Chapter 130 Retreat
'Still a bit short!'
The parity between ice and lightning didn't please Zane; instead, he frowned.
In terms of pure destructive power, his Rumble-Rumble Fruit was definitely superior to the other's Chilly-Chilly Fruit.
The current stalemate was actually a sign that his development of the fruit lagged behind his opponent's.
Of course.
Based on the amount of time they had each possessed their Devil Fruits, Zane had far less experience than Kuzan.
The fact that he could hold his own now proved that his development speed was incredibly fast.
The shockwave of cold air released could not break through the lightning.
Kuzan also frowned.
He decisively gave up on the deadlock, leaping backward and forming a massive ice bird by swinging his arm.
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!"
As soon as the lifelike giant ice bird appeared, a more biting chill immediately saturated the air.
Simultaneously, the giant ice bird was coated in high-intensity Armament Haki.
The giant ice bird crashed powerfully into the world of lightning.
Though it suffered damage under the lightning's fury, it rapidly regenerated through the continuous surge of frost, continuing its charge toward Zane with undiminished force.
His right arm metalized while spinning.
Without retreating, Zane lunged forward and met the giant ice bird with a punch.
"Steel: Spinning Aggressive as Fire!"
A fistful of thunder and fire poured forth.
Boom!!!
When Zane's fist met the giant ice bird, the formidable bird stopped dead in its tracks.
Starting from its head, it began to melt before being pierced through by the thunder-fire shockwave, ultimately exploding into fragments.
A swift chill shot up from behind.
Just as Zane shattered the bird, Kuzan had silently transformed into frost and moved along the ice to his rear.
He suddenly erupted, swinging an "Ice Glove" toward Zane's back.
"Naive!!"
'If I could be caught like this, then my God's Eye would have been developed for nothing.'
Kuzan's fist successfully landed on Zane's back.
But he felt no joy; instead, his expression shifted slightly.
'An afterimage?'
Exactly.
Under the impact of Kuzan's fist, Zane dissipated like a bubble.
"God's Judgment!!!"
Pillars of lightning bloomed from all directions, crisscrossing each other and leaving Kuzan as if standing under stage spotlights.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At the convergence of the lightning pillars, Kuzan was instantly submerged.
The terrifying bombardment shook the void, triggering waves of impact that threw the sky into chaos and shattered the ice.
A wisp of cold air escaped from the rampaging lightning.
A flash of lightning followed.
Just as the wisp coalesced into Kuzan's form, Zane, arriving as a bolt of lightning, threw a shadow-shrouded punch at the man's face.
Boom!!!
Kuzan blocked with his hands.
Breaking the air and leaving a sonic boom, Kuzan flew back like a bullet into the distance.
After an unknown distance, he plummeted, skipping across the ice several times before finally crashing into a wave-like ridge of ice as a pile of shards.
'He's truly difficult to deal with—he actually managed to block that!'
Watching the distant Kuzan, Zane loosened his fist and shook his hand.
Internal Destruction was truly the highest application of Armament Haki.
Not only was it extremely difficult, but its lethality was also immense.
Even though he was the attacker, the collision of offense and defense had nearly allowed the opponent's Haki to injure him in return.
But it was close.
With the insight of the God's Eye, he was on the verge of deciphering the essence of Internal Destruction.
Boom boom boom!!!!
Pillars of ice suddenly erupted from all directions, quickly forming a cage to surround Zane.
His eyes scanned left and right rapidly.
Seeing dense ice spears manifesting on the rising pillars, Zane decisively turned into a lightning bolt and shot into the sky.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Almost the instant Zane left, the interior of the ice cage was riddled with countless spears, leaving no gaps.
'He's troublesome—the person and the ability. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit... it truly deserves its title of being invincible. Not only does it have insane destructive power, but its mobility is also on par with Borsalino's Glint-Glint Fruit.'
The scattered ice fragments gathered to reform a body.
Looking up at Zane, who had evaded the counterattack, Kuzan's brow furrowed tightly.
From their exchange, he was certain Zane wasn't someone who relied solely on Devil Fruit abilities; he was comprehensive in all aspects.
So...
Should he continue until a winner was decided, or retreat and find another way later?
Two different thoughts rose in Kuzan's mind.
If he continued...
Given their current states, it would likely take days to decide the victor.
Not to mention, he didn't have absolute certainty of winning.
On the other hand...
With the mobility of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he had no way to stop Zane if the man chose to leave.
Therefore, the initiative in this battle had never been his; it belonged to the enemy.
*Sigh.*
A cold mist escaped his lips.
Kuzan gave Zane a deep look before his body dissolved into frost and merged into the ice.
"Hmm?!"
Floating in the sky, Zane reformed his body from the lightning.
Just as he was about to counterattack, his Observation Haki picked up Kuzan's anomaly.
Instead of coming for him, the man was moving rapidly away through the ice.
'He's leaving?'
Zane turned back into lightning and landed on the ground.
He watched the direction Kuzan had vanished with flickering eyes.
Should he intercept?
After a moment's thought, Zane abandoned the idea.
Based on their clash, even if he used [LET'S DUEL!] to pull the man into the Equality Space and ban Devil Fruit powers...
While the opponent would be greatly weakened without the Chilly-Chilly Fruit...
The same would apply to him.
Both the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the God's Eye were tied to Devil Fruit abilities.
Once lost, his power would also drop sharply.
Though he had other Nen abilities as support, giving him a relative advantage, victory was still not guaranteed.
This was why he hadn't used [LET'S DUEL!] at the start of the fight.
Unless it was a desperate situation, a life-or-death duel under [LET'S DUEL!] without absolute certainty carried the risk of driving himself into a corner.
'Let him go. I've already gotten the benefits I came for anyway.'
With a light chuckle, Zane looked away and leisurely headed back toward the New Riding the Wind and Waves.
The battle might have ended inconclusively.
But whether it was the insight into the essence of Internal Destruction or the experience gained through "King of Fighters," he had technically won.
Kuzan departed.
Zane returned safely to the ship.
This brief battle had been an emotional rollercoaster for the Hunting Team members.
Zane departed, Kuzan attacked, and the two sides clashed.
Whether it was Nico Robin or the others, everyone quickly recognized Kuzan.
A Marine Admiral.
No one with normal intelligence would ever underestimate such a figure.
Similarly...
Facing such an enemy, every exchange between Zane and the Admiral made the crew's hearts leap into their throats.
Even though they weren't participating...
The destructive power displayed by Kuzan was enough to make everyone truly feel the weight of an Admiral.
Even Manlong...
After a brief observation, his assessment was that if he dared to step in, he would be killed in an instant.
With such a massive gap...
How could the Hunting Team watch the battle between Zane and Kuzan with any peace of mind?
Fortunately...
When the enemy disappeared and Zane returned safely, the crew all breathed a sigh of relief.