Joy Boy said nothing more. He understood Loki well enough to know that reaching this decision was already the best outcome he could hope for.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The Drums of Liberation echoed across the battlefield with even greater intensity than before, their thunderous rhythm shaking the entire sea.
Loki emptied his mind and silently listened to the relentless drumbeats that sounded more like a funeral march than a song of hope.
Gradually, his body began to tremble in sync with the rhythm. The vanished sun disc appeared once more behind him, blazing with golden flames that flowed like liquid fire, perfectly resonating with the heartbeat of liberation.
He suddenly rose to his feet and roared toward the heavens.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
His cry was filled with endless rage and unwillingness.
The muscles throughout his body expanded as though overflowing with power, while the sun-shaped markings across his skin flickered between appearing and disappearing.
Yet, after regaining strength from the Drums of Liberation, his eyes gradually lost their focus. Reflected within his pupils was Joy Boy's smiling face, a sight that no longer stirred the same hatred as before.
Loki understood exactly what was happening.
The rhythm of the drums was subtly influencing his emotions, unconsciously changing the way he perceived Joy Boy.
Grinding his teeth, he deliberately turned his head away, refusing to look at Joy Boy any longer.
Then he shot into the sky and charged directly toward Admiral Akainu and Admiral Aokiji.
Watching Loki rush toward them once again, Aokiji raised an eyebrow.
"So he actually got back up. I thought those drums had no effect on him."
Akainu answered coldly,
"This is what Lloyd likes to call doing 'sit-ups.' Anyone connected to Joy Boy has the persistence of a cockroach, and they're just as disgusting."
Before either Admiral could make another move, Loki had already arrived.
"Let's fight again!!!"
The instant he shouted those words, a streak of golden light flashed across the battlefield.
Bang!
The light struck Loki squarely in the kidney.
A violent explosion erupted, sending his enormous body crashing straight through the ice before burying him deep beneath its surface.
Standing where he had been only moments earlier was a humanoid figure made entirely of golden light.
As the radiance faded, the surrounding Marines erupted with excitement.
"It's Admiral Kizaru!!!"
Kizaru landed beside Akainu with both hands casually tucked into his pockets, looking as carefree as ever.
Glancing down at the smoke rising from the tip of his shoe, he spoke in his familiar tone.
"Kowai ne. It seems I kicked something quite troublesome."
Akainu glanced sideways at him.
"Borsalino, weren't you assigned to protect Vegapunk? Why are you here?"
Kizaru simply shrugged.
"The leader of the pirate alliance has appeared. There isn't much point standing guard anymore."
He smiled lazily.
"Besides, I'm not the only one who came."
The moment he finished speaking, two tremendous shockwaves descended from the sky.
Boom! Boom!
Two enormous paw-shaped craters appeared in the ice.
Standing within them were two towering figures.
Admiral Ryokugyu, Aramaki.
And Bartholomew Kuma.
Their arrival was not the end.
The sound of ice breaking echoed across the sea.
Everyone turned toward the horizon.
An enormous Marine fleet was steadily advancing across the frozen ocean.
Leading the armada was a gigantic pitch-black warship whose appearance closely resembled the ancient weapon Pluton beneath Joy Boy's command.
"Bastards!"
Loki's furious roar exploded from beneath the shattered ice, golden flames bursting outward.
He smashed back onto the surface, clutching the side where Kizaru had kicked him moments earlier.
Glaring fiercely at Kizaru, he snarled,
"Damn Marines!
Sneak attacking me!"
He reached into the air.
A blazing spear forged entirely from solar flames condensed within his grasp.
"Go to hell!!!"
Akainu sneered.
His right arm transformed into blazing magma that glowed like molten obsidian.
Stepping forward, he caught the incoming spear with one hand and crushed it effortlessly.
The terrifying heat instantly vaporized the surrounding ice into dense clouds of steam.
Without hesitation, Aokiji unleashed his full strength.
Within the mist, hundreds of razor-sharp ice spears materialized before shooting toward Loki from every direction.
Just as the frozen weapons reached his face, another beam of golden light crossed the battlefield.
Kizaru instantly appeared above Loki.
Countless points of light gathered at his fingertips before erupting downward.
"Yasakani no Magatama."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
An endless rain of light exploded across the battlefield.
Golden blasts swallowed Loki completely.
"Don't underestimate me!!"
Loki's furious roar burst from within the explosions.
A violent storm of solar flames erupted outward as he forced his way through the barrage.
His body was covered with burns from Kizaru's attack.
However, the moment he landed, the frozen ground beneath him suddenly split apart.
Massive vines resembling gigantic serpents burst through the ice and tightly wrapped around both of his legs.
Before Loki could burn them away with his solar flames, Kizaru appeared once again.
Bang!
A light speed kick crashed directly into the side of Loki's head.
At the edge of the battlefield, Kuma had already raised his paw toward him.
"Kuma Shock."
A gigantic paw-shaped shockwave crossed more than a thousand meters in an instant before slamming into Loki with overwhelming force.
The ice along its path shattered into countless glittering fragments.
Receiving the combined attacks of five Admirals from the very beginning, Loki was undoubtedly receiving the highest level of treatment imaginable.
Standing at the bow of Pluton, Joy Boy silently watched Kuma.
His voice became deep and solemn.
"So you still faithfully serve Lloyd.
It is truly tragic that a descendant of the Buccaneer race has fallen this far."
Pedro, standing nearby, spoke.
"Joy Boy, Loki won't be able to last much longer.
Should we move now?"
Joy Boy gave a slight nod.
With a simple wave of his hand, Pedro immediately understood.
He threw back his head and roared.
"Warriors of the Mink Tribe, follow me!"
Electricity surged across Pedro's entire body as he leaped from Pluton first.
The Mink warriors on deck answered with thunderous battle cries, lightning crackling around them as they charged toward the Marines across the frozen battlefield.
Behind them, Loki was barely managing to remain standing.
Even with the blessing of the Drums of Liberation, enduring the relentless assault of five Admirals had pushed him close to his limit.
He dropped heavily to one knee.
Blood continuously flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Countless Mink Tribe warriors rushed past him in flashes of electricity.
Wiping away the blood with the back of his hand, Loki slowly forced himself upright.
Once again, he condensed two blazing golden spheres of solar flames, each resembling a miniature sun.
He paid no attention to the Mink warriors charging ahead.
Without hesitation, he hurled both blazing spheres toward the Marine forces.
Each contained enough destructive power to completely vaporize a warship.
Kizaru, being the fastest among the Admirals, prepared to intercept them.
Suddenly, his Observation Haki issued an intense warning.
His expression changed instantly.
Almost by instinct, his body dissolved into countless particles of light and vanished.
Akainu and Aokiji, sensing the same danger, immediately retreated using their respective abilities.
The instant they disappeared, a massive dark green beam tore across the battlefield.
It carved a narrow chasm through the frozen sea before continuing diagonally upward into the heavens.
A heartbeat later, the entire night sky was illuminated by dark green light.
A deafening explosion erupted overhead.
The resulting shockwave spread across the battlefield, causing the frozen sea itself to fracture violently.