Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Having decided that, they will meet with Esdeath one on one, Kong ordered every admiral and vice-admiral to spread out to all directions so that, they are ready in case someone attack their encirclement. Marines are not fool either, as they could see this meeting being one of the diversion for an attack. So, they spread their force and now, Kong is the only one who stayed behind on the main warship. He is having a hunch that, maybe this meeting will become the trigger for buster call and boy they are right.

Suddenly, an overbearing pressure weighs down on every marine who are in the encirclement. The pressure is released from the mist and soon, an huge ice board that has square in shape floats out of the mist, carrying Esdeath, Grayfia and Liu Xuelan. The overbearing pressure comes from Esdeath's haoshouku haki and she further spread out to everyone in the encirclement. Some weak marine falls down on the warships but, their numbers only amounted to hundreds because Esdeath spread her haki to wide area. Those who don't fall feels their body going cold to the extent that they could not move but, they grits their teeth and endure the haki wave.

Kong clicks his tongue feeling the haoshouku haki. Thinking of the future that, he could not let the moral goes down, Kong shouts out loudly,

"Stand Proud, Marine! Believe in the justice you wear on your back." (Kong)

Everyone regains their spirit because of Kong's short speech and their justice was lit anew again. Nodding, Kong use Geppo to the stands in front of the ice board. He looks down and see Tsuru unconscious near Esdeath but, he do not let any emotion cloud his mind seeing his subordinate treated like this. Letting out his own pressure, he asks Esdeath sternly,

"What does the soon-to-be dead have to say? Surrender?" (Kong)

"Ahaha. Don't be stupid, Fleet admiral Kong. I kneel to no one but, my husband." (Esdeath)

"Ha. Then, where is that husband of yours? Hiding behind women's skirt? Is he a coward?" (Kong)

"OH! You want to meet him? Nope Nope. You are not qualify to meet my husband, isn't it right, sister Grayfia?" (Esdeath)

"Yes. This overgrown gorilla is definitely not qualify enough. He is far, far beneath our husband. *chuckle*" (Grayfia)

Esdeath has already anticipated that Kong will do trash talk, so her emotions were not triggered but, if it is her usual self, she would have assaulted this man head-on. However, Esdeath knows that, Kong is stronger than herself by a level and she can see that, he has already coated his whole body in thin armament haki before meeting her. SO, even if she used her trump card, she is not confident enough to cut this man in front of her. Grayfia also feels the same with Esdeath. So, she does not let out her fighting spirit but, her guard is always up against this man and attack from any side while Xuelan is focus solely on Kong as she has to be the bait in case they have to run.

For Kong himself, he is angry at the words of the women in front of him. SO, he let out his anger but, his mind is calm as any experienced person is and moreover, he is keeping an eye on the surrounding with his haki.

"We are not here to talk about your husband who let his women goes to the front line are we? If this is a diversion for an attack, you have made a wrong move, woman." (Kong)

"Oh, please, if I want to attack, you would be dead already." (Esdeath)

"Buahaha. You sure can act strong, woman. But, I wonder, how long do you plan to stall for time?" (Kong)

"We are not here to stall for time, we are here to do the exchange and a warning." (Grayfia)

"HUh? Waring? You? To us? Are you still daydreaming? No matter how strong you are, you are not enough to handle this number, silly woman." (Kong)

"We'll see about that, fleet admiral. For now, let's do the exchange. Did you bring the cp-0 agent?" (Esdeath)

"Can't believe she traced us again. We are really gonna need her out of the picture soon. So, did you bring her? If you did, you can get Tsuru back together with an antidote for the poison in her body." (Grayfia)

"*frown*" (Kong)

Bluff. It is a complete bluff and Kong knows it but, he hesitate a bit to gamble the life of one of his excellent subordinates that he could save. However, he soon dispel that thought and says it with determined expression.

"That agent is valuable to WG. She is already back in Mariejois. If you want her out of the picture, why not assault on Mariejois?" (Kong)

"Ara ~ Ara A fleet admiral himself giving support to an attack on Mariejois?" (Grayfia)

"Do not tempt me, Fleet admiral, I might actually do it." (Esdeath)

"*chuckle*" (Esdeath and Grayfia)

"*snap* Then, what the hell do you want?! Get the fuck out of this place if you are not here to- " (Kong)

"There. There. Fleet admiral. Calm down. We don't have any intention to keep this luggage in our side too. *Pointing to Tsuru* WHy not do another exchange?" (Grayfia)

"Keep Garp out of this buster call. Then, we will promptly send you back Vice-admiral Tsuru with the antidote." (Esdeath)

Kong gets serious in a second and before he can deny her, Esdeath spread out her voice with her DF by freezing the air molecules in the atmosphere so that, the voice echo to far distance.

"YOU HEAR ME DON'T YOU OLD MAN? KEEP OUT OF THE WAY. IF YOU WANT HER BACK." (Esdeath)

Garp immediately arrives near Kong in Geppo even though Sengoku is cursing him behind his back. Garp is tempted to do the exchange because whether he participate or not, the result of the battle would not change. Marine and WG have already find out that, there are not even a hundred people on the island. So, the battle is sure to win as the marine have ten thousand soldiers with elite members and Giants among them. So, thinking the odds, Garp was very much tempted to do the exchange.

Seeing the conflicted expression on Garp, Kong immediately grab Garp's collar and shouts at his face while Esdeath grins a bit seeing something,

"Don't you dare agree, Garp. I will kill you myself if you do." (Kong)

"Calm down. Both of you, how about we do this? Grayfia here ca sent you to Illuisa Kingdom in a second and you stay there with Tsuru, your lifelong comrade. Or can it be that? A VICE-ADMIRAL WILL ABANDON HIS OWN COMRADE, FORGETTING THE THREE DECADES LONG COMARADESHIP? " (Esdeath)

"You cunning fox!!!" (Kong)

Esdeath sneers while Kong was furious enough that, his whole face is bulging with veins. Meanwhile, Garp became determined hearing Esdeath's words. He now caught on the fact that, some plan is going on here which he can destroy. So, instead of choosing either of the choices given, Garp decided to takes Tsuru by force and tearing his own collar, he went for Tsuru who is lying near Esdeath in a bust of speed from Soru. But, before he can do a thing, Garp hears Esdeath saying something quietly.

"Makahadoma" (Esdeath)

The time froze along with everything. Garp who is reaching for Tsuru also froze and Kong who is also reaching for Garp froze, except for Esdeath and Grayfia. Esdeaths nods to Grayfia while getting into a stance by coating her whole arm and sword in armament Haki. At the same time Grayfia reaches for Garp and Tsuru to send them to Illusia Kingdom, Esdeath's sword heads straight to Kong's neck.

*4 seconds till the time move*

"Breath of Ice, Sixth form, Freezing sword. *ting* " (Esdeath)

Grayfia succeed in sending Garp and Tsuru to Illusia Kingdom, which was five hour distance away from Castaway Island. However, the same cannot be said true for Esdeath who tried to cut Kong's neck. Esdeath expected this but, for her strongest attack to not be able to even injure the man, Esdeath clicks her tongue and decided to aim her attack at the weakest spot, the two eyes.

*2.8 seconds till the time move*

"Breath of Ice, Forth form, Avalanche" (Esdeath)

*Poke* *Poke*

*2 second till the time move*

Her black sword pierce Kong's eyes and Esdeath immediately freeze the whole movement of Kong and encased him in thick ice which has at least 4 inches in thickness.

*1 second before the time move*

Esdeath kick the ice encasing into the sea with all her strength before holding Grayfia and Xuelan. The time moves again and while taking a cover behind the huge splash made by Kong falling into the sea, Grayfia teleported everyone back on the deck of Enterprise. In here, Grayfia could have use her DF to teleport Kong to a distance but, after teleporting two people to more than 40 km, four seconds is needed before she can teleport someone again. So, Esdeath has no choice but, encased Kong in a ice ball before escaping themselves. By the way, Kong would have also been teleported but, Grayfia choose not to as Kong is dangerous and must be eliminated. He is after all, a marine with absolute justice, unlike Garp or Sengoku.

The marine who are focusing their Haki to Kong did not even know what happened before Kong who was encased in a ice ball was out of the water three seconds later. Sengoku shouted furiously.

"THAT DAMN WOMAN!!! THAT'S IT. ATTACK THE ISLAND NOW. I, SENGOKU, INITIATE THE BUSTER CALL." (Sengoku)

"OHHHH!!!! FIRE THE CANNON." (Marines)

Everyone let out their war cry at Sengoku's statement and they shoot their cannon to the mist, breaking the surface of the ice at its fall. But, the ice didn't budge a bit because, Esdeath took two hours to freeze the 5 miles of the sea around the island, down to the ocean floor. It even took her a awakened devil fruit user, two hours to do that, so, hundreds of cannons from the ships could not break the ice completely. Actually, there is more to the just the sea freezing but, marines do not know yet and they just head straight towards the ice and thousands of soldiers lands on them from various direction of the island while their warship is still shooting cannons ahead of them. But, before the marine can further do the wide area of attack with their devil fruits, a huge roaring sound was head, the sound more louder than the war cries of the marines.

"I-It-It is TSUANMI !!!" (A marine soldier)

Every marine looks back to notice the towering Tsunami waves that are coming from the ocean towards them. The waves are at the very least as tall as 50 meter and it is about to engulf everything whether it is marines getting on the island or the marines who are shooting cannon from the warship or even Sengoku who is hitting the ice encasing Kong. The situation immediately turn around and now, the marines are the one who were in a encirclement.

On the sky, above the clouds, Embra can be seen standing in the air with his hands gather together in front of his chest and blood tickling down from his nose. He mutters quietly while not losing focus,

"'Zen'nō-sha no Nami', The Almighty Wave" (Embra)