Blackening

I knocked away what must have been the thirtieth cannonball in the past two minutes. Somehow the Marines had broken the paradox Ace, and I predicted. We had been on the run for the past week fending off attacks from the government. Akuma was in the center of a death circle with ten Marine galleons surrounding the ghost ship.

"Alright, everyone, we're going to make a break for it, return to the ship," I commanded, speaking into my collar. The minute Den Den Mushi on my shirt responded in my crewmate's voices. After our most recent heist, I redesigned the snail to be smaller and more sensitive.

When everyone was back on board, I took the helm of the ship. "Okay then, it's time to show these bastards some new tricks." All over Akuma, the terrifying hallows started to appear, "Okay, guys, go have some fun."

The furry goblins screeched before running through the air to attack the marines. Even though I had to watch from a distance, I could imagine that chaos breaking out. Though they were still ghosts, the hollows Akuma summoned included feelings of anger and rage.

It was pretty effective against large swarms of enemies as they turned on their friends and family. "Hold on. We're going to ram it!" The sails opened, and we caught the wind pushing us across the water. While Akuma was smaller than the galleons, we cut straight through the wood and metal when the hulls impacted.

As we broke through the circle, a few cannons hit the water around us but came nowhere close to hitting. I was able to relax a few minutes later though there was a great deal of adrenaline running through my veins.

Sighing, my breath came out as white fog, and I was suddenly aware it was snowing. Usually, this wouldn't have been too strange being in the Grandline, but I could feel an unnatural coldness in the air.

"Soren, do you feel it?" Ace walked up behind me. His shoulders tensed, "Yeah, I do, and I think I know whose behind it. Keep going. I'll distract him long enough for you guys to escape." Launching myself into the air, I looked at the open sea and spotted a small yellow dot moving at a slow pace following my ship.

Hovering just above the ocean, I waited for the admiral, the air growing colder and colder. Soon I could spot the almost comical scene of Kuzan or Marine Admiral Aokiji pedaling on a water bicycle. When he was less than ten meters away from me, the water froze, turning into since in a second.

Touching down on the pale blue crystal, I placed a hand on my sword. "Admiral, why are you all the way out here? Do you not fear me?" Kuzan dismounted his vehicle, "I want to see who you are. The way you have gone about gathering your crew has been unorthodox."

"That's very forward of you, and from what I've heard, that's not your usual style." Aokiji cocked his head, "Oh...that's rather mean. But it does hold some merit. I was surprised you were able to locate me so easily."

I tapped my temple, "I have a good sense of temperature. But now that you have seen my crew in action, what are you going to do." Instead of a response, I felt the ice beneath my feet shift, and I jumped back as an ice spike pierced the space where I was standing.

"I guess we're fighting then." Turning my legs into bird feet for better balance, I started to run across the ice avoiding the many ice pillars that Aokiji threw up to try and stop me. Jumping into the air, I covered Sanguinem in haki, cutting the hail of ice shards sailing through the air.

Landing behind Aokiji, I tried to cut his feet from under him only to slice through an ice pillar that pushed him out of the way. Smirking, I ran after him, my sword trailing on the ground to my right. Going with a different approach, Aokiji raised his hand, creating an ice wall in front of him that climbed into the sky.

Picking up speed, I lashed out several times, sending out air blades with a red and black tinge. The ice exploded as my air blade destroyed the wall. Vaulting through the hole, I slid to a stop. Aokiji was standing a few feet away, his hands in his pockets.

"What's wrong, cold feet?" I asked, returning Sanguinem to its sheath, but I didn't remove my hand. Aokiji smirked at my awful joke, "I wanted to see what had the marines up in arms, but find your strength lacking."

Frowning, I stood straight, locking eyes with the cold gaze of the admiral, "I don't know if this is bait or not, but fine." I crouched, returning to a familiar stance. Filling my lungs with air, I activated my haki.

My arms and legs turned a dark purple, and the Ice cracked under the weight of my conquerors haki. Then darkness exploded from me, blocking out the sun before surging back, taking the light with it, and focusing around Sanguinem.

Slowly drawing the sword, I groaned as I contained all of the energy inside the blade, trying to escape.

[Absolute Art: Singularity]

Letting out everything as I finished unsheathing Sanguinem, its edge cracking with black lightning. Before I could do anything else, the condensed energy exploded out in a line traveling faster than light.

I felt the ice underneath me shatter, but the world turned white, and I blacked out.

The next time I woke, I was standing on a piece of ice, one of the hundreds in the surrounding waters. Looking around, I couldn't find any signs of Aokiji. He was either dead, or he escaped." both were fine with me.

That's when I felt the familiar voice of Sanguinem calling out to me thought it sounded different, stronger, and more aware. Spotting my sword, I smiled as I immediately saw the change.

Instead of the usual bone white, Sanguinems's blade had turned a pitch-black and shined with an evil light.