Chapter 114: 114: Congratulations—You’ve Found Your Home
With a subtle shift of his weight, Ron's figure vanished from where he stood, leaving behind only a faint blur in the frozen battlefield.
The icy surface beneath him shattered violently as if unable to withstand his explosive force. The surrounding massive ice blocks, which loomed threateningly in his direction, were instantly sliced into countless fragments by invisible slashes that echoed through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
BOOM!
A deafening sonic boom ripped through the icy expanse as Ron surged forward.
A fleeting streak of crimson energy streaked across the frozen battlefield, its intensity making the very air tremble. The massive ice chunks that had been suspended mid-air between Ron and Aokiji were bisected with precision, crumbling into countless shards that scattered like glass in a storm.
Wielding both blades, their edges alight with monstrous energy, Ron closed in on Aokiji with a ferocity that made the frozen landscape itself seem fragile. His twin swords, wrapped in raging Haki and the terrifying aura of a master swordsman, clashed against the Admiral's frosty hand.
The collision was cataclysmic.
A sharp hiss echoed as the ice and energy clashed, the sheer force causing cracks to splinter through the frozen ground. Tendrils of crackling energy, like serpents of lightning, slithered outward, cutting and scorching everything in their path. The ice surface cracked further beneath the titanic energy clash, collapsing layer by layer under the strain.
A violent shockwave radiated from the collision point, sending broken ice shards flying in all directions and whipping up a roaring gale. The Traveler, sitting hundreds of meters away, groaned under the force of the shockwave, sliding back tens of meters across the icy surface.
As the initial clash ended, Ron's movements became a blur of raw power and deadly precision. He struck with an unrelenting fury, his arms moving faster than the eye could follow, his swords a whirlwind of devastating energy.
Each strike carried monumental force, with arcs of razor-sharp sword energy carving through the battlefield like divine judgment. The combination of his overwhelming physical strength, unparalleled swordsmanship, and exceptional Armament Haki made each swing capable of cleaving through a pirate ship with ease. And now, dozens—no, hundreds—of such slashes rained down upon Aokiji.
Faced with the relentless onslaught, Aokiji, an Admiral of the Marines and one of the most formidable warriors of the sea, finally shifted into high gear. His eyes, cold and calculating beneath his sunglasses, narrowed slightly.
"Ice Age," he murmured, raising his right hand, now entirely transformed into shimmering frost.
The air itself froze in response.
As Aokiji activated his Haki, the aura around him grew even more oppressive. His mastery of Armament Haki surpassed Ron's, giving the icy energy he wielded a lethal edge. The frost emanating from his hand surged forward, crashing against Ron's strikes with terrifying intensity.
The ice didn't just block Ron's slashes—it consumed them. The frost seemed alive, regenerating and growing at a speed faster than Ron could cut through it. Every devastating blow that shattered the ice was immediately met with an even larger surge of frozen growth, overwhelming the swordsman like an unending tidal wave.
Ron's surroundings transformed into a labyrinth of relentless frost.
From all sides, massive icy spires sprang forth, converging on him like ravenous beasts. The ground, his surroundings, even the very air seemed to turn against him. No matter how many slashes he unleashed, the frost surged back stronger, thicker, and colder.
Robin and Bonney, watching from the distant deck of the Traveler, were frozen in fear.
"Stop it… stop…" Robin whispered, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes.
The ice spiraled upward, and in moments, it encased Ron entirely. A massive crystalline sphere of pure ice rose from the battlefield, trapping him within.
"STOP IT!!!" Robin screamed, clutching the railing of the ship as her body shook uncontrollably.
Aokiji exhaled softly, his breath visible as a plume of frost. Slowly, he lowered his hand. The icy blue of his half-transformed body began to fade as he returned to his usual lazy demeanor.
"The fight's over," he declared coolly, turning away.
The battlefield grew silent save for the creaking of the frozen expanse. As the white mist of cold air dissipated, it revealed a single, immense, and flawless ice sphere standing in the desolation.
Robin collapsed to her knees, her face pale as her trembling hands reached out toward the battlefield.
Bonney stood frozen, her widened eyes fixed on the icy prison. A single word escaped her lips, filled with disbelief.
"...Ron!"
Robin stood frozen, her face devoid of color, her wide eyes fixed on the enormous ice sphere that now dominated the battlefield. Inside, like a fragile insect trapped in amber, was the black-haired youth, his twin blades still gripped tightly in his hands, his figure sealed in frost. Her strength drained away completely, leaving her trembling and weak-kneed. The world around her seemed to fade into silence, broken only by the frantic pounding of her own heart.
"This… this can't be real…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Above, the clouds began to part, allowing a single beam of sunlight to pierce through the heavens. It illuminated the ice sphere, making its crystalline surface sparkle with an almost ethereal brilliance. Inside the sphere, the figure of Ron, frozen in combat, became even more vivid, a tragic monument to his defiance.
Aokiji, dressed casually in his sleeveless shirt, removed his sunglasses and looked toward the frozen youth. His expression was calm, but his voice carried a rare note of solemnity as he muttered to himself:
"It's been a while since I've had to take a fight this seriously. You really are full of surprises, Traveler… Ron."
His gaze lingered on the frozen figure.
"Fifteen years old and already capable of this much… As Garp said, you're undoubtedly a monster in the making."
The Admiral let out a slow breath, the icy mist curling around him as his thoughts wandered.
"If you were given just a little more time to grow… it wouldn't take long before you stood as my equal, staring me down as an opponent on equal footing."
Aokiji's eyes flickered with a hint of complexity, the icy exterior momentarily thawing as he glanced toward the ship in the distance, where Robin watched in helpless despair.
"And yet… for someone you've only known for less than a year, for Nico Robin, you fought with everything you had..."
The Admiral's usually impassive face betrayed a rare moment of introspection, his gaze dimming as old memories surfaced.
To declare an innocent eight-year-old girl a criminal with a bounty of seventy-nine million Berries… Was that truly justice?
Ever since the death of his close friend Saul, Aokiji had begun to question the "absolute justice" that the Marines so fervently upheld. That doubt, buried deep within him, remained unanswered to this day.
But today, this battle had provided him with some clarity.
His eyes drifted back to the ship, where Robin stood clutching the railing, her body trembling with raw emotion.
"Nico Robin," he murmured softly, "you've finally found a place to belong, haven't you?"
A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Congratulations."
His gaze returned to the frozen Ron, his expression sharpening.
"If it's him, he might just be able to carry the weight of your past… and your future."
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