"I’ll admit Aokiji’s Devil Fruit is powerful, but it’s not something I’d want."
Marco spoke casually as he poured more sake into Whitebeard’s cup.
"If I were choosing a Logia, I’d rather take Akainu’s Mag-Mag Fruit."
"Oh?" Whitebeard raised an eyebrow with interest. "And what’s your reason?"
"Not all Logia fruits are created equal."
Marco leaned back slightly.
"The Mag-Mag Fruit possesses overwhelming offensive capability. Every attack carries devastating destructive power. In terms of pure attack strength, it’s among the very best."
"Compared to the Ice-Ice Fruit, it’s somewhat superior."
Whitebeard stroked his chin.
"Then why not Kizaru’s Glint-Glint Fruit? That power grants incredible speed. Most opponents wouldn’t even have time to react before being hit."
Marco lifted his hand.
Blue phoenix flames flickered above his palm.
"Pops, the regeneration granted by the Phoenix Fruit is already absurd."
"These flames can heal nearly any injury."
"Kizaru’s attacks aren’t particularly threatening to someone with our recovery abilities, so I don’t see much value in taking his power."
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard burst out laughing.
"Trying to lecture your old man, are you?"
"Drink!"
"Fine, fine."
Marco shook his head helplessly.
"I’ll drink."
Meanwhile, at the harbor...
Aokiji stared at the gathering crowd with a puzzled expression.
Every pirate present was looking at him with unusual enthusiasm.
Their eyes practically glowed.
To him, they resembled starving men who had suddenly discovered an enormous treasure mountain.
The problem was—
He had merely come to ask a question.
Was there really a need for nearly the entire Whitebeard Pirates command structure to show up?
"Ah la la..."
Aokiji stretched lazily.
"This is certainly a lively welcome."
"Since everyone’s already here, I’ll ask directly."
His gaze swept across the commanders.
"What exactly appeared on this island yesterday?"
"Those three pillars of golden light... what were they?"
Ace narrowed his eyes.
So that was his purpose.
For a second, he had assumed the Admiral was simply passing through.
"Aokiji."
Ace folded his arms.
"Are all Marine Admirals this slow?"
"You seriously expect us to answer that?"
"Hahaha!"
Laughter immediately erupted.
"This Admiral doesn’t seem very bright!"
"Who said Admirals are supposed to be intelligent?"
"That’s a dangerous stereotype!"
The surrounding pirates burst into even louder laughter.
Aokiji absentmindedly cleaned his ear.
His expression remained completely uninterested.
"A bunch of drifting trash making noise all day."
"You people are giving me a headache."
"Maybe I should cool things down."
The instant those words left his mouth—
He attacked.
His body transformed into living ice.
The surrounding temperature plummeted.
A terrifying cold spread outward in every direction.
Everything touched by the freezing wave instantly froze.
Flowers.
Grass.
Trees.
Birds.
Even insects.
All became frozen sculptures.
The sunlight reflected off countless crystal-like surfaces, creating a breathtakingly beautiful yet horrifying scene.
"Move!"
Ace immediately shouted.
The commanders quickly retreated.
The freezing wave narrowly missed them.
Unfortunately, many ordinary crew members weren’t fast enough.
The cold struck them directly.
Their bodies became frozen statues.
"Ice Ball."
Aokiji raised his arm casually.
Moisture condensed in front of him.
Several razor-sharp ice spears formed instantly before shooting forward.
Like arrows released from a bowstring.
Several pirates were struck.
Frost rapidly spread across their bodies.
Then—
An even stronger burst of freezing energy erupted.
Huge spheres of ice materialized around the victims.
The trapped pirates found themselves sealed inside.
The temperature within those icy prisons continued dropping.
Their bodies gradually lost all feeling.
Beginning from their feet, the freezing process slowly spread upward.
The harbor became eerily silent.
Only Aokiji’s calm gaze remained.
"Flame Mirror!"
Ace roared.
A tremendous torrent of fire exploded from his arm.
The eruption resembled a volcanic blast.
The flames surged forward and expanded rapidly.
Soon, a gigantic wall of fire stood before the Whitebeard Pirates.
The blazing barrier intercepted the incoming cold while providing warmth to those behind it.
"You bastard!"
Ace glared at Aokiji.
"Starting with a sneak attack?"
At the same time, gentler flames emerged from his other hand.
They washed over the frozen pirates.
The ice covering them quickly melted away.
Ace felt a trace of frustration.
He had reacted too slowly.
Had he moved sooner, fewer crewmates would have been caught.
Across from him, Aokiji remained completely composed.
There wasn’t even a hint of surprise.
It was almost as if he had anticipated Ace’s interference from the beginning.
"Fire Fist Ace."
Aokiji spoke calmly.
"Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"This is becoming interesting."
Cold air gathered around him.
Large quantities of ice condensed in the atmosphere.
One crystalline projectile after another formed before launching toward the wall of flames.
"Hmph."
Ace snorted.
"The same move again?"
"This is supposed to be an Admiral?"
He thrust his arm forward.
The massive fire wall surged ahead like a blazing tidal wave.
Its purpose was obvious.
Completely engulf Aokiji.
"Oh?"
Aokiji merely watched.
The ice projectiles collided with the inferno.
The moment contact occurred—
Their surfaces melted.
Cracks spread rapidly across them.
Within moments, every projectile shattered.
The remaining fragments dissolved into harmless water that splashed onto the harbor ground.
The violent clash between fire and ice shook the entire area.
Then Aokiji moved.
"Ice Time Capsule."
An enormous amount of freezing energy gathered around his arm.
A giant bird made of ice took shape.
It looked astonishingly lifelike.
The instant it launched forward, everything in its path froze.
Frost rapidly spread across the harbor.
The ground became coated in thick layers of ice.
Even the air itself appeared frozen.
Tiny particles became visible to the naked eye.
The spectators stared in shock.
The display was simply too overwhelming.
No one realized that during the chaos—
Aokiji himself had disappeared.
At the same time, flames erupted from Ace’s body.
He pushed his abilities to their limit.
Trying to resist the advancing cold.
Yet before the endless sea of ice, even his scorching flames appeared insignificant.
Then—
A terrifying amount of freezing energy suddenly gathered behind him.
An enormous ice formation emerged without warning.
The cold had silently spread across the battlefield.
At some point, Ace’s legs had already been frozen solid.
He could no longer move.
Aokiji’s calm voice echoed from behind him.
"When facing an opponent..."
"You should always be prepared to die."