CHAPTER 268 ADAPTABILITY!
Of course, the World Government wasn't the only one that watched Sabaody. Fish-Man Island did too. When battle erupted, a sleeping Brett received an urgent call. He rushed to Sabaody immediately—fortunately, it wasn't far from Fish-Man Island. His timing proved perfect.
"Oh my, the Deep Sea Emperor!" Kizaru's leisurely tone carried new strain, sweat beading his forehead. "Zephyr, I never heard you mention friendship with this man!"
This was the worst possible development. Brett was already the government's strongest enemy. If Zephyr joined forces with him, matters would become truly complicated.
Yet Zephyr himself remained utterly confused about why Brett had come to rescue him. Their only prior intersection occurred when Weevil attacked—Brett arrived under government orders to assist.
Still, Zephyr recognized an unfamiliar emotion stirring deep within. Relief. Hope. Even shame at feeling grateful toward his rescuer.
He didn't want to end here. Didn't want his students destroyed alongside him. Yet accepting Brett's help caused internal pain.
"Brett! I wasn't aware we shared such friendship!" Zephyr gazed upward at the dragon-form Brett spiraling overhead, his tone cold.
"No need for such distance, Zephyr," clouds wrapped around the crimson dragon as Brett glided through the sky. His voice thundered like the heavens themselves. "I simply believe we share common enemies. Why shouldn't we cooperate?"
"Ha! Cooperation?" Zephyr remained unmoved. "Work with you, a murderer of Navy personnel?"
As Tesoro had said—this old man was stubborn as stone in a latrine.
Though didn't this man also betray the Navy now?
Brett didn't mind. He simply smiled. "Unwilling to cooperate is fine. So long as you remain the government's enemy, you've already helped considerably."
"Tch, this really is—" Kizaru had to admire it. Brett's ambition was truly vast.
"Enough talk," Brett turned, his eyes blazing. "Admiral Kizaru, shall I remove you, or will you leave yourself?"
Brett churned wind and clouds. Waves surged across the sea. The massive mangrove trees supporting Sabaody trembled.
"Such an overbearing fellow?" Kizaru scratched his head in frustration. "However—" he pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes, "—Zephyr taught me that justice permits no retreat!"
"You bastard!" In that moment, Zephyr felt strangely conflicted. Kizaru was undoubtedly his enemy now, yet he couldn't help but appreciate his student's resolve.
"Well said, Borsalino!" A calm voice echoed from afar, accompanied by rapidly plummeting temperature.
The sea froze instantly. Turbulent waves became jagged ice formations.
A blue figure descended rapidly.
"Perfect timing, Kuzan!" Kizaru laughed. "Perhaps today offers an opportunity!"
"Eight-Shaku Magatama!"
Countless light points rained down on Brett like torrential downpour. His massive dragon body offered no escape amid such density.
Though escape proved unnecessary.
Snap! Crackling!
Azure electricity danced across crimson scales. Raging lightning expanded from Brett's center, colliding with descending light.
Continuous explosions engulfed the sky. A figure leaped forth.
"Ice Age!"
Intense freezing air struck instantly. Brett's body crystallized before response, even the flame clouds supporting his flight froze solid.
"Haa—" Aokiji exhaled coldly, extending his right hand. "Frozen—Pheasant Mouth!"
An enormous blue ice bird shrieked forward, trailing hail through the heavens.
"Light Speed Kick!"
Brilliant radiance coalesced. Kizaru's luminous right leg targeted Brett's head equally.
Yet the moment both admirals attacked, Brett's ice shattered explosively.
"Heat Breath!"
Scorching flames consumed the descending ice bird. Simultaneously, clouds erupted from his body, ensnaring Kizaru and hurling him downward.
"Say, Zephyr, you're just watching?" Brett glided casually through the sky. "If I'm eliminated, you can't escape either."
"Eliminated? Don't joke, Brett," light shot upward as Kizaru reformed. "We're the ones about to be eliminated, right?"
"Glacier Epoch." Aokiji swung his hand.
Even colder freezing resumed, entombing Brett in ice again. This time, Brett broke free faster. As Kizaru's light sword descended, his lengthy tail already lashed forward.
Black lightning coated his tail, armament Haki's internal destruction infused through his strike—the ultimate offensive power!
Boom!!
Laser and Haki collided violently. Explosions erupted.
A light beam shot forth, striking Sabaody directly, impacting a mangrove tree.
Catastrophic detonation. The tree snapped in half, its upper section plummeting.
"Extraordinary power!" Aokiji's body half-crystallized as he approached Brett's surface during the clash. "Freeze entirely!"
Maximum freezing activated. The spiraling Brett became encased in ice spirals.
So cold!
Freezing penetrated deep, every cell crystallized.
Yet the cold quickly faded—no, not faded. Rather—
"Beginning adaptation," Brett murmured to himself.
His body twisted. Ice crackled and shattered.
"Eh? What in the—" Aokiji's mouth twitched in shock.
His ability wasn't working?
"Freezing hurts, bastard!" Brett opened his jaws toward Aokiji, torrential flames engulfing and blasting him away instantly.
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