As the words fell,
a figure in a brown robe, his entire face hidden beneath a hood, appeared behind the crowd.
Behind the man followed a group of strangers, dressed in the same garb, though their faces were uncovered.
A total of six unfamiliar faces—none of them ever seen on a wanted poster.
Yet, they all shared one common trait: every single one of them wore a fierce, intimidating expression that warned strangers to stay away.
Cold, sharp eyes radiated a gaze as if they were staring at corpses.
Just meeting those eyes made people instinctively avert their gaze. That fleeting contact alone was enough to send chills down one's spine.
"Who are these people?"
Someone whispered. At that moment, the hooded leader halted and turned to look in the direction of the voice.
Beneath the hood, the pale white mask he wore made people shudder in fear.
"Kill."
A chilling voice rang out. With a sharp pfft, the pirate who had spoken clutched his bleeding throat, unable to even cry out, before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.
The act, more terrifying than lashing out without reason, instantly plunged the scene into a deathly silence.
Most hadn't even seen how the pirate had been killed.
"Sabo really did bring me a troublesome mess…"
Just then, in the heavy silence, a lazy voice echoed.
Everyone turned instinctively and saw, under a tree not far away, a tall man leaning casually against the trunk.
"A… a former Navy Admiral?"
Though that man had long left the Marines, some in the crowd recognized him instantly. Stunned, they stared at Kuzan—better known as Aokiji—unsure why he was here.
"Aokiji?"
The masked leader also froze upon seeing him, clearly surprised by his appearance.
"Oh? So you know me." Kuzan's gaze held a trace of surprise as he spoke.
"In this world, I doubt there's anyone who doesn't know the Navy's Three Admirals," the masked man replied.
"Is that so? Then, would you mind taking off that mask? I'm quite curious to see the face of the captain of the Blood Pirates."
Yawning, Kuzan spoke in his usual languid tone.
But the words seemed to trigger something. One of the masked man's followers—a hulking giant nearly four meters tall—suddenly leapt forward, charging straight at Kuzan.
The sudden attack didn't faze Kuzan in the slightest.
Instead, he drawled lazily, "What an unreasonable bunch of pirates you are."
"But…"
In an instant, he vanished from beneath the tree. By the time he reappeared, he was right beside the giant.
"With that kind of speed, you're not even worth considering."
A crisp crackling sound filled the air, and in the blink of an eye, the towering man was frozen solid, transformed into an ice sculpture.
Boom!
The massive sculpture glistened with a cold gleam as it crashed heavily into the soft grass. If Kuzan so wished, a single tap could shatter it, ending the man's life.
"It seems your subordinate has no reason to keep living."
Though not one for needless killing, Kuzan had spoken those words as a test. Yet the masked man, even as his own follower's life hung in the balance, showed not the slightest reaction.
Crash!
The ice sculpture shattered, the frozen giant splintering into countless shards.
"Colder than I expected," Kuzan muttered, glancing at his handiwork. "If that's the case, I can't let you run rampant here."
"Heh… you think you can stop me? Or even hurt me?"
The masked man's cold laugh rang out, utterly unmoved even by the death of his own comrade.
"Whether I can stop you or not, I won't sit by and let you run wild," Kuzan replied, pushing his round sunglasses up as his expression grew serious.
Truthfully, facing this masked man, Kuzan himself felt no confidence.
The intelligence on him was far too scarce.
Aside from knowing he hid behind a mask, everything else was a mystery—his powers, his origins, even his age.
But since his appearance in the New World, this man had stirred storm after storm.
For him to be so arrogant, there had to be reason for it.
"Never thought I'd hear such words from a former Admiral. Or… have you truly sworn loyalty to that kingdom?" the masked man asked.
At that, Kuzan's body stiffened.
Though his cooperation with Sabo wasn't exactly a secret, it wasn't information just anyone knew. For this man to have such knowledge meant he had long been watching, waiting, calculating.
Such a dangerous figure—roaming freely along critical supply lines—was far too great a threat to ignore.
With that thought, cold surged in Kuzan's palm. With a flick of his wrist, an icy wave of freezing power spread toward the masked man.
"Soru!"
Just before the frost could reach him, the masked man vanished.
"The Navy?"
Kuzan's pupils contracted as he recognized the technique. But he immediately dismissed the thought.
In this world, mastery of Rokushiki didn't necessarily mean one was a Marine.
It could just as easily mean the World Government.
Or perhaps even a civilian master.
Simply put, Rokushiki was no longer unique to the Navy.
Lost in thought, Kuzan's Haki sensed danger approaching. Acting on instinct, he dodged swiftly.
In the very spot he had been standing, the masked man reappeared—making no further move, but glaring coldly at Kuzan.
"To be frank, if I were you, I wouldn't stick my nose into this mess."
"Bit late for that. My legs are already wet," Kuzan quipped, conjuring an ice trident and hurling it toward his foe.
Seeing persuasion was futile, the masked man didn't hesitate. From within his sleeve, his hand rose, and a single finger unleashed a burst of violent energy that shattered the ice spear instantly.
"Soru, Shigan… you're reminding me of a certain World Government organization."
Kuzan's surprise deepened as he recognized the technique. After a long pause, he spoke slowly.
"Some things can't be confirmed by guesses alone."
"If you insist on being stubborn… then I'll end you here!"
The masked man's voice grew icier as he vanished once more.
Boom!
Kuzan blocked with a Haki-clad arm as the man's leg came crashing down. "So… you can use Tekkai too."
Without resorting to his powers, Kuzan simply wrapped his fist in Armament Haki and drove it forward.
As he'd suspected, the masked man crossed his arms in defense, coating his Tekkai with an extra layer of Armament Haki.
"Surprising. Is there anything you can't do?"
Kuzan muttered, genuinely astonished.
For most, mastering even one or two Rokushiki techniques was a lifelong achievement. To master three or more put one among the rarest of elites.
But this masked man… not only wielded four of the Six Powers, he had mastered them all.
It was astonishing—enough to make Kuzan think of a certain figure…
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