"Hellhound!!"
A low roar burst from Sakazuki's throat as his right fist transformed into molten magma and smashed toward Kuzan.
Kuzan refused to yield.
Cold mist spiraled from his right hand.
"Ice Pheasant Beak!!"
A massive ice bird formed instantly and surged forward.
Two completely different forces, even opposite in nature, collided violently in midair.
At the same moment, Sakazuki and Kuzan rushed straight at each other and threw punches at one another's faces.
Boom!!
The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed across the entire island.
Not far away, Ezra D. Vale and the others watched the battle without blinking.
"Vice Admiral Aokiji is so strong…"
"Admiral Akainu is just as strong."
"They look evenly matched, don't they?"
Whispers spread among the soldiers.
At the front, Ezra remained silent, his eyes fixed on the fight.
Rosinante stepped beside him.
"Admiral Zanka, who do you think will win?"
Ezra waved a hand casually.
"How could anyone say for sure?"
"Maybe Sakazuki. Maybe Kuzan."
Rosinante closed his mouth.
That answer meant nothing at all.
He turned his full attention back to the battlefield.
Both men's fists carried the power of ice and magma. Wherever they struck, the ground was ravaged by extreme cold and scorching heat.
Another collision of fists.
They quickly separated.
Sakazuki clenched his right hand, staring at Kuzan.
Kuzan also rubbed his aching fist.
"Kuzan, if that's all the strength you have, the one falling here today will be you."
As he spoke, blazing magma erupted across Sakazuki's body.
Kuzan answered with equal intensity. Frost spread rapidly over his frame.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
Cold energy condensed into bullet-like projectiles that shot toward Sakazuki.
Sakazuki snorted.
"Great Eruption!"
His arm became a magma hound, melting the incoming ice bullets one after another before continuing straight toward Kuzan.
"Ice Pheasant Beak!"
Another ice bird appeared to intercept it.
The two forces twisted together, biting and clawing. The magma hound tore at the ice bird's neck while icy talons gripped the molten body.
"Burst!"
"Burst!"
They shouted simultaneously.
Boom!!
Both constructs exploded at once.
Kuzan appeared instantly before Sakazuki, ice blade in hand.
"Naive!"
Sakazuki met him head-on with blazing fists.
The moment they clashed, Sakazuki frowned.
Kuzan's strength had increased.
As Kuzan continued striking, Sakazuki was pushed onto the defensive. Kuzan seized the opening and slammed an ice projectile into Sakazuki's abdomen.
A freezing shock ran through Sakazuki's body, causing him to pause for a split second.
Kuzan's eyes flashed.
"Got you!"
His ice blade became coated in Armament Haki and slashed downward.
Sakazuki's pupils shrank. He refused to take it head-on and used Soru to dodge.
Kuzan flicked his blade, staring at Sakazuki clutching his stomach.
"Again."
The provocation ignited Sakazuki's fury.
His arm transformed into an enormous magma fist.
With explosive force like a volcanic eruption, he launched it straight at Kuzan.
"Great Eruption!!!"
Kuzan's expression hardened. He could not treat this lightly.
"Ice Age!"
Cold surged upward into a towering pillar of ice. Kuzan lifted it and smashed it toward the incoming magma fist.
Crack!!
The massive fist shattered.
But before Kuzan could relax, countless volcanic fragments split from the magma and rained down.
His eyes widened. Ice formed instantly into a shield before him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Explosions rained down relentlessly, forcing Kuzan backward.
Sakazuki seized the opportunity.
"Hellhound!!"
Another molten strike shot forward.
Kuzan gritted his teeth and slammed his left hand onto the ground.
"Ice Wall!"
A towering barrier rose just in time. The magma attack finally dissipated as the wall began to melt, and the aftershock of the eruption faded.
On the warship, Rosinante and the others were stunned.
The duel was breathtaking.
Two extreme forces, perfectly opposed, had become weapons in their hands, devouring one another.
Whether freezing cold or scorching heat, the spectacle was overwhelming.
The sounds of ice and magma clashing echoed across the island without pause.
Ezra rubbed his forehead slightly. Even he was starting to feel tired just watching.
At their current pace, the fight would continue for a long time.
As if answering his thoughts, the battle went on without interruption.
From sunrise to sunset.
From sunset to sunrise.
No one aboard the ship slept that night.
What they did not realize was that the duel had only just begun.
The second day passed. Then the third. Fourth. Fifth.
The number of days kept increasing, yet the thunderous clashes on the island never weakened.
Everyone on the ship was stunned.
Four or five days of continuous high-intensity combat. No one understood how the two men were still standing.
Ezra walked out of the cabin, yawning.
"Rosinante… they're still fighting?"
Rosinante, with dark circles under his eyes, nodded.
"Yes, Admiral Zanka. It's already the fifth day."
Ezra's mouth twitched.
"Only halfway done. No rush."
Sure enough, the sixth day came. Then the seventh, eighth, and ninth.
Nine days passed in a blur.
The frequency of collisions between ice and magma began to decrease. Even monsters had limits.
But the island itself had transformed completely.
What had once been a poisoned wasteland had become a domain of ice and fire.
Finally, the tenth night arrived.
Though the battle could not be seen clearly from afar, occasional roars from Sakazuki or Kuzan still reached the ship.
Tonight, Ezra did not return to rest.
He walked slowly onto the deck.
Rosinante looked surprised.
"Admiral Zanka, they're still going…"
Ezra nodded slightly.
"I know. But the winner will be decided tonight."
Rosinante and the others froze.
If Ezra was this certain, then both fighters truly had reached their limits.
Everyone immediately turned their eyes toward the island.
At that moment, the two men fighting there were in terrible condition.
No.
Far worse than terrible.