"Crack… crack…"
The sound of ice spreading echoed rapidly.
In just a blink, a massive glacier over a hundred meters tall formed in front of Aokiji, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
But the moment it came into contact with one of the "suns," it began melting at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Scalding steam billowed out and engulfed the area.
"It's so hot… Just how high is this temperature…"
Aokiji was sweating profusely as he stared at the fiery "suns."
"Does the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit) really burn this hot…?"
Even Akainu's face darkened.
His magma was boiling from the combined heat and impact force.
The two Admirals were forced to go all-out.
Finally—after half the island was frozen like the Arctic, while the other half melted like a volcanic crater—
the dozens of "suns" began to fade.
From far away, the fleeing residents of Sabaody Archipelago turned to stare at the wreckage.
One side of the battlefield was frozen solid like an icy hell.
The other side was charred and steaming, like the maw of a volcano.
The massive Yarukiman Mangrove tree had long been scorched black by the flames, its trunk engulfed in fire.
Atop the burning tree—Naruto, his body still smoldering, waved toward the Admirals with a smile:
"Yo! It's been a while, Butcher of Ohara!"
Aokiji's face tightened with guilt.
But Akainu's voice remained as cold as ever.
"Uzumaki Naruto—Ohara's last remnant—
Today is your day of execution."
"Heh…"
Naruto gave a weak laugh, feeling the damage surging through his body.
He quickly canceled the Hachimon Tonkō technique to avoid tearing himself apart.
His face went pale, his body weakened drastically.
He looked like he could collapse at any moment.
Akainu frowned.
"Uzumaki Naruto—what's this? You giving up just because we showed up?"
"Not at all."
Naruto shook his head, still smiling despite his exhaustion.
"I'm just too young to maintain that level of power for long.
But don't worry—I've prepared someone else to play with you."
The three Admirals—Aokiji, Akainu, Kizaru—paused.
"Prepared someone… to fight us?"
Right now, with all three Admirals gathered, was there anyone who could stand against them?
A Yonko, perhaps?
But none were here.
—
Back at Shakky's Rip-off Bar, Rayleigh had been watching the battlefield via Kenbunshoku Haki.
Suddenly, a terrible premonition struck him.
The next moment—
Naruto, holding back his trembling body, opened a Door-Door Fruit portal—
And out stepped a furious young man.
"Uzumaki Naruto! You trying to starve me to death!?"
Ace's face was black with anger.
He'd been trapped in that spatial dimension for a day and night without food or water, and Naruto had clearly forgotten about him.
"Hehehe…" Naruto chuckled.
"You better hope someone rescues you.
Otherwise, you won't need to worry about food for the rest of your life."
Ace blinked, then noticed something was very wrong.
He looked around at the burning trees, the ground split between ice and magma, and shivered.
"Where the hell did you bring me!?"
Then his eyes landed on three distant figures—
His pupils shrank as he confirmed it wasn't a hallucination.
"Marine Admirals!?"
"Aokiji! Akainu! Kizaru!?"
Ace nearly popped a vein in shock.
Where the hell was this place!?
Was this even still the Grand Line!?
"…That guy…"
Aokiji frowned at the youth in Naruto's grasp.
"That's… the captain of the Spade Pirates…"
Kizaru squinted.
"What's he doing pulling out a pirate captain now?"
Akainu growled coldly.
"Doesn't matter. I'll capture them both."
"Wait a second…"
Rayleigh, still watching from the bar's doorway, suddenly froze.
He rubbed his eyes and stared at Ace's face.
"…That face… it's familiar…"
He thought back to decades ago—
To a man who once invited him to be a pirate.
"Could it be…?" Rayleigh muttered.
He didn't jump to conclusions—
But a strong ominous feeling bloomed in his chest.
Before the watching crowd, Naruto grabbed Ace by the collar and hurled him straight toward Aokiji.
With a bright laugh, he shouted:
"Rayleigh! Before you come to take revenge on me, let me offer you a little gift!"
"This is your captain's son—
Which means he's your son, too!
Portgas D. Ace!"
"No—no, actually—he's Gol D. Ace!!!"
Naruto's voice echoed across all of Sabaody Archipelago.
—
Aokiji caught Ace without thinking.
When he processed what Naruto had just said, his eyes widened in shock.
"THE PIRATE KING'S SON!?"
He gasped and stared at the freckled teen in his arms.
Akainu and Kizaru were just as stunned.
They stared blankly at Ace, wondering if their ears had betrayed them.
Gol D. Roger's child?
Roger had a child?
All around, civilians, pirates, and Marines alike stood in stunned silence.
Back at the bar, Rayleigh—who had been quietly observing—
Was struck like lightning.
"The captain… had a son!?"
Memories crashed through his mind.
Roger gazing eastward…
Disappearing for weeks…
Asking questions about children…
"I…"
Rayleigh's mind was a stampede of disbelief.
But there was no doubt anymore—
The freckled young man who looked just like Roger…
Was Roger's son.
"YOU LITTLE…!"
Rayleigh couldn't take it anymore.
He dashed from the bar, eyes blazing.
"UZUMAKI NARUTO, YOU BASTARD!!!"
Ace, meanwhile, struggled madly in Aokiji's grip.
His heart burned with fury.
How dare Naruto announce his identity in front of everyone—
And still refuse to tell him who his real father was!?
But there was no escaping from Aokiji's iron grip.
Aokiji, meanwhile, didn't know what to do.
He turned to his comrades with uncertainty.
Akainu: "…"
Kizaru: "…"
Both Admirals were equally speechless.
They had come to capture Naruto—
Yet somehow ended up with the Pirate King's son.
"Ridiculous… Roger never had a child…"
Akainu's eyes grew cold.
But then he clenched his fist—lava boiling around it.
"Inugami Guren!" (Crimson Hound of Hell!)
A magma-shaped hellhound formed on his arm and launched toward Ace's chest.
Whether or not he was Roger's son—
Killing him would still be justice.
Aokiji and Kizaru frowned, unsure if they should intervene.
Just as the magma was about to strike—
A furious roar tore through the air:
"AKAINU, YOU BASTARD—STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"
It was Dark King Rayleigh—
Raging, charging straight into the battlefield.
(End of Chapter)
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