Boom!
A hollow ice sphere shattered with a thunderous crash. From the bursting shards of ice, Luffy burst forth in a full sprint.
In his hand, a spinning orb of fire swirled tightly, its spiraling flames compressed like a spring, focusing immense energy into a single point, ready to explode with devastating force.
Without hesitation, Luffy hurled the fireball at Aokiji, who was flying straight toward him, too fast to react.
Squelch,
The Sky Flame Rasengan, infused with overwhelming energy, slammed silently into Aokiji's chest. Strangely, the fiery orb didn't explode. Instead, it sank silently into Aokiji's body, almost as if it had vanished into thin air.
Only Aokiji and Luffy knew how immense the energy locked inside that Rasengan was, how it now churned violently inside Aokiji, restrained only by layers of internal ice.
"Scatter, now!!!"
Luffy, having landed the blow, immediately stepped back and shouted to Brook and the others.
Without wasting a second, he turned and sprinted toward Thriller Bark.
Brook and the others didn't hesitate for a moment. As soon as they heard Luffy's command, they followed him at full speed toward the island.
But Luffy had underestimated the destructive power of the Sky Flame Rasengan, and overestimated Aokiji's ability to contain it.
Before the group had even gotten far, a monstrous surge of blazing heat erupted behind them. The atmosphere roared as a scorching wave of fire burst in all directions, chasing after them like a living inferno.
Boom!
The explosion unleashed a searing heat wave that swept over Hancock and the others, engulfing them entirely.
Even someone as powerful as Hancock was momentarily stunned, her expression filled with shock and a rare flash of panic.
Run!!
The pillar of heat shot skyward, bursting through the clouds like a meteor. The sky, once calm, rippled with energy as if struck by a giant boulder thrown into still water. Thunderous turbulence spread in every direction.
The clouds were blasted away, forced out beyond the battlefield by the sheer force of the explosion.
At the center of the blaze,
Aokiji's form began to reconstitute, slowly restoring his elemental ice body. But the moment his form began to stabilize, the raging fire would tear him apart again. Burn, reform. Burn, reform.
Over and over again.
In this moment, Aokiji could no longer move. He had no choice but to endure the relentless barrage of compressed flame energy with nothing but his sheer physical endurance.
The divine blaze, blinding and fierce, lashed in every direction, burning everything in its path. The ocean evaporated in great swathes, bubbling violently.
Even Thriller Bark itself was shoved back dozens of kilometers by the sheer force of the blast.
On the distant shoreline, Robin stared at the blazing horizon. She didn't shield herself or resist, allowing the scorching heat to redden and burn her delicate skin.
"Luffy…"
Her worried eyes remained fixed on the fiery distance, as if she could see through the inferno and into the heart of the battle.
A shadow suddenly appeared beside her. As the blackness receded, Moria's pale skin emerged from the fading darkness.
"Ha… ha… haaa…"
Having swapped places with his Doppelman, Moria dropped to his knees, clutching the ground with trembling hands and gasping for breath in the searing air.
Ironically, he was the slowest of the group, yet the first to reach safety thanks to his unique ability.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Brook sprinted across the melting sea ice, their speed amplified by Luffy's Mercury's Treads.
Luffy glanced back and saw Hancock struggling, about to be consumed by the fire.
A flicker of hesitation flashed in his eyes. Then, with a grimace, he clenched his jaw and slowed down.
"Luffy-san?"
Brook noticed Luffy lagging behind and called out, alarmed.
"Don't worry about me! Go!"
Luffy quickly pulled two Miniature Life Pills from his bag and consumed them, instantly restoring his health.
By now, Hancock's hair was catching sparks, and the flames were closing in fast.
The shockwave wasn't unendurable for Hancock on its own.
But she was standing on the sea, where the melting ice had given way to a thin layer of seawater. She didn't know Geppo like the Marines, nor was she as light-footed as Brook. Each step weakened her, draining her strength with every touch of seawater.
"Damn it!"
Gritting her teeth, Hancock forced her trembling legs to keep moving.
But the heat behind her kept intensifying. In a moment of dizziness, she stepped too hard and stumbled forward, her foot plunging into the sea.
She lost her balance.
Splat,
In the next second, she fell forward, straight into Luffy's arms.
Without a word, Luffy turned and ran, holding her tightly. A towering wall of fire loomed behind him, ready to devour them both.
He stepped onto a final chunk of floating ice and used it to launch himself forward with all his might.
"Put me down!!!"
Hancock, never having been this close to a man before, wanted to die from the humiliation.
She would rather be burned alive than spend another second in this man's arms!
But her struggling slowed Luffy's escape. His health bar began to drop again, forcing him to grit his teeth and swallow another Life Pill.
"Stay still already!!!"
He roared in frustration.
To save time, and conserve coins, Luffy unleashed his Conqueror's Haki directly at Hancock to subdue her.
Her mind buzzed with confusion as Luffy's will clashed with hers. Her mental strength fought back, resisting the pressure of his Haki.
But in the end, she was overwhelmed.
Damn it! Not this feeling again!
Is this… the kind of man Robin likes?
So domineering…
As that final thought passed through her mind, Hancock fainted. Her struggling ceased.
Only then could Luffy go full speed, racing toward the safety zone.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Far out on the sea, the explosions hadn't stopped.
Aokiji, though badly damaged, still maintained his freezing ability. He stood tall, holding back the Sky Flame with sheer willpower.
His stamina remained vast, but the Sky Flame's energy far exceeded that of the Ice-Ice Fruit.
While defense was manageable, completely extinguishing this fire would take far more effort.
After all, this was the product of Luffy pouring every last drop of his mental power into a single, compressed attack. Even an admiral wouldn't find it easy to endure.
"Robin!"
Finally reaching the safe zone, Luffy stumbled and nearly fell, but caught himself in time. He hurriedly handed the unconscious Hancock to Robin.
Then, leaning on a nearby boulder, he let out a long breath, calming his pounding heart.
"Luffy-san…" Moria and Brook rushed over, concern written all over their faces.
They could faintly sense something terrifying within the center of that blazing inferno, a power still standing against the storm.
Aokiji's strength had completely shattered their understanding of power.
Even Moria, who had fought Kaido, had only experienced being crushed. He had never truly witnessed power on this level.
To survive in the heart of such chaos, and even begin reclaiming control, was a kind of strength they couldn't even dream of.
But Luffy said nothing.
He simply stared at the violently trembling sky and the churning sea.
Red and blue light spread outward from the core of the battlefield, forming waves of colossal energy.
The cold energy held steady.
But the flame… was fading.
Amid the brilliant glow, Aokiji's figure slowly became visible, steadily pushing back the chaos.
Luffy hesitated for a moment. Then, suddenly, he stood upright and declared:
"Looks like… I'll need to fire off another one!"
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