Chapter 444
Phew!!!
With these words, the ice that had been slowly spreading from Aokiji's feet earlier suddenly blossomed.
The shore was instantly covered with ice.
Hundreds of pirates turned into hundreds of ice sculptures!
Not only the coast.
The sea was also instantly covered with ice to the end of the field of view!
The whole surrounding world was instantly covered with ice and cold frost, as if the season had changed abruptly from spring to winter!
Zoro's mouth dropped open in shock.
Quina's mouth dropped open in shock.
Their eyes widened sharply in shock, and then seemed to empty.
"This is..."
Even Shimotsuki Kozaburo, the famous blacksmith of the Country of Vano, was greatly shocked when looking at the frozen sea.
The ice, of course, reached their ship, firmly chaining it in the sea near the shore.
Absolute silence reigned on the coast.
Not only Quina and the others, but even the pirates who were watching what was happening below from the decks of the floating ships, also opened their mouths in shock.
When viewed from a great height, the scene that unfolded seemed even more shocking and impressive.
The pirates who were on the ships in the sky could much better appreciate the scale of how large an area of the sea Aokiji was able to freeze!
"This is..."
"The devil fruit's ability is the same as that of our boss, the Golden Lion!"
Numerous pirates nervously swallowed their saliva, looking dazedly at the frozen sea and the shore below.
Such a show of strength was too shocking for the weak East Blue pirates.
Just looking at this ice below, numerous pirates felt a chill run down their backs, and their legs began to give way.
Nearby.
Robin and Yeruashi, walking leisurely towards the shore from the inner part of the island, calmly looked at the frozen sea and the shore ahead.
Robin briefly examined the frozen sea and said irritably, " Tsk, he froze Ohara..."
Yeruashi smiled: "He probably just didn't notice that this is our ship, forget it..."
Just as Yeruashi and Robin were examining the frozen sea and the shore, an angry and domineering cry came from the sky.
"Aokiji..."
"You little bastard!!"
The figure of a Golden Lion descended from the deck of the largest ship.
Shiki slowly flew down, clutching a cigar in his teeth and looking condescendingly at Aokiji below.
A chill flashed through the Golden Lion's eyes: "Do you really think that you are able to prevent me from destroying the island?! If I, the Golden Lion, want this island to disappear today...then it will be so!!"
The Golden Lion was already annoyed that Aokiji was trying to sneak into his base, and now this annoying kid showed up again when he ordered his people to destroy an island.
Does this little disciple of Garp think that just growing up a little is enough to have the qualifications to stand up to him?!
Along with this domineering cry, a terrifying impulse surged out of the Golden Lion's body.
This was not just the killing intent of a great sword master, but also the royal will of one of the most powerful pirates!
Two impulses crashed down on Aokiji's figure, overlapping each other.
Even Aokiji felt a certain pressure when faced with this terrible impulse.
At the same time, the condition of Kuina, Zoro and the other people standing nearby was much more severe.
Their breathing stopped abruptly, at the moment of collision with only the echoes of this impulse.
Although the royal will of the Golden Lion was focused on Aokiji, and only echoes reached Zoro, Kuina and the others, but the killing intent of the great sword master was too terrible.
Even their palms, tightly gripping the hilts of their blades, trembled violently, and their clothes were instantly soaked with cold sweat.
"Such an impulse..."
"Too strong..."
Quina was breathing hard, as if a huge stone had just been placed on her chest.
The stronger and more talented the swordmaster, the better he could feel the terrifying and exorbitant power of the Golden Lion.
Aokiji, who froze a huge area of the sea in the blink of an eye, had already shocked them greatly, but judging by this terrifying impulse and oppression, the Golden Lion was even scarier than Aokiji!
"Great Sword Master..."
Shimotsuki Kozaburo, who was standing not far from Zoro and Kuina, leaning on a wooden cane, said in a trembling voice.
Being the famous creator of the meito of the Country of Vano, Kozaburo certainly had the deepest knowledge in the field of the path of the sword.
He immediately understood what this extremely sharp and sharp impulse coming from the Golden Lion at this moment meant.
A formless and intangible intention.
Strong swordsmen are usually able to use intent to a certain extent to suppress their opponents.
But to such an extent, as in the case of the Golden Lion, that under the influence of this impulse the whole sky darkened and the weather changed...
Only a person who has reached the top of the path of the sword can do this!
"Great Sword master?"
Zoro slowly turned his head to look at Kozaburo.
Although Zoro managed to resist the Golden Lion's impulse, his movements were stiff and jerky, and his voice trembled noticeably.
Kozaburo sighed heavily and said, " This is a title that rises above all the masters of the sword, although there are very few people in the world who can rightfully be called great masters of the sword, but every one of them...very close to the Greatest Swordsman in the World!"
He looked at the Golden Lion in the sky and said gloomily, " This man...I'm already close to the absolute peak of the sword path!"
Zoro and Quina felt a tremor in their hearts when they heard these words.
The greatest swordsman!
The peak of the path of the sword!
This is a dream and a distant goal that they strive for with all their might!
But now, the person who had achieved all this appeared right in front of their eyes!
Zoro gripped the hilts of his swords tightly, and a bright light flashed in his eyes, not clearly caused by fear or excitement.
He wanted to take a step forward, but suddenly realized that he could not move.
The same thing was happening to Quina, who was standing next to her.
The person who had reached the peak of the sword path was right in front of her!
Quina felt the excitement and thirst for battle, but this terrifying oppression emitted by the Golden Lion seemed to scream that it was too early for her!
The current Zoro and Quina are too far from the top of the path of the sword.
It was too early, too early, for them to face someone like the Golden Lion Shiki!
Besides...
In general, it is not a fact that they will be able to live until tomorrow.
Because their enemy will not only be the great master of the sword, standing at the top of the path of the sword, but also the captain of the most numerous and terrifying pirate team of the entire East Blue!
Quina and Zoro took a deep breath, looking at the Golden Lion hovering in the sky.
The eyes of all the people, including Koshiro and the Flying Pirates, were also fixed on the Golden Lion.
Shiki squinted at Aokiji below.
Although Aokiji felt a lot of pressure when faced with the terrifying momentum of the Golden Lion, but he did not show any signs of anxiety at all.
Aokiji looked at Shiki in the sky and scratched his hair: "Ara-ra-ra-ra, it would really be difficult for me to protect the island from someone like you, but if you still try to do it, then someone will definitely be against..."
Aokiji's words puzzled Quina, the Flying Pirates, and the others.
But Shiki's expression suddenly changed.
He turned abruptly in the direction of the shore, seeming to feel something vaguely.
All the people watching the Golden Lion at this moment subconsciously turned their heads, following his gaze.
In this direction, a young man in a blue kimono and a young woman in a black kimono were standing on the shore.
Yeruashi couldn't help but chuckle when Shiki sensed his presence because of Aokiji's words, and then by his behavior made everyone present pay attention to him.
He looked at Aokiji and shook his head: "I didn't think you were so spineless, Aokiji."
"I just don't want this island to be destroyed. Spinelessness, dignity, or something similar...all this does not matter at all when the lives of innocent people are at stake..."
Aokiji sighed helplessly.
He wasn't afraid of the Golden Lion at all.
In fact, it is still difficult to say who will be the final winner if this is a deadly one-on-one battle, but the problem is that in the current situation, Aokiji simply will not be able to protect Kuina and the others.
He will prefer to be spineless if it helps to save the island from destruction and save the lives of civilians.
Yeruashi shook his head with a smile and stepped forward, no longer paying attention to Aokiji.
He looked at the Golden Lion in the sky and said calmly, continuing to walk forward unhurriedly: "You just said that...Are you going to destroy this island, Golden Lion Shiki?"