When the 300-meter giant azure dragon clashed with the sky full of frost, Ray immediately sensed a disturbing change.
The energy at the head of the Azure Dragon Break was beginning to stiffen, turning sluggish.
'As expected of an Admiral. Being able to freeze energy itself... that must be an Awakened power.'
'But... can you really freeze my Demonic Power?'
Ray narrowed his eyes and increased the infusion of Demonic Power into the attack.
Although his quantity still couldn't match Sesshomaru's peak, Ray's quality was perfect.
It was dense, refined, and alive.
How could a mere Devil Fruit power permanently freeze something so potent?
Aokiji, who had initially felt his attack gaining the upper hand, frowned slightly.
'What a strange power. My energy can only freeze the surface, and that active energy underneath quickly shatters the ice covering it.'
He glanced at Ray through the chaotic energy storm.
'This guy is definitely stronger than Tokikake. Tch... how long has it been since Alabasta? The government's assessment of the Straw Hat Pirates is this far off?'
Aokiji briefly considered whether to cease fighting.
But after a moment's thought, he decided to continue.
If Ray's endurance was insufficient, then after dealing with him, capturing the rest of the Straw Hats would be child's play.
...
As for Ray:
After his template fusion rate increased to 60%, his Demonic Power had reached a perfect state.
His recovery speed and efficiency had skyrocketed.
To deplete Ray's mana bar now, he would need to continuously use ultimate moves without a second of rest.
Currently, Ray was only slowly infusing power into the Azure Dragon Break, balancing consumption and recovery perfectly.
For Aokiji, simply releasing cold air naturally didn't count as significant consumption either.
Thus, the two titans reached a terrifying stalemate, their attacks grinding against each other without exploding.
Ray chose not to infuse Conqueror's or Armament Haki into the attack yet.
He could, but so could Aokiji.
Before the opponent made the next move, preserving strength was the best choice.
After all, Aokiji was alone.
While on Ray's side... the cavalry had arrived.
Luffy activated Gear Second, vanishing in a burst of steam.
Sanji used Soru and turn into blur of black and gold.
Zoro and Chopper followed closely behind.
The four close-combat fighters took advantage of the stalemate to rush Aokiji's exposed flanks.
"Scope!" Chopper shouted, positioning his hands. "Arm Point: Cherry Blossom Snowstorm!"
He unleashed a flurry of Haki-coated hoof strikes at Aokiji's back.
Aokiji, still locked with Ray, didn't turn around.
He simply manifested an ice prism mirror on his back, imbuing it with freezing power.
CRASH.
The moment Chopper's attack landed, the ice prism shattered, but the released cold air enveloped him instantly.
The adorable chubby "tanuki" was frozen mid-strike into a statue of an ice reindeer.
However, Chopper was just the opening act.
An attack far more powerful descended from the sky.
"Diable Jambe: Flanchet Strike!"
Sanji's leg, wreathed in flames, slammed down from high above, targeting Aokiji's head with the intent to pivot and crush his carotid artery.
Aokiji sighed, his breath turn into a mist.
"Arara... you never learn, do you? Touching my body is quite dangerous."
While keeping his right hand locked against Ray, Aokiji raised his left hand to block Sanji's kick.
THUD.
The impact made Aokiji's knees buckle slightly.
"You've got quite some strength, kid."
Sanji wiped cold sweat from his forehead, glaring at the Admiral's calm expression.
"If you're going to praise me, at least act a little more convincing!"
Aokiji ignored the remark.
Just as he activated his Devil Fruit ability with his left hand to freeze the cook, another presence screamed in from the side.
"Three Sword Style: Purgatory Oni Giri!"
Zoro arrived, his blades singing with Haki.
Sensing the lethal intent, Aokiji was forced to release Sanji, coat his arm in Armament Haki, and turn to parry the swordsman.
But Sanji had no intention of giving him an opening.
Taking advantage of Aokiji's divided attention, he pressed the attack, driving his burning heel down harder.
Aokiji clicked his tongue in annoyance.
He transformed his body into elemental ice, letting the attacks pass through harmlessly, then reformed instantly to deliver a spinning kick to Sanji and a backhand blow to Zoro.
BAM! BAM!
Both were sent flying.
But at that same moment, a massive shadow fell over the Admiral.
"Gear Third: Gum-Gum Giant Rifle!"
A colossal, Haki-coated fist, twisted like a rifled barrel, smashed into Aokiji's back the moment he repelled the others.
"Arara... all these attacks are too dangerous to take head-on."
Aokiji continued to hold off Ray with his left hand while coating his right hand in Haki.
Ray saw this and understood immediately: Aokiji was getting serious.
Aside from his Devil Fruit, this man was Garp's disciple. His physical strength alone could shatter warships.
Luffy's Gear Third might not be enough to overpower him.
So, Ray acted.
He suddenly surged the energy output of the Azure Dragon Break, infusing it with heavy Armament Haki.
The dragon roared, pushing back the freezing aura and threatening to engulf Aokiji.
Aokiji was caught in a pincer.
If he focused on Ray, Luffy would crush him. If he focused on Luffy, Ray's attack would obliterate him.
"Really~ no respect for the rules of combat," Aokiji drawled.
No matter which attack hit him, it was going to hurt.
The Straw Hats weren't interested in a fair duel; they wanted him down.
"But... you're underestimating a Marine Admiral."
"Awakening Technique—Frozen Domain: Frigid Sphere!"
Aokiji vanished into his elemental state.
The air within a ten-meter radius instantly dropped to absolute zero, forming a perfect, spinning sphere of super-compressed cold air.
Any attack that touched this sphere wouldn't just be blocked; it would be flash-frozen at a molecular level.
Both the Azure Dragon Break and Luffy's Giant Rifle struck the sphere simultaneously.
Ray's dragon, infused with Armament haki and Demonic Power, struggled for a few moments before solidifying into a massive ice sculpture.
As for Luffy, the moment his fist touched the sphere, the cold raced up his arm.
He was frozen instantly, becoming a bizarre ice statue with a giant arm and a normal-sized body.
Aokiji reformed from the sphere, stepping out onto the ice.
He raised a hand to shatter the frozen Luffy.
ZHOOM.
Ray, having predicted this with Observation haki, moved at speeds akin to teleportation.
He appeared between Aokiji and Luffy, intercepting the Admiral's blow with his own.
CRACK-BOOM!
Red lightning erupted in all directions as their Haki clashed.
The ground beneath them pulverized.
Ray felt the immense weight of Aokiji's strength.
The Admiral's lanky frame contained the force of a mountain.
Vice Admirals like Tokikake were children compared to this.
However, Ray let out a cold snort.
Behind Aokiji, the frozen Azure Dragon Break began to glow azure again.
The ice cracked, then shattered. Ray's Demonic Power wasn't something that could be held forever.
'My power cannot be frozen. And neither will Luffy.'
The dragon roared back to life, its energy concentrated into a needle-point beam, and shot toward Aokiji's exposed back while he was locked in combat with Ray.