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"Shhhhhhhhhhhh..."
The sound of piercing howls filled the air.
One after another, powerful fist impacts crashed against the relatively weak Armament Haki, erupting in dazzling white light. The blows landed intensively in front of Kizaru, who had just appeared and hadn't yet had time to fully materialize his light form.
"Yellow Spring!" Kizaru called out in the blink of an eye.
An incomparably brilliant barrier of light formed before him, reinforced by mighty Armament Haki, standing firm as a shield.
"Crack... Crack..." The hastily condensed light shield shattered under Katakuri's continuous and fierce offensive.
Kizaru flew backward through the air. Though somewhat embarrassed, he remained uninjured.
"Chi—"
In that moment, a silver-white figure flashed past.
An incredibly blazing gorgeous blade, wrapped in Haki, cleaved the airborne Kizaru cleanly in two!
Yet no blood flowed. The cut was smooth and golden.
"It's too much to not even give me time to catch my breath~... Charlotte Wilhelm!" Kizaru, split in half, addressed Wilhelm with his characteristic drawl.
"You are our enemy!" Katakuri's figure appeared suddenly.
"Alas..." His powerful right arm suddenly ignited with intense blue flames, maximizing his strength as it detached from his body.
The massive fist, covered in mighty Haki and carrying terrifying impact force, flew through Kizaru's head with lightning speed.
But it couldn't harm him.
"That guy... has he really been able to foresee the future?" Wilhelm's pupils constricted in shock.
As he'd expected, Kizaru's strength truly was the greatest among the three Admirals. Especially now, at thirty-nine, almost forty years old, Kizaru was in his prime and undoubtedly approaching his peak power.
"Whoosh..."
In an instant, Kizaru—his head seemingly pierced—transformed into light particles and rushed away.
Katakuri charged violently after him, throwing his blazing white fist forward in a merciless attack.
Kizaru wasn't given a moment to breathe.
"Bang!!" The Admiral crossed his arms, wrapped in Haki, barely blocking Katakuri's relentless strike.
The force of the blow sent him crashing straight down to the ice surface below.
Katakuri's face was solemn as he called out a warning: "Wilhelm, be careful! If I'm right, his Observation Haki can also faintly predict the immediate future!"
He felt genuine awe. Was this truly the strength of an Admiral candidate?
Originally, Katakuri had been quite proud of his own Observation Haki, cultivated to its ultimate level, allowing him to foresee the short-term future.
But he never expected his opponent to possess the same ability.
"Hey!" At that moment, an incredibly strange blade flashing with electric light and shimmering red energy, wrapped in Haki, slashed violently through the air.
Kizaru's pupils widened in respect.
"Swipe—" The cutting sound was accompanied by an extremely dazzling golden light.
Yet the silver-white figure showed no mercy.
Wilhelm had nearly transformed into afterimages, appearing all over the battlefield, his movement patterns impossible to track clearly.
Cold light flashed as he launched attack after frenzied attack.
"Boom..."
The ice surface shook violently.
Ice shards splashed everywhere as shock waves swept across the battlefield.
A golden light flashed, and Kizaru's figure emerged from the ice.
But this time, his shoulder bore a bloody wound.
He glanced at the cut—not deep but definitely drawing blood—then looked at the two brothers, Katakuri and Wilhelm, standing side by side before him. His face filled with seriousness: "I really underestimated you!"
"Did the attack work?"
Noticing the injury on his opponent's shoulder, Katakuri narrowed his eyes.
He frowned, full of solemnity, and said to Wilhelm in a deep voice: "If I'm not wrong, his Observation Haki is at the critical point in the field of foreseeing the future. He can't fully master it yet. Not working..."
"I see..."
Wilhelm wasn't surprised.
Holding his blade that flashed with electric light, bursts of red and green brilliance intertwined along the gorgeous steel.
Staring at Kizaru, his fighting spirit rose to unprecedented heights: "Whether it's Observation Haki or Armament Haki, he has cultivated both to an extraordinary level, beyond imagination. He is indeed amazingly strong!"
"Frozen Time Capsule!"
From another direction, an astonishing cold air rushed forth, nearly freezing Shiryu of the Rain solid.
But in a blink of an eye, Miyamoto Musashi rushed toward Aokiji, the two famous swords—Tian Yu Yu Zhan and Yan Mo—wrapped in Haki as he slashed in a panic: "Two Swords Style・Taoyuan Yutaki!"
"Clang!!" Sparks spattered everywhere.
The ice blade wrapped in high-level Armament Haki stood firm, blocking Miyamoto Musashi's powerful dual-sword slash.
That incomparable force pushed Aokiji back several steps.
He retreated resolutely, distancing himself from the Sword Lord Ryuma, Shiryu of the Rain, and the others closing in...
"That fellow Kizaru is actually injured..."
Using his Observation Haki's perception, Aokiji's pupils shrank in disbelief.
But instead of focusing on Wilhelm, he stared at Katakuri, filled with shock: "That guy's ability..."
Not just Aokiji was surprised.
Although hot-tempered, Akainu was strategically minded with a cautious temperament.
He didn't believe Charlotte Linlin's claims about not allowing interference. His Observation Haki remained active, guarding against Wilhelm's unpredictable abilities that might enable surprise attacks.
After exchanging powerful blows with Charlotte Linlin, he took advantage of a momentary opening to break away, also witnessing the scene unfolding nearby.
He too was surprised, staring intently at Katakuri in the distance: "Isn't that guy a Paramecia Mochi-Mochi Fruit user? Could our intelligence be wrong?"
Previously, the Marines had conducted comprehensive intelligence analysis.
They knew the Devil Fruit abilities of the Charlotte Family commanders well—or at least they shouldn't have been completely ignorant—especially regarding a general like Katakuri whose strength couldn't be ignored. There should have been no mistakes.
"Mama Mama~, didn't expect that?"
The towering Charlotte Linlin grinned, displaying her white teeth as she laughed loudly: "Katakuri's ability is the same top-level Logia type as yours—the Air-Air Fruit!"
Holding Napoleon in her hand, she rushed forward.
Surrounded by lightning and fire, the blade slashed fiercely at Akainu.
"What?!" Upon hearing this, both Akainu and Aokiji's pupils constricted sharply, their faces showing unmistakable shock.
They could hardly believe it.
But even so,
Akainu, the battle-hardened Admiral candidate,
Wasn't distracted by Charlotte Linlin's words.
"Hhaaah—" Magma gushed forth as he countered with a powerful punch.
The incomparably violent magma fist collided with Linlin's savage blade strike.
"Boom..."
"Whoooooooooooosh!"
The ice beneath their feet cracked and collapsed inch by inch.
Waves of intense heat swept across the battlefield, raging uncontrollably.
The combatants could barely keep their eyes open.
Vast amounts of magma splashed endlessly in all directions.
The exaggerated high temperature made the air unbearably hot.
A large area of the ice surface melted directly into seawater, which began to boil as more extremely hot magma splashed down.
Heat waves billowed, and steam filled the air around them.