Kuzan remained silent as he watched Roy radiating with divine brilliance. Calmly, he exhaled a breath of icy mist into his right hand.
"Ice Saber."
A jagged, frost-forged blade formed in his palm—irregular in shape but unmistakably a weapon. With a sudden burst of movement, he vanished with a Soru, reappearing instantly before Roy.
"Your speed's kicked up a notch, huh?" Roy remarked, a glint in his eyes. He could feel it—Kuzan was getting serious now.
Clang!
Their weapons clashed. Holy light met bone-chilling cold as sword and blade quaked violently in their wielders' hands. The deadlock held for a few tense seconds.
Then, Roy's lips curled into a smirk. "Not bad, Vice Admiral—but you're still lacking in raw power."
He suddenly pushed forward. Kuzan, unable to resist the force, was knocked back.
Roy pressed the advantage, the blade of Ashbringer flaring with blinding holy light.
[Judgement of the Paladin] - a devastating melee finisher. It didn't carry projectile sword beams like the masters of swordsmanship, but Roy believed it could rival any Great Swordsman's slash in pure destructive power.
"Not good!" Kuzan felt a surge of danger—something he hadn't sensed in years. If that hit lands… I'm dead. His eyes darted to the frozen sea beneath him. Without hesitation, he slipped into his elemental form, sinking into the ice and vanishing into the depths.
BOOM!
Roy's blade came crashing down onto empty ice.
Crack!
A vast spiderweb of fractures exploded from the impact site. In one swing, Roy had shattered several kilometers of frozen sea into unstable floes. Geysers of seawater blasted skyward through the fissures—only to be flash-frozen by residual frost, forming jagged, glittering sculptures of ice and water.
"ICE BALL!"
A sudden surge of frost erupted beneath Roy's feet, spreading up his legs. His lower half was sealed in a thick dome of ice.
"Now!"
Kuzan burst from beneath the surface. Seeing Roy's back turned and immobilized, he rocketed toward him, blade of ice reforged and ready.
Roy could heal any injury. That much was clear. So this time, Kuzan aimed for the one place even healing might not save—the head.
Though he was one of Zephyr's most pacifistic disciples, this was not a fight where he could afford to hold back. Just this once, he was going all in.
But just as he closed in, Roy turned his head slightly.
Clang!
Ashbringer came down with a flash, cleaving Kuzan's ice blade cleanly in half. Blood sprayed as a shallow but sharp 20-centimeter gash split across Kuzan's chest.
"Tch… too slow again." he muttered, freezing the wound to halt the bleeding.
"Nice move, Vice Admiral. But speed is still my advantage," Roy said with a grin.
"Yeah? Maybe so, but you've forgotten something," Kuzan shot back with a smile. "I've already won, Roy."
The frost that had locked Roy's legs began crawling upward, encasing his entire body. Within seconds, he was sealed in a massive, crystal-clear ice sphere.
"...You think so?" Roy's voice echoed from within.
Kuzan froze—What? He can still speak?!
"O Light above, grant me strength! Break these chains!"
[Blessing of Freedom]—Removes all crowd control effects and grants immunity for 5 seconds.
CRACK!
The ice exploded into shards.
A streak of golden light flashed forward. Before Kuzan could react, Ashbringer was once again resting coldly against his throat.
"I forfeit," Roy said with a peaceful smile. The golden glow around him faded—his Avenging Wrath state had ended. It lasted 30 seconds… with a 3-hour cooldown.
At the same time, he heard a familiar system chime:
Ding!
[Quest Complete: "Kuzan's Invitation." Tavern System Unlocked.]
"...Huh?" Kuzan blinked, stunned. This exhilarating fight was already over?
Roy dismissed Ashbringer back into his system space with a flick of his wrist.
Watching the weapon vanish, Kuzan muttered, "That ability's insanely convenient..."
Roy turned toward the sea, speaking with his back to Kuzan. "Neither of us fought at our peak. Killing each other now would be a waste of fun. Let's call this a warm-up—we'll meet again."
He waved behind him as he walked away, his voice echoing over the waves:
"The future belongs to us, Vice Admiral."
Bathed in the setting sun, Kuzan stood still, watching the golden figure vanish into the horizon. His heart stirred.
"...The future... is ours?"
A faint smile crossed his face. He gently touched his chest—the wound Roy left would become a scar. A reminder. A symbol. Not something he resented—in fact, he welcomed it.
A real man carries his scars.
Kuzan's view of Roy had changed. This guy wasn't evil. What side he'd eventually fall on was a question for the future. But for now... he didn't seem like a threat.
The only problem now? How the hell was he going to explain all this to Zephyr?
---
Kuzan returned to the Flevance Marine Base not long after.
"I didn't get him to join," he reported. "But I learned a lot."
He described the entire battle to Zephyr, summarizing Roy's combat abilities:
"Accelerated regeneration—that's the best way to describe it. No matter the injury, even pierced lungs or heart, he heals fast. He doesn't seem to have Armament Haki, but still landed hits on my Logia body. He's definitely a swordsman—carries a massive sword. Probably a Devil Fruit user. From the looks of it, a Mythical Zoan, like Admiral Sengoku's. That'd explain the glowing angel wings."
Kuzan scratched his head, his usual lazy tone returning.
"...Still, I doubt he can regenerate everything. Every time I aimed at his head, he dodged. I'm guessing that's his weakness."
"The head?" Zephyr nodded thoughtfully. "Regenerative Devil Fruits are rare—but not unheard of. But full-body regeneration? That'd be new. There's always a weak point. That's enough for now."
Kuzan exhaled in relief. Mission accomplished—no scolding this time. Though he had to admit, that guy was interesting.
"Oh right—Zephyr-sensei, he said he went out to sea to settle a grudge. The guy's name was... something 'Tsuki', or... Kozuki something?"
"Kozuki Momonosuke?" Zephyr asked, raising a brow.
"Yeah, that sounds right," Kuzan nodded.
"Understood. You're dismissed," Zephyr waved him off.
"Tirion D. Roy..." Kuzan murmured to himself as he walked away. "...Another 'D'..."
---
A while later, a few patrolling Marines came in and saluted Zephyr. They reported that Roy had already left the port.
Zephyr passed the update to Fleet Admiral Kong.
From the other side of the Den Den Mushi, Kong responded:
"So he's left Flevance? No matter. Keep local Marines on alert—track him. Guys like him... they need to be crushed in the cradle. He's worth at least 50 million berries, minimum."
"Fifty million?" Zephyr scoffed. "You think if Kuzan became a pirate, he'd only be worth fifty? He barely held his own against that boy."
"If Kuzan ever turned pirate," Kong growled, "I'd hunt him down myself."
"...Then maybe don't force people into becoming pirates," Zephyr said dryly. "This sea's already chaotic enough with Roger and Shiki running around."
For now, thanks to Zephyr's intervention, Roy avoided being immediately labeled a pirate. But Zephyr knew full well—he couldn't shield Roy forever.