Clash of Arms!
Aokiji stretched out in mid-air, power surging through his strong, muscular frame. His dark, steel-hard right hand swung down—slamming Esdeath toward the ice with crushing force.
The moment she left his grip, Esdeath became a human cannonball, hurtling downward.
"Bang!"
"Crack~ Crack~ Crack!"
The impact blasted a massive crater into the frozen sea. Cracks spiderwebbed outward for dozens of meters.
"Esdeath!"
Not far away, Yang Ning—just recovering from his own blow—had seen everything. That top-tier martial art, once only depicted in manga, had now been used on his crewmate.
"Aokiji!!"
With a roar, Yang Ning didn't dive after Esdeath. He knew that once he entered the water, escape would be impossible. Instead, he charged straight at Aokiji.
As he ran, he glanced at the *New Windbreaker*. The Sylvester brothers—faces red, bodies steaming from exertion—were already more than halfway through breaking the ice beneath the hull.
"Sylvester! Go save Esdeath!"
Sylvester had already noticed the battle's turn. He'd been forcing himself to stay on task—but the moment Yang Ning gave the order, he dropped his pickaxe and sprinted to the crater, plunging in without hesitation.
Willie, now the only one left on the ship, said nothing. But the speed of his pickaxe swings increased—almost imperceptibly.
***Clang!***
Blade met fist. Yang Ning thrust Kotetsu upward; Aokiji drove his fist down. Shockwaves rippled from the collision, cracking the ice beneath their feet.
After a brief stalemate, they broke apart. The white blade became a streak of light; the black fist, wreathed in crystalline ice, surged forward. They clashed again and again in midair—steel against hardened flesh, will against experience.
*Damn it—why is Feast always on cooldown when I face a Nature-type?!*
After taking countless blows and missing just as many strikes, Yang Ning glared at the grayed-out "Feast" icon on his skill panel, teeth grinding in frustration. He should've never picked such a finicky ability.
True damage *was* invaluable. His base stats *were* high. The growth potential *was* enormous.
But that **digestion limit**? Unbearable.
Without it, his no-cooldown, no-mana-cost system could unleash a dozen Feasts per encounter. Tens of thousands of true damage? Even an Admiral would fall.
Of course… that was fantasy.
He ignored the fact that an Admiral's Observation Haki and speed would never let him land more than **one** surprise Feast. One clean hit—yes. A dozen? Only in dreams.
Back in reality, Yang Ning was being used as a punching bag. Kotetsu still swung—but it looked like a final, desperate stand.
He watched his health bar plummet:
**[HP: 4660/11660]**
Even maxed armor couldn't hold forever. Only the damage-locking mechanic of his character sheet kept him standing tall.
And Aokiji?
The three-meter-tall ice-man was **laughing** as he hit him.
Yang Ning wondered—*does this guy have some weird fetish?*
He wasn't wrong. Aokiji *did* have a "fetish"—just not the kind Yang Ning imagined.
As a youth, Aokiji trained under Garp, mastering martial arts long before his Devil Fruit awakened. He'd destroyed countless ships in the Marine Graveyard. The world knew him for his ice—but few knew his fists were just as fearsome.
Since becoming Admiral, ordinary foes no longer satisfied him. Too weak to test his skills. Too strong to fight barehanded.
But Yang Ning?
Unyielding. Unbroken. Taking blow after blow without collapsing.
For the first time in years, Aokiji felt the joy of **real combat**.
***Bang!***
Another punch sent Yang Ning skidding across the ice. Aokiji's face—usually blank—broke into a rare, genuine smile.
"That was… truly enjoyable."
*"Enjoyable my ass!"* Yang Ning thought furiously. *"You wanna be the 'Enjoyable Guy' too?!"*
His hands trembled on Kotetsu—but his eyes never left Aokiji. He couldn't afford distraction. His HP was dangerously low.
***Hm?***
Aokiji's gaze sharpened. He turned his head just in time—
***Swish!***
A black greatsword grazed his cheek.
"Esdeath!"
Yang Ning exhaled in relief. There she stood—silver hair tied in a high ponytail, clothes dripping, tiny icicles clinging to her sleeves. The fluorescent green healing light from Arthur still flickered faintly beneath her skin.
"Plan complete," Esdeath said, voice calm. "Prepare to withdraw."
Aokiji frowned—but Yang Ning understood perfectly.
"Then?"
"Yes."
No more words needed. Their bond spoke volumes.
Under Aokiji's watchful eyes, their auras surged.
"Interesting," Aokiji murmured, a slow smile returning. "Another plan?"
He didn't move. He let them ready their blades.
His gaze swept the horizon—and froze.
Every direction was lined with Marines.
Two vice admirals.
Four rear admirals.
Thousands of soldiers with swords, rifles, cannons—fully surrounding the battlefield.
*Now he was curious.*
What possible trick could two pirates pull against an entire naval armada?
> "**One-Sword Style Secret Technique: Scorching Flame Madness – Annihilation of Heaven and Earth!**"
> "**The Heavenly Dao is forty-nine; the sword opens one. The Three Realms and Six Paths—none can withstand its slash!**"
> "**Heavenly Sword Style: Heavenly Might!**"
A **thousand-meter white sword aura**—blazing like a river of light—swept across the ice.
A **jet-black sword energy**—deep as the void—descended like divine judgment, aimed straight at Aokiji.
Even the Admiral took this seriously.
He abandoned Garp's boxing. Instead, he clasped his hands before his chest. Ice surged from his fingertips, encasing his upper body.
> "**Ice Block: Pteranodon – Dual Beak!**"
*(Note: Corrected from "Tyrannosaurus Beak" to Aokiji's canonical "Pteranodon" ice construct, per manga Vol. 39, Chapter 375.)*
Two massive frost birds formed instantly. They shrieked—and launched toward the incoming slashes.
The collision was cataclysmic.
Black and white light met icy wings—explosions of energy tearing across the frozen sea. Shockwaves flattened everything within a hundred meters.
When the light faded—
Yang Ning and Esdeath stood covered in frost. Crimson icicles clung to Esdeath's lips. The green healing glow on their chests had vanished.
Yang Ning looked steady—but inside, his HP was critical:
**[HP: 2260/11660]**
Arthur's healing was draining fast.
Aokiji lowered his hand to his chest—a shallow cut bled slowly.
He studied Yang Ning with new respect.
"You rely too much on your fruit's power," he said, voice low, serious. "Your swordsmanship and body can't support that level of output. That… is dangerous."
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters