The sea was bitterly cold, with a piercing wind sweeping across the waves.
Kuzan stood at the edge of the harbor, watching as his freezing attack was effortlessly neutralized by his opponent. His brow furrowed unconsciously. "A lightning user..." he murmured to himself, his tone carrying a hint of gravity. "This could be troublesome."
Despite his words, the young Logia Type user showed no trace of panic on his face. Ever since he had unexpectedly gained the power of the Ice-Freeze Fruit years ago, he had never tasted defeat in battle. This confidence, born of his strength, allowed him to remain composed in the face of any adversary.
The sea breeze brushed through his hair and rustled his thin clothing, yet it could not shake his upright posture.
On the pirate ship in the distance, Enel was catching his breath after unleashing his strongest lightning strike. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to the towering Kaidou beside him. "Brother Kaidou, is that guy also a Logia Type user?"
"Ughohohoho..." Kaidou let out his signature laugh, his thick arms crossed over his chest, his gaze burning intently at the slender figure on the harbor. "That's right. What an unexpected find."
A flicker of curiosity appeared in Enel's eyes. "Do you know him?"
"Not yet," Kaidou grinned, revealing his stark white teeth, his voice brimming with unwavering confidence. "But soon, he'll be a member of our Beasts Pirates! Urorororo!"
Originally, their goal for this trip was to find the "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma. They hadn't expected to encounter this future top-tier fighter in the South Blue. What delighted Kaidou even more was that the other wasn't wearing a marine uniform—this meant Kuzan hadn't joined the marines yet. Since he was bound to join some faction anyway, wouldn't it be better for him to join the Beasts Pirates? It would save him decades of detours.
With this thought, Kaidou patted Enel on the shoulder and commanded in his gruff voice, "Listen, kid. Later, you go straight to the palace of Balsam Kingdom and bring me that country's king."
"Understood, Brother Kaidou." Enel immediately broke into a sinister grin, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
While Kaidou and Enel were scheming about how to recruit Kuzan, Kuzan was speaking to the security officer Harris beside him. "Harris, take your men and evacuate the civilians. This opponent is no ordinary foe." His voice was calm yet brooked no argument, his gaze never leaving the distant pirate ship.
It's worth mentioning that after entering the South Blue, Kaidou had specifically ordered his crew to take down their pirate flag, just for some fun. Otherwise, whether it was marines, pirates, or merchant ships, they would all flee like startled birds at the sight of the Beasts Pirates' flag from afar. Although with Kaidou's abilities, no one could escape if he wished it, that would be far too boring.
Sure enough, not long after removing the pirate flag, their ship encountered another pirate vessel, providing the young pirates on board with an excellent opportunity for real combat.
"Alright, alright, Mr. Kuzan, please be careful!" Harris replied nervously before hurriedly leading his men inland.
He knew that the upcoming battle was not something ordinary people like them could participate in.
After watching the sheriff leave, Kuzan slowly walked to the edge of the pier. He took a deep breath and leaped down without hesitation. The moment his feet touched the seawater, a miraculous scene occurred—the water began to freeze at a visible rate. White frost spread rapidly like a living creature, and within a few breaths, the entire sea surface as far as the eye could see was frozen solid.
In the distance, the pirate ship was forced to a halt due to the freezing seawater. The pirates on board stared in stunned silence at the spectacle.
"So... so incredible..." Doflamingo exclaimed in awe, witnessing such an ability for the first time. Although he had been amazed when Captain Kaidou transformed into a giant dragon earlier, this power to alter an entire sea with a mere gesture left him utterly astonished.
Around him, other newcomers like Rosinante, Pica, and Vergo were equally dumbfounded by what they saw. Even Karuri and Kyros were deeply shocked.
Only Homing, Yulia, Sebastian, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi remained relatively calm. Sebastian, Inuarashi, and Nekomamushi had already witnessed their captain's power, and their pirate crew also included Bullet, who was capable of freezing an entire sea.
As for Homing and Yulia, being Celestial Dragons, they possessed little personal strength but were aware of abilities that could alter the climate with a mere gesture.
The icy plain howled with a bitter wind as Kaidou stood on the thick ice, a ferocious grin on his face. Gazing at Kuzan approaching from afar, a flicker of excitement flashed in his eyes. "Worororo, I wonder if Kuzan can withstand this strike of mine now," he muttered to himself before suddenly exerting force, launching himself dozens of meters into the air like a cannonball.
With a thunderous crash, Kaidou landed heavily about ten meters in front of Kuzan. The powerful impact exploded across the ice, sending spiderweb-like cracks spreading instantly. Ice shards flew everywhere, and a chilling mist rose as the entire frozen plain trembled.
"It's... it's you! Kaidou of the Beasts!" Kuzan finally recognized the figure, his pupils contracting sharply. Instinctively tensing his body, his voice carried unmistakable shock. "With a bounty of 850 million Berries, why would someone like you appear in a place like the South Blue?"
Kaidou grinned, baring his white teeth. "I came here for you, of course, Kuzan!"
"For me?" Kuzan frowned, scrutinizing the legendary Great Pirate before him with caution. "I don't recall having any dealings with a figure of your stature."
"Worororo..." Kaidou's laughter echoed across the icy plain. "Kuzan, our meeting is fate. Come, become my right-hand man!" He spread his arms wide, making no attempt to conceal his intention to recruit him.
Hearing this, Kuzan's expression grew even more serious. Straightening his posture, he declared firmly, "Though I don't know how someone like you came to know of a nobody like me, I intend to join the Marines and become a Marine Admiral. I will never become a pirate."
Kaidou's smile gradually faded, his eyes turning dangerous. "I knew this kind of invitation wasn't suitable for me," he said slowly, drawing the Spiked Club from his waist. His voice was low and full of menace. "In that case, Kuzan, if you refuse, you're going to suffer for it!"
The atmosphere on the icy plains instantly dropped to freezing point, the air between them seeming to solidify. Kuzan felt the overwhelming pressure bearing down on him and instinctively assumed a defensive stance. He knew an intense battle was unavoidable. As the cold wind howled, the standoff between Kaidou and Kuzan reached a breaking point—a great clash was about to erupt!
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