One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

"Isn't that the power of Admiral Aokiji?"

"Isn't he the one with the explosion fruit?"

The situation at the Chambord Islands was confusing beyond belief.

As for Hina, she clearly understood the overwhelming power that Vane had just unleashed, shaking the very earth. Having witnessed it firsthand, she was both shocked and baffled.

Vane ignored them and moved instantly in front of Admiral Akainu.

He looked down at Akainu. Because the ice layer was thick and Vane's ice wasn't easily melted by magma, Akainu's magma temperature was not excessively high.

Still, he was now completely melting the ice that trapped him.

"Kid!"

Akainu's head was bleeding, blood flowing down his cheeks, making his face as red as his uniform.

"Talking back, Mr. Akainu?"

"But I'm leaving."

"If I beat you this time, next time I might kill you!"

Vane began to gather his power, maximizing the ability of the Shock Fruit. A transparent light mask grew to the size of two basketballs. No one could tell just how powerful it was.

"You!"

Akainu was furious. In his eyes, Vane was humiliating him and taking advantage of his vulnerable state—totally unfair!

"Wait for me! That's unfair!"

Akainu cursed, merely trying to buy time.

Vane smiled: "Talking about fairness to pirates? How many pirates have you arrested for no reason?"

"The navy and pirates are complete opposites. Don't you agree, Mr. Akainu?"

With that, Vane struck Akainu's head with a fist charged with the terrifying power of the Shock Fruit.

"Ah! Kid! I'm going to kill you!"

Akainu's head was crushed, the atmosphere cracked, and the ice shattered violently. Within seconds, cracks spread across the tens-of-meters-wide ice, then the entire ice field exploded with an earth-shattering roar.

Vane was already standing on the sea, the ice beneath his feet broken into shards.

Where was Akainu? Vane had knocked him straight into the sea.

What would happen to him? Vane didn't know—but Akainu wouldn't die so easily. Even soaked in seawater and swallowing some sea water, powerful Devil Fruit users are affected less by the sea.

The stronger the user, the more resistant they are. The same goes for Seastone—it suppresses Devil Fruit powers but doesn't kill the user. Their spirit remains intact.

Akainu wouldn't die just by falling in the sea. If he died so easily, no one could survive in the navy. To kill someone, you seal their throat or slowly torture them until they collapse.

Vane walked on the water, ice shards floating around his feet. Soon, he reached the shore outside the naval base at Sabaody Archipelago. A group of navy soldiers was already waiting, but their faces were covered in sweat, and most of them trembled.

"Hello! Where is Admiral Akainu?" a navy man at the front asked nervously.

He swallowed hard. The pressure was overwhelming. Though his body didn't shake, his face showed fear and unease.

"He went swimming."

When Vane said this, an overwhelming presence of haki blanketed the crowd.

Usually, this kind of haki cleanses lesser soldiers. Only a particularly terrifying haki can destroy objects or call down thunder and lightning.

It was already night.

A black shadow attacked Vane swiftly but was detected immediately.

It was Vice Admiral Mole.

Suddenly, a huge icicle appeared from thin air and rushed toward Vane. Mole, caught off guard, was knocked back over ten meters and tumbled uncontrollably before stopping.

Vane paid him no mind and left immediately.

Hina remained hidden behind a tree, not daring to come out. She knew she couldn't match Vane. That previous punch shattered a large area of ground—a monstrous power that left her with fresh fear and unforgettable memories.

She was truly weak.

"Alas, Vice Admiral Mole, what do we do now?"

Hina approached Mole, who was struggling to stand. The icicle had struck his chest hard. Unlike Akainu, Mole had no elemental powers to protect him. Despite constant training, he wasn't much stronger. His chest hurt terribly, and he had coughed up blood. His heart trembled.

"Did Admiral Akainu lose to him?"

There was no sign of Akainu. Watching from afar, Mole knew Akainu had been knocked into the sea, and his fate was uncertain. That punch was devastating—a power comparable to the Shock Fruit. Like a monster from the New World, it could destroy the world.

Mole noticed another serious problem: Vane could control ice! The sea was filled with floating ice floes.

That was terrifying.

Could one person have two Devil Fruit abilities? And was the other one not Admiral Aokiji's ice fruit?

What was happening?

Mole looked grim: "We can only hope Vice Admiral Garp and the others arrive soon, or there will be trouble if he escapes. This monster must not be allowed to grow!"

He prayed that Vice Admiral Garp and others would come quickly.

They were also searching for Admiral Akainu.

The navy's top combat power could not be lost.

"With Admiral Akainu defeated, won't tomorrow's papers be filled with this news?"

Many reporters were stationed on Sabaody Archipelago, sent after the battle began. Reporters couldn't be silenced.

Though they hated pirates and supported the navy, big news was their priority.

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As usual, Send Powerstones.