"Before this, you looked out for me. I know your consciousness must still be there, so forgive me for what I'm about to do."
Silently offering an apology to Bartholomew Kuma, Jiang Lin raised his hand and struck.
"Ursus Shock!"
With a gust of compressed air gathering in his palm, Jiang Lin thrust forward, sending the massive Kuma crashing back into the ice.
"Such a giant body, yet so agile… truly troublesome. Third Division Commander, Diamond Jozu."
At that moment, Mr. 0 was blasted aside by Jozu's strike, landing near Jiang Lin.
"Jozu, come to think of it—I haven't copied your ability yet."
Using Yata no Kagami, Jiang Lin instantly appeared at Jozu's side, tapped him lightly with his palm, and in a blink swapped their positions, leaving Jozu where Jiang Lin had been standing.
"You have attacked Diamond Jozu. The system is copying his Devil Fruit. Please endure for one minute."
Hearing the system's voice, Jiang Lin smiled in satisfaction before turning back to Kuma.
"Ursus Gatling!"
Kuma suddenly unleashed a flurry of paw-shaped shockwaves, rippling rapidly toward him.
"Oi, oi—now you're just overdoing it!"
Jiang Lin muttered helplessly before raising his leg.
"Light-Speed Kick!"
A dazzling golden beam erupted, shattering the barrage of paw-shaped blasts one after another.
"Pop!"
But as the light cleared, Jiang Lin's beam abruptly rebounded, folding back on itself.
"Ah—that technique, I nearly forgot!"
Catching the returning beam, Jiang Lin struck out with his right palm, smacking it away.
"Zing!"
But again, it ricocheted back toward him.
"Enough already!"
Grumbling, Jiang Lin repelled it once more before flashing forward with Yata no Kagami, appearing directly in front of Kuma.
Closing in, he slammed a "Ursus Shock" into Kuma's chest. The compressed force drove Kuma's massive body deep into the frozen ground, leaving him embedded in the ice.
Kuma's body systems stalled from the crushing blow. Seeing him falter, Jiang Lin blurred forward again, appearing before him.
"Kuma… I can only send you to the Sabaody Archipelago. May your future be as gentle and bright as nature once was."
Speaking softly, Jiang Lin placed his palm on Kuma.
"Pain Removal: Healing Bomb."
Redirecting the damage from Kuma's body, Jiang Lin then struck lightly, launching him out of Marineford in an instant.
"Bartholomew Kuma! One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Lord Kuma—has been sent flying by Jiang Lin!"
Marines stared wide-eyed at the crater, stunned. A Warlord was supposed to be a pillar of strength for the Navy, yet Kuma had been dispatched so easily, his whereabouts unknown. Fear rippled across the battlefield.
"A gentle man… this is the last thing I can do for you. In the future, we may never cross paths again."
Jiang Lin sighed, convinced this would be his final encounter with Kuma.
But he could not foresee that in the near future, their paths would cross once more—and his actions in that moment would drive him to strike against the Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise, sparking the fury of the entire World Government.
"Now then… whose turn is it?"
Jiang Lin's gaze swept the battlefield, finally settling on a lone figure—Hawkeye Mihawk.
There, before Luffy, the world's greatest swordsman stood with Yoru in hand, blocking his path. Luffy's face darkened at the sight.
"Luffy, leave this one to me. You keep moving forward."
Jiang Lin flashed into golden light, appearing before Mihawk to intercept him. He had long wanted to test the strength of the man hailed as the world's strongest swordsman.
"Jiang Lin, I'll leave him to you!"
Luffy did not hesitate. With Jiang Lin holding Mihawk at bay, he rushed onward.
"'D'… no, I should call you Jiang Lin. You spared me a difficult choice—for that, I should thank you. But the positions we stand in… ensure you will never receive my gratitude."
Mihawk's eyes sharpened as he spoke. To him, Jiang Lin was far more significant than Luffy.
"Is that so? If I could wield a sword, I'd challenge you blade-to-blade. But alas, I cannot. So I'll face you with my Devil Fruit abilities instead."
Jiang Lin's voice held regret. How he wished, just for this moment, to be a swordsman, so he could truly cross blades with Mihawk.
"No matter. Swordsmanship or Devil Fruit—both are powerful."
Mihawk's eyes narrowed. Lifting Yoru, he sent forth a slash, a brilliant green arc gleaming with chilling intensity.
"Clang!"
Jiang Lin raised both palms, catching the strike. The pads of his hands, mimicking Kuma's power, repelled the force and flung Mihawk's blade back.
"So, Bartholomew Kuma's ability?"
Steadying Yoru, Mihawk's eyes glinted, releasing a torrent of killing intent.
"Haki, is it? Mihawk—you won't stop me."
Jiang Lin narrowed his eyes, transforming into golden lightning, and reappeared directly before Mihawk.
"Ursus Shock!"
With a sharp cry, Jiang Lin thrust forward, a dense air blast crashing toward Mihawk.
"Zing!"
Mihawk raised Yoru and intercepted, holding fast against the pressure. The gale howled past him, carving deep trenches in the ice behind.
"As expected of the man who inherited Whitebeard's will. Jiang Lin—if you can withstand my next strike, I'll let you pass."
Mihawk sheathed Yoru briefly, standing still as his aura swelled. His eyes sharpened to razors, his presence growing heavier by the second.
At its peak, Mihawk's eyes flashed wide open as he unleashed his strongest slash.
"Zing!"
A blinding green arc, carrying immeasurable might, tore across the battlefield toward Jiang Lin.