"Huff... huff..."
Aokiji breathed heavily, his face stripped of its former composure. Had he not eaten the Ice-Ice Fruit, he would certainly be drenched in sweat right now.
He stared at Aomori, whose breathing was steady and whose state remained almost identical to how it was five days ago. "Compared to the rest of us," Aokiji remarked in astonishment, "you're more of a monster, aren't you?"
"What's wrong? Ready to give up?" Aomori replied, utilizing Holy Light to recover his stamina as he spoke.
Over the past few days, whenever his energy ran low, he switched to using physical stamina; when his stamina waned, his energy had recovered significantly. He cycled through them like a perpetual motion machine.
He was able to do this thanks to Aokiji's conservative tactical approach, which essentially turned the Admiral into a high-end, low-threat punching bag. This allowed Aomori to experiment with his moves at will while fighting, reaping significant insights.
More importantly, it allowed him to study Elementalization.
When Aokiji elementalized, Aomori could sense his soul attached to the shards of ice. No matter how much he shattered or reformed, the spiritual core remained unchanged. This suggested that combatting elementalization might be possible through spiritual-level attacks.
Furthermore, while Aomori's mastery over his three types of energy was now consummate, matching Logia users in techniques like imbuing, projecting, and shaping, though he still couldn't achieve elementalization himself. There was a missing link.
That link was the secret hidden within the Devil Fruits.
Why exactly does eating a Devil Fruit grant these powers?
As he pondered, a word suddenly popped into Aomori's mind.
Rules.
Before entering a dungeon, the system always announced: "Ding! Transport successful. Beginning scan of World Rules... World Rule scan successful. Beginning synchronization..."
Therefore, Rules exist within every world as the fundamental building blocks, much like a specific algorithm within a program. A Devil Fruit might simply allow the person who eats it to grasp a specific Rule. Within the Rules granted by Logia Fruits is the ability to convert the body into an element.
If Aomori's theory was correct, to learn elementalization, he first had to master the corresponding Rule. He sensed that mastering Rules and comprehending elementalization was the next stage of energy evolution. Once learned, the benefits would be infinite.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the slightest clue how to grasp something as abstract as a "Rule." Perhaps he should find a time to visit Skypiea and have a heart-to-heart with Enel, possessor of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, to see how their respective lightnings differed.
Returning to reality, Aokiji's heart sank as he saw the white light envelop Aomori again.
After such a long battle, he knew that the white light could heal wounds and restore stamina, but he hadn't expected it to be used repeatedly without apparent limit.
My stamina is nearly spent. I should settle this with one final move, or I'll be the one who gets ground down to death.
Aokiji took a deep breath, braced his spirit, and said to Aomori, "Too much time has been wasted. Let's settle this in one strike."
"Fine by me," Aomori shrugged nonchalantly. "I was just about to end this anyway."
"Then watch closely. My strongest technique…" Aokiji slammed both hands onto the ice. Frigid air surged violently as massive crystal-ice spikes erupted from the ground. "Ice Age: Thorny Jungle!"
Simultaneously, Aomori pressed two fingers together in front of his chest and whispered, "Domain Expansion: Heavenly Thousand Thunder Formation!"
A thundercloud many times larger than before blotted out the sky. Lightning, shaped like serpents and dragons, crashed down incessantly, as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.
Thunder fell from above; ice mountains grew from below. One man floated in the sky; the other stood upon the ice.
The terrifying display of power, unlike anything seen before, stunned the three spectators on the Blood Flag.
"Is this the peak combat power of the Navy?" Ace's eyes burned with intensity, his fists clenched tight, barely able to suppress the surge of excitement.
"Aomori... that man actually possesses such staggering power," Crocodile muttered, his eyes wide with the power he had always dreamed of attaining.
"Chairman..." Robin held her breath, waiting for the collision of thunder and ice. She knew this was likely the final confrontation.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In the deafening roar, Robin couldn't tell if the lightning was shattering the ice mountains or if the ice was piercing the sky. They tangled together like fire and water, refusing to stop until the other was annihilated.
Violent tremors spread through the ice to the ship, causing the entire vessel to rock as if caught in a hurricane. Robin had to use her Fruit ability to anchor herself.
When the vibrations and noise finally ceased, she immediately looked toward the battlefield. The thunderclouds had completely vanished. Only a fragment of the ice mountains remained, and the sea was covered in floating shards of broken ice.
"Who won?" Crocodile asked, gripping the Sea Prism Stone on his wrist.
"Don't know. Want to go check?" Ace said, adjusting his hat.
Robin nodded firmly. "I'm going!"
"No need. I'm already back."
The familiar voice came from behind them. Robin whirled around to see a smiling Aomori holding, by the collar, Marine Admiral Aokiji!
Robin's pupils shrank. She couldn't believe her eyes. "You... you defeated him?" she whispered.
"Mhm. Told you I could handle him by myself." Aomori casually tossed the exhausted Aokiji onto the deck.
"He actually..."
"Really defeated a Marine Admiral..."
Crocodile and Ace were both shell-shocked. For years, there had been no news of a Marine Admiral being defeated. This was a world-shaking event that would humiliate the entire Marines!
"Hahaha! Brilliant! Seeing the Marines take a hit like this... I'm starting to like you," Ace roared with laughter.
"I'm going to beat up your Pops soon. Aren't you celebrating a bit early?" Aomori noted.
"Er..." Ace's smile vanished instantly. He yelled, "Pops is invincible! He definitely won't lose to you!"
Despite his words, his heart was full of unease after witnessing that battle. No matter what, I'll give my life to make sure he doesn't hurt Pops!
Compared to Ace, Crocodile was far more ruthless. He gave a low, sinister chuckle. "Why not just finish him off? If you do, you'll become a figure more world-renowned than the Four Emperors."
"No!" Robin cut him off. "Killing him would invite a frenzied retaliation from the Navy. Better to take some compromising photos and force him to be an undercover mole."
The three men stared at her in silence. Ace even took two steps back. Women are terrifying!
"Hey, hey... I'm still conscious," Aokiji said weakly, his eyelids flickering as he lay on the deck. "Nico Robin, is this how you treat the man who saved your life?"
"But I recall someone saying I should look at him as an enemy from now on, wasn't it?" Robin bit back. Aokiji's current state not only cleared much of her childhood trauma but also gave her a flash of vengeful satisfaction.
"Did I?" Aokiji replied, then slowly pulled his sleeping mask down over his eyes, appearing completely unconcerned for his own safety. "I'd like to rest. No disturbances, please. Thank you."
"You still have the heart to sleep?" Crocodile looked at Aomori, goading him. "Aomori, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I know you've always detested the Navy, right?"
"Heh. If it's such a great opportunity, why don't you do it yourself?" Aomori looked down at Crocodile's wrists. "You unlocked your Seastone a long time ago, didn't you? What are you waiting for?"
"You knew?" Crocodile narrowed his eyes, staring directly at Aomori. The Sea sone on his hands and feet suddenly turned into swirling sand, gathering in his palm.
"You jerk! Since when?!" Ace glared at Crocodile. "Where's the loyalty? Why didn't you unlock mine?"
Robin frowned and shifted slowly behind Aomori.
"Don't worry. Once I defeat him, I'll unlock yours," Crocodile said, looking entirely confident of victory.
"Are you really that certain?"
"You fought Aokiji for five days and nights. If I still lacked confidence, how could I keep roaming the seas? Stop pretending, just die!" Crocodile transformed his arm into a desert blade and swung it savagely at Aomori.
"Aomori, look out!" Robin waved her arms, activating her Fruit ability. Petals fell as a chain of arms sprouted from the deck to shield Aomori.
"Out of my way!" Crocodile swept his blade, severing the arms in an instant.
Robin groaned, clutching her trembling arms as she collapsed to the deck. Facing the wide-open Aomori, Crocodile laughed maniacally. "I'm returning every bit of humiliation you gave me. Die!"
Aomori looked up, glared at him, and barked a single word: "BEGONE!"
The moment the sound hit his ears, Crocodile felt as if his brain had been struck by a sledgehammer. His head throbbed with agony, his desert-blade arm reverted to normal, and he crashed to the deck like a bird with clipped wings. He coughed up blood, and two trails of red leaked from his nostrils. His head buzzed. "What... what was that?"
"He made Old Croc cough blood and collapse just by shouting?" Ace gasped. Every time he thought he saw the limit of Aomori's power, the man redefined it, like a mountain peak hidden by clouds, impossible to see.
Was that Conqueror's Haki? No, it felt different. Aokiji peeked from under his eye mask and was secretly alarmed. He didn't use his full strength even when fighting me. (Though he himself had kept a trump card in reserve).
Aomori took in everyone's expressions and nodded with satisfaction. He had discarded his usual Telekinesis mode in favor of using raw spirit to blast the opponent's mental world. It yielded unexpected results, very similar to Conqueror's Haki.
With this, he essentially possessed the equivalents of Armament, Observation, and Conqueror's Haki.
"Well? Are you convinced now?" Aomori asked Crocodile while holding Robin's hand to heal her injuries.
"How did you do it? Is it your Devil Fruit power?" Crocodile asked through gritted teeth.
"Want to guess?" Aomori smiled. "Now it's time for you to choose: do I kick you off the ship to fend for yourself, or will you behave and keep moving forward with me?"
Crocodile was silent for a long time. "I'll stay."
"Good. Then be on your best behavior. Any more trouble and I'm throwing you into the sea."
"Tch. Fine." He turned and headed back to the cabin with a dark expression.
"Hey, aren't you going to put the Seastone back on him? If not, take mine off too. It's a pain wearing these," Ace said.
"Denied. You're a 'gift.' You're different."
"???"
Aomori lay back on his lounge chair and closed his eyes. While his body could take it, his spirit was exhausted, especially after the recent exertion. He desperately needed rest.
"You've worked hard, Chairman. Let me give you a massage." Robin stood behind him, her fingers pressing against his temples, gently circling.
"Mhm... oh, that's good. A little harder."
"Like this?"
"Ah... perfect. Bliss."
Listening to the soft sounds nearby, Aokiji could no longer hold out and drifted into sleep.
Sometime later, Aokiji woke up. He pulled off his eye mask, squinted through blurry eyes, sat up, and yawned.
"You're finally awake. I thought you'd just died," Robin said from the next chair, her eyes never leaving her book.
"How long was I out?"
"Three days."
"Three days, huh? No wonder I feel so refreshed." Aokiji sat cross-legged, propping his chin on his hand with a lazy look. "Where are the others?"
"Crocodile and Ace are fishing. The Chairman is cooking dinner."
"He's cooking?"
"Yes. After trying our handiwork, he decided he'd rather do it himself than let his stomach suffer," Robin answered with a faint smile. "I have to admit, the food he makes is much better."
Aokiji nodded thoughtfully. "Nico Robin, aren't you afraid I'll arrest you?"
"You're a prisoner yourself. What do I have to fear from you?"
"A prisoner? You didn't even put Seastone on me. Do you underestimate me that much?"
"The Chairman said that he himself is the best Seastone."
"Heh. Nico Robin, this time, you have good taste in company," Aokiji said.
"Thank you for the compliment. But it wasn't me who chose the Chairman; the Chairman chose me."
"What kind of 'Chairman' is he?"
"You'll have to ask him that yourself."
On the other side of the ship, Crocodile was smoking a cigar. His right hand had turned to sand and was holding Ace upside down, submerging his upper body in the seawater to act as bait.
"Old Croc! You're using a personal grudge! Glub, glub..."
"Quit whining and catch some fish."
"Pffft! I'm Fire! I lose my strength in the water! If you want fish, go in yourself!"
"Sorry. I'm Sand. I can't touch the water either." Crocodile dunked Ace again. Watching the bubbles rise, his lips curled into a smirk.
Suddenly, he sensed something. He looked toward the horizon where a shadow had appeared.
"Sabaody Archipelago. We've finally arrived."