Kuzan: "Besides the Ice-Ice Fruit, I know a bit of martial arts."
"Gun Wave: Rain of Arrows!"
Amidst the torrential currents, Jinbe moved with the fluidity of a shark, weaving between the surface and the seabed. His predatory gaze locked onto Kuzan's retreating figure.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Seeing the distance was closing, Jinbe swirled the ocean with both hands. Dozens of water jets, infused with Armament Haki, shot forth with each movement. By applying Fish-Man Karate to the currents, he transformed gentle waves into a devastating barrage of cannonball-strength projectiles. Even a Sea King would be pierced through by such an attack.
"Araraara."
Kuzan didn't turn. He simply raised his left hand, palm facing the dozens of pirates—Whitebeard's affiliates and Big Mom's ministers—charging at him from the front.
"Frozen Time Capsule."
A shockwave of absolute zero erupted from his palm. The freezing wave washed over the ocean, the air, and the pirates' bullets and cannonballs. All froze instantly into ice. Even those using Armament Haki couldn't resist the temperature difference. Their Haki was too weak, their mastery too shallow. To break such ice required the power of a Vice Admiral-level fighter like Donquixote Doflamingo. And even Doflamingo had struggled to shatter Kuzan's ice.
With a casual wave, Kuzan froze over a hundred pirates solid. Only then did he leisurely turn to face the dozens of water columns rushing toward him from behind.
An opponent like Jinbe, in a naval battlefield, was a headache for many Emperor-level powerhouses—especially for Devil Fruit users. But Kuzan was an exception. He was the Devil Fruit user who feared the sea the least. Even Kaido, who treated the ocean like water, would struggle compared to Kuzan.
The tsunami unleashed by Edward Newgate? Kuzan could freeze it with a flick of his finger. Jinbe's water columns? Trivial.
Whoosh!
As the water columns closed within half a meter, Kuzan opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of freezing air.
Shhh!
The Haki-infused water jets froze mid-air, transforming into pillars of ice. Before they could even touch Kuzan, his released Armament Haki shattered them into harmless shards.
"Completely useless," Kuzan murmured.
On the deck, Jinbe watched with a grim expression. He would rather face Sakazuki—the strongest of the Admirals—than Kuzan. Against Sakazuki, he could use the ocean to counter the Magma-Magma Fruit's heat. Against Kuzan, the ocean was a liability. Kuzan could freeze the entire battlefield in an instant.
If not for the pirates constantly throwing themselves at Kuzan, sacrificing their lives to buy time, Jinbe would already be frozen. But the Whitebeard and Big Mom pirates were collapsing. Their numbers had dropped from over 60,000 to less than 20,000. With each death, the Marine Admirals gained more freedom of movement.
"Give up, Jinbe," Kuzan said, hand in his pocket. "Being a Marine's watchdog is better than dying a pirate's corpse."
"I'd rather die than wear your collar," Jinbe scoffed.
Kuzan shook his head. "Fish-Man Island will be left unguarded if the Whitebeard Pirates fall. The ocean is cruel."
"I'm not worried," Jinbe shot back. "Lawson will protect Fish-Man Island better than Whitebeard ever did."
Kuzan paused. "You trust a Marine that much?"
"He's different," Jinbe said, his voice filled with complex emotions. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't fight him. But Whitebeard took me in when no one else would. I owe him my loyalty."
"Araraara," Kuzan chuckled. "Then I have no choice."
"Good," Jinbe grinned, his expression shifting to one of resolve. "I've been waiting for this."
Boom!
Jinbe leaped from the sea like a Sea King, carrying a fierce aura as he charged at Kuzan.
For a Fish-Man like Jinbe, the ocean was his strongest weapon and shield. Against any other Devil Fruit user, staying in the water would give him the advantage. But against Kuzan? The ocean was his enemy.
So Jinbe abandoned the sea. He chose to fight Kuzan head-on.
"Fish-Man Karate - Oni-Garasu!"
Enveloping his fist with maximum-level Armament Haki, Jinbe unleashed his strongest technique.
"Ice Gloves."
Kuzan didn't hesitate. Observing Jinbe with Kenbunshoku Haki, he raised his arm, clenched his fist, and activated his Armament Haki. His fist turned elemental—enveloped in extreme cold, yet reinforced by the black coating of Armament Haki.
He met Jinbe's charge with a simple straight hook.
CRACK!
The collision was instantaneous. The ice beneath their feet shattered, fissures spreading like giant pythons. Haki erupted from the impact, shooting beams of black lightning into the sky. The shockwave rippled across a thousand-meter radius, but the entire exchange lasted less than two seconds.
Jinbe was sent flying like a cannonball, his body beginning to freeze mid-air.
"What... what kind of power was that?!"
"I thought I was fighting Garp!"
As Jinbe crashed onto the ice, he stared at Kuzan in disbelief. Only now did he realize the Admiral's physical strength was on par with the hero Garp.
Many pirates shared this misconception. The three Admirals relied so heavily on their Devil Fruits that the world overlooked their other abilities. But Zephyr had trained them to be complete fighters. Akainu, Kizaru, and Kuzan—all were monsters in Haki, physical combat, and Devil Fruit mastery.
Kuzan wasn't just an ice user. He was a warrior who could fight toe-to-toe with the Four Emperors.
Boom!
Jinbe crashed onto the ice, creating a towering dust column. By the time the dust settled, he was completely frozen.
"Araraara," Kuzan withdrew his fist. "I forgot to tell you—I know a bit of hand-to-hand combat."
—-