"Damn it… I can't move."
As Marco had wrapped his entire body in Armament Haki, he hadn't lost consciousness. Trapped deep within the ice, he could still feel the Phoenix flames coursing through him, steadily repairing the frostbite creeping across his body. But the ice surrounding him was far too thick—like an entire mountain pressing down. He couldn't so much as twitch a finger.
'How is this possible?'
Marco gritted his teeth as he felt the freezing power gnaw at him.
'Aokiji's ability… it counters me.'
Compared to Akainu's magma, Aokiji's ice lacked overwhelming destructive force—but it possessed something far more troublesome. Restraint. Marco's Phoenix flames weren't meant to burn enemies; they were meant to heal. Against ice that immobilized rather than incinerated, his greatest strength was being suppressed.
Aokiji calmly studied the massive ice formation imprisoning Marco. He knew full well that this wouldn't hold Marco forever.
"I understand your ability," Aokiji said, his voice carrying faintly through the ice. "Killing you would take too long. And right now, I don't have the luxury to waste time on you."
With that, he turned away—heading straight toward Fire Fist Ace.
"Damn it…"
Marco watched helplessly as Aokiji left his field of vision. Panic flared in his chest. He immediately summoned his system interface, hoping to force his way out by brute strength alone—only to find that he had no attribute points left to allocate.
Trapped. Powerless.
Left with no other choice, Marco clenched his jaw and tried one last thing.
"System… is there anything you can do? I can't move like this at all!"
Almost instantly, the semi-transparent system panel flickered into existence. An electronic voice rang out:
"New mission released…"
The mission bar flashed urgently, demanding his attention.
Marco couldn't move his hands, so he barked, "Open mission bar!"
The panel shifted, and the system continued:
"Mission: Escape
Objective: Break free from the ice sphere created by Admiral Aokiji.
Reward: 100 attribute points."
Marco stared at the mission in disbelief.
"…Are you kidding me?" he muttered. "If I could escape on my own, why would I need you to give me a mission?"
Naturally, the system offered no reply. The panel faded away, leaving Marco alone with the crushing ice.
"Watch out! Admiral Aokiji is moving!"
Shouts erupted from the Whitebeard Pirates nearby.
"Ice Time Capsule…"
Aokiji condensed a dense sphere of freezing energy in his hand and hurled it toward Ace—who had his back turned.
"Ace, watch out!" Jinbe roared, leaping into position without hesitation. He planted himself behind Ace and thrust out both palms, intercepting the attack head-on.
The instant Jinbe's hands made contact, frost exploded outward.
Ice raced across his palms in a heartbeat. Then his wrists. His forearms. In mere seconds, both of Jinbe's arms were completely frozen solid as the cold continued to spread upward.
The battlefield froze—not just in temperature, but in dread.
"Jinbe…"
Ace stared in disbelief as Jinbe's arms were completely encased in ice. The frost crept upward like living chains, locking Jinbe in place. Ace's breath caught in his throat as he lifted his gaze—and met the cold, indifferent eyes of the man who had just arrived.
Admiral Aokiji.
"It's Admiral Aokiji!"
"That's great—Admiral Aokiji is here!"
"He defeated Marco!"
The Marines erupted in cheers, morale surging as hope returned to their ranks.
Kizaru drifted over beside Aokiji, his usual sly smile in place.
"Oh? You're here already, Kuzan. I didn't expect you to finish off Marco so quickly."
Aokiji shook his head calmly.
"Not finished. If I give him enough time, he'll break out on his own."
Then his tone hardened as he turned to the Marines.
"Prepare Sea-Stone nets. Surround that entire ice mass. The moment Marco breaks free, shackle him with Sea-Stone chains. Do not let him escape."
"Yes, Admiral Aokiji!"
On the pirate side, the commanders' expressions darkened. In the distance, a massive ice sphere—like a frozen mountain—loomed over the battlefield. And sealed within it… was Marco.
"Someone—save Marco!" Vista roared.
"Fire the cannons! Smash that ice and get him out!"
"Yes, Captain Vista!"
"Move! We're rescuing Captain Marco!"
The Whitebeard Pirates surged forward without hesitation.
Aokiji frowned slightly at the commotion.
"Hey, hey… I didn't freeze him just for decoration."
Kizaru's smile faded as well.
"Don't let them get close. We finally pinned him down—we're not letting him slip away again."
"Don't even think about it!" Ace roared.
Flames erupted from his arm as he launched a massive Fire Fist, over ten meters wide, blazing straight toward the ice sphere imprisoning Marco.
Before it could reach its target—
"Hey, hey, hey… don't act like I'm not here."
Aokiji raised his hand. A wave of cold air burst forth, instantly smothering the raging flames. The Fire Fist died out mid-air, reduced to nothing but steam and frost.
Aokiji lowered his arm and fixed Ace with an icy stare.
"The purpose of this war is your execution," he said flatly.
"So please… die obediently."
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