Whitebeard remembered that Aokiji had fought Akainu and severely burned his left foot. Now, with a prosthetic limb, Aokiji had lost some strength, making him almost unsteady.
"That guy Akainu hit you so hard, he ruined one of your legs,"
Whitebeard remarked.
"Did you see it? That guy's belief is stronger than mine, so Akainu's conviction is stronger than mine. I'm lucky I didn't die at his hands,"
Aokiji said casually.
"Stronger conviction?" Whitebeard read it again, recalling Akainu's determination during the battle with him at the Summit War.
Back then, he was old, sick, and seriously injured, barely able to hold his own against Akainu. But now, with his physical strength restored to its peak, he was no longer comparable in power.
Now, Whitebeard really wants to face off against Akainu again, to see how he handles the relentless onslaught from the believer of Absolute Justice.
"Marines' loss for not making you Fleet Admiral,"
Whitebeard expressed regret for Aokiji.
"The past is over, let's continue our battle"
Aokiji said, reinforcing his prosthetic limbs with a layer of ice to make them stronger, before assuming his fighting stance once more.
Whitebeard nodded in agreement and said nothing more. He resumed the fight with Aokiji. Each strike and collision between them sent fierce vibrations through the air.
As Whitebeard fought Aokiji, Marco and the other crew observed closely. A top-notch battle like this can teach them a lot.
In this battle, everyone believes Whitebeard will emerge victorious, as there seems to be no other outcome. Kizaru fought Whitebeard before and lost to Whitebeard. Aokiji was just an Admiral of the same level as Kizaru.
However, Benjamin seemed very anxious. His eyes remained fixed on the area where they were fighting, and his hands were tightly clenched due to tension.
Marco quickly noticed Benjamin's appearance, and he immediately asked: "What's wrong with you? You seem really worried. Don't worry, you know the old man's strength, don't you?"
But Benjamin quickly replied, "I'm not worried about Pops; I'm worried about Admiral Aokiji."
Benjamin acknowledged Whitebeard's powerfull strength, leading to his worry that Whitebeard might seriously harm Aokiji, who has always been an idol to Benjamin. Despite Aokiji leaving the Marines, Benjamin would never forget his admiration for him.
Moreover, Aokiji had once saved Benjamin's life, so naturally, Benjamin should be concerned about him. Besides, Aokiji is no longer with the Marines; he's just an ordinary person now.
"Are you familiar with Aokiji?"
Marco asked, feeling a bit puzzled. Benjamin had only been a Marine soldier before, and Aokiji was a Marine Admiral. Generally, there wouldn't be any chance for them to intersect.
So Benjamin recounted to Marco how Aokiji had saved his life. This gave Marco some insight into Aokiji. It showed that not everyone in the Marines is indifferent and ruthless.
"Don't worry, the old man won't hurt him,"
Marco reassured Benjamin with a pat on the shoulder.
Marco, based on his understanding of Whitebeard, felt that if Whitebeard truly intended to kill Aokiji, he wouldn't waste so much time talking beforehand.
So Marco believes that Whitebeard must have his own plan. It's quite possible that he wants to recruit Aokiji. Though the likelihood is slim, after all, Aokiji was once a Marine Admiral.
Moreover, the situations of Aokiji and Benjamin are different. Benjamin is just an ordinary Marine soldier, while Aokiji is a Marine Admiral with deeper influence, not to mention the extensive training he received from childhood by the Marine government.
Therefore, Marco feels that if Whitebeard truly wants to recruit Aokiji, the chances of success aren't high. However, he's certain that Whitebeard won't kill Aokiji.
The battle between Whitebeard and Aokiji has intensified, with both sides increasing the frequency of their moves.
"Ice spike!"
Aokiji shouted as he leaped into the air, aiming his attack at Whitebeard.
Whitebeard swung his Naginata in the air, slicing through the ice spike effortlessly, before descending to deliver another blow to Aokiji.
A massive sword slash emanated from the naginata blade, striking down from the sky above Aokiji from several meters away.
As Aokiji retreated, a barrage of sword slash descended once more. In a split-second decision, Aokiji quickly froze an ice wall directly above him.
Though the ice wall was swiftly penetrated by Whitebeard's sword slash, it bought Aokiji some time. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly moved to another location and launched a counterattack against Whitebeard.
"Ice block, Partisan!"
Whitebeard observed as Aokiji gathered cold air on his right arm, releasing a frozen bird. Upon its appearance, the surrounding temperature dropped significantly, and visible cold air emanated from Aokiji's body.
The frozen bird then rushed towards Whitebeard. Upon impact, a substantial amount of cold air left a visible trail.
Just a moment's contact with the frozen bird is enough to freeze anything, given its powerful impact.
Facing the impact of the Frozen Bird, Whitebeard swiftly countered with a vibration force. Yet, even though he managed to deflect the Frozen Bird's attack, the cold air still spread across his body.
Whitebeard's hands froze instantly, and the chilling air continued to spread. Seeing this opportunity, Aokiji's eyes lit up as he launched another attack against Whitebeard.
Aokiji conjured two ice spears from his arms, both hard and sharp, flying directly towards Whitebeard.
However, when the attack was less than one meter away from Whitebeard, he unleashed a powerful Conqueror's Haki, instantly shattering the ice around him and obliterating the ice spear without a trace.
As Whitebeard's Conqueror's Haki exploded, the surrounding airflow became violent, causing Marco and the other crew to exert all their strength to resist the force.
The final form of Conqueror's Haki, enhanced by the Haki Promotion Card and Whitebeard's mastery, not only exudes endless coercion but also maximizes its destructive power.
"Is this Conqueror's Haki? It's incredibly powerful"
Aokiji muttered, stepping back slightly under the pressure. The strong air currents continuously slapped against his face, filling him with a sense of unease.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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