In a brief glimpse of the future, Kuzan saw himself struck by a bullet from the strange pistol in Davy Jones' hand. Immediately, his body was seized by a terrifying paralysis—and in that helpless moment, he suffered a crushing blow, losing his left leg.
Unbelievable as it seemed, Kuzan trusted that vision. At the last instant, he evaded the incoming shot.
On Davy Jones' face appeared a rare look of surprise.
"Impressive. It's as if you knew in advance that I would pull the trigger—and that my bullet could actually harm you."
I did know.
Kuzan's eyes stayed fixed warily on the pistol in Jones' grip.
Again he forced his Observation Haki to its limit, glimpsing the flow of the future. As expected, he saw it—Davy Jones firing the pistol at intervals.
From this, Kuzan quickly pieced together the truth: that gun was dangerous, but it could not fire continuously. It needed time to reload each shot.
Moreover, Kuzan trusted in his Armament Haki.
So long as he anticipated where the bullet would strike and hardened that point with flowing Armament, he could blunt the effect.
Kuzan's Armament and Observation both surpassed Davy Jones'. For him, this was not a difficult feat.
And for the bullet to truly break through and activate its effect, Jones would need Armament on par with Kuzan's own—wrapping and binding the projectile in Haki strong enough to pierce.
At present, Jones could not achieve that.
Even so, Kuzan did not relax. His vigilance remained sharp.
But Davy Jones made no attempt to press the point. Instead, he smoothly holstered the pistol at his waist.
Kuzan frowned. He could not guess the man's intent. Reluctantly, he decided to burn more energy using Observation Haki again, to peer into the future.
It was costly. If this battle dragged into a war of attrition, the drain would work against him. But knowing Jones' next move was worth the price.
In the New World, any fighter without the ability to foresee the future was at a hopeless disadvantage when facing masters like Charlotte Katakuri.
This was, in Kuzan's mind, Jones' greatest weakness.
But before he could reach out with his senses—
Buzz…
A surge of overwhelming pressure struck him head-on.
"Conqueror…?!"
Kuzan's eyes narrowed, shock flickering there. His estimation of Davy Jones had risen step by step—first, that he had bested Crocodile; then, that he had the makings of a Warlord of the Sea; and now…
This monster never ceased to unveil unexpected depths. And now, he revealed the Conqueror's Haki.
Even so, its pressure could do little more than knock unconscious a few ordinary Marines. Against Kuzan, it was no real threat.
What, then, was Jones' aim?
The answer came as a strange sound, threading through the roaring winds and crashing storm.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Kuzan listened carefully. It was the beat of a heart.
His gaze darted about—yet no heart could be seen. Only when he stretched his senses with Haki did he realize: the sound came from within Davy Jones' own chest.
And with each wave of Conqueror's Haki, Jones' heartbeat pulsed in a measured rhythm.
Confusion clouded Kuzan for only a breath—then Jones vanished from sight.
He reappeared in front of him instantly, faster than Soru, faster than logic could follow.
If not for Kuzan's foresight, he would have been caught flat-footed.
Their fists, clad in Armament, collided with thunder. Kuzan bore down, pressing his foe back.
But a surge of seawater snaked up Jones' arm, and Kuzan was forced to disengage, leaping back.
Swish, swish, swish—
Tentacles, writhing like serpents, lashed for him.
Kuzan froze shield after shield of ice in rapid succession, blocking the barrage.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The heartbeat again—faster this time, louder.
And suddenly Kuzan realized his own heart was matching it, racing in unnatural sync.
With every pulse, his stamina drained away.
He felt fatigue creeping in—unwelcome, unnatural.
In battles against Emperors' Captain's or even Warlords, his energy would normally still be steady at this stage. Yet now, without noticing, it was being siphoned at an alarming rate.
Yes, his constant use of foresight Observation did tax him. But this loss was different. This was deeper, sharper, hungrier.
There was only one explanation: the heartbeat. That strange rhythm was stealing his life-force, bleeding him with every clash.
"A damn monster…"
Kuzan narrowed his eyes. Midair, surrounded by storm and spray, his frost and Haki collided against Jones' onslaught in a dazzling blur of afterimages.
But the truth was grim.
Every second that passed tilted the battle further from his favor.
Even if he held the advantage now, fatigue would drag him down to parity—and beyond.
This drain was bottomless. Kuzan could not see its end. Perhaps, if it continued unchecked, it might even carve away at his very lifespan.
The thought gnawed at him. Impatience flared.
He struck forward hard.
Shhhk—
His Ice Blade finally pierced Jones' torso.
But Jones only reached down calmly, pulling himself free of the frozen blade. The gaping wound knit together before Kuzan's eyes.
Not a drop of blood was spilled.
This was no mortal injury.
Kuzan's mind flicked to Smoker's reports. Piece by piece, they were proving true.
The ship. The regeneration. And more besides.
Could it be… this creature truly was the "Lord King of the Deep"?
Or simply the wielder of a Devil Fruit beyond reason?
Whatever the truth, his Haki had already reached first-rate mastery—and was clawing its way toward the realm of the very few, the truly supreme.
Kuzan's jaw tightened.
I have to end him here. If not, he'll become a calamity beyond measure.
He forced down his frustration, searching for a killing path—when a low rumble reached his ears.
He turned his head.
And froze.
On the horizon, blotting out sky and sea alike, a colossal tsunami rose.
RUMMMMMBLE—
Another surge of Aqua Laguna. The largest yet.
It spanned the heavens, its scale apocalyptic. It looked ready to drown the entire City of Water.
Never before had such a wave been seen. It was as though the very Sea Gods had been enraged—come to deliver judgment and bring the city to its end.
Kuzan's eyes flew wide. Even he, an Admiral, had never witnessed such a sight.
In truth, even Davy Jones' expression shifted with shock.
For such a vast manifestation of Aqua Laguna was not of his making.
Kuzan didn't need to imagine the aftermath. If that wave struck, when it receded Water 7 would be nothing but hell.
As an Admiral of the Navy, he could not stand idle.
With one last glance at Jones, Kuzan launched himself skyward, racing to meet the oncoming wall of sea.
His hands spread wide, releasing the cold of the Hie Hie no Mi at full force.
But even at his utmost, he could not freeze the entire tsunami.
He settled for the next best thing.
A titanic ice wall, curved like a shield, rose from the ocean.
The wave smashed against it, spilling over its crest, crashing down from both flanks. But the barrier held—the inner district of the city was spared.
Creak… groan…
The sea roared, surging skyward.
Kuzan held on, pouring strength into the ice—but his back was bare, exposed.
He didn't dare think of what would come next.
Yet he couldn't let go. If he faltered, the city below would be annihilated.
Whoosh—
Mist coiled. A figure appeared at his back.
Smoker.
He took position behind Kuzan, bracing himself to shield the Admiral from Jones' inevitable strike.
But they both knew the truth. If Jones attacked now, neither of them could stop him.
The suffocating weight of fate pressed down. Their throats seemed caught in its grip.
This was the destiny of the Navy. As long as they bore the name of Justice, they had to be ready to sacrifice themselves for the people.
But unexpectedly, Davy Jones did not strike.
He simply watched, eyes gleaming with strange amusement, as the titanic wave slowly broke upon the ice wall, then slid back into the sea.
Minutes passed before the ocean calmed.
At last Kuzan drew back his hands. The wall shattered, crumbling into a blizzard of snowflakes. He collapsed, spent, into Smoker's arms.
Smoker steadied him, keeping them both afloat with Geppo.
Kuzan panted, gaze clouded with exhaustion and unease. He turned toward Davy Jones.
Jones met his eyes—and asked plainly the question that burned in him.
"Why can you predict my actions? Why do you even know the nature of some of my powers?"
Kuzan froze, then understood.
This was a trade.
He hesitated, then spoke.
"That is the advanced form of Observation. Observation Haki can glimpse the future. Some can hear the voices of others' hearts—even influence their thoughts and emotions. As for counters to top-tier Observation… the only one I know of is called 'Observation Killing.'"
Without waiting for a follow-up, he continued.
"Armament, when mastered, can flow freely through the body, layering strong defenses, even negating Devil Fruit powers. It can invade another's body and destroy from within."
"Conqueror's can be used offensively, its clashes between two great wills strong enough to tear the heavens apart. And rarer still is 'Conqueror's Coating'—a power only a handful in history have wielded."
Kuzan spoke on, sharing fragments of insight and experience—but only those techniques he himself had mastered.
The exchange lasted a quarter of an hour.
When it ended, they simply watched as Davy Jones departed.
Neither Kuzan nor Smoker attempted pursuit. Neither reported the pirates' direction to Marine Headquarters.
It was a breach of discipline. But still, they held their tongues.
When they finally returned to the streets of Water 7, Kuzan felt no satisfaction in having saved a city.
Only a heavy, gnawing worry.
Not only had he allowed Davy Jones to escape—he had given him knowledge of the very paths to grow even stronger.
What disaster would this bring?
Kuzan shut his eyes.
It would surely be worse—far worse—than the day he let the "Demon Child" Robin slip away.
PS: Access advance (200+) chapters at