He's back!
At that very moment, everyone at the scene saw the massive boar that Winterss had turned into being slammed deep into the ground and instantly realized that their king had finally returned.
Sure enough, when the swirling clouds of dust and snow cleared, Aaron stood there in plain sight.
Amidst the whirling snow, he stood atop Winterss's body, bare-chested, his muscular frame gleaming under the cold light. The emblem of the Akio Family was clearly visible on his back, marking him as one of their own. His right fist, still coated in Armament Haki, dripped with fresh blood, while a crushing aura radiated from his entire body.
The moment Aaron appeared, every member of his crew exhaled in relief. Their faces broke into joyous, almost tearful smiles.
"Finally made it in time,"
said Shuma from above, his voice echoing through the air as he, too, let out a long sigh of relief.
"Sorry I'm late," Aaron said calmly. "You've all done enough. Fall back and tend to the wounded. Rest up. From here on… I'll handle this alone."
"Yes, Lord Aaron!"
His men shouted in unison, voices filled with excitement. They immediately began tending to the injured, while civilians hiding nearby rushed out to help.
"Hmph! A bunch of worthless insects."
Yashika's face twisted with fury. Moments ago, these same people had cowered before her. Now, with Aaron's return, they were daring to ignore her entirely.
A surge of killing intent erupted from her as countless droplets of water appeared around her hands, ready to unleash her Fish-Man Karate: Water Shot to slaughter the "insects" who defied her.
But just as she was about to strike, she froze.
A suffocating wave of killing intent locked onto her. Her instincts screamed danger.
Slowly, she turned her head only to meet Aaron's cold, crimson-tinged eyes.
"This kid… not bad," she muttered under her breath. "Just like the rumors say, his Observation Haki is sharp."
Yashika suppressed her killing intent immediately. Her expression hardened as she focused entirely on Aaron, the opponent who had now truly earned her respect.
Until this moment, she'd never taken Aaron seriously thinking him merely a lucky upstart who'd gained Akio's favor and the Snow-Snow Fruit by chance. Back then, Aaron hadn't even known how to use Armament Haki.
She, on the other hand, had long since mastered it. To her, Logia users were nothing to fear.
But things had clearly changed.
Aaron could now use Armament Haki and not poorly at that.
He had just broken through Winterss's hardened defense, proving his strength. Combined with his already formidable Observation Haki, his power now rivaled her own.
"You bastard! How long are you gonna stand on my head!?"
Winterss finally shook off his daze, realizing Aaron was still planted firmly on his skull. He roared in rage and began thrashing wildly, trying to throw Aaron off.
But Aaron's legs were rooted like the roots of an ancient tree, unyielding. No matter how violently Winterss moved, Aaron didn't budge an inch.
"Noisy."
Aaron's voice was ice-cold.
He coated his right leg with Armament Haki, silently activating Kuja Body Art: Power Reinforcement. With both enhancements stacked, his strength temporarily surged to monstrous levels.
Then, with a thunderous stomp, he drove his heel down onto Winterss's skull.
Sensing danger, Winterss hastily reinforced his head with Haki, but it wasn't enough. The impact drove his massive body even deeper into the ground, creating a second crater.
Blood burst from his mouth. This time, he was truly hurt.
Yashika, who had come with Winterss, wasn't about to let her partner take a beating alone. As Aaron attacked, she unleashed her own strike, hundreds of hardened water bullets fired from her hands like gunfire.
Fish-Man Karate: Water Shot Aaronrage!
To her shock, Aaron merely tilted his head and shifted his stance. Every droplet missed him by a hair.
And before she could blink, Aaron vanished from sight.
"A… afterimage!?"
Her battle-hardened instincts screamed again. Without hesitation, Yashika swung her massive spiked club, now coated with Haki.
Clang!
A black blade met her weapon mid-swing Kikyo, Aaron's sword. Sparks exploded between them as a powerful shockwave rippled outward.
"Oho! Not bad, brat! No wonder you made Winterss cough blood with one kick! You've got some power in those legs!"
Yashika's razor-toothed grin widened as she laughed heartily, acknowledging Aaron's strength for the first time.
Aaron didn't smile. His brows furrowed.
The impact told him everything, this half whale shark Fish-Man's strength easily exceeded sixty points in raw power, and once Haki was added, over seventy.
"But still… it's not enough!"
Her veins bulged as she roared, pouring even more strength into her arms. With a mighty swing, she forced Aaron backward, then stomped hard launching herself at him like a cannonball.
Aaron knew brute strength alone wouldn't win this fight.
Power isn't everything.
Without hesitation, he switched tactics.
If Yashika's strength surpassed his, then he'd beat her with speed.
Invoking the (Speed-Speed Fruit), Aaron's movements doubled instantly. He sidestepped her charge with ease, then unleashed a storm of sword strikes.
Clang, clang, clang!
The air rang with the sound of clashing steel.
To the onlookers, it looked like Yashika was trapped within a storm of sword shadows, forced entirely on the defensive.
With his high-speed swordsmanship and Observation Haki, Aaron dominated the exchange, leaving Yashika no room to counter.
Even so, she relied on her veteran battle sense, guarding her vital points, refusing to expose an opening.
But the relentless speed and precision of Aaron's attacks stunned her.
He's not even using his Snow-Snow Fruit yet… and he's already this strong?!
A cold realization settled in her heart. She began to understand that provoking Aaron tonight had been a grave mistake.
Within a single minute, they had exchanged hundreds of blows. Yashika was now covered in wounds, panting heavily.
And then, her instincts screamed again.
This time, it wasn't a warning. It was death itself.
I'm going to die!
Her senses sharpened to their limits. Desperately, she coated her neck with every ounce of Haki she had left.
Aaron's blade blurred faster than lightning, faster than sound.
Yashika's eyes widened. Her spiked club couldn't move fast enough.
The blade, now sheathed in black Haki, carved a perfect arc through the air...
and met her neck.
A burst of red sparks erupted.
In the next instant, Yashika, one of the Dars Family's senior enforcers, was sent flying, blood spraying across the falling snow.
The white world was dyed scarlet once again.
---
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