It had been some time since the Summit War ended.
After the brutal battle, Marineford, once reduced to ruins, had nearly been rebuilt under the reconstruction efforts of the Marines.
But it was no longer the base of the Marine headquarters.
Under the command of the new Fleet Admiral, Akainu, the Marine headquarters had been relocated to the original G-1 Branch in the New World.
Marineford had since become the site of the new G-1 Branch.
At the new Marine headquarters—
A man wearing the epaulettes of a Vice Admiral burst into the Fleet Admiral's office, face pale with panic.
"Bad news! Fleet Admiral Akainu! Something terrible has happened!"
He didn't even bother knocking—he just muttered nervously as he pushed open the door and barged in.
Akainu, in the middle of reviewing documents, was interrupted by the sudden intrusion. A flash of irritation appeared on his face.
"Did you forget how to knock?"
Though he spoke sternly, Akainu didn't lash out. Instead, he calmly asked:
"What's gotten you so worked up? As a Marine, isn't composure a basic requirement?"
But the Vice Admiral didn't even acknowledge the rebuke. His face was filled with dread as he quickly reported:
"Admiral Aokiji… has fallen in battle!"
Hearing this, Akainu shot up from his chair and slammed his right hand on the desk, leaving a deep palm print on the polished surface.
"What did you say?!" he demanded, veins bulging on his forehead.
Seeing Akainu's reaction, the Vice Admiral trembled slightly, then continued:
"Nearly all personnel involved in the Kronos siege operation were wiped out!
Only the Marine Science Division's Kabalu was recovered by two CP agents.
But he's critically injured, unconscious, and currently undergoing emergency treatment!"
Akainu's face darkened as he listened.
Though he and Aokiji had their differences and often clashed, Aokiji had still been a fellow Admiral—someone he had served with for many years.
More importantly, Aokiji represented one of the three pillars of Marine combat power.
To lose him now—when the World Government was already facing a serious manpower shortage—was a devastating blow.
That was what made Akainu furious.
"Damn the Five Elders… I was against this operation from the start!"
Akainu growled, clenching his jaw.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to rein in his emotions.
Then he looked toward the corner of the desk—where a wanted poster lay.
The face on the poster belonged to the captain of the Kamui Pirates—the man responsible for all of this:
Kronos.
After his report, the Vice Admiral stood silently.
But he didn't realize that behind Akainu's narrowed eyes was an uncontrollable storm of rage.
"It's all because of this bastard…
Ever since he appeared, the world hasn't had a moment's peace!"
Meanwhile, in the New World, on a snow-covered island consumed by a violent blizzard…
Two massive ice statues stood silently at the island's center.
The bitter wind howled, bringing with it waves of frost.
These two frozen figures were none other than Kronos and Marine Admiral Aokiji, who had just fought a life-or-death battle.
Kronos was completely frozen, trapped in solid ice, unable to move.
Just before being sealed, he had managed to launch a final Black Flash Spear at Aokiji—
hoping to kill him and end the battle.
But things had not gone as Kronos planned.
Now, even his blood flow and internal organs had slowed down drastically from the extreme cold.
His mind was beginning to fade.
His body forced into a state akin to hibernation.
Not far away, the Kamui Pirates, having sensed the end of the battle, approached the island—
only to be met with a terrifying cold front.
"Ah-choo! Damn, it's freezing out here!"
Gojo Satoru sneezed and shivered violently, quickly wrapping his coat tighter around him.
Gathered nearby were Konan, Gojo Satoru, Pain (Six Paths), Albedo, Hashirama, and others.
They stared toward the frozen figure of Kronos in silence.
"How are we supposed to get Captain Kronos out of there?"
Konan asked calmly, her gaze fixed on the thick ice encasing him.
No one answered.
No one had a solution.
Because none of them could even get close to Kronos right now.
The nearer they got, the colder it became—
until the freezing temperatures made it physically impossible to advance.
They were already standing at the limit of what their bodies could handle.
If they tried to move even a few steps closer, they'd start freezing too.
The area around Kronos had essentially become a no-man's-land, an impenetrable ice zone.
Even where they stood now required superhuman endurance just to withstand the cold.
Weaker members—like Assac, Cant, Populen, and others—couldn't even step off the ship.
They remained aboard, shivering outside the island's boundary.
Their ordinary bodies simply couldn't survive in this frozen hellscape.
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