Kapu, seemingly trapped beneath two massive warships, stood firm with his body upright. His hands propped up the ship’s hull, bending slightly as he firmly planted his stance. His powerful arms bulged with veins as he lifted the enormous steel vessels, moving them to a nearby open space and setting them down with a resounding tremor.
“What exactly is going on? Is it a Devil Fruit user?” Kapu furrowed his brows, his stern gaze scanning the surroundings. He used his Observation Haki to pinpoint the enemy.
“Who dares be so audacious?!” Sakazuki roared. He hadn’t attempted to save the warships during their fall. Instead, he had used Moon Walk to stay suspended in the air. His Observation Haki surged as he, along with Kuzan and Borsalino, searched for the enemy’s whereabouts.
In a split second, the combined Observation Haki from the three of them spread out powerfully, making the air feel still and heavy.
“Damn it!”
Nearby, a surprised shout was heard as a shadow darted away like lightning.
“Over there!”
Sakazuki’s eyes locked onto the fleeing figure.
“Such speed! Borsalino, stop him!” Kuzan ordered seriously.
“Do you need to remind me?”
Borsalino had already transformed into a dazzling streak of golden light, slicing through the air to intercept the escaping figure.
“It seems… I’ve been spotted,” the figure sighed slightly, accepting his fate and stopping.
As Borsalino reverted to his human form, the enemy was revealed as a strikingly handsome young man in his mid-teens. His eyes were bright, his white robe pristine, and he wore a faint, bittersweet smile while remaining calm. The young man’s appearance was so familiar that Borsalino involuntarily exclaimed, “’Demon’ Ye Qiong?”
Ye Qiong looked surprised and remarked, “I didn’t expect Admiral Borsalino to remember me.”
“How could I forget!” Borsalino gritted his teeth, recalling being transported to the distant East Blue by Ye Qiong’s peculiar ability a few weeks ago. It had taken him over a week to return to headquarters and report, only to encounter Ye Qiong again so soon.
“That must have been hard for you…” Before Ye Qiong could finish his sentence, he sensed an attack and swiftly moved aside. A crimson magma rock fell from the sky, hitting the ground and melting it into a terrifyingly hot red lava, with scorching heat waves rising into the air.
“Humph, lucky you avoided it,” the magma rock transformed into a humanoid shape and sneered.
“Sakazuki, it’s a good thing you’re still alive. I had promised to take your head,” Ye Qiong sneered, preparing to distance himself from them. Just then, a faint sound of something breaking through the air reached his ears. The intense heat from the lava made the surrounding air chill rapidly. Ye Qiong’s body shivered slightly as an astonishing cold approached from behind, intending to envelop and freeze him.
“Ice Age!”
Kuzan’s tall form approached rapidly from behind Ye Qiong, unexpectedly embracing him with a murderous intent. The white cold air burst forth but did not touch him directly; instead, it dissipated in the air. Kuzan’s eyes narrowed as Ye Qiong vanished under the completely unavoidable ability.
“Another teleportation? What an annoying technique.”
Kuzan, concealed by his sunglasses, revealed no emotion. He landed lightly on the ground, his body still enveloped in thick white cold air, forming a layer of white ice beneath him.
“Admiral Kuzan, you’ve come as well…” Ye Qiong mused, using his spatial ability to walk through the void as if it were solid ground. He stood firm in the air, looking down at the three familiar faces below him.
His emotions were complex: nostalgia, sadness, fear, and a certain degree of obsession. Sakazuki had pushed Ye Qiong to the brink on Ohara Island five years ago. Not only did he force the departure of Robin, but Ye Qiong was also imprisoned in Impel Down for five years, creating a deep-seated grudge and a vow to kill him.
Kuzan, encountered on Ohara Island, was the first to evoke deep fear in him. Although they had a brief encounter while rescuing Robin’s mother, Kuzan’s strength left Ye Qiong feeling powerless. Rumor had it that Kuzan’s insistence on holding him in custody allowed Ye Qiong to avoid death.
Borsalino, the final straw, appeared at the end of their escape from Impel Down. Exhausted, Ye Qiong’s group faced him as the last obstacle. Borsalino used all his strength and even his life force to exile them into a spatial vortex. If not for the strong obstruction, Ye Qiong’s master, Night Emperor, wouldn’t have had to burn his life to give them a chance to escape.
These three had profoundly impacted Ye Qiong’s journey in this world, causing him immense pain and leaving indelible marks. They were formidable obstacles that had once nearly crushed him, driving him to struggle and grow stronger.
Now, Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino formed a powerful triangle of opposition. Their different, imposing auras created a tempest of pressure, their combined force almost overwhelming. Ye Qiong, standing above them, felt as if he was at the eye of a storm, acutely aware of their crushing might.
As the pressure built up, Ye Qiong’s eyes sharpened, his own aura rising with unwavering resolve, like a small boat braving a storm. He faced the powerful trio, confident and determined, no longer intimidated but rather understanding their heights.
“In just a few years, you’ve risen to such a level.”
“Conqueror’s Haki? Your aura is truly formidable.”
“No matter what, today I will kill you here.”
The cold voices of Kuzan, Borsalino, and Sakazuki echoed.
Ye Qiong’s expression was unreadable, but his heart was heavy. He hadn’t expected the Navy to send these three, along with the legendary hero Kapu. They were nearly the highest-level forces the Navy could deploy, close to half of the Naval Headquarters’ top strength.
Fight or flee—this was yet another life-or-death choice.
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