Tokikake widened his eyes, watching as Kuzan was hung up by Vice Admiral Tsuru, his body swaying in the wind like a piece of laundry hung out to dry.
Water droplets still dripped from his body, not yet dried.
A faint, soapy fragrance even wafted from Kuzan's swaying form.
"Ahem..."
A weak cough sounded as Vice Admiral Tsuru's body went limp, collapsing toward the ground.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
Tokikake hurriedly caught her body with both hands.
Looking at the ice spear deeply embedded in Tsuru's chest and abdomen, Tokikake could clearly feel that this revered, elderly Marine Chief of Staff's life force was like a candle in the wind, rapidly burning out.
Beside them, Kuzan, who had been hung up to dry, suddenly showed a glimmer of light in his numb, hollow eyes.
He blinked once, and then countless memories came flooding back into his mind like a tidal wave.
His passionate youth, joining the Marines.
The disillusionment of middle age, a life of aimlessness.
Breaking with Akainu, betraying the forces of justice, joining the Blackbeard Pirates.
Seeking revenge for Sengoku, yet causing his teacher Zephyr's death.
Covering for Ryokugyu, forcing his Devil Fruit ability to awaken, losing his self-awareness.
In the prison, having his memories forcibly erased by that man, becoming a cold walking corpse!
And just minutes ago, he had held an ice spear, piercing his friend Smoker's heart with it, shattering his body into pieces!
"I... I'm Kuzan, what have I done?"
Kuzan's body expanded, returning to normal as he descended from mid-air.
He looked around in confusion.
Across the plaza, hundreds of Marine soldiers pierced by ice spears had already turned into cold corpses, their eyes fixed on him with pain and despair!
At his feet, half of a shattered skull happened to be facing his gaze.
On the somewhat familiar half-face, frozen tears glistened.
Thud!
Kuzan's body swayed, his knees giving way as he heavily knelt on the ground.
With trembling hands, he slowly picked up the frozen half-skull from the ground.
Kuzan opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But his throat seemed blocked.
Only stream after stream of tears fell from his eyes.
"Kuzan! Vice Admiral Tsuru... she seems to be dying!"
Suddenly, Kuzan heard Tokikake's urgent shout beside him.
Kuzan tucked Smoker's skull into his chest, sinking it into his torso, then quickly turned to look at Vice Admiral Tsuru in Tokikake's arms.
He reached out and placed his hand on Tsuru's shoulder, rapidly melting the ice spear piercing her chest and abdomen.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru..."
Kuzan's hand trembled as he recalled how Tsuru had rushed toward him without regard for her own safety.
He realized this must have been Vice Admiral Tsuru's desperate attempt to awaken him, willingly sacrificing her own life.
At this thought, more tears welled in Kuzan's eyes.
Vice Admiral Tsuru lay in Tokikake's arms, weakly looking at the awakened Kuzan with a relieved smile on her face.
She slowly raised her hand, grasping Kuzan's palm.
"Kuzan, that's wonderful... Don't be sad. I've lived long enough. Sengoku, Garp, Zephyr - they've already gone ahead, and I miss them too. Don't worry about me. Go, help our comrades, they need you..."
Tsuru's eyes were dimming, the flame of her life about to extinguish completely.
"No! You won't die here. You're a monument to justice, destined to guide our Marines forward."
The tears on Kuzan's cheeks froze into ice crystals, clinging to his face.
He quickly rushed toward Moria, who was still standing dazed nearby.
"Moria! Give me Caesar's blood!"
Kuzan darted in front of Moria, extending his hand toward him.
Moria saw the ice crystals on Kuzan's face and the look in his eyes that was no longer numb.
Combined with what had just happened, a chill ran down his spine as he instantly understood something.
"You... you've regained your memories? Kuzan, you... you can't betray the Beast God Pirates..."
Moria stammered, his body rapidly fading as he attempted to transform into the Shadow Master and escape.
Kuzan's expression remained cold as he waved his right hand!
"Moria, you should understand the gap that exists between you and me. Two years ago, Doflamingo couldn't kill you, but if I wanted to kill Doflamingo, it would be as easy as turning over my hand."
A raging cold current surged from Kuzan's palm, instantly spreading and transforming into an Ice Storm that engulfed the space hundreds of meters ahead!
"No!"
In the distance, a massive figure was frozen by the icy wind and fell from the sky!
During the fall, Moria already felt the arrival of death!
An extreme cold, penetrating everywhere, spread wildly from the outside in, freezing all the muscles, bones, blood vessels, and internal organs within his body!
Boom!
Moria's tall body crashed to the ground, instantly shattering into pieces!
In the distance, Tokikake watched this scene in shock.
Gecko Moria couldn't even withstand a single move from Kuzan.
It seemed his own strength still had a long way to go before reaching the level of a Marine Admiral.
Amid the scattered fragments on the ground, Kuzan picked out a small crimson bottle.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, drink this, and your injuries will completely heal."
Kuzan held the small bottle and poured it into Tsuru's mouth.
Tokikake asked in surprise, "What is this? A healing potion?"
Kuzan replied calmly, "It's Caesar's blood. That monster's blood can heal any injury."
"What? This... is it really that terrifying? No wonder..."
Tokikake suddenly recalled how their high-ranking officers had been injured before and were healed by Admiral Ryokugyu.
...
Meanwhile, the pirates on the other side had taken out something to drink and instantly became lively again.
He had initially thought it was some kind of stimulant or berserker drug.
He never expected it to be Caesar's blood.
Tokikake scanned the surroundings and said in confusion, "There are tens of thousands of pirates here. How could that monster have so much blood?"
"This is just a drop in the bucket. Barbarossa Caesar is a true monster, a monster among monsters. Sakazuki shouldn't have confronted him head-on."
As Kuzan finished speaking, the two of them watched as Vice Admiral Tsuru, whose aura had weakened to the extreme like a candle in the wind, saw her wounds rapidly heal.
Her complexion turned rosy, and her spirit became full of vitality.
At this moment, she looked even better than before.
"Truly miraculous."
Vice Admiral Tsuru glanced at the bottle in Kuzan's hand.
Then, she noticed the pain and sorrow in Kuzan's eyes and couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart.
Having personally slaughtered hundreds of Marine soldiers and killed his own close friend Smoker, Kuzan's remaining years would likely be spent in endless pain and regret.
"Kuzan, pull yourself together. The Marines still need you!"
Kuzan clenched his fists, his gaze turning sharp.
"Huh? Not good! Get away quickly!"
Suddenly, Kuzan felt a shudder of alarm and quickly grabbed Vice Admiral Tsuru and Tokikake, leaping far away.
Whoosh!
A pitch-black greatsword, shot from an unknown direction like a dark beam of light, plunged straight into Kuzan's chest!
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