Luffy's hair had turned pure white, fluffy like clouds and floating upward. Dense, white flame-clouds, like a veil of mist, swirled around him. Steam and arcs of electricity danced across his skin.
His skin still held that rubbery texture, but his entire aura had undergone an earth-shaking change—filled with original and extremely powerful vitality!
"Almost got frozen solid there." Luffy twisted his neck, producing rubbery stretching sounds. He grinned, showing two rows of white teeth. The fighting spirit in his eyes blazed like a blazing fire.
"Devil Fruit awakening?" Aokiji showed rare surprise. He stared intently at the white flame-clouds surrounding Luffy. His voice was filled with confusion. "The Gomu Gomu no Mi should be a Paramecia-type. Why does it exhibit traits similar to a Zoan awakening?"
Luffy flexed his limbs, feeling the surging power within and his rapidly healing injuries. The sense of crisis of nearly having his blood frozen moments ago was completely dispelled by the burst of awakening power.
He could even temporarily turn the ground he touched into rubber, using it to defuse attacks and create opportunities for combat.
"Guess?" Luffy repeated those two headache-inducing words, assuming his fighting stance. The fighting spirit in his eyes hadn't diminished—it burned even intense. "The real fight starts now!"
Aokiji genuinely didn't want to fight anymore.
What kind of monster kids were these nowadays?
This growth rate and absurd Devil Fruit ability defied common sense.
Luffy wasted no more words. He moved, leaving an afterimage with his sheer speed.
"Gomu Gomu no... Mogura Pistol! "
His fist didn't strike Aokiji directly. Instead, it drilled into the ice beneath Aokiji's feet!
Something weird happened. The ice struck by his fist instantly transformed into rubber and began undulating violently like waves.
This twisting force traveled up through the ice, completely destroying Aokiji's footing. Simultaneously, the rubberized ground arched like a living thing—a heavy uppercut slamming into Aokiji's abdomen!
UGHH!
Caught off guard, Aokiji felt sharp pain in his gut. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as the force sent him flying upward.
"This attack style... definitely not something a normal person would come up with." He barely held his own midair, offering praise that sounded more like Tucao.
But the true shock had only begun.
Because after throwing that punch, Luffy's arm snapped back. The rubberized ground returned to normal. And his other fist was already wrapped around Armament Haki and white flame-clouds—as if he needed no recovery time at all.
This was a flurry of blows—unrelenting as a raging storm. No breathing space. No time to adjust tactics.
"Dealing with a monster like you... I guess I can't hold back either." Aokiji's gaze turned cold. His hands instantly elementalized, covered in thick ice, forming two massive ice gauntlets coated in deep Armament Haki.
He combined the abilities of the Hie Hie no Mi with his top-class martial arts skills and Haki, which he had inherited from Garp, choosing to confront Luffy head-on.
"Ice Glove: Impact! "
The massive ice fists collided violently with Luffy's Haki-coated rubber fists. Ice shards and black-red lightning flew everywhere. The shock wave shattered the formed newly ice around them.
Meanwhile, aided by Vivi's abilities, the Going Merry had accelerated away from Long Ring Long Land's coast.
The entire island, under the influence of Aokiji's Ice Age, had become a frozen hellscape. Bone-chilling cold was even spreading across the sea, freezing the coastal waters.
Nami and the others stood at the gunwale, watching the roar and ice dust shooting skyward. Their hearts were in their throats.
"Luffy..." Nami gripped the railing, her knuckles white.
"He'll be okay." Though frightened, Chopper spoke firmly.
Zoro and Sanji's expressions were solemn. They could clearly feel the aftershocks of the two colliding on the island. A battle at that level only made their desire to grow stronger burn hotter.
Suddenly, Usopp pointed at the distant horizon, his voice trembling. "What's that?!"
Everyone turned to look. At the line where sea met sky, two massive black shapes were approaching Long Ring Long Land.
Ships!
And enormous ones at that!
"Warships. Marine Headquarters warships." Zoro, with the sharpest eyesight, spoke grimly.
These warships were far larger than the branch office ships they'd encountered in the East Blue.
Even more astonishing, between the two warships, a long, black shape billowing smoke raced across the sea at incredible speed, its steam whistle blaring.
"The other one? A ship? No way—what kind of ship is that long?"
"A train? But a train running on the sea? How?!"
Usopp and Chopper's eyes went wide.
"That's a Sea Train." Vivi, with her broader knowledge, recognized it immediately. "A steam train that runs on tracks built over the sea. I've heard such technology exists near Water 7."
Normally, seeing a train that could run on water would have excited everyone for hours.
But now, this sudden appearance of Marine forces brought only immense pressure and urgency.
Luffy was still locked in deadly combat with a Marine Admiral—already at a disadvantage. If elite Marine Headquarters forces joined the battle... the consequences were unthinkable.
"We can't stay here." Nami made a snap decision. She bit her lip and looked at Vivi. "Vivi, can you use your ability to send a message to Luffy? We need to retreat. Now."
Running into a Marine Admiral—strategic retreat was nothing to be ashamed of!
Vivi nodded with concentration. She closed her eyes, urging her Fūfū no Mi, trying to send a wisp of wind carrying a message precisely toward the fierce battle site.
But the air flow froze instantly upon reaching the island.
So she decided to go herself.
On Long Ring Long Land, the battle between Luffy and Aokiji had reached its heated stage.
They had abandoned most flashy long-range exchanges and entered the most dangerous form of combat—direct close-quarters.
Fist to flesh. Each collision erupted with earth-shattering force.
Luffy's stamina was lost rapidly in his awakened state. He knew this form couldn't last—he had to decide the battle quickly.
But Aokiji's stamina and defense were equally monstrous. A man who had trained under Garp, after all.
Yet Luffy was a typical example of the higher the stakes, the fiercer he fought.
Terrifying reserves of Haki gushing out!
***
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