Confronting the General
"Click, click, click…"
A single, crisp footstep echoed across the ice—the only sound in the frozen, silent world.
Yang Ning's face grew grim. He swallowed hard. He'd known attacking the Celestial Dragons would bring hunters. But not this fast. He hadn't even had time to grow stronger.
Damn it—without satellite GPS, how did you find me in this endless ocean?!
You couldn't track Shiki or Blackbeard for decades—but me? Pinpoint accuracy?
He felt a surge of helpless rage—even entertaining the thought of reporting them for using X-ray vision.
"Captain! What do we do?" Willie's voice cracked with panic. "The ship's frozen solid—we can't move! Nami, didn't you say the weather would calm near the island? It's gotten even worse!"
Willie's Observation Haki was still beginner-level. He hadn't sensed the true terror approaching. He just kept tapping the ice with his pickaxe, frustrated by the cold.
Before Nami could answer, Yang Ning spoke—calm, resigned.
"Prepare to run for your lives. I'll try to buy you time."
"Hmm?" Esdeath turned, frowning. "Who's the enemy? Is it really that bad?"
Yang Ning took a deep breath, trying to smile—but failed. The pressure was too immense.
"A Marine Admiral. The Navy's highest fighting force. The pinnacle of this world."
"The storm you're seeing? Not a natural disaster. Just… a casual strike from him."
He spoke in short, heavy phrases. With each word, Esdeath's expression darkened. Willie stopped tapping the ice. He dropped his pickaxe with a soft thud, voice small:
"Um… I didn't know he was Ice."
The poor guy looked near tears.
Yang Ning finally let out a strained chuckle—but his tone turned sharp, urgent:
"He's not 'ice'—wait, yes he is—just get the hell out of here! Run! Now!"
His shift from calm to panic wasn't random.
At the edge of his Observation Haki—a thousand meters away—a massive presence had appeared. Cold. Imposing. Ancient.
His Haki didn't just detect it—it was overwhelmed by it. Like a glacier marching toward them, step by step, crushing the very air.
"No time."
With a helpless smile at his crew, Yang Ning gripped Kotetsu and moved to leap off the New Windbreaker.
If there was no escape, he'd at least test the gap between himself and the world's elite.
"Wait!"
Nami knelt on the deck, palms flat against the wood, eyes closed—listening.
"We might not win… but we might escape."
Yang Ning froze. Hope flickered. He turned, eyes bright:
"How so, Nami-chan?!"
Nami ignored his sudden enthusiasm, brow furrowed in concentration.
"Beneath the ship—under the ice—there's a strange, powerful current. If we ride it… we might break free."
"Ah~" Yang Ning's face fell. He sighed. "That's an Admiral. A hexagonal monster. Even with a current, we can't outrun him."
He didn't blame her. Only he truly grasped an Admiral's speed.
He patted her shoulder gently. "It's okay, Nami. Just find your chance to run. Even an Admiral can't kill me in one hit. I'll—"
"What if the acceleration is upwards?"
Nami's calm words cut through his resignation. She opened her eyes—no fear, no plan to flee alone.
"Upwards?" Esdeath, who'd been steeling herself for a last stand, looked intrigued. Flying?
Yang Ning's eyes lit up. "Upwelling current?! There's one here?!"
Nami tucked a stray lock behind her ear, nodding and shaking her head at once.
"I don't know if it's a true upwelling current—but it's surging vertically, even though it flows outward. Because the surface is frozen, it can't release. So it's building pressure right under us!"
Yang Ning's mind raced. "So… it's trapped. Accumulating force. Waiting for a rupture point?"
Nami beamed. "Exactly!"
Willie raised a hand, goofy but earnest. "But if it can't break the ice… we're stuck."
"If it can't break through," Esdeath said, drawing her greatsword with a clang, "we'll break it for it."
Nami pounded her fist. "Yes! It's not about strength—it's about leverage. We just need to carve an opening under the ship. Then I'll use my Weather Fruit to summon a downburst—force the current to explode upward and launch us into the sky!"
The plan clicked.
Yang Ning and Esdeath would hold off the Navy.
Sylvester and Arthur would shatter the ice below.
Nami would orchestrate the launch.
Hope returned to their faces.
As Yang Ning and Esdeath prepared to jump ship, Arthur stepped forward—pale but resolute. He placed a hand on each of their chests. Fluorescent green sigils spread across their torsos like living tattoos.
"Heal from serious wounds," he murmured. "Survive near-death. Return alive."
They leapt—landing on the thick ice, which didn't even crack beneath their weight.
In the distance, Aokiji finally came into view.
The towering Admiral—blue shirt, white vest, gold-shouldered coat fluttering—walked with hands in pockets, face unreadable. An eerie mist clung to him like frost.
To the naked eye, he was imposing.
To Yang Ning's Observation Haki? Terror incarnate.
It felt less like a man approaching—and more like a continent of ice drifting toward them.
Sweat beaded on Yang Ning's brow—but he still cracked a joke.
"Hehe. You wanted to get stronger, didn't you? Well—this is the Navy's strongest. I told you following me would broaden your horizons."
Esdeath rolled her eyes—but for once, didn't scoff.
"It's broadening… but it's exhausting."
"Hahaha! Esdeath, you rascal!"
Their laughter died as Aokiji closed to a hundred meters.
The Admiral narrowed his eyes, studying the two young pirates. A flicker of something—curiosity? amusement?—passed through his gaze. But outwardly, he just scratched his head.
"Ah… quite impressive."
"But do you really have to fight? Why not just… surrender?"
What kind of nonsense is that?!
Clang!
Yang Ning drew Kotetsu, exhaling slowly. Fear or not—it didn't matter. He was a transmigrator with a system, a crew, and pride.
Aokiji has a sword. So do I.
Aokiji has fists. So do I.
Why should I fear him?
Emotion surged. Doubt vanished. He flashed Aokiji a defiant, arrogant grin.
> "Overconfidence leads to defeat, General Aokiji!"
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