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Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: The Army of Ancient Robots

Aramaki's vines yanked Joy Boy from high in the sky, pulling him toward the frozen battlefield. The moment he hit the ice, his body suddenly expanded, his limbs embedding into the frozen ground like springs, forming an arched stance.

With a deafening release of compressed force, Aramaki's vines shattered apart. Joy Boy shot out of the ice like a white meteor, the resulting sonic boom carving a massive trench thousands of meters long across the frozen wasteland.

Above, Borsalino's Yasakani no Magatama had barely begun forming when the shockwave shattered it into countless golden light fragments.

(T/N: Yasakani no Magatama - Borsalino crosses his arms in front of him and uses both hands to fire a torrent of deadly light particles, causing extreme damage to whatever they hit.)

At that moment, Akainu burst from beneath the ice in a surge of magma, intercepting Joy Boy midair. With his attack already fully charged, he unleashed his Meigo.

Even Joy Boy did not dare take the devastating blow lightly. His fist, coated in Haki, clashed with the molten strike.

A violent eruption of magma, red-black Haki lightning, and shattering ice filled the sky. The impact sent both Akainu and Joy Boy hurtling downward like twin meteors—one red, one white—each leaving behind a vast web of cracks in the frozen battlefield.

...

The moment Joy Boy resurfaced, Aokiji, Kuma, and Aramaki struck together. Their Devil Fruit abilities and Haki combined into a devastating assault, all directed at Joy Boy.

Even for him, handling an onslaught from multiple Admirals proved overwhelming. He was forced back repeatedly, his earlier ease now replaced by mounting pressure.

Seizing the opportunity, Akainu and Borsalino coordinated their attack—magma surged up from the ice while lasers rained down from above, engulfing Joy Boy in a fiery storm.

After the relentless barrage, the five Admirals regrouped atop a vast sheet of ice, standing in formation.

From within a rising plume of smoke, Joy Boy emerged, swaying slightly. His body bore scorch marks and bruises, his appearance far from unscathed.

Removing his straw hat, he fanned himself and grumbled,

"Man, that actually hurt. Five against one? Isn't that a bit unfair?"

Aramaki, ever the provocateur, scoffed and raised an eyebrow.

"Trash like you doesn't get to whine about fairness. I don't even think you deserve the right to exist!"

Joy Boy glanced at Aramaki, smirking.

"Ugh, you green-haired bastard really have the most annoying mouth."

With a stomp on the ice, Aramaki lunged at Joy Boy again.

"Trash! Listen up! I am Admiral Green Bull!"

...

Boom!

Aramaki's fist crashed down, shattering the ice beneath them. A surge of seawater erupted upward, carrying Joy Boy into the air.

Joy Boy flailed amidst the rising waters, howling dramatically. But just as Aramaki prepared for another attack, Joy Boy suddenly went silent, his expression shifting into something oddly playful.

The next second, his mouth stretched open wide—absurdly wide—and in an instant, he swallowed Aramaki whole.

The entire battlefield froze in stunned silence. It wasn't until Aokiji snapped out of his daze that he teleported forward, his eyes widening in shock.

Joy Boy's grotesquely stretched jaw reached all the way to his feet, revealing a soaked, indignant Aramaki trapped inside, his curses muffled by Joy Boy's saliva.

Sharp thorns pressed against the inside of Joy Boy's cheeks, but failed to pierce his seemingly invulnerable flesh.

Aokiji's hands glowed with an icy blue hue as he targeted Joy Boy's heart.

Ice Gauntlet.

Feigning exaggerated shock, Joy Boy loosened his jaw, letting Aramaki dangle in his drool-filled mouth. Seeing that Aramaki was unharmed, Aokiji hesitated, barely stopping his attack in time to avoid striking his comrade.

Aramaki took advantage of the moment to escape Joy Boy's maw. Together with Aokiji, he unleashed a powerful blow. A thunderous sonic boom followed as Joy Boy was blasted into the sea, the sheer force raising towering waves.

...

Aokiji and Aramaki landed back on the ice. Soaked and fuming, Aramaki cursed under his breath.

Though he could absorb moisture instantly with his ability, he refused to dry himself off—because this was Joy Boy's saliva.

Instead, he trudged over to Akainu. Without a word, the magma Admiral understood and evaporated the water clinging to Aramaki's body.

Of course, the process left Aramaki half-cooked, making him even angrier at Joy Boy.

...

However, this time, Joy Boy did not immediately resurface. Instead, the sea remained eerily calm.

The five Admirals watched intently, waiting for any sign of movement.

Moments later, the still waters were broken by the emergence of countless glowing, crimson eyes—growing larger by the second.

Then, in an ear-splitting cacophony of mechanical roars, massive figures rose from the ocean depths—each one towering over a hundred meters tall.

Ancient robots. An entire army of them.

The battlefield erupted into chaos as the robots divided into two groups—one charging straight for the five Admirals, while the other launched a direct assault on the distant Marine forces.

Akainu's brow furrowed as his arms morphed into torrents of magma. His lava engulfed two of the towering machines, melting through their thick armor. Borsalino and the others followed suit, unleashing their powers to combat the mechanical behemoths.

Though these ancient robots were not as intelligent or as powerful as the legendary Emeth, who once attacked Mary Geoise, their sheer numbers made them a terrifying force. The battlefield was now covered in a dark, endless sea of steel titans.

From above, Borsalino sliced through one of the robots' heads with a beam of light.

"Strange... Where did Joy Boy get so many of these?"

Without waiting for an answer, he raised his hands, golden crosses of light forming between his fingers.

Yasakani no Magatama.

A barrage of energy projectiles rained down, reducing the mechanical giants to smoldering wreckage.

The other Admirals were equally effective in their destruction. Their Devil Fruit abilities made them particularly suited for large-scale battles. Even Kuma, the only Paramecia among them, proved just as lethal.

Yet despite their efficiency, the tide of robots seemed endless. No matter how many they destroyed, more kept rising from the sea.

And through it all, Joy Boy remained unseen.

...

Aramaki, in his colossal tree form, punched a robot into the distance and roared,

"Damn flea! Stop hiding and fight me! I still have a score to settle!"

In response, an earth-shaking elephant trumpeting echoed across the battlefield.

The massive form of Zunesha, which had remained still until now, suddenly sprang to life. The ancient beast swung its enormous trunk with blinding speed, slamming it directly into Aramaki.

Compared to Zunesha, even an Admiral like Aramaki seemed like an insect. He was instantly reduced to splinters, his wooden form disintegrating into the air.

Even the mighty could not match Zunesha's raw strength.

However, lacking Haki, the ancient elephant had not truly killed Aramaki. Slowly, the scattered wood pieces began to reform, though at a much slower pace than before...

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