Line VS Admiral Aokiji
We slipped through the sprawling underground chambers, wove past the obscenely grand estates, and navigated what seemed like a pristine residential district. The scent of manicured flowers and the chill of polished stone filled the air, a stark contrast to the blood and sweat of the fifty-plus freed slaves running frantically behind me. We were this close. Just a little further, and we would escape the gilded cage of Mary Geoise.
And then, the temperature plummeted.
A biting, unnatural frost crept over the cobblestones, turning the morning dew into jagged crystals of ice. Every breath we took plumed into thick white mist.
We had finally run into one of the World Government's greatest military powers... Marine Admiral Aokiji.
Judging by how the very ground beneath his boots froze the second we crossed paths, he was definitely an ice-type Devil Fruit user. Maybe the Snow-Snow Fruit or something similar? I didn't have time to analyze the lore. The sheer, overwhelming pressure radiating from the tall, lanky man in the white coat told me everything I needed to know.
"I-It's an Admiral! It's Aokiji!"
"We can't win! We can't fight that! Run!"
"No... I thought we were finally free!"
"I don't want to go back! I don't want to be a slave again!"
The panicked screams of the Fish-Men echoed through the freezing air. Some tripped over their own feet, paralyzed by the sheer terror of facing the Marines' highest authority.
Aokiji let out a slow, frosty exhale, his expression completely unreadable. "...Sorry, but I can't let you escape. Ice Time Capsule!"
He casually aimed his palm toward the fleeing crowd. A torrential blast of absolute-zero air erupted from his hand, sweeping over the vanguard of the escaping slaves. The moment the blinding white mist touched them, the screaming stopped. Several running Fish-Men were instantly encased in thick, translucent blocks of solid ice, their expressions of terror frozen in time.
"Whoa!? They froze in an instant!"
"S-So this is an Admiral's power..."
Naturally, the rest of the escaping slaves stopped dead in their tracks, their will to run shattered by the terrifying display of frozen bodies. At this rate, they would all be easily rounded up, captured, and dragged right back into the living hell of slavery.
"Ugh! Damn it!" I gritted my teeth, my tiny fists trembling.
"Big Brother!?" Esune gasped, clinging tightly to my back.
Like hell I could abandon people I'd already saved once! I spun around, my fluffy tail whipping through the air, and bolted straight back toward the frozen victims. The icy ground was no problem—I've always been good at skating, and my Tontatta agility made me practically frictionless. This is where the "Invisible Phantom Thief" truly shines...
I zipped through the frost-covered plaza, scooping up all the frozen Fish-Men at top speed. Despite my tiny twenty-centimeter stature, my dwarven strength allowed me to hoist the massive ice blocks onto my shoulders, stacking them precariously as I skidded to a halt.
"So cold!! And so damn hard to hold!" I hissed, shivering violently.
"Big Brother! Are you okay!?" Esune cried out, trying to share her body heat.
Through the dissipating mist, Aokiji watched me with a lazy, half-lidded stare. "...Of course you're not okay. Coming all the way back here to pick up dead weight... you're either suicidal or just a fool. Ice Block: Partisan!!"
"Whoaahhh!?"
"Kyaaahhh!!"
Without warning, Aokiji manifested multiple jagged spears of solid ice and launched them at us with the force of cannonballs. My Observation Haki flared, warning me of the lethal trajectories just in time. I broke into a frantic sprint, dodging the heavy spears by a hair's breadth. They slammed into the cobblestones behind me, exploding into deadly shrapnel.
That was close! If even one of those grazed me, I was done for! For starters, these massive blocks of frozen Fish-Men I was carrying were completely ruining my center of gravity!
"Hey! You Fish-Men running ahead!" I shouted, tossing the heavy ice blocks forward. "Take these frozen guys with you! And don't drop them, or they'll shatter!"
I passed the frozen slaves into the arms of the Fish-Men who had managed to evade Aokiji's initial attack. They caught their comrades, staggering under the sudden weight, but looked back at me with wide, panicked eyes.
"So cold! W-We don't mind carrying them, but what about you, Chibi-bro!?" one of them yelled, his voice cracking with fear.
"I'm going to play with Aokiji for a bit! Use that opening to get out of here! Head for the Central Plaza!"
"A-Are you going to be the decoy!? Are you crazy, Chibi-bro!?"
"...Once I've freed you, it becomes my responsibility to protect you to the bitter end!" I roared back, my voice echoing across the frozen courtyard. "I want to escape too, so just run already! Hurry up! And don't call me Chibi-bro!"
"G-Got it! We owe you our lives! Thank you! Chibi-bro!"
With tears streaming down their faces, the freed slaves turned and sprinted away, carrying their frozen brethren toward freedom.
Damn it...
Normally, I'd use them as the decoys. I'd sacrifice them so Esune and I could escape no matter what... That's the smart choice. That's how you survive in a world like this... I know that...
But I've already seen what happens to people forced into slavery. I've seen the chains, the branding, the dead eyes. I know they'll be subjected to things so horrific they'd beg for death if they were caught again...
I just can't bring myself to abandon them...!
Ahhh, I hate this, I hate this, I hate this! I never should have played the hero!
"Huff... huff..." I panted, my breath pluming in the freezing air. "Esune, you go too."
"Eh..."
"Get off my back and hop onto a random Fish-Man! Then just run away as fast as you can—Ouch!!?"
I tried to say something cool and dramatic like 'Leave this to me and go on ahead!', but Esune ruthlessly chopped me right on the top of my head. Before I could complain, she wrapped her small arms tightly around my neck, squeezing with surprising force.
"Ghk!? E-Esune!? What are you doing at a time like this...! Hurry up and get o—"
"I'm not getting off!!" she screamed, her voice trembling but fierce.
"!!?"
"You just got mad at me for this exact same thing earlier! When I told you to leave me behind and run away, you got mad at me! You scolded me!"
"I-I didn't try to strangle you, though..." I wheezed.
"You absolutely can't beat Aokiji alone, Big Brother! He's an Admiral! You'll one-hundred percent get killed!"
"...Urgh...!" I couldn't argue with that logic.
"I can't be happy in a world where you're gone!" Esune buried her face into my shoulder, her voice cracking with raw emotion. "S-So I'm going to fight with you! I won't let you be killed! I promise I'll be useful...! Let's shake off Aokiji and go back to Shakky's bar together!"
"...Esune..."
"..."
"Esune, you're a damn good woman."
"Eh...!!?!?" Her face instantly flushed bright red, her rabbit ears shooting straight up in shock.
Watching the last of the Fish-Men disappear around the corner, I finally turned my full attention back to the towering Marine Admiral. With Esune clinging securely to my back, I took a fighting stance, my tail swaying rhythmically behind me.
"Heheh... Aokiji..." I smirked, projecting a confidence I absolutely did not feel. "We won't let you turn them back into slaves...!"
"...!! Right! We're your opponents...!" Esune added, glaring bravely from over my shoulder.
Aokiji slowly scratched the back of his curly hair, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. "...Ararara... listening to you two talk, it really makes me look like the bad guy here, doesn't it..."
If you genuinely think so, how about you look the other way and let us go? No? Yeah, I figured.
We glared at each other, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The only sound was the howling of the unnatural winter wind whipping through the plaza.
And then...
Aokiji moved!
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!!"
He swung his right arm forward, unleashing a massive, hyper-dense construct of solid ice shaped like a majestic bird. It radiated a localized blizzard as it rocketed straight toward us. What is this, a Mahyad-tier Kaiser Phoenix!? Come to think of it, this guy sounds a lot like Vearn... wait, who cares about his voice actor right now!!
"Whoa! Acceleration!!"
"——!!"
I broke into a dead sprint, pushing my Tontatta muscles to their absolute limit. The sheer size of the ice bird made evasion nearly impossible, but I managed to dive out of its trajectory, the freezing wind ripping past my cheeks and leaving behind a thin layer of frost. For it to be a close call even with my ridiculous speed... his attack speed was on a completely different level.
"...I actually meant to hit you with that one," Aokiji muttered, sounding mildly impressed. "Ice Saber!"
"!!"
He casually shattered the frozen ground with a kick of his boot, kicking the sharp debris into the air. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed the flying shards, freezing them together with the moisture in the air to forge a jagged, lethal blade of solid ice. Is there anything this guy can't do!?
"Here!"
"Whoa!? Acceleration...!!"
"!!"
We were a good forty meters apart, but he closed the gap in a fraction of a second, bringing the massive ice blade down in a sweeping arc. My Observation Haki flared violently. I managed to dodge by leaping straight into the air, flipping over the blade. As I hung suspended above him, I cocked my fluffy tail back, channeling all my momentum into a single point.
"Tontatta Combat: Tail Hammer!!"
Smaaash!!
My tail slammed into Aokiji's shoulder with the force of a wrecking ball. The impact was dead center. The Admiral's upper body violently shattered like fragile glass, chunks of ice scattering across the courtyard.
For a split second, I thought I had done it. And then...
"S-So cold...!!"
A bone-deep chill shot through my nervous system. My tail, which had made direct contact with his body, was instantly encased in thick, heavy ice. I landed awkwardly on the ground, dragging the frozen deadweight behind me.
"...Whoops, I let my guard down," a calm voice echoed from the icy debris. "...Your speed, at least, is quite something..."
Before my horrified eyes, the scattered chunks of ice rapidly gathered together, instantly reforming Aokiji's body without a single scratch on him. He looked down at us, entirely unbothered.
What kind of cheat ability is that!? He just regenerates from being shattered to pieces!? How the hell am I supposed to beat this!!
"Big Brother! Is your tail okay!?" Esune asked, panic lacing her voice.
"I wouldn't exactly call it 'okay'..." I grimaced, trying to flex the frozen muscles. "If I hit him with it again, my tail might be the one that shatters..."
"Aokiji is a Freezing Human who ate the Chilly-Chilly Fruit. Since he's a Logia-type user, normal physical attacks won't do any damage! They'll just shatter his ice forms pointlessly or freeze you on contact!"
"First Kizaru, now Aokiji, every last one of them eats these cheat-level fruits!!" I complained loudly. "What do we do!? Does it have to be fire against ice!? I don't have any fire! What are we going to do!"
"Big Brother... calm down." Esune's voice suddenly shifted, dropping an octave. The panic was gone, replaced by a steely, quiet resolve. "I'll... I'll land a hit on Aokiji..."
"H-How...?"
"I learned it from Shakky. She might have just been flattering me during my training, but she praised me and said I had a rare talent for it..."
"Praised you for what...?"
"...Kuja Haki!!"
—————
Aokiji's POV
...I came to Mary Geoise on the orders of a Celestial Dragon. Well... it is what it is. The World Nobles call, and the Admirals answer. It's the job.
Honestly, I was just taking it easy out in the pristine gardens of Pangaea Castle. The sun was warm, the grass was soft, and I was in the middle of a perfectly good nap. That part of the day was all fine and dandy...
But I never expected a full-blown war to break out in the heart of the Holy Land.
The person currently squaring off against me, looking like a cornered animal, was Line, the "Invisible Phantom Thief." He was a dwarf with a 120,000,000 Berry bounty who had caused a massive stir six years ago when he somehow managed to pull a fast one on Kizaru at the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Ice Block: Partisan!!"
"Whoa!! That was close!!"
"~~!!"
While carrying a talking rabbit—a Devil Fruit user with an injured left leg—on his back, this little guy was dodging every single one of my attacks by a hair's breadth. He couldn't actually land a meaningful hit on me... but he was subconsciously, perfectly utilizing Observation Haki. His ability to read my intentions and react before I even moved was deeply impressive.
Combined with his microscopic size and that incredible dwarven agility, that Observation Haki made him an absolute nightmare to track, let alone hit. This was turning into a massive pain...
"Ah... why did you two go and do something as crazy as freeing slaves?" I asked, genuinely curious as I exhaled a cloud of frost. "That's a major crime, you know? Do you understand the scale of what you've done?"
"Huff... huff... It's not like I actively set out to free them," the dwarf panted, keeping his distance. "My little sister got captured by a Celestial Dragon, so I came to save her, and I just happened to break the slave aquarium along the way... So, you know, it just kind of happened?"
"...You're risking your life against a Marine Admiral because 'it just kind of happened'?"
"Heheh, I know I'm an idiot..." He offered a self-deprecating smirk, but his eyes were deadly serious. "But it's just too pitiful to finally be freed from a living hell, only to be dragged right back into it. I can't look away from that."
"..."
Ah, I get it.This guy is an idiot. A profoundly lovable idiot. The kind of stubborn, righteous idiot you just can't bring yourself to hate... This makes it really hard to do my job...
I vigorously scratched the back of my head, feeling a massive headache coming on.
"...Listen, I can completely sympathize with how you feel... but I'm still a Marine Admiral...! If I don't catch you... the higher-ups are going to make me write a formal apology...! Do you know how much paperwork that is?"
"Then just write the damn apology! And let us go!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that...!! Ice Ball!"
I shot out a condensed blast of freezing air, intending to trap him completely inside an inescapable sphere of ice, but sure enough, his Observation Haki flared and he dodged it effortlessly.
...Where did he go? He's so damn small, it's hard to track his footwork...
"Raaagh!! You're wide open!!"
"!!"
By the time I noticed the shift in the air currents, he had already slipped right into my blind spot, launching himself directly at my torso.
...But getting close won't matter. He already figured out that he can't land a hit on a Logia user like m—
"Netherland Kick!!"
Baaaam!!
"!!!"
My eyes widened in pure shock.
I took a ridiculously heavy, breathless blow... dead in the gut. The force of it lifted me slightly off the ground, the air forcibly expelled from my lungs.
"Cough...!!"
"It's working! It's working! That's amazing, Esune! You landed a solid hit on Aokiji!"
"I did it...! It hit...!"
I staggered back, clutching my stomach. That rabbit on his back... the one with the injured leg...
While the dwarf provided the mobility and evasion, she had coated her uninjured leg in Armament Haki and sent me flying...
And it wasn't just basic application. It was remarkably potent, highly refined Haki.
Who the hell are these two?
A dwarf specialized in high-tier Observation Haki for perfect defense, and a rabbit specialized in advanced Armament Haki for offense... It seems completely unbalanced, but as a duo, it's actually an incredibly effective combination...!
"Ice Glove!!"
I couldn't afford to play around anymore. I coated my right fist in dense, unbreakable ice and went in for a direct finishing blow, aiming to crush them both.
However, the Observation Haki-specialized dwarf read my muscles. He ducked under my sweeping hook, dodging it by a millimeter.
"Heave-ho!"
"Tch..."
"Here I go!"
Using the dwarf's evasive maneuver as a springboard, the Armament Haki-specialized rabbit came flying at my face with another fierce kick.
...But she's too naive. She's broadcasting her moves. I didn't even need to block. I simply dodged the rabbit's kick by casually leaning my head back, letting her foot whistle harmlessly past my nose.
Your fatal weakness is your short reach. Your tiny size is great for avoiding attacks, but terrible for landing them against a taller opponent.
Just as I smirked at the thought, confident the exchange was over...
"Netherland Long Kick!!"
Crack!!
"Buh!!?"
The rabbit's leg, which had already missed its mark, suddenly transformed, elongating rapidly. It stretched out and slammed right into the bridge of my nose with a sickening crunch.
"...! Gah... cough...!! You little brats...!!"
I see, that rabbit on his back is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user...!
At the exact moment her kick missed, she shifted her leg from her compact rabbit form into its human form to artificially extend her reach. It was a feint. Every single one of them is full of cheap tricks...!
The unexpected impact completely threw off my balance. She actually made me fall on my ass.
"Whoaaa! We made him fall! Now's our chance, Esune! We're running at full speed! Hold on tight!!"
"Yes!! Big Brother~~!!"
While I was planted unceremoniously on the cobblestones, massaging my bleeding nose, the dwarf and the rabbit bolted away at top speed, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.
Choosing to run without hesitation instead of pressing the attack when they had an Admiral down... that's a brilliant, highly rational choice.
...Personally, I'd love to just sit here, claim they were too fast, and let them go. But pulling off such a blatant dereliction of duty in the middle of Mary Geoise, right under the noses of the Celestial Dragons... even I can't get away with that...!
"Eh!?" the dwarf gasped as the air around him suddenly froze.
"No..." the rabbit whimpered.
I had chased after them using a full-powered Shave, closing the distance instantly. I locked onto them with my absolute best Observation Haki, mapping their trajectory, and unleashed a massive, inescapable wave of freezing air directly at their retreating backs.
Sorry...
But you forced my hand. You made me get serious...
"Ice Time Capsule...!!"
The absolute-zero wave consumed them. The mist cleared seconds later to reveal a pristine sculpture of ice. I had successfully frozen the "Invisible Phantom Thief" and the brave little rabbit clinging to his back, fully restraining them before they could take another step.
"...Your teamwork, your spirit to help others even if it meant sacrificing yourselves... it was admirable," I muttered quietly to the frozen statues.
As a Marine Admiral, it truly saddens me that I have to capture people like you...
With the utmost respect for their resolve, I reached out to apprehend the frozen pair, intent on taking them into custody as gently as possible.
But just as my fingers brushed the ice—
Smack!!
"!!"
My hand was violently swatted away by an invisible, overwhelming force. The sheer pressure radiating from the point of impact made my skin crawl.
Wondering what the hell could casually deflect an Admiral, I raised my gaze...
"...Ararara..." A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. "...This is... the appearance of a big shot I never could have imagined..."
"..."
Standing between me and the frozen duo, possessing an aura so dense it felt like the gravity had doubled, was the former vice-captain of the legendary Roger Pirates...
The man known to the world as the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh.
"..."
Looking as if he was both smiling amiably and furious enough to slaughter a continent—an indescribable, terrifying expression—Rayleigh watched my every move from behind his round glasses.
I vigorously scratched the back of my head, feeling a massive headache coming on.
"...Sigh... Rayleigh. What are you doing? Where do you think you are right now? This is Mary Geoise, the Holy Land, you know? ...Don't tell me the great Dark King just came here for a casual stroll?"
"Fufufu, Aokiji... don't be so on guard," Rayleigh chuckled warmly, though his Haki remained razor-sharp. "I merely came to pick up my son and daughter."
"Son? Daughter?" I blinked in disbelief.
Ignoring me entirely, Rayleigh turned his back, gently scooping up the frozen solid duo in his arms with the care of a worried father.
"You're not seriously telling me... those two are your actual biological kids..." I deadpanned.
"We aren't related by blood, so rest assured," Rayleigh replied, patting the ice.
"Well, yeah... I figured as much, but... huh? How the hell am I supposed to report this to Headquarters!? Rayleigh... won't you just hand those two over peacefully?"
Rayleigh slowly turned his head, his smiling eyes narrowing into slits. "If that is your decision... I'll have to resist with everything I have... Will that be a problem, Aokiji?"
"...Give me a break. Seriously, I can't deal with this..."
I definitely couldn't have an all-out fight with the Dark King in a place like this.
If we did clash, I had no intention of losing, but I'd definitely suffer some deep, lasting wounds. Rayleigh wasn't a man you fought without sacrificing a limb or two. And Mary Geoise? The collateral damage would level the entire Holy Land.
If I let them go, I'll get yelled at by Fleet Admiral Sengoku. If I don't let them go, I'll still get yelled at, and half the capital will be destroyed. In that case... maybe letting them go and taking the chewing out is the better, cheaper option...?
"Sigh... fine, I get it..." I finally relented, raising my hands in mock surrender. "If the Dark King stepped in, Headquarters will just have to accept it..."
"Thank you. You've always been a reasonable man," Rayleigh smiled genuinely. "Ah, and one more thing, Aokiji."
"...What is it? Is there more...?"
"Line may be a lost cause by now. He's already famous," Rayleigh noted, looking down at the frozen dwarf. "But there's still time for this rabbit girl. She's just an ordinary girl who happened to catch the eye of a vile Celestial Dragon."
"..."
Can an ordinary girl use advanced Kuja Armament Haki to break an Admiral's nose...? I thought to myself, feeling the dull throb in my face, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.
The issue isn't whether she can fight or not... The issue is that the 'only' reason she came here was because a Celestial Dragon targeted her. He wants to protect her future.
"What are you... trying to say?" I asked carefully.
"Oh, nothing at all," Rayleigh said breezily. "I'm just saying that regarding today's battle, if you were to simply keep quiet about her presence, this child won't have to become a wanted criminal for the rest of her life."
Saying so, Rayleigh gently stroked the frozen rabbit girl's head, his touch full of genuine affection.
"...Haaa, what's with that thinly veiled threat..." I sighed, running a hand down my face.
"It's not a threat. What you do is entirely up to you, and your own personal justice."
"...Fine, I get it," I conceded, knowing when I was beaten. "The culprits behind today's incident, who ran rampant through Mary Geoise, freed a massive number of slaves, and successfully escaped from Marine Admiral Aokiji... were the 'Invisible Phantom Thief' and 'Dark King Rayleigh'. A little rabbit girl was completely uninvolved. Happy?"
"Fufu, thank you. You have my gratitude." Rayleigh bowed slightly. "Now then, I'll be taking these two home. If I don't thaw them out soon, they might catch a terrible cold..."
With that, Rayleigh turned toward the sheer drop of the cliff. Without a moment's hesitation, he seamlessly scaled down the impossibly steep, vertical face of the Red Line barehanded, still effortlessly holding the two heavy blocks of ice.
Just for the record, we are currently ten thousand meters in the air... higher than the clouds right now...
"Sigh... Still, who would have thought the legendary 'Dark King' had kids, even if they aren't blood-related..."
Scratching the back of my head and mentally preparing for the worst screaming-match of my career, I slowly turned my back to the cliff and made my way back to Pangaea Castle.
________________________________________
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations