The Pheasant Beak attack struck Loki head-on, instantly encasing him in a massive ice sculpture as he plummeted toward the ground.
It was inevitable—once that frozen statue hit the ground, the prince of the Giants would shatter into a thousand pieces, leaving not even a corpse behind.
...
However, just before the ice sculpture could make contact, a blinding crimson-gold light erupted from within. A burst of solar flames surged forth, instantly evaporating the ice.
Emerging from the shattered ice, Loki had activated his Sun God Apollo form. A radiant solar disk floated behind his neck as he ascended once more, gazing down emotionlessly at Aokiji and Akainu.
(T/N: Apollo was the Greek and Roman god of sunlight, prophecy, music and poetry.)
He spoke indifferently, "Did you really think mere ice could imprison the sun? You so-called Admirals are nothing more than humans."
Seeing Loki's divine transformation, Aokiji raised an eyebrow and remarked,
"A Mythical Zoan user, huh? That flame's temperature is ridiculous... Also, does this guy seem a little too full of himself?"
He glanced at Akainu's clenched fist, which had begun to glow a molten red. Akainu narrowed his eyes and muttered,
"That fire... it might even be hotter than my magma."
Aokiji rolled his neck, loosening up. "Looks like his ability just happens to counter the both of us."
Akainu scoffed, unimpressed. "Devil Fruit powers don't determine true strength. Kuzan, did you sleep through your training at the Marine Academy?"
"Ah la la... I'm not Borsalino. I remember everything Zephyr-sensei taught us."
The two continued their back-and-forth, paying no mind to Loki, who hovered above them. Their casual conversation, despite facing a supposed Sun God, made Loki's expression darken.
To him, their utter disregard for his presence—when he had assumed his most powerful form—was nothing short of an insult.
His arm moved, and in an instant, the solar flames condensed into a radiant longbow in his hands. A golden arrow materialized, aimed directly at Akainu.
"I'll start by killing you first."
The moment he released the arrow, it streaked through the air, trailing a burning wake of solar fire.
...
Akainu, who had just been speaking to Aokiji, didn't hesitate—his arm transformed into magma in an instant. As the golden arrow neared, his molten limb expanded into the form of a massive magma hound, lunging forward to meet the attack head-on.
Boom!!
Solar fire clashed against crimson magma, sending molten embers and fiery sparks in all directions. The ice beneath them melted into deep, gaping holes from the heat of their battle.
Fortunately, Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit had long since evolved to another level. Though the battlefield's ice was in ruins, no seawater surged forth—proof of just how thick the frozen layer was.
...
Above, Loki frowned as he watched his golden arrow dissipate.
"Magma alone was enough to block my Solar Arrow? Seems I underestimated you both."
Akainu swung his arm, causing bits of hardened magma to break off. He looked up at Loki and spoke calmly,
"You're overconfident, kid."
What Akainu didn't realize was that, despite Loki's youthful appearance, the Giant Prince was already over sixty years old. Even so, it was clear that while Giants had long lifespans, their cognitive development wasn't always the fastest.
Loki smirked. "That was just a warm-up. The real fight starts now."
With that, he pulled the solar disk in front of him and dove downward.
...
Akainu prepared to meet him head-on, but Aokiji stepped forward first. In an instant, he vanished, reappearing directly in front of Loki.
Loki halted mid-dive, narrowing his eyes at the Admiral shrouded in cold mist.
"You again? Ice won't work on me."
Aokiji said nothing. Instead, he clenched his right fist, gathering power. The next moment, his Ice-Ice Fruit ability fused with his formidable Armament Haki, creating a dazzling ice-blue glow that enveloped his hand.
Seeing this, Loki's casual demeanor vanished. He may have been arrogant, but he wasn't a fool—he could sense the destructive power surging within Aokiji's attack.
...
The Ice Glove.
In another world, this was the very technique Aokiji used to finish off Garp.
Now fully serious, Aokiji wasted no time with words. He launched his fist forward, slamming it against the solar disk Loki had raised in defense. With Haki reinforcing his attack, Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit could no longer be overpowered by Loki's solar flames.
Brilliant blue light flared as an icy shockwave burst forth, piercing through the solar disk and striking Loki's body directly.
Loki, wielder of the Apollo Fruit, finally felt what it was like to have frostbite.
A thick layer of frost spread across his bare torso.
"Pffft!!"
A powerful impact sent Loki flying backward, blood spewing from his mouth. He crashed heavily in front of Dorry and Brogy.
...
The two Giant warriors were slumped against the remnants of a shattered deck, their wounds bleeding freely onto the fractured wood. As they watched Loki struggle to his feet, a complex emotion flickered in their eyes.
Brogy coughed, spitting out blood before speaking weakly.
"Loki, if you keep letting your arrogance blind you, you'll die. Those two aren't Joy Boy. They won't show you mercy."
His words struck a nerve. Loki pushed himself up, golden flames suddenly erupting from his body as the solar disk behind him flared to life once more.
Turning his icy gaze to Brogy, Loki's voice was cold.
"So what you're saying... is that Joy Boy never even fought seriously against me, is that it?"
Brogy lifted his head, meeting Loki's eyes. "That's right. Haven't you realized it yet?"
Loki's expression darkened to the extreme. He spat on the ground, cursing,
"You two old fools... The only ones dying today will be you! The Sun God is eternal!!"
With that, Loki shot toward the sky again. But this time, his flight wavered—his previous arrogance replaced by a flicker of instability. He nearly plummeted back to the ground.
The only reason he had withstood Aokiji's Ice Glove was due to his fruit's inherent advantage over ice, along with the natural durability of an Ancient Giant.
In another timeline, Garp had already suffered serious injuries from Shiryu's backstab and had fought Aokiji to exhaustion before the Ice Glove finished him.
Loki clenched his teeth, forcing his breathing to steady. "Don't get ahead of yourselves... There's no way I'm dying here!!"
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