Ice pillars rose from the ground.
Kuzan knelt on one knee atop an ice pillar, using the rapidly rising column to gain distance from the three clones and secure a vantage point.
Boom!
Shadow shattered the base of the ice pillar with a single punch.
The pillar, over three meters in diameter, collapsed instantly. Kuzan immediately leaped into the air.
Almost simultaneously, Pyo and Mon flashed to his sides.
Two fists coated in Armament Haki struck from left and right at blinding speed.
Another loud explosion followed.
Ice shards scattered everywhere.
Kuzan, his body wreathed in cold air, was sent flying backward. He hurled two ice balls in succession.
The ice balls exploded midair.
Bone-chilling cold spread outward, and the scattered ice shards instantly fused into a massive block, freezing the two clones solid.
Crack!
A faint sound came from within the ice.
A crack appeared.
Pyo and Mon simultaneously unleashed powerful Armament Haki, attempting to shatter the ice imprisoning them.
However, Kuzan had first used countless ice shards to obscure the area, then released extreme cold to turn the tiny shards into nuclei, absorbing moisture from the air to form the ice block.
Given its size, the mountainous ice block wasn't so easily broken.
With a crash, the giant ice block fell, kicking up a white mist.
"One more left..."
Kuzan, still midair, quickly scanned below for the remaining clone.
At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared behind him and punched him squarely in the back.
Kuzan plummeted like a meteor.
Shadow, having landed the sneak attack, dove down with gravity, his right fist already gathering power.
"So strong!"
Kuzan stood up, wiping blood from his mouth as he stared at the descending Shadow.
"Pheasant Beak!"
Kuzan's right arm rapidly condensed more cold air, forming an ice bird that shot toward Shadow.
Shadow, expressionless, unleashed a full-force punch coated in Armament Haki.
A loud explosion followed.
The ice bird was completely shattered, scattering countless shards.
Shadow wasn't unscathed either. The counterforce disrupted his descent, sending him flying back over a dozen meters before he stabilized.
Meanwhile, the giant ice block on the other side exploded.
Pyo and Mon broke free and rejoined the fight.
Kuzan, fighting one against three, gradually fell into a disadvantage.
"Kuzan!"
Sakazuki, also fighting three clones, was handling them with relative ease. Seeing Kuzan being suppressed, his face darkened.
He acknowledged each clone's strength, but as someone who knew his rival well, Sakazuki knew Kuzan's true capabilities exceeded this. He should at least be able to fight them evenly, not be overwhelmed.
Hearing Sakazuki's roar, Kuzan glanced over and fell silent.
Sakazuki's situation was clearly better.
The three clones combined could barely match his full power.
"Leave nothing behind that he can use to make more clones!"
Furious but unwilling to openly break with Kuzan on the battlefield, Sakazuki settled for a stiff reminder.
If Kuzan was slacking, Sakazuki would end this pointless battle himself.
Instantly, the ground beneath him turned red, melting into scorching magma that spread rapidly.
The temperature skyrocketed, distorting the air.
Though the control chips made them fearless, the clones were still flesh and blood. The intense heat affected their movements.
"Great Eruption Hound!"
Sakazuki's arms transformed into magma hounds, pinning Control and Ray 1 to the ground.
The impact sent them flying before they were crushed into the earth.
Now only Ray 2 remained before Sakazuki.
His magma arms reformed into regular arms.
Having temporarily immobilized Control and Ray 1, Sakazuki focused on Ray 2.
The tide turned.
Ray 2 was instantly overwhelmed, barely able to defend.
Within a few exchanges, Sakazuki gained total dominance. Spotting an opening caused by the heat, he delivered a decisive punch.
But then, a sand blade shot across the ground from afar.
Caught off guard, Sakazuki was slashed at the waist.
"Crocodile!"
Sakazuki roared in fury.
The "Desert Spada" didn't injure him, but the insult was undeniable.
He never expected Crocodile to attack him.
"Sorry, my aim was off."
Crocodile, his lower body a swirling sandstorm, flew closer. Like Mihawk, his apology was insincere.
At the same time, he studied Ray 2, who had retreated to a safe distance, and shook his head.
This wasn't Reddy's real body.
Certain of this, Crocodile lost interest in the clone.
Earlier, angered by Reddy's abrupt attack, he had fought Invis until Kuzan's "Ice Age" froze the island, temporarily sealing Invis away.
Crocodile, never keen on fighting clones, seized the chance to disengage.
Seeing Ray 2 about to be struck, he still intervened, offering Reddy a favor.
Sakazuki's face darkened, but he didn't outright label Crocodile an enemy.
Though extreme, he wasn't foolish.
Whether intentional or not, Crocodile was still nominally allied with the Marines.
With the clones already troublesome, Sakazuki refused to push Crocodile into open opposition.
This time, he swallowed his anger.
Meanwhile, Control and Ray 1 broke free from the magma and regrouped with Ray 2.
Sakazuki didn't press the attack.
He saw Reddy approaching.
This was his only chance to claim victory in this operation.
So he held back, waiting like a hunter for his prey to step into the trap.
"Are you... Dr. Reddy?"
Crocodile puffed his cigar, eyeing the approaching figure, unsure if it was the real one.
Privately, he marveled at Reddy's Bloodline Factor technology.
Outwardly, there was no telling who was the original.
For a moment, he even considered going to any lengths to obtain a clone army from Reddy.
"Only you, Crocodile."
Reddy sighed.
In the original story, Crocodile had made a comeback, his bounty soaring to 1.965 billion berries.
A man who dared challenge Whitebeard, it was no surprise he'd interfere in Sakazuki's fight.
Certain this was the real Reddy, Crocodile smirked around his cigar. "Let's end this boring war quickly."
...
Loguetown.
The interrupted broadcast didn't dampen the people's joy.
Dragon pulled up his hood, hiding his face again, and pushed through the crowd, heading to the battlefield below to reinforce.
Just outside Loguetown, Dragon's expression shifted as he gazed into the distance. "This overwhelming Haki... Is it Kaido?"