After the shock of the bombardment subsided, Saul, who had been lying on the ground, struggled to his feet and threw a punch at Kuzan, roaring angrily.
"Kuzan, look clearly! Is this the Navy's justice?!"
"Can you accept this kind of justice?!"
"If this is what the Navy stands for, then I'll never regret the path I've chosen!"
While dodging Saul's heavy attacks, Kuzan tried to explain, "Calm down, Saul. I never intended to be as absolute as Sakazuki. There could have been a better way to resolve this."
Saul's iron fists, coated with Armament Haki, smashed into the ground, stirring up a thick cloud of dust.
Seizing the cover of the swirling smoke, Saul ignored his injuries, scooped up the dazed Robin, and fled into the distance.
Crack!
Enel's figure materialized as lightning directly in front of Saul's path.
"Move aside, brat!" Saul roared in fury.
Enel's gaze was icy as he stared at the giant and the child in his arms.
"I don't know why Vice-Admiral Sakazuki ordered the bombardment of the refugee ship, but I've received orders from Vice-Admiral Raleigh to capture you."
"Perhaps Vice-Admiral Sakazuki's methods defy the definition of justice... but what about you?" Enel's staff sparked with electricity.
"Is the justice you cling to worth attacking former Navy comrades for someone you've known only a few days?"
"Do you have any idea how many brave Navy soldiers were on that warship you threw? If Vice-Admiral Kuzan hadn't intervened, they would all have died by your hand!" Enel stepped forward.
"I don't care what kind of justice you uphold, but in Vice-Admiral Raleigh's judgment, and my own, you've already been sentenced to death."
"No one can harm Navy soldiers and stroll away unscathed—not even the Pirate King!"
A sharp trident materialized in Enel's hand as he lunged forward.
He aimed to subdue Saul with a localized shock.
"Ice Time Capsule!"
A wave of freezing air swept in from afar, purposefully avoiding Saul's massive form but blocking Enel's path.
Enel had no choice but to halt his charge, though the lightning around him grew more violent.
"Vice-Admiral Kuzan. I require an explanation." Enel had no doubt that had he continued forward, Kuzan's attack would have frozen him solid.
Kuzan's eyes shifted uncomfortably behind his sunglasses as he mumbled, "Sorry, Enel. My aim was off. Leave the rest to me. I'm more familiar with Saul's fighting style."
Hearing the implied threat in Kuzan's words, Enel recalled Raleigh's warnings about the ice-user. With a cold expression, he stepped aside.
The attack Kuzan had been preparing was redirected toward Ohara's interior.
Boom!
After a tremendous explosion, massive structures collapsed, a giant mushroom cloud of smoke and ice rising in the distance.
"Ice Time Capsule."
Kuzan launched his attack again.
This time, the severely wounded Saul couldn't evade. Frost quickly encased his waist, spreading upward and downward.
Saul was frozen in place, but not before he'd thrown Robin far into the distance with his remaining strength.
"Run, Robin!" Saul shouted. "Remember our promise—no matter what happens, always face life's hardships with a smile."
"Dereshishishi."
"Out there on the seas, you'll definitely find companions. Go! Find them!"
Robin bit her lip hard.
She couldn't cry aloud—neither her mother nor Saul wanted to see her tears.
So she stifled all sound, letting only silent tears flow as she ran into the smoke.
Both Kuzan and Enel stood near Saul, watching Robin run off alone.
Neither made a move to stop her.
The image of Sakazuki bombarding the refugee ship moments ago remained vivid in their minds, which was why they tacitly chose silence regarding the child's escape.
Faced with a girl merely a few years old, neither of them could bring themselves to be as heartless as Sakazuki, at least not for now.
Subsequently, both shifted their focus back to Saul.
At this moment, the giant had lost all ability to resist.
"Vice-Admiral Kuzan, I must take Saul with me. Vice-Admiral Raleigh personally demands it," Enel stated solemnly.
"Out of the question. He is already my prey," Kuzan refused, especially since Saul was still alive.
Raleigh was an extreme individual.
The Navy's greatest internal assessment of him was: never offend Vice-Admiral Raleigh, and as a pirate, pray you never cross his path.
His methods were so brutal that even seasoned veterans trembled in fear at the mere thought of his interrogations.
Kuzan dared not imagine what punishments his friend might endure if handed over to Raleigh alive.
"No, I disagree. This is my trophy!" Kuzan firmly opposed Enel.
Enel's gaze gradually turned icy.
His orders were to bring Saul back, preferably alive.
Saul, now incapacitated and frozen by Kuzan's ability, was perfectly suited for transport.
Kuzan's obstruction infuriated Enel.
He raised his trident once more.
"Vice-Admiral Kuzan, I am not challenging your rank, but today, I must take Saul with me," Enel declared with unwavering resolve.
Simultaneously, chilling air coalesced around Kuzan's hands.
Saul was his dear friend.
If forced to choose, Kuzan would rather Enel take back a corpse than a prisoner for Raleigh's torture chamber.
"Thunderclap!"
"Ice Block: Partisan!"
Their battle erupted instantly, the two clashing rapidly. As a Vice-Admiral, Kuzan naturally held the advantage in strength and experience over the younger Enel.
But Enel was not someone Kuzan could defeat in a single move.
Having trained extensively under Raleigh, this was the moment to test the fruits of his brutal cultivation.
Boom!
Lightning and ice collided mid-air.
Although Enel's attacks harnessed the raw destructive power of nature, Kuzan's formidable prowess tilted the battle in his favor from the start.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
Kuzan's chilling energy swiftly materialized into a massive, crystalline flying bird in the sky.
The moment it appeared, it flapped its wings and soared toward Enel, its sharp beak glinting with a cold light.
Alarm bells ringing in his mind, Enel abandoned all restraint and fully unleashed the power of his Devil Fruit.
"Great Mighty Thunder God Advent!"
A bolt of lightning several meters thick struck Enel from the heavens.
Kuzan watched as the violent lightning was absorbed into Enel's body, his aura growing steadily stronger.
"500 Million Volt Thunder Dragon!"
Under the full force of Enel's Devil Fruit ability, a vividly lifelike thunder dragon materialized in mid-air.
The moment it appeared, it swiftly locked onto its target: the ice bird summoned by Kuzan.
"Vice-Admiral Kuzan, if you continue to obstruct me, I cannot guarantee what will happen next," Enel warned, his face filled with anger.
Kuzan pursed his lips and said with complexity, "Enel, since you're leaving now, I owe you a favor. I will explain this properly to Admiral Sengoku and Vice-Admiral Raleigh."
Although Kuzan had spoken, it was clear Enel had no intention of backing down.
Capturing Saul alive wasn't just Raleigh's idea.
After witnessing Saul throw the warship, if Enel hadn't been the first to volunteer for the mission, Raleigh himself would have come.
"My apologies."
Enel launched his attack without hesitation.
The Flying Bird and the Thunder Dragon collided violently in the sky. Instantly, ice crystals scattered everywhere, and the Flying Bird shrank noticeably.
But the Thunder Dragon didn't fare any better—its form grew increasingly dim after the collision.
The two constructs momentarily broke through each other's defenses, crossing to opposite sides.
Crack!
Enel's trident transformed into a golden staff, which he swung hard at the now-smaller Flying Bird.
Already weakened, the ice construct shattered into fragments upon impact.
Clang!
Kuzan drew an ice-forged short sword from his hand and lunged at the fading Thunder Dragon.
The dragon showed no fear, opening its jaws wide to bite down at Kuzan.
"Break!"
Kuzan's short sword was coated in Armament Haki, and he slashed fiercely at the dragon's head. With tremendous force, he cleanly severed the Thunder Dragon's head.
The entire construct dissolved into a sky full of dissipating lightning.
Kuzan was left tingling and numb from the electric discharge, his body stiffened for nearly a second.
Enel wasn't having an easy time either.
The shattered Flying Bird turned into freezing air, beginning to solidify all living beings within range.
"Damn it, 50 Million Volts!" Enel roared.
He amped his electrical energy to its maximum to counter Kuzan's chilling aura.
"Sorry, Saul."
"Frozen Twin-Thorn Spear!"
Though Kuzan initiated the attack, his target had shifted.
Enel immediately realized Kuzan was aiming straight for Saul.
In less than a second, Kuzan's twin spears would pierce Saul's heart and brain—rendering the giant dead to prevent capture.
At this critical moment, a gentle breeze swept across the battlefield.
Crack! Crack!
Two crisp sounds echoed as the lethal projectiles meant for Saul were caught and crushed in the hands of a sudden newcomer.
Raleigh tilted his head, looking at Kuzan.
"I said, Kuzan... don't be so absolute about everything."
"While Saul has indeed broken many rules within the Navy, I believe we do not hold execution authority here. Saul's case should be decided in the Navy's internal council."
Raleigh's timely arrival completely eased the tension for Enel.
With Vice-Admiral Raleigh now by his side, Kuzan wouldn't achieve his desired outcome.
"Raleigh... please don't stand in my way."
Seeing Raleigh appear, Kuzan's mood grew heavy.
If there was anyone in the Navy he was wary of, it was undoubtedly Raleigh and Sakazuki.
Especially Raleigh—Kuzan had no clue about Raleigh's current strength. His power had always been a mystery, no one knew just how far he had progressed.
"Raleigh, I was the one who discovered Saul, so by the rules, I should be the one to deal with him," Kuzan glared angrily at his peer.
Raleigh simply shrugged. "I don't know what you mean by 'deal with him,' because I'm afraid Saul might escape from your custody. But now things are different. His body has been frozen by you, so we can discuss it later."
Kuzan slowly unclenched his tightly balled fists.
However, judging by the chilling aura still gathering at his feet, Kuzan's inner turmoil was far from settled.
But Raleigh didn't care about Kuzan's feelings.
Currently, Kuzan had very few supporters and backers within the Navy.
Originally, Kuzan had one steadfast supporter—Garp.
But now things had changed.
The pre-departure meeting had stripped Garp of his honors and authority, reducing him to an old soldier confined to Marineford.