Behind the iron gate stretched a wide, dimly lit corridor.
"White Fist!"
"White Snake!"
"White Vine!"
…
As they advanced, Bai Yu and Smoker encountered one deadly trap after another—spiked pits, collapsing ceilings, and thick metal doors that slammed shut.
Each time, Smoker stepped in.
His swift attacks and mastery of the Moku Moku no Mi allowed him to obliterate every trap in their path, clearing the way with ease.
"Whew... Let's keep moving."
Their pace never slowed. Their breath misted in the cold air as they dashed through the passage.
Suddenly—click!
A trap triggered again. A large steel plate sprang up beneath them, followed by a hail of poisoned arrows.
"White Gale!"
Anticipating the ambush, Smoker reacted instantly. His body burst into white smoke that swirled outward like a cyclone.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
The arrows dissolved harmlessly within the dense fog. Without pausing, the two vaulted over the trap and pressed on.
Soon, the corridor widened into a broad chamber.
At the far end stood a towering metal door.
Boldly etched across its surface was a single word: EXIT.
"We're finally here!"
Smoker's tired eyes lit up.
"White Fist!"
Twin jets of smoke surged from his fists, blasting the heavy door.
BOOM!
The door was blown wide open. A frigid gust swept in, whipping their coats as it ushered them into the snowy world outside.
Without hesitation, the two stormed out into the blinding light.
They immediately scanned the surroundings.
"There!"
Bai Yu spotted them—a group up ahead to the right.
It was Caesar, flanked by his PH Troops, just as Bai Yu had sensed earlier.
"Let's go!"
Shave!
Bai Yu vanished from sight, dashing across the snow in a blur.
"White Smoke Launcher!"
Smoker accelerated too, using smoke propulsion to follow close behind.
The two of them rapidly closed the distance.
"Caesar! You're not getting away!"
Smoker's voice rang out as they neared.
Hearing the shout, Caesar and his men turned.
Two figures—Bai Yu and Smoker—rushed toward them like streaks of fury.
"Tch! Damn you, Vergo…"
Caesar's face twisted with rage. The one person he trusted to delay them had failed.
He didn't care about Vergo's fate—but his research, his precious creation—S.A.D.—was irreplaceable.
"You all—stall them! Even if it costs your lives!"
He pointed toward the device at the center of the group.
"White Vine!"
But before his men could act, Smoker's attack came first.
"Blue Dragon Slash!"
Bai Yu's voice cut through the cold.
Whoosh—BOOM!
A colossal, crescent-shaped slash surged across the ground, ripping through the ice like a demon's claw.
SHRRRIP!
PH Troops were torn apart in an instant—limbs scattered, screams swallowed by snow.
The shockwave didn't stop there.
It carved a deep trench through the battlefield, perfectly severing Caesar from the S.A.D. container.
Whirr!
Then came Smoker's white smoke vine—twisting and stretching like a serpent of justice.
As it neared the trench, it veered suddenly, reaching not for Caesar—but for the S.A.D. device.
CRASH!
It snatched the giant container and yanked it across the snow.
The container skidded to a halt beside Bai Yu.
"Y-You…!"
Caesar's eyes bulged in disbelief.
In mere seconds, his life's work was ripped from his hands.
"Put that down! Or else—"
"Shhh."
Bai Yu raised a finger, smirking playfully.
Then, without a word, he nodded at Smoker.
Caesar's gut twisted.
BOOM!
Obeying the signal, Smoker used his vine to hurl the S.A.D. device high into the air.
"Blue Dragon Slash!"
Bai Yu turned, blade flashing.
Whoosh—BOOM!
A slash identical to the last roared out from his Sakuragi Blade.
It met the airborne container mid-flight.
"NO!!"
Caesar screamed—but it was too late.
CRRAAAAAAASSSHHH!!
The container split in two, its contents exploding in mid-air.
Shards of twisted steel and shattered glass rained down from the sky like falling stars.
Plop!
Caesar collapsed to his knees, pounding the snow in fury.
Though S.A.D. could be rebuilt, the data and rare compounds inside were irreplaceable.
Years of work. Gone in an instant.
"You… I'll kill you!!"
His eyes were bloodshot now. Madness overtook reason.
Hiss… hiss…
With a snarl, Caesar's body dissolved into a swirling cloud of violet gas—his true form as a Gas Logia user.
He doubled in size, his gaseous limbs writhing and pulsing.
Fwoooosh!
His chest expanded as he inhaled—pulling toxic elements into his gasified lungs.
Then—
"Gas Spray Gun!"
A piercing hiss preceded the attack.
Caesar released the compressed gas in a thin, focused stream.
But this wasn't just gas.
It was a laser cannon, forged from volatile compounds, capable of burning through steel.
SHHHHRRRAAKK!!
Where it passed, the snow melted instantly, creating a steaming scar across the ground.
"Fall back!"
Bai Yu barked to Smoker.
He gripped his blade tightly, eyes locked on the oncoming beam.
He wouldn't dodge.
He would meet it head-on.
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