Chapter 67: Beat You Out

Chapter 67: Beat You OutAs his words hung in the air, Aokiji’s power surged once again, causing ice to form beneath his feet, extending towards Robin. Even Saitama’s shoes weren’t spared from the freezing grip, solidifying into icy blocks. Despite his rank as Vice Admiral within the Navy HQ, and his steadfast reputation for upholding justice preceded him... But, interfering with a Navy Admiral’s pursuit of pirates was unforgivable. Throughout history, the annals held no record of a Vice Admiral betraying the Navy’s cause. The current situation presented a genuine dilemma: would the Navy forsake its covert weapon, or would it compromise its principles? “Errr... Be careful, Vice Admiral!” Aokiji’s words carried an unmistakable frostiness, his breath materializing into an icy mist. “Rumors around... You took down The Golden Lion Shiki with a single hit! Impressive! So I’ll let go of your recent actions!” “I’m very sure it’s you!” -Crack!- Saitama broke the ice that was holding him back. Like always, he didn’t listen to the person talking to him. He was cleaning his shoes. By mistake, while he cleaned, he broke the ice that was coming towards Robin. Aokiji felt a ripple of unease, yet Saitama remained composed as he continued, “Your ice messed up my ship and froze my whole team. Remove it! I don’t want to hurt you.” -UAAAHHHHHHHHHH- Usopp and Chopper were, losing it. They couldn’t believe what they just heard; fear evident in their screams! They glanced at each other and then basically clung onto one another, still screaming. “Did... Did he just, threaten him?!” “We’re dead!” ——————————- “Ah... I see...” Aokiji released a frosty sigh, his fingers unconsciously tousling his hair in consternation. “I’m sorry. It completely slipped my attention that there were active warships in the area... Unfortunately, I can’t undo the ice now. Good news is, it should melt on its own within a week.” Usopp and Chopper, were even more surprised! A Navy Admiral saying sorry!? Saitama waited a moment, then asked, “What’s gonna happen to Tashigi and the others after that week?” Aokiji thought for a moment. “They’ll probably freeze to death before that.” ——————————- The air turned dense with a silence as if holding its breath. Out of nowhere, Saitama grabbed Aokiji’s head and pushed him down into the ground. Luckily for him, it was a friendly warning hit. He then, clapped his hands and squatted down, asking, “So, can you make them unfreeze now?” Usopp and Chopper stood frozen in shock, as if their spirits had left their bodies. Usopp whispered, “Did that really happen?! The Admiral who beat up Luffy and the others at once, got taken down by this guy who looks weaker than me!?” On another hand, Nami was super excited, her fist clenched. “I knew it!” Saitama stood up smoothly from his squatting position, his gaze sweeping across the scene, and then strange shape piqued his interest. “Is that a reindeer?!” He seemed puzzled as he glanced at Chopper. Then, like he figured something out, he clapped his hands together. “So that must be...” He seemed a bit disappointed as he turned to Usopp. “Santa?! But why does he look...” Went closer to Usopp and stared at his nose. “No, this is definitely not him!” The tension was thick between the two friends, fear evident in their eyes. “Well...” Aokiji got up and straightened his suit, saying, “Errr, we don’t have to fight. We’re actually on the same team.” He took a moment, then added, “Excuse me for a sec... standing made me tired, Umph.” He sat down on the ground and continued, “So, the thing is, I can’t thaw your crew. I wish I could help, but I can’t. But those pirates there might know how to help you.” Suddenly, Nami’s voice sliced through the air from a distance. “Mr. Saitama!... Mr Saitama!... Where are your friends? Our ship has hot water. We’ll help warm them up!” ——- Inside the Merry Go ship. Three guys, who were knocked out, are recovering from the beating by Aokiji. All of a sudden, when they hear that name, Luffy and Zoro wake up instantly. Their faces showing how shocked they were, like they just had a bad dream! Zoro’s fingers clenched around the hilts of his swords, his body instinctively tensing for another fight. He muttered under his breath, a tinge of bewilderment in his voice, “Damn it... We got beat by an Admiral, and now we’re up against something even worse!” His gaze flicked towards Luffy, only to be met with a scene that caught him off guard. Luffy now resembled a vulnerable child, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. “Zoro... Please... Tell me that bald guy isn’t out there... AAAAAAH!” Luffy wailed in panic. “Pull yourself together, you idiot! Crying won’t help now! We gotta deal with this!” Zoro said, a mix of being mad and worried. “But... it’s Saitama... AAAAHHHH,” Luffy’s voice quivered, his fear showing as he said the name. ——- Usopp’s voice quivered as he muttered, “This is... really bad. He’s the Bald Devil.” His anxiety pushed him to raise his voice in a sharp whisper, “Nami, we can’t stay here! That guy might be more dangerous than Aokiji!” Nami gave him a stern look “Watch your mouth!” Usopp’s worry persisted, etched across his features. “But don’t you see? The Admiral retreated without even striking back! This guy... he’s something else.” Upon hearing about the injured, Chopper’s eyes darted, swiftly signaling to Saitama to aid in bringing them aboard. Usopp’s distress deepened, “Chopper! What are you doing?! They’re Navy! Nami!!!” he drew closer to Nami, his voice barely above a whisper. “We shouldn’t mess with Navy stuff! And letting a Vice Admiral on our ship? That’s just asking for problems! Maybe we should just escape while we can!” Nami’s patience wore thin as she lightly struck Usopp, looking a bit mad. “Saitama is a friend, and he’s in trouble. Don’t forget, he’s the reason Robin’s still with us! Show some respect!” Her gaze shifted towards Aokiji, a more serious expression taking over. “And don’t forget... Aokiji is still around! He could track us down. Saitama might be our only shot at survival!” Usopp finally grasped the situation, “That’s right!” ——————————- Usopp helped Nami bring Robin onto the ship to thaw her. And then he headed to the deck and joined Chopper. “...” “But...” Chopper’s concern was evident as he surveyed the frozen sea. “With it being frozen for a whole week, how are we going to reach them in time?” Saitama stepped forward. “I’ve got this.” Drawing closer to the icy waters, a resolute command echoed, “Grab onto something!” Then, a strong fist smacked into the icy cage around the Merry Go, breaking it and setting the ship free. It was like picking up a little puppy – he grabbed the ship and lifted it over the ice, and quickly started pushing it forward, moving all that weight. This sudden move made Zoro lose his balance, and right after that, Luffy and Sanji fell over him. They rushed to the ship’s deck, wanting to know what was going on. There, they saw Chopper and Usopp frozen in surprise. Joined by Nami who diligently worked to melt the ice encasing Robin’s body. She looked up at the sky and was surprised by how fast the ship was going, like it was ice-skating. “What just happened?” all four of them asked at the same time. But the shocked duo didn’t answer. Swiftly, they moved toward the ship’s aft, where an unexpected revelation awaited: the force that had set their vessel hurtling forward at such speed. “WHAAAAAAT!!!!!” A moment of stunned silence gripped the ship’s crew! “Vice Admirals... Were they all monsters?!” Usopp’s voice was tinged with disbelief as he looked down from the deck. “This kind of strength... could he be a cyborg!?” “Cyborg!? That’s so cool!” Chopper leaned against the railing, his eyes sparkling as he playfully stuck out his tongue. “So, so... he’s bald on purpose to hide his armor skin color?” “No... he’s just bald...” Luffy leaned over, annoyed. “He’s been like that since I was a kid...” “So you know him too...” Sanji lit a cigarette, relaxed. “He even dropped by Baratie for a meal. You know, those fries that everyone here loves? We followed his instructions to make them... Back then, he was Commodore. Didn’t expect him to move up in ranks so fast. What a guy!” ——————————- “It still hurts a bit...” Aokiji commented while observing Saitama effortlessly propel the ship forward. Softly touching his cheek, the spot where Saitama had struck him, “He’s really strong and seems like a good guy too. Garp always knows people well...” He let out a sigh and reclined once again. “I’m a bit tired. I’ll rest here for a while.” —————————————————————— Hey everyone, I hope you all had a great time reading this chapter! 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