One Piece - Life Choice Ask Me to Kiss Marine Goddes Hina

Aokiji commanded the ice shikigami to charge forward.

"Aokiji!" Enel roared, eyes crackling with electricity as he wielded the giant sword.

"Enel!" Aokiji shouted back, standing atop the ice dragon, leaning in for the clash.

"Aokiji!!!"

"Enel!!!"

BOOM~

Their clash in mid-air sent ice and lightning colliding, creating an explosion like a nuclear blast in the sky.

A blinding white light lit up the sky for hundreds of miles, as bright as the sun, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. 

Even the imperial capital across the ocean was affected, as if a second sun had appeared.

People couldn't bear the intense glare and rushed indoors, shutting their eyes tightly. 

Luckily, they hid just in time. The air temperature soared rapidly, and objects with melting points above 50 degrees began to melt under the heat.

At the heart of the explosion, the temperature was truly terrifying. 

The seawater beneath Enel and Aokiji boiled violently, sending waves of fragrant, cooked fish to the surface.

About ten seconds later, the deafening shockwave reached the imperial capital. 

The ground trembled as if struck by an earthquake, causing buildings to shake and shattering glass everywhere.

A mushroom cloud thousands of meters high rose from the center of the sea.

"Emperor Lynch, is this the end of the world?!" 

"Please, Emperor Lynch, protect my family!" 

"Damn World Government! We finally found peace, why must you disturb it?!"

Blinded by the white light and deafened by the noise, countless residents felt lost. 

Stumbling through their homes, they knelt before the statue of their King, clasping their hands in silent prayer for safety and protection.

…

As the blinding white light faded, no one could see what had happened at the center of the battlefield. 

The ice shikigami and God of Thunder had disappeared without a trace.

Aokiji, Enel, and Tezolo, holding on to their seriously injured bodies, landed on the charred ground.

"Cough...I thought I was going to die."

Tezzolo kept coughing up black blood, and Enel helped to hold each other up so they didn't fall down.

Aokiji staggered, barely able to stay upright, but he refused to fall.

The battle between the three ended with both sides being injured.

Aokiji's body was covered in severe electrical burns, while Tezoro and Enel were frozen to the point of turning blue. 

If not treated soon, the three might suffer permanent damage or even lifelong disabilities.

Meanwhile, after clashing tens of thousands of times, Kizaru and Gion reached a stalemate. Gion pulled back to protect Enel and Tezoro, while Kizaru transformed into golden light to protect Aokiji.

And as for Saint Saturn... he was still locked in a tense stare-down with Tom, neither making the first move.

Despite the blinding white light, Saint Saturn refused to blink, tears streaming down his face, just to avoid any sudden attack from Tom.

"Heh, you dumb cat, pretending to be hurt by the explosion's impact? You think I don't know your tricks?" 

Saint Saturn sneered internally as he watched Tom rolling on the ground, seemingly in pain.

"You really think you can fool me," 

"But your acting is terrible."

"A great swordsman unable to withstand the battle's aftermath? Ridiculous!" 

He, Saint Saturn, is the smartest one, no one can try to deceive him! 

Especially not a mere cat!

After killing Fast in the sea, Lynch flew back from the other side of the island, only to witness a strangely "peaceful" standoff. 

What's going on? Why did both sides suddenly stop?

"Lynch…" 

Seeing Lynch return but with no sign of Fast, Saint Saturn quickly realized what had happened. His expression darkened. 

On his side, Aokiji was severely injured, leaving only himself and Kizaru still capable of fighting. 

On the other side, there were still three combat-ready opponents: Gion, Tom, and Moria.

With Lynch back and Fast killed, the fragile balance between the two sides was completely shattered. 

It was clear now: the campaign against West Blue was a total failure. 

Saint Saturn knew that staying any longer could mean the end for him and his remaining forces. 

The World Government had confidently sent four Admiral-level fighters to crush Lynch's forces in West Blue, expecting a fast victory. 

But instead, not only had they failed, but Fast had been killed on their side. The mission had turned into a disaster.

Each time he thought about their failure, Saint Saturn's face darkened, almost to the point of tears. 

But he was a veteran leader, and his reason soon overcame his frustration.

Transforming back from his Gyūki form to human, he fixed Lynch with a cold stare and declared, 

"The World Government is merciful. Considering your years of service with the Marines, I will give you one last chance. I'll let you go today."

Tom's eyes widened in disbelief, a look of utter disdain on his face, as if to say, I've never seen someone so shameless, pretending to be so magnanimous.

Saint Saturn noticed Tom's exaggerated reaction but, like a true politician, chose to ignore it.

"Old man, if you're planning to run away with your tail between your legs, just say it," Lynch smirked, looking down at Saint Saturn. 

"You say you're letting me go—are you doing me a favor?"

"Shiishishishi, Lynch is right, old man. Just leave already," Moria agreed.

The Five Elders were about to respond, but suddenly a communicator hidden deep in Saint Saturn's ear buzzed. 

After hearing the shocking news, his expression shifted dramatically.

Zephyr, leading three thousand soldiers and elite forces from Marine Headquarters, had defected and established a new Marine. 

They were now attacking the World Government's scientific research facility.

Since Kizaru was absent and unable to protect the base, Zephyr, who had seized a large number of high-tech weapons and research results, was unstoppable. 

The motive behind his attack seemed to be connected to Lynch's capture and mistreatment by the World Government.

Zephyr's disappointment with the World Government had fully set in, leading him to turn against them.

"This old man!" Saint Saturn gritted his teeth in frustration. 

He wanted nothing more than to tear Zephyr apart. In hindsight, he realized that sending Weevil to attack Zephyr years ago had been the right move, as the old man had clearly been harboring other motives.

Yes, it was the Five Elders who had sent Weevil to attack Zephyr. In exchange, they promised to make Weevil a Shichibukai in a few years. 

The reason behind this was Zephyr's immense influence within the Navy. 

His reputation surpassed even Sengoku and Garp, and many of Marine's top admiralas were his students. 

Zephyr was a man with no family, an increasingly radical mindset, and no allegiance to the World Government. 

His words and actions held great sway over Marine, which made him a figure of fear for the Five Elders.

By cutting off one of Zephyr's arms, they believed they could cripple his combat ability, forcing him to train subordinates for the World Government and ensuring he couldn't cause further problems.

Otherwise, it would have been too much of a coincidence. Zephyr and his recruits just happened to cross paths with Weevil on the vast sea, only to be attacked again. 

Weevil managed to cut off Zephyr's black arm and nearly killed everyone on the ship, but he didn't finish off Zephyr. 

A few years later, despite the deep hatred between Weevil and Zephyr, the World Government forced Zephyr's recruitment, which eventually led to his betrayal of Marine. 

To make matters worse for the World Government, Zephyr's lost arm was regrown by Lynch using an unknown method.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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