In an instant, Yamato's body erupted in a swirling torrent of frigid mist. Like a divine white serpent, she flew into the sky, her kanabo glowing with icy power as she met the rain of magma fists head-on.
"Boom!!!"
A wave of absolute cold washed over the molten rock, freezing it solid in mid-air. The magma fists turned to brittle stone before shattering into a thousand pieces, creating a spectacular shower of rock and glittering ice crystals that rained down upon the sea.
Splash! Boom!
The massive chunks of cooled lava crashed into the ocean, sending up waves dozens of meters high and churning the surrounding waters into a violent froth.
Back on the ship, everyone stared in stunned silence. Yamato landed gracefully on the bow, her form still a mythical blend of human and divine wolf, with ethereal clouds of white flame drifting around her shoulders. Their gazes were no longer filled with surprise, but with a profound sense of awe, as if they were witnessing a god descend from the heavens.
But Yamato had no time to acknowledge their stares. Her eyes were locked on the horizon, where a massive Marine warship was rapidly approaching, cutting off their only escape route. Standing at its prow was a tall, imposing figure in a white officer's coat with a single red rose pinned to his chest. His expression was a mask of cold fury.
"Is that… an Admiral?!" Yamato breathed, her voice tight.
Her words snapped the others out of their trance. Bonney followed her gaze, and the color drained from her face.
"Y-Yes!" she stammered, her voice trembling with terror. "That's Admiral Akainu! He's a Logia user—the Lava-Lava Fruit! Captain Yamato, we can't fight him head-on! We have to run!"
"No," Yamato said, her tone deadly serious. She could feel it—an oppressive, overwhelming power radiating from the man, an aura as suffocating as Kaido's. Jinbe hadn't been exaggerating. "You all go. I'll cover your retreat."
If they all tried to escape together, none of them would make it.
"What!?" Bonney cried, about to protest, but Yamato had already leaped from the ship onto the churning sea below.
"Go, now!" she yelled over her shoulder.
As her command echoed across the water, Yamato opened her mouth wide, and a blindingly bright mass of cold energy began to condense within it.
"Namuji Hyoga!"
A powerful shockwave of pure frost erupted from her, a dazzling white beam that shot across the ocean toward the oncoming warship. On the deck of the Marine vessel, the soldiers scrambled in panic at the sight of the approaching attack. Only Akainu remained motionless, his brows furrowed so tightly that it was impossible to read his expression. But the fist at his side, now completely transformed into bubbling magma, was all the proof needed of his boiling rage.
"Great Eruption!" he growled.
At that moment, everyone on the Sabaody Archipelago witnessed a terrifying spectacle unfold on the distant sea. A towering mountain of white ice and scorching magma erupted from the ocean where the two attacks collided. The world was filled with a series of deafening explosions, and the sky was split by blinding flashes of red and white light. The shockwave from the clash of extreme heat and cold was immense, causing the entire archipelago to tremble violently. The island's iconic bubbles began to burst one by one, and even those who had fled to safety could feel the searing heat and biting cold wash over them.
After five long minutes, the chaos finally subsided, replaced by the sound of crashing waves. As the steam and smoke cleared, the colossal mountain of frozen magma slowly sank beneath the waves. The ocean itself was forever changed; half of it was now a sheet of solid ice, while the other half bubbled and boiled.
The sight left everyone—from the Marines on the warship to the pirates and civilians watching from the shore—utterly speechless.
"Hey… am I seeing things? Did someone just block an Admiral's attack?"
"Who in the world can go toe-to-toe with an Admiral?"
"What is that girl? Is she some kind of monster?"
"Where did she come from? She attacked a Celestial Dragon and is now fighting an Admiral to a standstill! When did someone this powerful appear on the seas?"
"I don't know. She's not on any wanted posters I've ever seen. I'd definitely remember a face like that."
"It doesn't matter if she was on one before. If that woman escapes today, a new legend will be born."
Out on the frozen sea, Yamato stood firm, not even bothering to look back. "Why haven't you left yet?"
Though she had frozen the ocean before her, she had intentionally left a narrow channel of open water for her ship to escape.
The answer came from the giant, Red. He slowly walked off the ship and onto the ice, taking his place at Yamato's left. "No," he said, his voice a low rumble. "You saved me from that dark, hopeless hell. From now on, my life is yours. I will not abandon my savior, Captain Yamato."
"!!!" Yamato felt that same warm, unfamiliar feeling stir in her heart again.
"Me too!" The former slave named Diaz, his face set with fierce determination, stepped onto the ice and stood at her right, glaring at the Marines. "We're dead either way, so we might as well go down fighting! My life is yours now, Captain Yamato!"
Looking at the two figures standing guard at her sides, Yamato finally understood. Perhaps there was something more meaningful for her to do than simply follow in another's footsteps. A genuine smile spread across her face.
"I understand," she said, her voice filled with a newfound purpose. "Then let's fight together!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
At that moment, the Yamato Pirates were truly born.
Behind them, Bonney watched with a mix of awe and hesitation. Before she could decide what to do, a cold, menacing voice boomed across the sea, silencing all other sounds.
"Wicked one. What is your relationship with Kaido of the Beasts?"
Akainu's question immediately drew everyone's attention.
"What did he say?"
"Is she connected to Kaido?"
"That makes sense! Only one of Kaido's crew could be this strong!"
"Hey, look! The flag on her ship… isn't that the emblem of the Beasts Pirates?"
Yamato's smile vanished, replaced by a scowl. "That has nothing to do with you!" she roared back. "Instead, let me ask you something! I've heard that the Marines exist to carry out 'Absolute Justice' and rid the seas of evil. So why do you ignore the crimes committed by those Celestial Dragons?"
Her words sent a shockwave through the crowd. The Marines on the warship shifted uncomfortably, avoiding each other's eyes. Akainu's gaze hardened, and the magma covering his body began to churn with renewed intensity.
"Truly a wicked soul," he snarled. "To possess such power and such twisted ideas. In the name of justice, I cannot allow a threat like you to exist on this sea. I will eliminate you completely."
As he finished speaking, Akainu's lower body dissolved into rolling magma, and he shot towards Yamato at incredible speed.
"Try it if you can!" Yamato yelled.
This time, it wasn't just anger fueling her; for the first time, she was fighting to protect the lives of her crew. Holding nothing back, she raised her kanabo and charged forward to meet the Admiral.
In that instant, the battle truly began. Akainu, the highest power of the Marines, against Yamato, the daughter of a Yonko and the newly-formed captain of the Yamato Pirates. It wasn't just a clash between a Marine and a pirate.
It was a battle of fire and ice.
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