Powerhouses known for their individual strength are never considered true trump cards. The Four Emperors and the Three Admirals, despite being the most powerful combat forces at sea, are still classified as conventional military assets rather than secret weapons of last resort.
If Imu's power could be used freely without limitations, no Four Emperors or Pirate King would ever have emerged in the New World. They would have been wiped out long ago.
"So that's why Imu hasn't personally come after me yet... They can't leave Mary Geoise."
A smirk crept onto Shin's lips. "That means I can start taking more aggressive action."
At Whitebeard Pirates
Since Shin's departure, both Yamato and Ace had become increasingly active, constantly seeking battles and pushing their limits in training.
Despite their easygoing personalities, both had a strong drive to improve. Watching Shin soar to unimaginable heights in such a short time filled them with a sense of urgency.
"Ugh... I feel like my progress is so slow." Ace collapsed onto the deck, panting. "Man, I wish I were an alien or something. Then I could just wait for my genes to awaken and get stronger with age."
"Aliens, huh...? I wonder if Shin can build spaceships. I'd love to visit another planet," Yamato mused, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"Uh, maybe let's focus on reaching Laugh Tale first before worrying about space travel..." Ace groaned, shaking his head.
"Boss Ace!" Deuce, wearing his signature mask, sprinted over. "A Marine fleet has been spotted in the distance!"
Ace sat up immediately. "The Marines? In the New World?" He frowned. While Marines weren't entirely absent from these waters, they rarely operated in territories controlled by the Four Emperors.
"Are they after us?" Yamato asked, gripping her kanabo. "The other divisions are too far away to back us up."
"I'm not sure, but if they specifically came looking for us, this could be bad." Ace's expression darkened. "The Marines know how strong we are. If they made a move, they'd send at least an Admiral."
His eyes narrowed as he spotted the fleet approaching.
"Wait... Three main battleships? No way... It can't be..."
His initial remark was lighthearted, but as he focused, his face turned serious.
"...Is it really all three Admirals?!"
Yamato's grip on her weapon tightened. "That's a lot of firepower... How did they even get this close without us noticing?"
"I don't know. It could be the power of a Devil Fruit," Ace replied grimly. "Either way, this isn't just some random patrol. If they're here, they came prepared."
"This is going to be a tough fight."
Aboard the Marine Battleships.
On one of the vessels, Admiral Aokiji adjusted his blindfold lazily. "Finally found our targets, huh? What a hassle. Even as a Marine, sneaking around like this feels wrong."
"We don't have a choice," muttered a hunchbacked Vice Admiral standing beside him. "That monster changed everything."
"Flattening Mary Geoise and carving a path straight through the Red Line... That kind of power isn't something a human should have."
Aokiji fell silent. Though he maintained a relaxed demeanor, deep down, he took great pride in his strength. As an Admiral, he had never felt inferior to anyone—not even the Pirate King or the Four Emperors.
Until that day.
The devastation at Mary Geoise, the gaping wound that ran through the Red Line, a passage tens of thousands of meters deep...
It wasn't a matter of technique. It was pure, overwhelming power.
Even if no Haki had been used, an attack of that magnitude could annihilate him outright.
After all, while his ice and Akainu's magma were powerful, they still had physical forms. A sufficiently strong attack could shatter them entirely. That level of physical destruction had previously only existed in theory.
Only Kizaru's light-based abilities were truly impervious to physical force.
"What really shocks me," Aokiji finally said, "is the fact that the World Government survived that attack at all. How many trump cards do they have?"
The Vice Admiral beside him chuckled. "It's not wise to question the World Government."
Aokiji shot him a sidelong glance. "You're saying more than I did."
"Ah, but that's different." The Vice Admiral smirked. "You see, the World Government doesn't care if you criticize them. But if you start investigating their secrets... that's when they'll erase you."
Aokiji's expression darkened slightly as memories surfaced.
Realizing he had said too much, the Vice Admiral quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, let's move out. The targets are in sight. Time to get this mission started."
"Yeah, yeah... Feels like overkill, but I guess that's just how the Navy operates."
Aokiji got up from his lounge chair and gazed toward the distant pirate ship. "Whitebeard's Second Division—Fire Fist Ace and Ice Wolf Yamato. We capture them, and we draw out the Plunderer, Shin."
"Exactly. Otherwise, why else would all three Admirals be dispatched? Just those two alone wouldn't normally require this much force. In fact, we could take on the entire Whitebeard Pirates with this lineup."
No more words were exchanged. Taking a deep breath, Aokiji exhaled, releasing a massive wave of frigid air.
"Ice Age."
In the distance, Yamato, now in her hybrid Zoan form, unleashed a blast of her own freezing breath. It rapidly took shape, forming an island of ice beneath their ship.
Yet within moments, that frozen mass was completely engulfed.
The entire ocean had turned to ice.
"Incredible... His level of ice manipulation is far beyond mine!" Yamato exclaimed, though her expression remained determined.
After all, for her, ice was just one of many weapons in her arsenal.
The real battle was about to begin.
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