On the Going Merry, Carina, Nami, and the others were in a panic, completely at a loss.
Just then, a dragon shadow burst from the clouds, circling above the Going Merry.
Two figures leaped down from the dragon's back.
"Luo Chen?"
"Nico Robin?"
Whether it was Luffy and the others, or CP9's Kaku and Kalifa, everyone was startled.
Nami, however, remembered that Luo Chen had said a clone would come to meet them.
This Luo Chen in front of them must be that clone.
"Leave it to me. You all just need to set sail," Luo Chen's clone said with a smile.
Hearing this, everyone immediately calmed down.
Indeed, with Luo Chen here, it seemed there was nothing to worry about.
He could even split an island; a tsunami would definitely pose no threat.
Carina composed herself and ordered everyone back to their posts to set sail.
Nami walked to Luo Chen's side and asked softly, "After you're caught, when are you planning to leave Impel Down?"
"Very soon. Probably less than a month," Luo Chen's clone replied with a laugh.
Nami smiled. "That's good... Luo Chen, I went to sea to be your navigator."
"So, after you escape from Impel Down, please take me with you, no matter where you go."
Hearing this, Luo Chen's clone smiled and agreed, "Okay, I'll tell the main body."
Nami nodded gently.
Beside them, Robin sized up Nami with great interest, a faint smile on her face.
A moment later, the giant tsunami, the Aqua Laguna, arrived.
It was as if a dark sky had been stood on its end, pressing down toward the Going Merry.
Luo Chen leaped onto the ship's bow, raising his palm to face the aggressively approaching giant tsunami.
"Super Shinra Tensei!"
An invisible repulsive force suddenly erupted from his palm.
Like a wall of air, it slammed into the giant tsunami ahead.
In an instant, the dark blue curtain of seawater shattered.
Waves and all sorts of fish fell from the sky.
The Going Merry charged into the distant sea, passing through the countless falling seawater and fish.
...
In Water 7, the people gathered at the highest point to avoid the tsunami wore confused expressions.
How did the tsunami suddenly disappear upon reaching the shore?
Tonight was simply too unusual.
First, two terrifying martial gods appeared in the city, nearly splitting Water 7 apart.
Then, the Aqua Laguna mysteriously vanished at the shore.
"Can we go home now? The two martial gods have disappeared."
Someone asked in a daze.
Not long ago, the martial gods and the thousand-armed Guanyin statue in Water 7 had dissipated.
The world-ending sounds of battle had also subsided.
It seemed everything had returned to normal.
But some looked at the residential area below with bitter expressions. "What home is there to return to? It's all destroyed, isn't it?"
Even the Aqua Laguna couldn't destroy the houses.
But the attacks from the two martial gods and the thousand-armed Guanyin statue just now had definitely destroyed a massive number of homes.
The residents who lived in the area of the battlefield looked lost.
That's right. Just like that, their homes were gone.
"Let's wait a bit before going back. We don't know who was fighting there. It was too terrifying."
Someone suggested, and the vast majority agreed.
Right now, they really didn't dare to go back.
It was better to wait. It wouldn't make a difference, and their lives were more important.
...
On the battlefield, the fighting subsided.
Luo Chen lay on the ground, panting heavily, his body covered in numerous frostbites and burns.
Not far away, the two clones he had summoned earlier turned into ordinary wood and fell onto the ice.
Aokiji and Kizaru were also panting slightly, standing before him.
"As expected of Marine Admirals. So strong," Luo Chen grinned.
His stamina was truly exhausted.
In tonight's battle, Luo Chen had used every means at his disposal, except for Kamui and Tengai Shinsei.
His top-tier Armament and Observation Haki hadn't stopped for a moment.
The stamina consumption was immense; even he couldn't hold out.
Aokiji tore off his ruined clothes, revealing a muscular upper body stained with blood.
Although Kizaru's suit only had some dust, the corner of his mouth was bruised and swollen, and blood dripped from it.
He touched the corner of his mouth, hissing from the pain. He looked at Luo Chen, "It's been a long time since I've been injured. Observation Haki that sees the future is really terrifying."
Aokiji formed an ice spear and stabbed it directly into Luo Chen's thigh.
Skin and flesh tore, and blood flowed out.
Only then did he seem to relax.
Luo Chen winced in pain but still managed a smile, "What, worried I'm a clone?"
"You're overthinking it. If a clone could beat you two into this state, I'd be invincible."
Aokiji's eyes flickered, his voice cold. "Last time, you used a clone hiding in a coffin to trick me."
Luo Chen said playfully, "Figured it out? It's a pity I couldn't personally see the looks on your and Sengoku's faces when you realized you'd been tricked."
Aokiji snorted coldly. A chill spread from his fingers, covering Luo Chen's body.
Soon, Luo Chen was completely frozen. The expression on his face and his limbs couldn't move a single bit. Only his eyes could blink.
Aokiji breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Kizaru. "Contact the Marines. Have them send Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs. I can't rest easy until this guy is in Sea-Prism Stone."
Kizaru nodded, raised the mini Den Den Mushi on his wrist, and made the call.
Aokiji walked over to where Vice Admiral Gmil and the others had been defeated, closing his eyes to sense quietly.
He wanted to see if there were any survivors.
Soon, Aokiji opened his eyes, crouched down, and broke open the ice, placing his hand into the seawater.
In less than a minute, an ice ball, wrapping several broken figures, rose from the sea.
Aokiji dispersed the ice ball.
One figure sat up abruptly, gasping for air, as if he had been suffocating for a long time.
"Vice Admiral Gmil," Aokiji asked with concern.
Gmil tried to speak, but it agitated his internal injuries, and he coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
He only recovered after a moment.
He looked at the few lifeless corpses in the ice ball, his face filled with grief.
"They're all dead..." Gmil said sadly.
Aokiji was silent.
Fifteen men. Five Vice Admirals, ten Rear Admirals.
Only Gmil survived.
And Gmil's arms were gone. He could only retire after returning.
In this battle, the Marines had effectively lost five Vice Admirals and ten Rear Admirals.
And this was with him and Kizaru present.
"Sorry..." Aokiji didn't know what to say.
He felt extremely guilty, even though they had captured Luo Chen.
Gmil gave a wretched smile. "You don't need to apologize. The day we joined the Marines, we were prepared to sacrifice ourselves for justice."
"No matter what, we've captured Luo Chen."
"Vice Admiral Dalmatian and the others' sacrifice was not in vain."
Aokiji nodded grimly.
This battle had been far too tragic.
The main variable had been Luo Chen's clones.
The fact that the clones had power comparable to the main body was simply too unbelievable.
If Luo Chen's strength increased in the future, becoming comparable to a Yonko... Aokiji didn't even dare to imagine it.
'Fortunately, your future has ended.'
Aokiji's gaze landed on Luo Chen inside the ice.
Although the price was steep, the result was significant.
The Marines had captured a future major threat, successfully nipping the danger in the bud.
"Kuzan, should we report to Mr. Sengoku now?" Kizaru asked, holding the mini Den Den Mushi on his wrist.
Aokiji shook his head. "Let's put the Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs on him first."
Kizaru had a strange expression.
Once bitten by a snake, one fears well ropes for ten years.
Aokiji was clearly worried about being tricked by Luo Chen again.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]