"Arara...! You are quite the hard woman to find, Nico Olivia!" Kuzan comnted, his voice carrying a casual, almost indifferent tone as he shattered the frozen underworld goon with a single motion. He had been on a relentless hunt for Saul and Nico Olivia for months, and finally, he had cornered the elusive Demon of Ohara.
"Bang... Bang... Bang..." Gunshots echoed through the dimly lit alleyway as Lily, Olivia’s teenage daughter, fired her pistol at Aokiji. The bullets zipped through the air, but as they struck Kuzan, the ice that ford his body simply reford, the holes closing up almost instantly.
Lily’s hand trembled, and she dropped the pistol to the ground in despair, the tallic clatter echoing her sense of futility.
"Why? Wasn’t it enough to kill the entirety of Ohara? Now you want to kill us too?" Olivia roared, her voice filled with a mix of fury and desperation. Blood trickled down her forehead from a gash, a reminder of the countless battles and close calls she had faced since the massacre of her holand.
She had followed every clue she could find about the revolutionary army, hoping to find sanctuary or at least so semblance of hope. But instead, she had been cornered by black market thugs due to her high bounty, and now, Kuzan had found her.
Kuzan’s expression remained stoic as he stepped forward, the ice beneath his feet crackling with each step. "Orders are orders, Nico Olivia. You should know that by now, and I am simply representing justice!" he said, his voice devoid of any personal malice, yet the coldness in his eyes reflected the ruthlessness of his mission.
Olivia’s mind raced, mories of Ohara’s destruction flashing before her eyes. The flas, the screams, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness as she watched her ho and her people being annihilated. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, drawing blood.
"You callously wiped out a civilization for the fear of knowledge. For books and research that could have bettered the world. And now you want to erase the last remnants of that knowledge by killing ? Are you not yet satisfied with all that innocent blood on your hands??"
Kuzan paused, his gaze eting hers. For a mont, there was a flicker of sothing in his eyes—regret, perhaps, or doubt—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "It’s not about the knowledge, Olivia san. It’s about the threat that knowledge poses. The governnt cannot allow Ohara’s will to live on. Your ability to revive the ancient weapons can not be left unchecked."
Olivia knew they were outmatched, but she couldn’t let it end like this. Not after everything they had fought for. Summoning every ounce of strength, she lunged at Kuzan with a piece of broken tal, hoping to catch him off guard. But he moved with the fluidity of ice, effortlessly dodging her attack and freezing her arm in place.
"You can’t win, Olivia; I promise I will help you get a fair trial," he said quietly, almost regretfully.
Tears of frustration and sorrow stread down Olivia’s face as she struggled against the ice encasing her arm. "Damn you, Aokiji! Damn the governnt! We were just trying to learn! To understand! Fair trial, hahaha!" Her voice cracked, and the weight of her losses broke through her defiance and made her laugh like a madwoman at Kuzan’s words.
Kuzan’s expression softened for a brief mont. "I know," he whispered, so quietly that she barely heard him. "But sotis, knowledge is too dangerous. Sotis, it must be buried."
Lily, despite her fear, stepped between Kuzan and Olivia, her small fra trembling but her resolve unshaken.
"I won’t let you take her! We won’t let Ohara die completely! Justice? Was killing all those civilians on the evacuation ships also part of your so called justice? I can understand when you said that the scholars posed a threat, but what threat did the innocent civilians of Ohara pose? "
She shouted, her voice breaking but her spirit unyielding, tears streaming down her young face, in the recent months since they had started running. Lily had finally co to consider Olivia her mother, and she would not let this hypocrite take her away too.
Kuzan sighed, the mist from his breath mingling with the cold air. He thought the kid was spouting nonsense because he had been chasing Saul and Olivia and was not aware of many things that had happened.
"You’re brave, kid, but bravery won’t save you from reality. And I can assure you that none of the innocents within Ohara have been hard, as they have been safely relocated." With a smooth motion, he created an ice barrier, effortlessly knocking Lily aside. She hit the ground hard, groaning in pain.
Lily’s heart pounded in her chest at Kuzan’s words. Spare the innocents? All three ships were sunk by the Marines.
"At least have the courage to admit what you really did, you bastard!" Her thoughts drifted to the pirate, who could have been the salvation of Ohara but whom they had pushed away.
If only she hadn’t shown prejudice toward Ross. Maybe, just maybe, Ohara could have been saved if they had asked for the help of a pirate. Her anger surged.
"A pirate has more integrity than you so-called Marines! I always believed that pirates were the scum of the seas, but now I doubt that claim. At least those pirates had the guts to own up to their actions. You carry out genocide and act like it never happened, and even worse, you talk about justice!" the teenager roared, her voice echoing through the alley, making Kuzan pause.
He had thought Olivia and the little girl were just rambling about the Scholars, but it seed sothing significant had happened to the evacuation ships he had defended from Sakazuki.
Kuzan felt an ominous foreboding. But... but Sengoku-san had promised him that he would take care of the civilians.
"What do you an...?" Kuzan’s voice turned cold, sending a shiver down both Olivia and Lily’s spines. The entire alleyway was covered with a sheet of ice, the coldness spreading everywhere, reflecting Kuzan’s growing dread.
Lily’s eyes blazed with fury as she faced him. "You don’t even know, do you? You stand here, talking about justice, and you don’t even know what your own people have done. All three evacuation ships were sunk! Won, children, scholars, everyone! Sakazuki didn’t leave a single survivor. He annihilated them all in the na of absolute justice!" Her voice broke with the weight of the horror she was recounting.
Kuzan’s expression darkened. "That’s not possible. Sengoku-san assured the civilians would be spared." His mind raced, piecing together the fragnts of information. He had always had his doubts about the World Governnt’s thods, but this... this was beyond what he had imagined. His fists clenched, and the ice around him cracked ominously.
Olivia stepped forward, her face etched with a mixture of pain and anger. "The World Governnt lied to you, Aokiji. They lied to all of you. Ohara’s destruction wasn’t just about silencing scholars; it was about erasing an entire culture, a history they deed too dangerous to exist. And you helped them do it under the guise of justice. Ancient weapons... Ohara never studied ancient weapons!!!"
The weight of their words pressed heavily on Kuzan. He had always believed in the concept of justice, but now he was forced to confront the brutal reality of how that justice was administered. The faces of the innocents he had tried to protect flashed in his mind, and a profound sense of failure washed over him.
"Why didn’t you say anything sooner?" Kuzan asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Would it have made a difference?" Olivia replied bitterly. "The Marines, the World Governnt—they all have their agenda. We were just pawns in their ga. And now, my daughter and I are hunted like animals because we are the last remnants who can uncover the actual truth of the world."
Lily’s resolve hardened as she looked at Kuzan. "You can kill us, but the truth will co out. Ohara’s knowledge, its spirit, won’t die with us. And one day, people will know what you did—what you allowed to happen."
Kuzan’s heart ached with the weight of his choices. He had joined the Marines to make a difference and to uphold justice. But now, standing before these broken survivors, he realized how deeply flawed that justice was. The coldness in his eyes began to thaw, replaced by a profound sadness.
"I... I didn’t know," he admitted, his voice thick with regret. "I thought I was doing the right thing."
Suddenly, Aokiji’s Observation Haki flared, and he moved swiftly to stand before Olivia and Lily, shielding them as a cloaked figure descended from the air.
"Boom!" A deafening punch sent Aokiji crashing through the buildings in the alleyway, the sheer force of the blast hurling Olivia and Lily hundreds of ters away. The air was thick with dust and debris, and the shockwave reverberated through the narrow streets.
"Demons of Ohara...! So you are the ones who can truly help unlock the secrets of the ancient weapons," the cloaked figure mused, stepping forward with an ominous air of confidence.
Aokiji, buried under tons of debris, pushed the rubble aside and stood up. His chest was dented, and blood stained his mouth. He was confused and alard; the cloaked figure was imnsely powerful, too strong even for him to handle. He had no idea who this formidable enemy was, but it was clear the figure’s target was Olivia and her daughter.
Olivia groaned in pain and moved to check on Lily, who was already unconscious from the blast. The urgency of their situation hit her like a tidal wave.
Aokiji unleashed his full power. Without turning his head, he shouted, "Run...! Run away as far as you can! I will hold him back..."
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!" he roared, sending a massive ice bird hurtling towards the cloaked figure. The bird, sharp and deadly, glinted in the dim light, its frosty wings cutting through the air.
The cloaked figure stood unfazed. "So this is what the current Marines level is. Pathetic!" As the massive ice bird closed in, a sudden burst of Armant Haki emitted from the figure, shattering the ice attack into insignificant shards.
"The Marines sure have fallen low!" the figure chuckled, rushing toward Aokiji with terrifying speed. Olivia, sensing the grave danger, picked up Lily and started running toward the pier, her heart pounding with desperation.
Aokiji stood his ground, his ice powers radiating from him in a frosty aura. He knew he had to buy them ti. "Ice Age!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the alley. The ground around him froze instantly, a vast expanse of ice spreading outwards, seeking to trap the cloaked figure.
But the figure was relentless. With a powerful leap, he broke through the ice, his Armant Haki shattering the frozen ground beneath him. He landed before Aokiji, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Aokiji gritted his teeth and unleashed a barrage of ice attacks, each more powerful than the last.
"Ice Ball! Partisan!" Massive chunks of ice and sharp spears flew towards the figure, but each attack was t with the sa impenetrable Haki.
The cloaked figure laughed, his voice a low, nacing rumble. "Is this all soone who is appointed as an Admiral candidate can muster? You’re outmatched, Marine."
With a swift, almost casual motion, the figure struck Aokiji with a devastating punch, sending him crashing back into the icy ground. Blood splattered from Aokiji’s mouth as he struggled to rise, his vision blurred.
"Run, Olivia!" he gasped, his voice weakening. "Get away!"
Olivia ran, her breath ragged, Lily’s limp form in her arms. The pier was in sight, but her legs felt like lead. She could hear the sounds of the battle behind her, each crash and shout a reminder of the danger they were in.
Aokiji summoned all of his strength. "Ice Ti Capsule!" He trapped the cloaked figure in a massive block of ice, hoping to delay him even for a mont.
The figure sneered, his Haki flaring. "You think this can hold ?"
Aokiji stood amidst the rubble of the alleyway, ice forming around his feet as he prepared for the onslaught. The cloaked figure, shrouded in an aura of malevolence, stepped forward with deliberate confidence, his eyes glinting with deadly intent.
"Ice Ball!" Aokiji shouted, launching a massive sphere of ice at the figure. The attack was swift and powerful, but the cloaked figure effortlessly dodged, moving with a speed that seed impossible.
Before Aokiji could react, the figure closed the distance between them, his fist crashing into Aokiji’s stomach with a force that made the Admiral gasp for breath. The impact sent Aokiji skidding backwards, his boots scraping against the icy ground.
The cloaked figure chuckled darkly. "Is that all you’ve got, Aokiji? Aren’t you supposed to be the future pillar of the Marines?" His voice was dripping with contempt.
Aokiji gritted his teeth, trying to steady himself. "Ice Saber!" he cried, forming a long, jagged blade of ice and slashing it towards the figure. The cloaked man didn’t even flinch. With a simple flick of his wrist, he shattered the ice blade, the shards scattering harmlessly around him.
With a burst of speed, the figure was upon Aokiji again, delivering a bone-crushing kick to his ribs. Aokiji felt the breath leave his lungs as he was hurled into a nearby wall, the bricks crumbling under the force of his impact. Pain radiated through his body, but he pushed himself to his feet, refusing to give in.
"Ice Ti Capsule!" Aokiji yelled, summoning a giant block of ice to encase the figure. For a mont, it seed to work, the ice trapping him in a frozen prison. But then, with a surge of Haki, the figure shattered the ice effortlessly, stepping out completely unhard.
Olivia reached the pier, her heart pounding. She placed Lily in a small boat and pushed it into the water, praying they could escape. As she looked back, she saw the cloaked figure break free from the ice, his gaze fixed on her with a murderous intent.
The cloaked figure smirked. "Pathetic. Let show you true power." He lunged at Aokiji, his movents a blur. Aokiji barely had ti to raise his arms in defense before the figure’s fists pounded into him with relentless fury. Each punch felt like a sledgehamr, breaking through his ice armor and bruising his flesh.
Aokiji tried to fight back, summoning ice spikes from the ground, but the figure danced around them, his Haki-infused blows striking with pinpoint accuracy. A punch to the jaw sent Aokiji’s head snapping back, and a brutal kick to the chest made him buckle, gasping for air.
The cloaked figure grabbed Aokiji by the collar, lifting him off the ground with ease. "Is this the best the Marines have to offer?" he sneered, before hurling Aokiji into the air.
As Aokiji fell, the figure leapt up to et him, delivering a spinning kick that sent Aokiji crashing back to the ground with earth-shattering force. The impact created a crater, and Aokiji lay at the bottom, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
Desperation fueled Aokiji’s next move. "Ice Age!" he roared, releasing a wave of freezing energy that turned the ground around him into a vast expanse of ice. The cloaked figure paused, montarily slowed by the sudden cold.
But it wasn’t enough. With a roar of his own, the figure’s Haki flared, lting the ice around him and allowing him to charge forward once more. Aokiji barely managed to create an ice shield before the figure’s fist shattered it, sending ice shards flying in every direction.
Aokiji’s vision blurred as the figure continued his relentless assault, each blow driving him deeper into the ground. His body scread in pain, and he could feel his strength waning. But he couldn’t give up. Not yet.
Summoning all of his power, Aokiji ford an enormous ice dragon, its maw opening wide to engulf the cloaked figure. But with a dismissive wave of his hand, the figure obliterated the dragon, the icy fragnts raining down like snow.
The cloaked figure stood over Aokiji’s battered form, his expression one of cold disdain. "Are you out of tricks, little Marine? If this is all you’ve got, then I’m afraid I’ll have to bury you here today."
Aokiji’s mind raced, desperation mingling with a surge of anger. He had always considered himself among the strongest, a powerhouse in the ranks of the Marines. But now, facing this cloaked man who toyed with him like a re plaything, he realized the vast chasm between their strengths.
With renewed determination, Aokiji’s anger fueled his powers. The temperature around them plumted, and the ice rapidly spread, engulfing the entire island in a frigid grip. The ground beneath them crackled and froze, the very air shimring with cold.
The cloaked figure watched with mild amusent. "This is going to be interesting..." he mused, his voice carrying a chilling indifference.
*****
Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for taking the ti to read my story! Your support truly ans everything to , and I appreciate every single one of you who has joined on this journey. I’m excited to share that for every 500 power stones I receive (weekly), I’ll be posting an extra Chapter as a token of my gratitude.
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[Silent_stiele]
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