The moment the Azure Dragon Break struck Aokiji, Ray reacted instantly.
He activated the Tenseiga's barrier, a shimmering field of protective energy that completely blocked the explosive shockwave rushing toward Luffy.
As for Aokiji, he simply reinforced his entire body with Armament Haki to withstand the impact of Ray's demonic energy.
From this, Ray deduced a crucial weakness: Aokiji's ridiculously overpowered freezing domain—the Frigid Sphere—could not be used repeatedly in a short time.
Or rather, it required a brief preparation period.
At the very least, while exchanging blows in close quarters, Aokiji could not activate that absolute defense.
...
One second later, Luffy used his Ryou to shatter the ice encasing him.
He exchanged a glance with Ray, nodded, and leaped backward to regroup.
As for Chopper, who had been frozen earlier, Robin had already rescued him before the chaos escalated.
Since it was just a basic freeze, Chopper had broken the ice on his fur using his own Armament Haki.
But if he had suffered the molecular-level freeze Luffy just endured, it would have been a different, far more tragic story.
...
Seizing the moment while Aokiji was still resisting the Azure Dragon Break's assault, Ray rushed directly in front of the Admiral.
He swung Tokijin, aiming a slash straight for Aokiji's neck.
Aokiji's pupils trembled.
'Is this guy crazy? Is he not afraid of being harmed by his own attack?'
The answer was simple: the Azure Dragon Break was composed of Ray's own Demonic Power.
Its attack range was entirely under his control, focused solely on Aokiji.
Moreover, it was ineffective against Ray because it was his energy.
With Aokiji's pervasive cold air dissipated by the earlier exchange, the Admiral found himself in an absolutely passive position.
He had to endure the repeated impacts of the Azure Dragon Break assaulting his body while simultaneously facing Ray's full-power slash head-on.
And this slash was no joke.
[Conqueror's Haki Infusion + Demonic Power + Armament Haki.]
But Aokiji was a battle-hardened Admiral.
In a split second, he made the choice most advantageous to himself.
He chose elementalization to evade the earth-shattering slash, knowing it meant letting his elemental body tank the brunt of the Azure Dragon Break.
SHING!
His body split apart at the waist, the lethal blade passing harmlessly through the gap.
However, because he had divided his form, the subsequent power of the Azure Dragon Break penetrated his defenses.
The sword aura, missing its target, slashed backward, severing half a mountain peak several hundred meters behind them.
What the veteran Admiral did next earned even Ray's admiration.
Enduring the agonizing pain of the demonic energy ravaging his insides, Aokiji controlled his upper torso—floating as pure ice—and swung a Haki-empowered fist with full force directly onto Tokijin's blade.
CLANG!
The impact knocked Ray back dozens of meters.
...
All these thoughts and actions occurred within the blink of an eye in the view of Zoro and the others.
It demonstrated that both Ray and Aokiji possessed incredible speed in mental reaction and movement.
By the time Ray stood up, Aokiji had already reformed his body.
He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, clearly having sustained significant internal injuries.
"Arara... you guys are really trying to kill me here, aren't you?"
Ray ignored the question.
Without a word, he charged again.
Aokiji sighed inwardly.
'So ruthless. He even use Conqueror's Haki infusion... they really want my life.'
His speed was comparable to Ray's, but now that he was injured, dodging was risky.
He had no choice but to brace himself and clash fists with the demon.
Thus, the two powerhouses engaged in brutal close combat.
Black lightning, red lightning, and freezing cold air flickered wildly within their battle range.
Ray didn't just use fists; he took opportunities to harass with Poison Flower Claw and light whip.
Aokiji demonstrated what true Admiral-level strength meant—even as an ability-focused fighter, he didn't fall behind in melee.
Both fought fiercely yet cautiously.
Ray's attacks carried lethal poison; Aokiji's carried freezing energy that could end the fight in a second.
The two fought so intensely and rapidly that the other Straw Hats couldn't find a single opening to assist without risking hitting Ray.
As the battle continued, both Aokiji and Ray realized that continuing this stalemate would make it difficult to determine a winner without mutual destruction.
After another thunderous fist collision, they leaped apart, creating distance.
Aokiji jumped a hundred meters into the air, hovering there as he looked down at Ray, Luffy, and the others.
"If you can survive this next attack... I'll temporarily withdraw."
Ray understood clearly.
This was Aokiji's test.
If the Straw Hat Pirates could withstand his ultimate technique, it would prove that a single Admiral could no longer capture them without paying a catastrophic price.
Once Aokiji determined that, the Marines likely wouldn't target them for some time.
It was the same principle that kept Rayleigh safe on Sabaody.
When the cost becomes too great, caution must be exercised.
...
"Awakening Technique: Winter's Fall—Frozen Starfall."
As he spoke, Aokiji created thousands of dense ice spheres high in the air, each measuring thirty centimeters in diameter.
Instantly, they descended like a stellar rain upon the Straw Hat Pirates.
Ray felt the immense power of this freezing force.
If hit, anyone except the Monster Trio and himself would be completely frozen.
Even he and Luffy would be stunned for half a second—enough time for Aokiji to deliver a lethal blow.
When masters cross swords, a single moment of control determines life or death.
'In that case... we just need to ensure your starfall can't hit us.'
Ray instantly drew Tenseiga.
"Meido Zangetsuha!" (Dark Path of the Moon's Dawn)
With a single-handed swing, Ray unleashed a massive, perfect black sphere that shot toward Aokiji's location.
The void distorted space itself.
All the frozen star attacks along its path were sucked into the netherworld, vanishing without a trace.
When Aokiji saw this technique, he immediately felt an overwhelming sense of certain death.
His haki screamed a warning!
He quickly elementalized, creating dozens of massive ice pillars that firmly anchored his body to the ground to prevent being sucked in.
WHOOSH.
Three seconds later, the Meido disappeared.
Aokiji glanced at the cracks on his anchor pillars, caused by the sheer suction force, and took a deep breath of cold air.
"Arara... I almost died there."
He released the connections and jumped down, landing 100 meters in front of Ray.
He made no further moves.
Ray didn't continue fighting either.
It was clear that at his current strength level, he couldn't kill Aokiji easily.
And Aokiji couldn't easily capture them either.
Moreover, Ray knew the purpose of this battle was to flex their muscles, not to fight to the death.
Mutual destruction served no one.
At this moment, Aokiji spoke up, his tone serious.
"Straw Hat Pirates... the Marines have greatly underestimated your strength and threat level."
Luffy and the others tensed, waiting to see what he would say next.
Would they have to fight again?
Aokiji exhaled a cold breath, crossed his arms, and sat cross-legged on the ground, stroking his chin with a conflicted expression.
"Well~ Strictly speaking, you're not irredeemable villains either. If we continue fighting, the Marines can't afford the losses. After all... the Marines need to focus all their efforts on preparing to deal with that guy."
After a moment of silence, Aokiji stood up and began walking into the distance, hands in his pockets.
"Black Leg Sanji... your cooking is quite delicious."
"Straw Hat Luffy, Ray... thank you for saving Smoker back in Alabasta."
After walking several dozen meters further, Aokiji stopped and turned around one last time.
His gaze landed on the archaeologist.
"One more thing. Nico Robin... congratulations."
With that cryptic farewell, Aokiji transformed into a gust of icy wind and disappeared from sight.
Looking around, half the island had become a frozen hellscape, except for the circle where Ray and the others stood, breathing heavily but alive.
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