Yuta stood at the edge of the fissure he had just carved, his katana glinting under the ice's reflections. An oppressive Conqueror's Haki aura emanated from him, making the air vibrate. Behind him, Rika growled, her glowing eyes fixed on Aokiji. "You didn't need to go that far, Aokiji," Yuta said, his voice calm.
Aokiji, perched on an ice platform he had created, shrugged with a sly smile. "Ara, ara... I just wanted to eliminate them." He extended a hand, his fingers cracking slightly from the cold. "Ice Saber!" A razor-sharp ice lance, several meters long, shot forth at blinding speed, streaking straight toward Yuta.
Yuta tilted his head slightly, letting the lance pass before unsheathing his katana, its blade coated in advanced Armament Haki. He sliced through the air in a perfect arc, striking another ice lance that exploded into a shower of glittering shards, some falling like snowflakes. Without missing a beat, Aokiji slid across the frozen ground, his body partially transforming into ice to move at inhuman speed. He reappeared to Yuta's left, raising a hand. "Ice Ball!"
A massive ice sphere, as wide as a house, came crashing down toward Yuta, the air whistling under the pressure. Unfazed, Yuta murmured, "Rika." The cursed spirit lunged, her claws shimmering with eerie energy. In one swift motion, Rika shredded the sphere, reducing it to fragments that scattered like frost. Seizing the chaos, Yuta pivoted on his heel, slashing at Aokiji with his katana.
The admiral, anticipating the attack with his own Haki, formed a thick ice shield in front of him. Yuta's strike collided with the barrier, the shockwave cracking the ice and gouging a crater into the ground. Aokiji took a step back, his smirk fading slightly.
---
Aboard the Going Merry
The Straw Hats watched the battle unfold, their expressions torn between awe and terror. Usopp, clinging to the railing, screamed, "AHHHH! This is a fight between monsters! We're all gonna die!" His legs trembled, and tears of panic streamed down his cheeks.
Nami, gripping the helm, glanced back. "Focus, Usopp! We need to get away before this island gets destroyed!" She winced as another shockwave rocked the ship.
Chopper, frantically treating Sanji and Zoro's frostbitten wounds, looked up in alarm. "Their attacks... they're too powerful! If we stay too close, we'll get caught in the crossfire!"
Luffy, sitting cross-legged on the deck despite his numb arm, burst out laughing. "Shishishi! That guy's insane! He smashed that ice ball like it was nothing!" His eyes sparkled as if already imagining a fight with Yuta.
Zoro, gripping one of his swords, growled. "Shut up, Luffy. This level of power... it's no joke." He stared at the chasm Yuta's attack had left, still stunned by its precision and force.
Sanji, lighting a cigarette despite his frozen leg, muttered, "This 'Cursed King'... he's seriously terrifying."
---
Back on the Island
The air trembled under the pressure of the two combatants. Aokiji spread his hands, cracking the ground beneath him as an icy aura enveloped his body. "Ice Time!" he declared. Jagged stalagmites erupted from the earth, aiming to impale Yuta. The surrounding air condensed, forming glittering frost crystals.
Yuta dodged effortlessly. He leaped, his feet barely grazing the frozen ground, and cleaved through the stalagmites with a single Haki-coated slash. Black trails lingered in the air from his blade. "Rika, cover me!" he commanded. The cursed spirit roared, swiping away the ice debris to shield her master.
Aokiji, unfazed, glided across an instant ice path. He pointed two fingers at Yuta. "Ice Pheasant!" A giant ice pheasant, wings sharp as blades, surged forward with a cry like a polar wind.
Yuta drove his katana into the ground, unleashing a wave of Conqueror's Haki that fractured the ice around him. In one fluid motion, he drew a second blade and bisected the pheasant, its halves collapsing into frost. Without hesitation, he charged Aokiji, his primary katana blazing with a crimson aura. "Cursed Blade: Scarlet Crescent!" he shouted, unleashing a Haki-infused arc that tore through the earth toward the admiral.
Aokiji reacted instantly, erecting a massive ice wall. The attack struck, fissuring but not fully shattering the barrier. Seizing the distraction, Aokiji dissolved into ice, rematerializing above Yuta. "Ice Star!" he called, raining down frozen projectiles, each as sharp as a blade.
Yuta, reading the assault with his Haki, spun like a top, his katana a whirlwind that shredded the ice barrage. But Aokiji exploited the opening, stretching out a hand. "Ice Grip!" The ground beneath Yuta became a frozen prison, icy chains coiling around his legs.
With a burst of Haki, he shattered the restraints, the shockwave forcing Aokiji back. Rika pounced, her claws aiming for the admiral's chest. Aokiji barely sidestepped, but the attack grazed his coat, leaving a tear.
Regaining momentum, Yuta unleashed an air slash, the shockwave piercing the ice and forcing Aokiji to raise a hasty shield. The admiral skidded backward, landing on an ice mound, a trickle of blood dripping from his lip. "You're a nuisance, Okkotsu," he muttered, his usual laziness replaced by focus.
Yuta raised his sword, a vortex of black and red Haki swirling around the blade. "Cursed Blade: Phantom Storm—" he began, but Aokiji suddenly raised his hands in surrender, his lazy smile returning.
"Okay, okay, I give up," the admiral drawled. He glanced at the distant Going Merry, now a speck on the horizon. "Too lazy to keep this up. They're gone anyway."
Yuta lowered his katana, the aura dissipating. After a pause, he smirked. "Agreed. No point wrecking this island." Rika's growls faded as she dissolved into shadows, her glowing eyes winking out.
Aokiji dusted off his bike, half-buried in ice. Before leaving, he gave Yuta a rare, serious look. "Your captain's terrifying," he admitted, gaze lowered. "Everything he's done, him and his crew... But what's truly frightening is that no one knows what he's really planning."
Yuta's smile softened, pride threading his quiet voice. "You think so? That's what makes him interesting, isn't it?"
"Ara, ara..." Aokiji mounted his bike. "What's that guy scheming now?" Pedaling slowly across the frozen sea, his silhouette blurred into the mist.