As the focal point of the battlefield, Kong and Kaito naturally became the most eye catching figures in the war.
A Den Den Mushi stationed in the distance focused entirely on them, broadcasting every second of their clash to the world. Their battle was not only witnessed by those present on the battlefield, but also by countless people across Earth watching the live transmission.
What they saw completely shattered their understanding.
Kong, the Commander in Chief of the World Government, a man whose authority stood even above Fleet Admiral Sengoku, was being forced into a one sided retreat.
Not only that, he was being suppressed while fighting alongside Admiral Kizaru.
Had Kizaru not intervened repeatedly, Kong would have already fallen.
This was not the kind of scene civilians expected to witness.
"This is the Commander in Chief of the World Government? He is far too weak."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku is not like this at all."
"Are the Marines really about to lose?"
Fear spread among the crowds gathered beneath the massive screens, disbelief written across every face.
On the battlefield itself, Kaito stood calmly in the sky, his presence alone causing the air to tremble. His cloak fluttered violently as he looked down at Kong and Kizaru with open disdain.
"Kong," Kaito said coldly, his voice echoing across the frozen sea.
"As the Commander in Chief, is running really all you can do?"
The sound struck like a bell, vibrating through the air and numbing the ears of nearby Marines. Everyone heard it clearly.
Kong and Kizaru's expressions darkened instantly.
"You brat… you… you…" Kong roared, veins bulging across his forehead.
"Marshal Kong, stay calm," Kizaru said quickly.
"Together, we may still have a chance."
Kong's chest heaved violently, his face alternating between blue and purple. He nearly cursed out loud. Easy for you to say.
Still, he forced himself to endure.
Stalling was their only option.
He refused to believe such a monstrous power came without consequences. Once Kaito's enhancement reached its limit, the tables would turn.
Unfortunately, Kaito had already seen through them.
A calm, indifferent voice suddenly sounded behind the two men.
"Three kicks."
Three compressed shockwaves appeared out of nowhere, rapidly converging into a single devastating force. The pressure alone made Kong's scalp go numb, cold sweat pouring down his back.
He knew it instantly.
He would die.
"Kizaru, move!" Kong shouted desperately, grabbing his coat.
"Understood, Marshal Kong," Kizaru replied without hesitation.
Golden light erupted as the two vanished from their original position.
Just like before, the ancient white beam did not dissipate. It tore forward across the battlefield, unstoppable.
Marco, who was locked in battle with Akainu, felt death closing in. His expression changed sharply.
A spatial distortion appeared beside him.
Without hesitation, Marco transformed into a phoenix and rushed inside.
The next instant, the destructive air column descended.
Akainu's eyes widened. It was already too late.
Boom.
A massive explosion erupted, forming a towering mushroom cloud that shook the entire battlefield.
The shockwaves rippled endlessly, making even hardened veterans tremble.
Crack. Crack.
The ice beneath them split open once more, web like fractures spreading across the entire surface. Had Kaito unleashed another strike of the same scale, the frozen sea would have completely collapsed back into open water.
Fighters in the distance turned pale.
"Again?"
Moments later, the chaos subsided.
Space twisted once more as Marco stepped out, his face drained of color, fear still lingering in his eyes.
Half a meter above the ice, molten lava churned. Only Akainu's head remained visible, the rest of his body submerged.
Without his Logia intangibility, he would have died instantly.
The lava gathered as Akainu reformed, his face deathly pale, eyes burning with fury as he stared at Kaito.
"Kaito," he growled hoarsely, like a wounded beast.
Kaito ignored him.
His gaze moved downward, brows knitting slightly.
With a single thought, his power surged outward. Frost spread rapidly as he raised his hand.
"Frozen World."
The temperature plummeted instantly.
What had been a battlefield moments ago became a realm of absolute cold. Ice fragments fell from the sky, spreading across hundreds of kilometers.
"What is happening?"
"It is freezing!"
"The climate just changed!"
Both sides of the war stared upward in disbelief.
As the first shards touched the surface, the shattered ice began repairing itself at a visible speed. The frozen sea expanded outward violently, spreading far beyond the original battlefield.
This was not chakra, nor some cultivation art.
It was Kaito's mastery over ice, refined from Admiral Aokiji's Ice Age and elevated far beyond it.
The range was smaller, but the density and control were on an entirely different level.
Marine officers gasped.
"Is Kaito even human?"
"He is using ice on a level far beyond Admiral Aokiji."
"This is the greatest crisis the Marines have ever faced."
Panic crept into countless eyes.
Among them, Aokiji's expression was the most complex.
As someone who had pushed the Ice Ice Fruit to its limits, he knew better than anyone how terrifying this was.
Kaito was not on the same level.
The thought weighed heavily on him. This battle would end in total defeat for the Marines.
He shook his head sharply, forcing himself to focus.
Kaito moved.
The air roared as he vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared directly before Kong.
His fist, slender but carrying world destroying power, slammed into Kong's abdomen.
Blood sprayed violently.
Kong disappeared once more, sent flying into the distance.
Kaito turned his gaze calmly toward Kizaru.
For the first time, fear crept into the Admiral's heart. It felt as though an ancient beast had locked onto him, death looming with no escape.
Kaito stepped forward.
The air screamed.
He vanished.
"Terrifying… how can someone like this exist?" Kizaru muttered under his breath.
Boom.
A thunderous impact echoed from afar.
Kizaru's expression changed instantly.
"Marshal Kong!"
Golden light flared as he rushed toward the source.
Within a massive ice cavern, Kong staggered forward, his body drenched in blood, face pale beyond belief.
Even with his monstrous physique, two direct hits like that had nearly broken him.
"Marshal Kong, are you alright?" Kizaru asked urgently as he arrived.
Kong twitched, pain tearing through his abdomen. He waved a hand weakly.
"I am still alive," he said solemnly.