Loki hovered in the sky, the Sun Disk behind his neck flickering with radiant light.
The blood flowing from the corner of his mouth evaporated into mist as soon as it touched the golden flames surrounding his body.
However, the injuries caused by Aokiji's Ice Glove were still far too severe.
Even with the power of the Sun God Apollo form, he could not completely erase the damage he had suffered.
Loki looked down at Akainu and Aokiji standing on the frozen battlefield below.
"Mere humans... dare to injure the Sun God!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
The next moment, Loki suddenly brought his hands together.
The Sun Ring behind his neck erupted with dazzling brilliance.
A massive golden ring of flames suddenly expanded outward from his body.
Wherever it passed, the frozen surface melted instantly.
Even the surrounding air became distorted under the terrifying temperature, creating waves of heat that warped the battlefield.
Akainu looked at the incoming flames and snorted coldly.
"Pirates actually dare to call themselves gods? How laughable."
As he spoke, his lower body transformed completely into magma.
The terrifying explosive force of the Magma Fruit erupted, launching him directly into the sky.
Although magma itself was not effective against Loki's solar flames, the explosive power of the Magma Fruit was still among the most destructive abilities in the world.
Combined with Akainu's powerful Haki foundation, it was impossible for Loki to suppress him simply because of their Devil Fruit compatibility.
In an instant, Akainu reached Loki in the sky.
Loki's eyes burned with golden light.
He pushed both hands forward.
The Sun Ring behind him suddenly expanded, releasing a devastating wave of flames toward Akainu.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Continuous explosions shook the battlefield.
The entire sky was dyed a brilliant golden color.
Even breathing the surrounding air felt unbearable, as though one's internal organs were being scorched by the extreme heat.
Aokiji stood on the frozen surface and watched the battle above with narrowed eyes.
He remained silent until a crimson figure suddenly burst out from the center of the golden flames.
Only then did the corners of his mouth rise slightly.
Loki had used the Sun Disk as his main offensive weapon and released its full power.
Because of that, he could not recreate another Sun Disk immediately.
Without the protection of the Sun Disk, his enormous body was completely exposed.
Akainu, on the other hand, had charged directly through the flames.
Although his magma body was covered in countless dents and cracks, none of those injuries had affected his actual combat ability.
A massive magma arm formed behind him.
Akainu aimed directly at Loki and roared.
"Great Eruption, Hell Hound!!"
A gigantic magma hound several times larger than the previous attack was launched toward Loki.
Loki's pupils contracted.
The rapidly expanding Hell Hound was reflected within his golden eyes.
He roared and desperately pushed his Devil Fruit power and Haki to their limits.
The muscles in his arms bulged as he placed both hands against the incoming attack.
However, the instant they collided, the terrifying impact of the Hell Hound passed through his defense.
"Puff!"
Loki coughed out a large mouthful of blood.
His massive body was blasted backward at an even greater speed than before.
He crashed directly into the remaining wreckage of the warship where Dorry and Brogy had been lying.
The broken remains of the vessel were completely shattered.
Loki disappeared beneath the rising smoke and debris.
Crack!
A large amount of fiery magma landed on the ice.
A huge cloud of white mist immediately rose into the air.
Within the mist, a tall and muscular figure slowly emerged.
Akainu walked out of the steam, his expression unchanged.
The rose pinned to his chest returned to its original appearance after being surrounded by flames.
He looked toward the mountain of wreckage ahead.
"He should still be alive. This Giant Tribe member is somewhat unusual."
Aokiji slowly walked beside him, his hands still inside his pockets.
"He is unusual. Didn't you hear what those two Giant Tribe members said earlier? He is some kind of prince."
"Prince..."
Akainu shook his head with disdain.
At that moment, movement came from within the wreckage.
After several moments of rumbling, the largest pieces of the broken deck were pushed aside.
Dorry and Brogy emerged from beneath the debris.
The two giants pushed away the surrounding fragments and pulled Loki out from the ruins.
As Akainu expected, Loki was not dead.
However, his injuries were severe, and he had completely lost the ability to continue fighting.
Brogy placed one of Loki's arms over his shoulder and helped him stand.
The movement aggravated Loki's wounds, causing him to release a painful groan.
But he quickly clenched his teeth and endured it.
Through his tightly clenched teeth, he forced out a question.
"Why... why did you save me?"
Brogy himself was also heavily injured.
He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood before answering in a deep voice.
"Although I do not want to admit it, you are indeed the current hope of our tribe."
"You cannot die."
"The future revival of the Giant Tribe's glory still depends on you."
Upon hearing those words, a complicated expression appeared on Loki's face.
The arrogance and pride he had displayed earlier were gone.
His voice became much quieter.
"What about you?"
Before Brogy could answer, Dorry, who had retrieved his giant axe, suddenly shouted from the side.
"So noisy! Obviously, we are going to continue fighting those Navy members!"
However, immediately after shouting, Dorry coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood.
His face instantly became pale.
It was obvious that his injuries were also severe.
Seeing this, Brogy, whose abdomen had been pierced by Akainu's attack, slowly placed Loki onto a raised section of the wreckage behind him.
Then he picked up his weapon.
Without looking back, he spoke.
"Loki, endure a little longer. Our reinforcements will arrive."
"You need to rest now."
Loki silently watched the backs of Dorry and Brogy.
A complicated feeling filled his heart.
Dorry and Brogy, the two rough warriors he had always looked down upon, had chosen to fight in order to protect him.
Even someone as proud as Loki could not ignore the meaning behind their actions.
His lips moved.
He wanted to say something.
But in the end, no words came out.
Because Dorry and Brogy had already roared and charged toward Aokiji and Akainu.
Their backs carried a determination that could not be shaken.
Loki bit his lip until blood appeared.
He struggled to straighten his body, wanting to use the time Dorry and Brogy had bought him to recover as much strength as possible.
However, this was a real battlefield.
It was not some fictional story where shouting a final declaration could suddenly create a miracle.
Dorry and Brogy had not even advanced far before two indifferent voices sounded.
"Ice Age."
"Great Eruption."
A terrifying wave of freezing air swept across the battlefield.
The two giants' movements stopped instantly.
The sound of ice spreading echoed.
In the next moment, two enormous and lifelike ice sculptures appeared where Dorry and Brogy had been.
Then a massive magma fist descended upon them.
The ice sculptures formed by Dorry and Brogy could not withstand the impact for even a second.
The magma fist shattered them into countless fragments.
Those fragments were immediately vaporized by the overwhelming heat of the magma.
Dorry and Brogy, the two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates who had lived for more than a century, disappeared from the battlefield as two clouds of steam.
Behind them, Loki witnessed everything.
His expression froze.
His facial muscles became completely motionless.
He sat there like a stone statue, unable to move.
=≠=
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