The intense commotion from the battle alarmed the civilians in Alubarna.
Inside the palace, Cobra, Vivi, and others also sensed that a fierce battle was taking place—and between incredibly powerful individuals!
They immediately rushed toward the direction of the explosion.
"Ryuen's strength is truly... impressive!" Robin was completely stunned. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴo(v)elFɪre.ɴet
She hadn't expected Ryuen to actually hold his own against a Marine Admiral. So far, he hadn't even seemed to be at a disadvantage.
"Don't worry, Robin. Ryuen won't be in any danger," Daisy said with a playful smile, her tone carrying a hint of mystery.
Even the others had subtle, meaningful expressions on their faces.
"It seems that with your Devil Fruit ability, you really do have the strength to face me.
But, Ryuen, your Armament Haki doesn't seem that strong," Aokiji said, his sharp gaze locked onto Ryuen. If it were anyone else, they might have been frozen in fear.
"Well, what can I say? I'm still young..."
"But even if my Armament Haki isn't as strong as yours, I can still use my Devil Fruit ability to break through your defense, can't I?" Ryuen said, his fiery eyes fixed on Aokiji.
"Then let's see what you've got, Ryuen!" As soon as Aokiji finished speaking, the ground beneath him started freezing.
In just two seconds, everything within a kilometer radius was encased in ice.
"Looks like I'll have to go all out. But don't blame me, Aokiji..." At that moment, Ryuen's gaze toward Aokiji carried a deeper meaning.
"Then let me show you what a Marine Admiral's true power looks like!" Aokiji was now genuinely angry.
He felt Ryuen was underestimating him and decided he needed to teach the kid a lesson. If not, controlling him in the future would be nearly impossible.
Ryuen shouted with a fierce look in his eyes. As soon as the words left his mouth, seven figures shot toward Aokiji like arrows, clearly ready to strike.
Kuina: "One-Sword Style · Phantom Moon · Celestial Waterfall!"
Her blade gleamed brilliantly like a shooting star, delivering a sharp slash aimed straight at Aokiji.
Hog: "Crushing Strike!"
Swinging his massive axe coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, he unleashed a strike resembling a blazing red sun, slashing forcefully at the enemy.
Nami, Nojiko, Daisy, Anya, Leah: "Combined Attack · Rankyaku!"
The five kicked simultaneously, creating powerful gusts of wind that merged into a massive storm, sweeping toward their target.
In an instant, three terrifying attacks surged toward Aokiji like lightning, filling the air with an oppressive energy.
Meanwhile, Ryuen leaped into the sky, watching the battle unfold from above.
Aokiji was startled. He hadn't expected the young group to employ such a coordinated strategy.
Not daring to be careless, he immediately turned into ice, narrowly avoiding the deadly attacks.
At the same time, he activated his Observation Haki, fully focused on sensing everyone's movements.
With a deafening roar, three sharp slashes crashed down like a violent storm on the spot where Aokiji had been standing.
The ground erupted with flying debris, and the hard ice layer, along with the surrounding desert, shattered into chaos, sending dust and sand flying everywhere.
At that moment, Aokiji seemed still shaken from the earlier attack. Suddenly, a wave of intense heat surged from the sky, as if it aimed to set the entire world on fire.
"Flame Emperor: Meteor!!!"
Ryuen roared as he unleashed his attack. The fireball in his hand burned as brightly as the blazing sun, plummeting toward Aokiji's position.
Seeing Ryuen's attack, Aokiji was startled. Was this kid serious?
The heat from this fireball was far beyond anything, even Akainu's magma. Without hesitation, Aokiji quickly leapt hundreds of meters away just before the fireball struck.
The massive fireball smashed into the ground with a thunderous impact.
The explosion that followed was earth-shattering, with a deafening roar that made it feel like the entire world was trembling.
The shockwave from the blast spread rapidly, stirring up a storm of dust and debris.
The ground shook violently as chunks of ice and sand were blasted into the sky, leaving a massive crater in its wake. The spot where Aokiji had stood was now scorched earth, radiating waves of heat.
"You let your guard down!"
Before Aokiji could recover from Ryuen's shocking attack, several figures had already appeared around him!
"That's what you get for bullying Robin!"
Seven people surrounded Aokiji and attacked all at once. He couldn't avoid it, and every single hit landed on him!
In the end, Nami delivered a full-force kick that sent Aokiji flying hundreds of meters away!
Ryuen, now back in his original form, landed beside the still-shocked Robin.
"Robin, we stood up for you!" Ryuen said with a mischievous grin.
"Stood up for me?" Robin stared at him, wide-eyed in disbelief.
"Yep, that's right!" Ryuen replied, looking completely serious.
Robin stared at Ryuen's sincere expression, slowly starting to smile.
"But I haven't had my turn yet!"
"Thirty Blooming Flowers!"
"Thirty Blooming Flowers!"
Hundreds of meters away, the battered Aokiji, his clothes in tatters and his face covered in injuries, had just managed to stand up when thirty arms sprouted from his body, pinning him in place!
"Robin has so many hands~~"
Poor Aokiji was bent over and shattered into a pile of ice shards.
"Now it's truly a team effort, isn't it, Captain?" Robin said with a radiant smile.
"Robin, that was intense..." Ryuen was genuinely startled.
At that moment, the rest of the Dream Team regrouped with Ryuen and Robin. None of them had expected Robin to deliver a final blow to Aokiji.
"You guys are unbelievable!" Aokiji reformed from the ice shards, back to his original state.
But this time, his icy gaze seemed to burn with fury.
"Ryuen! Nami! What's going on here? What happened?" Vivi and her group finally arrived at the scene.
"Ryuen... things don't look good..." Nami's voice trembled as she spoke.
The others, seeing Aokiji's enraged expression, also felt the looming danger.
"Um... let's get out of here!" Ryuen grabbed Nami and bolted toward the palace.
Before Vivi and the others could figure out what was happening, the Straw Hat crew grabbed them and quickly fled the scene. In an instant, everyone had vanished without a trace.
Nami was furious—enough to take down an Emperor of the Sea!
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