A bone-chilling frost suddenly descended over the entire sea.
Winter had come, and the endless ocean instantly crystallized into a jagged field of icy spires!
The warship caught in the swirling currents immediately fell silent.
Under the sudden cold, the open Gate of Justice was instantly sealed by a towering layer of ice.
On the Going Merry, Luffy let out a soft laugh, turning his gaze to Robin and Brook:
"Today's really a special day… we have some old friends visiting~"
Robin and Brook exchanged smiles, and Brook spoke up with his usual flourish:
"Yohohoho~ it really has been a long time since we saw old friends…"
They reminisced about the brutal battles of the past—it really had been ages ago.
…
The others on the Going Merry looked puzzled.
Though they didn't understand what Luffy, Robin, and Brook were talking about, their Observation Haki allowed them to sense a strong presence nearby.
Within the ice sealing the Gate of Justice, a figure slowly emerged from above the frozen layer, landing firmly on the ice below.
Tall and imposing, Aokiji's feet touched down with the grace of slow motion as his gaze fell upon the Going Merry, immobilized by the ice.
A subtle sense of danger rippled through his perception, making him hesitant to look directly at Luffy and the others.
But as a Marine Admiral, he could not allow pirates to pass through the Gate of Justice unchallenged!
His usually lazy expression grew stern as he muttered:
"Ah… this really is troublesome…"
On the Going Merry, Luffy leaped lightly onto the ice Aokiji had formed.
He kicked at the fragile surface, sending tiny shards scattering.
Looking up, he grinned at Aokiji and teased:
"Long time no see, Admiral Kuzan!"
The last time they met, Aokiji was still a Vice Admiral, intervening to save Hancock from a terror-stricken three-masted ship…
And they encountered Robin, whom he had spared in the past…
During that battle, Luffy had given everything he had, only stopping when Aokiji decided to call it off.
Had the fight continued, Luffy wouldn't have dared predict who would have emerged victorious…
Shortly after that encounter, Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru all rose to the rank of Marine Admiral.
Years had passed since then.
But today, Luffy was far from the same as before.
…
"Haa~"
Aokiji let out a long breath. If he could, he really didn't want to fight Luffy.
Winning wouldn't allow him to capture him.
He could capture anyone, but not Garp's grandson.
The debt he owed to Garp could never be repaid, and if he captured his grandson…
Given the World Government's approach to Ancient Weapons and historical documents, he could end up like Marco—publicly executed!
And losing?
Ridiculous!
He, Aokiji, a top-tier Marine Admiral, could never lose to a teenage boy!
…
"You really do love giving Garp trouble…"
"Monkey D. Luffy!"
Thinking back to Garp's worried expression recently—he couldn't even enjoy his rice crackers, eating less than a hundred in a week, barely half his usual intake—Aokiji couldn't help sighing.
No one in the Monkey family could ever behave normally!
"Uh…"
Luffy felt a little embarrassed hearing his grandfather mentioned.
He could imagine Garp's mix of pride and frustration seeing Luffy's bounty soar.
Even now, Luffy didn't feel he could beat his grandfather.
He wasn't sure if it was his emotions or his intuition warning him…
Still, facing a mere Admiral didn't frighten him.
Luffy shook his head with mild exasperation and gestured toward the Gate of Justice behind Aokiji:
"Admiral Aokiji, since we all know each other so well, let's not make things complicated."
"We just want to go to Impel Down to find someone."
"Just for Garp's sake, let us pass…"
"Hah!?"
Aokiji let out a low, rumbling exclamation:
"So your target is Impel Down? Then you definitely can't pass!"
"For Garp's sake, I should arrest you—before you cause even bigger trouble."
Though he spoke of arresting them, Aokiji's true intention was merely to let Luffy feel the power of a top-tier Admiral and drive them away.
Visible chills radiated from his body, spreading cold into the surrounding space.
"Sigh…"
Luffy exhaled lightly, his aura flaring with heat.
His eyes sharpened, fixing on Aokiji:
"Looks like you don't want to give my grandfather any respect…"
"Arresting you is giving Garp the best respect!"
Aokiji's body emitted an intense cold.
His hands turned ice-blue, and chilling air swirled around him, condensing into four icy spears aimed at Luffy.
Whoosh!
The four spears shot forward, leaving trails in the air like icy blue lightning, reaching Luffy in the blink of an eye.
Crack!
Luffy's black gauntlet flashed, shattering the spears instantly.
He slowly lifted his head, eyes serious, and said:
"Stop using childish tricks… Admiral Aokiji."
"Oh~"
Aokiji's voice was calm, as cold as his powers.
"But… aren't you just a… child?"
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, a blazing flame erupted!
Without warning, Luffy raised his hand, unleashing an overwhelming burst of flames!
The ice instantly melted under the intense heat.
Standing atop a piece of melting ice, Luffy swung his other hand downward.
From beneath his feet, mysterious ice crystals spread outward.
Unlike Aokiji's previous icy attack, these crystals sparkled under the sunlight, scattering a rainbow of colors across the surface, shimmering like silk in the depths of the ice.
"Admiral Aokiji, is this the 'childish' attack you were talking about…?"
Aokiji, partially frozen and re-forming from the damage, wiped cold sweat from his face, shocked by Luffy's attack.
That strike… maybe a little too strong…
"You… you…"
Startled, Aokiji was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Hey!"
Standing on ice created from a breakthrough of deathly energy, Luffy smiled mischievously, a childlike grin tugging at his lips.
"Go ahead…"
"Use your strongest technique. Maybe… you'll actually hurt this 'child' of yours."
"Oh! Right!"
"Don't worry, for my grandfather's sake…"
"I'm not…"
"…going to kill you!"