BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, the entire space seemed to tremble at that moment.
Two substances of entirely different natures collided, immediately triggering a process of mutual annihilation.
On one side, the intense heat rapidly melted portions of the ice into water.
On the other, the extreme cold gradually weakened the flames until they were extinguished.
In the midst of this, vast plumes of white steam billowed upward, shrouding the battlefield in a hazy mist.
Though the two sides appeared evenly matched, every passing second drained their energy further.
"Ace is so strong! He's actually pushed Admiral Aokiji to this extent!"
"Haha, a dual Devil Fruit user really is something. I can't wait to see Pops' Tremor-Tremor Fruit in action."
"Actually, Aokiji's ability isn't bad either. If you could get both the Ice-Ice Fruit and the Flame-Flame Fruit, could you develop a Steam-Steam Fruit ability?"
"Why go through all that trouble? Wouldn't it be easier if Ron just enchanted it for you?"
"Hahaha, my bad. I'm such an idiot."
"....."
Jozu and the other division commanders laughed and joked, but their movements never slowed.
The more they talked, the closer they crept toward the battlefield.
Once they were near enough, Vista and another commander exchanged glances, grinning before suddenly launching their attacks!
"Rose Rondo!"
"Brilliant Punk!"
Jozu's arm gleamed dazzlingly under the sunlight, as it was covered by countless sparkling diamonds.
His muscles tensed with explosive power, each swing stirring up fierce gusts of wind!
Vista had already soared into the air, his figure radiant under the sun's rays!
Twin swords danced in his hands like agile silver serpents, weaving through the air.
Crimson rose petals drifted from his blades—each one no ordinary flower, but a blade-sharp slash capable of slicing through steel.
The petals swirled and fluttered, forming a vast sea of red blossoms.
They crisscrossed like an enormous net, enveloping the entire battlefield!
"Damn it!"
Aokiji's brow furrowed tightly, his face a mix of disbelief and fury.
He never expected that at such a critical moment, Jozu and Vista would suddenly ambush him!
Pirates were pirates, after all—they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
Though he was filled with intense disdain for such behavior, his immediate priority was dealing with the crisis at hand.
He tried to summon his power for a counterattack or defense, but it was already too late!
Jozu's diamond-hard right arm slammed into Aokiji's chest with terrifying speed and force, not only inflicting sharp pain on him but sending him stumbling back several steps.
Before he could steady himself, Vista swiftly followed up, leaving a long gash across Aokiji's defenseless back with his razor-sharp blade.
Then Ace joined the assault, his fist wreathed in devastating flame, striking Aokiji's chest like a battering ram.
The already severely wounded admiral was pushed past his limits, instantly losing all of his combat strength.
Under this relentless barrage of precise attacks, Aokiji finally collapsed while coughing up a mouthful of blood!
Residual blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his body collapsed powerlessly onto the cold ground.
Just as Aokiji thought these pirates would take advantage of his weakened state to finish him off, something entirely unexpected happened.
Instead of charging at him as he'd anticipated, the pirates frantically scrambled toward the blood he'd coughed up, desperately collecting every drop of it.
They carefully bottled the precious blood as if it was some priceless treasure.
"Hahaha, this is the real deal!"
"It's genuine! All of it! The power of the Ice-Ice Fruit!"
"Save some portions for Ace and Jozu! No one gets to hog it all!"
Watching this scene unfold, Aokiji felt nothing but confusion.
He couldn't comprehend why these pirates were so obsessed with his blood that they'd risk their lives for it.
Could there be some hidden secret or value in his blood that he wasn't aware of?
No time to dwell on that now.
Though he hadn't deciphered the meaning of those three golden light, he'd obtained even more valuable information—
The Whitebeard Pirates had produced a Dual Fruit User!
"My, what a memorable experience. I'll remember you, Second Division Commander Portgas D Ace."
Aokiji wiped the blood from his lips as he lazily regarded the pirates.
"We're done today. We'll continue this another time!"
"Geppo!"
The moment he spoke, his foot seemed to pierce through empty air, leaving behind a faint afterimage in the void.
With each successive step, his speed increased exponentially, the very atmosphere tearing apart from his velocity with howling winds.
The pirates watched as Aokiji's figure grew increasingly indistinct, streaking across the sky like lightning before vanishing completely from sight.
All that remained were the fading echoes of wind and gazes filled with reluctant gratitude.
"Ace, I think we should've kept Aokiji here!" Jozu said eagerly, clearly thinking about increasing his bounty.
Vista appeared particularly excited as he carefully produced an exquisite glass vial from his coat.
His movements were painstakingly precise, as if wasting even a single drop would be catastrophic for him.
He began meticulously collecting blood from his weapon, treating each droplet as treasures.
"Jozu, it was already incredibly difficult for us to ambush and seriously wound Aokiji" Vista said while shaking his head.
He gently tucked the filled vial into his inner pocket, giving it a reassuring pat to ensure its safety.
"But if we wanted to permanently keep a Marine Admiral here..."
Vista paused, his eyes turning profound as if contemplating some weighty matter.
"...then our side would likely have to pay an enormous price," he added slowly, his voice heavy with resignation.
For them, while this might count as a victory, defeating such a formidable enemy completely would be no easy feat—it might even require sacrificing several of their comrades' lives as the cost.
"He's that powerful?" Jozu's eyes widened.
"Of course. Never underestimate an Admiral ... cough." Ace also nodded in agreement before he was suddenly coughing.
His face turned pale as he staggered a few steps before steadying himself.
With a wry smile, he sighed, "The recovery ability of the Phoenix is truly insane. The move that drained my stamina just moments ago is already mostly restored."
"Dual Fruit power is really overpowered!"
"Let's go, let's go! Let's find the vice-captain and get one for ourselves too!"
"I want Pops Tremor-Tremor Fruit power!"
"Same here!"
...