60 Chapter 60

(ON AN ISLAND SOMEWHERE IN THE CALM BELT, PARADISE)

"Arara! It seems I'm surrounded!"

Admiral Aokiji of the Navy had his arms raised in what seemed like surrender.

Around a dozen pirates surrounded Aokiji. They had their guns and swords raised at him.

"Who the hell are you?" one of the pirates asked.

"Idiot! Don't you see what he's wearing?"

"He's a marine!"

"Kill him!"

"Oi oi oi! Don't be so hasty!" Aokiji said. "I'm surrendering, see? Why don't you take me to your captain?"

"Shut up! You think we're falling for that lie?"

"Yeah! You're just buying time!"

"But, didn't the captain say she needed as much blood as she could get?"

"Ahh, that's right!"

"Maybe captain has a use for you after all, marine!"

"Ohh? Your captain is a lady? Interesting," Aokiji said. "Then, I'd like to check out- I mean, see your captain."

One of the pirates behind Aokiji prodded him forward with a sword. Aokiji walked with his arms raised surrounded by pirates.

As they walked, one of the pirates behind Aokiji approached him.

"I know who you are," the pirate whispered with a dagger pointed at Aokiji's back.

"Arara? This voice… a lady?" Aokiji noticed how the voice was mellow and sweeter when compared to the usual voice he hears.

"That doesn't matter. I want to help you, Admiral Aokiji."

"Ohh? Interesting. Why would a pirate want to help me?"

"I'm no pirate. I'm… I don't want to be."

"I see… you want a lighter sentence?"

"No. I want to be a marine."

"What are you whispering about over there?" one of the pirates in the lead turned back after hearing whispers.

"I'm just messing with the shithead marine!" the woman that Aokiji was whispering with said to the pirate who questioned them.

"HAHAHAHA! Sorry for interrupting!"

The pirates bought the excuse.

"Please… I don't want to be with them."

Aokiji noticed how the woman's voice shook. He was silent for a few moments.

"Alright. I'll help you. For now, play along. Do whatever you're ordered to do."

"But… what if I'm ordered to kill you?"

Aokiji chuckled lightly in response to the question.

"You can go ahead and try."

The pirates along with Aokiji eventually got to a cove. A pirate ship was docked there as well.

On the beach, Aokiji saw a disgusting scene. Dozens of people had their throats slit open. Blood was freely flowing out of their throats as their life slowly slipped away.

In an instant, the pirates around Aokiji felt the temperature seemingly lower.

"What is this? I thought I ordered you to patrol the island?"

A woman shouted at the group of pirates that surrounded Aokiji. She was standing in the middle of the dying people that had their throats slit open.

Aokiji didn't recognize her. But, judging by what she was doing, he guessed that she had a Devil Fruit power.

The blood that flowed out of the corpses flowed in the air to the pirate captain's hand. Her fingers connected with the floating streams of blood as if she was accepting all of it into her body.

Aokiji guessed that her fruit is a Logia type that gave her the ability to control and transform into blood.

"Captain Sangry! We caught this marine snooping around!"

"Marine?" The pirate captain who was apparently named Sangry noticed Aokiji. She flashed a feral grin. "Bring him to me."

"Yes, captain!"

The pirates gleefully handed over Aokiji to Sangry. The two of them stood face to face. Due to Aokiji's height, Sangry was forced to look up. She didn't look like the one in control at all.

"What's your name?" Sangry asked.

"Me? Call me… Mr. Hot Guy," Aokiji said.

"Very funny. How about I call you Shithead?" Sangry said.

"HAHAHAHA! Good one, captain!"

Sangry's pirate crew laughed at what seemed to be her version of a joke.

"...that wasn't even funny," Aokiji whispered.

But, Sangry heard him.

Aokiji was pulled down. Sangry had him by the collar of his shirt.

"You think you're here for a laugh, marine?" Sangry asked. "No! You're here to die!"

"Well, that much is obvious," Aokiji said as he looked around at the corpses on the ground. "You know… with all these corpses and all."

"Look at this guy!" Sangry said to her crew. "Acting all cool, pretending to not be scared of death!"

"Oh no, little lady!" Aokiji said. "Dying is scary. Very scary! I haven't slept with the perfect woman yet! I don't want to die!"

"Then, pray that you'll succeed with that in your next life!"

"But first, may I ask you something?"

"...what?"

"You have a great power!" Aokiji said. "You could have been a doctor and saved lives. Why are you a pirate?"

"...HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The pirates started laughing at Aokiji. He let them laugh. He patiently waited for an answer.

"Because it's fun!" Sangry said.

"...that's it?"

"Yes, that's it! I like having people beg for my mercy. I like seeing people afraid of me. I love taking life!" Sangry said. "Ain't that right, boys?"

"YEAH! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Aokiji's face showed no change. Through it all, he just listened.

"I see," Aokiji said. "Ahh, I'm so glad you have flat tits."

"The fuck did you say?"

With a speed none of the pirates were able to observe, Aokiji put a hand on Sangry's shoulder.

"I would be so heartbroken if I had to take down a hot lady with big bazongas."

Aokiji's hand grew cold.

"Ice Time!"

In an instant, Sangry froze. She looked like a statue made of ice. Her subordinates panicked.

"You-!"

"He killed Captain Sangry!"

"Kill him!"

The pirates surrounding Aokiji raised their guns and aimed for him.

"Ice Block…"

The air around Aokiji froze. Large blocks of ice formed at the same moment that the pirates fired their guns.

The ice blocks caught the bullets the pirates fired. No bullet got past Aokiji's defense.

Next, Aokiji initiated his counterattack.

"Partisan!"

The blocks of ice around Aokiji changed forms and turned into long polearms. Not a second later, the polearms made of ice shot out.

"AHH!"

Aokiji's attack tore through the pirates, mowing most of them down. There were other pirates who were more capable and barely dodged Aokiji's attack.

"Where'd he go?"

The pirates that survived looked back at where Aokiji was, but he was no longer there.

"Arara! I was hoping that attack would finish you all."

The pirates looked behind them and saw Aokiji standing idly there. He easily got out of their encirclement.

The pirates raised their swords and gulped down their fear. In an instant, they realized they weren't dealing with a normal marine…

"Who are you?"

"I told you! I'm Mr. Hot Guy!"

"Kill him!"

The pirates charged towards Aokiji with their blades raised. Instead of retaliating, Aokiji bent down to pick up a small mound of sand.

Aokiji blew on the mound of sand he picked up. His cold breath froze the sand and made a large, jagged blade of ice.

"Ice Saber!"

At that moment, the pirates arrived. Aokiji fought with the large blade of ice in his hand.

Aokiji's Ice Saber was extremely sharp. It cut through the pirates' swords like a hot knife through butter.

With every swing of his blade, Aokiji mowed down the pirates. Wherever he cut them, ice would instantly cover their wounds before spreading out to freeze their whole body.

In a matter of seconds, Aokiji easily dealt with the pirates. He then turned his head to a tree.

"You can come out now," Aokiji said.

A few seconds later, a figure stepped out from behind the tree.

"I'm glad I recognized you, Admiral Aokiji."

It was the woman that asked for Aokiji's help. While Aokiji was talking with Sangry, she took the chance to step away and hide behind a tree.

Suddenly, the woman's eyes widened.

"Look out! Behind you!"

"Huh?"

A dark red blade stabbed Aokiji from behind. It jutted out of his chest.

"You think you can deal with me that easily?" said the one that stabbed Aokiji.

Aokiji looked behind him and was surprised to see Sangry.

"Ho? You got out of that?" Aokiji seemed almost impressed.

"Don't you know? Blood is warm," Sangry said. "And with the amount of blood I collected, my blood is red hot!"

"Hmmm. I see. How embarrassing. I underestimated you too much!" Aokiji said.

"You did! Now, die!" Sangry shouted.

Everyone stood there frozen as if they were waiting for something to happen. A few silent seconds passed.

"Is… something supposed to happen?" Aokiji asked Sangry.

"Impossible!" Sangry was panicking, judging by the look on her face. "Why can't I feel your blood?"

"Took you long enough," Aokiji said before simply walking forward.

Sangry pulled out her blood sword and looked closely at where she stabbed Aokiji.

"Y-You're not bleeding!"

Indeed, Aokiji wasn't bleeding at all. Not a single drop of blood leaked from where he was stabbed by Sangry.

"Is this your first time seeing another Logia?" Aokiji asked after turning around to face Sangry.

"Logia? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ahh, I see. You must be a rookie, huh?" Aokiji sighed. "This is why they always say that arrogant Logias don't last long in the Grand Line."

"Explain!"

"...well, since you'll be gone soon anyway, why not?"

Aokiji raised his arm and turned it into ice. With his other fist, he shattered his ice arm.

"You-!"

"You're not the only one that ate a Devil Fruit that changed your body's composition," Aokiji said as he reformed his arm. "So, you happy with that answer?"

"Damn you!"

Sangry rushed forward with her blood sword. Aokiji was about to fight her with his Ice Saber when he was interrupted. 

"Puru puru puru puru…"

"Hmm?" Aokiji looked at the source of the sound. It came from inside his suit's breast pocket.

"Die!"

Sangry took the chance. While Aokiji was distracted, she swung her blood sword.

Aokiji shattered.

Sangry watched the pile of ice on the ground. A second later, she started laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHA! TAKE THAT, SHITHEAD MARINE!"

Seconds later, Sangry shut up. She looked in horror at the pile of ice on the ground.

The ice started gathering. Soon, it reformed into Aokiji.

"How rude!" Aokiji said to Sangry with an annoyed look on his face. "I was answering a call, you know?"

Aokiji fished out the ringing Baby Transponder Snail from his pocket and picked up the call.

"Admiral Aokiji, speaking."

"A-Admiral?!"

Sangry was stunned. At that moment, she realized Aokiji's identity. It seems she didn't hear what the woman called Aokiji earlier.

If Sangry did, she probably would've been wiser and chose to run instead.

"Kuzan, I have a mission for you!"

"Ahh, Sengoku-san!" Aokiji said, recognizing who was on the other side of the call. "What can I do for you, Fleet Admiral?"

"Are you busy?" the Baby Transponder Snail asked, adopting the voice and face of the Navy's Fleet Admiral.

"Well, I have a pirate captain in front of me," Aokiji answered. "I was planning to capture her and take her to Impel Down. She ate a Logia."

"There's no time. Just kill her," Sengoku said.

Hearing what Sengoku said, Sangry panicked. She turned around and ran.

But, it was futile.

Ice spread from Aokiji's foot and chased Sangry. The ice eventually caught up and froze Sangry as she was running away.

Aokiji didn't even need to look at Sangry to freeze her.

"And let a Logia return to circulation?" Aokiji asked. "What kind of mission are you giving me, Sengoku-san?"

"Gol D. Ace has been spotted!"

Aokiji's eyes widened. In an instant, he understood the urgency he sensed from Sengoku.

"Where am I needed, Sengoku-san?"

"For now, return to Marineford. You'll be briefed there."

"Understood," Aokiji answered.

"Gacha."

Sengoku ended the call. For a few seconds, Aokiji just stood there.

"Uhmmm… Admiral?"

The woman that asked for Aokiji's help tentatively approached him. She was about to put a hand on his shoulder when Aokiji turned around to face her.

"Excuse me, lady. Do you happen to know if that ship has other prisoners or pirates?" Aokiji asked.

"No," the woman answered. "They're all here."

"That's good," Aokiji said. "Go ahead and gather your things. I'll take you with me to Marineford. If you really want to be a marine, you'll have to prove it."

Hearing Aokiji's words, the woman teared up. She then saluted Aokiji.

"Thank you, Admiral Aokiji!"

The woman then rushed off to gather her belongings inside the pirate ship. Aokiji watched her go.

"Alright, then! Let's clean up."

Aokiji looked around at the scene. Bodies piled up everywhere.

Then, ice once again spread from his foot. The sands were covered in a layer of ice and the bodies were completely frozen.

"Ice Break!"

In an instant, the ice shattered into dust. The layer of ice covering the sand disappeared. All the bodies shattered into nothing as well.

There was not a single trace left of the poor civilians as well as the pirates Aokiji dealt with.

"I'll have to tell their families what happened to them…"

Aokiji whispered and remembered the island he went to before arriving at where he was. He only followed the pirate crew Sangry was leading because the families of the kidnapped begged him for help.

"Another day in the life of a marine, I guess…"