Chapter 15: The Enigma of Ling Bai

With a loud crash, the icicle wielded by Ling Bai erupted from the ground, sending the tyrant bear soaring into the air.

Though intelligence reports confirmed Ling Bai possessed ice manipulation abilities, Kizaru was astonished to witness it firsthand.

"While both manipulate ice, his power is far weirder than Kuzan's Frozen Fruit! It appears to be even stronger!"

Without engaging Ling Bai in combat, Kuzan directly conjured a giant icicle to erupt from the ground! The force of this icicle was undeniable, as evidenced by the tyrant bear being slammed into a house upon impact.

"This... thank you!"

Assuming Ling Bai's intervention signified aid, Luffy expressed his gratitude. However, Luffy remained oblivious to Ling Bai's true motive: the Snake Empress.

Ignoring Luffy, Ling Bai vanished in a blur, his right foot propelling him towards the tyrant bear in a surprise attack.

The tyrant bear, just regaining its footing, was met with a ferocious downward slash from Ling Bai. This attack incorporated Armament Haki and the explosive power of Ling Bai's physique.

"Who are you? Why are you hindering me?"

The tyrant bear's mechanical voice boomed with fury, but Ling Bai remained indifferent.

Compared to Luffy's Fourth Gear attacks in the original work, this kick wasn't significantly more powerful.

A resounding boom shook the Sabaody Archipelago. In an instant, houses exploded, dust engulfed the air, and the tyrant bear plummeted into a large crater.

"Such immense power! This young man is a prodigy, no doubt!"

Kizaru's expression darkened, clearly fazed by Ling Bai's extraordinary combat prowess.

Saving the Celestial Dragons now seemed like a formidable task. Kizaru could discern that Ling Bai hadn't exerted his full strength.

Esdeath's power, translated into this world, could rival a Marine Admiral. Ling Bai's combat abilities were on par with this level, and even surpassing Esdeath in all aspects except for the ultimate ice Teigu.

This exemplified Ling Bai's formidable strength.

With Ling Bai's intervention, the tyrant bear's objective was doomed to fail. The tyrant bear sought to capture Luffy and transport him to Nine Snake Island, but Ling Bai intended to thwart those plans.

Currently, the Tyrant Bear struggled to rise from the depths of the crater.

Ling Bai, aware of the Tyrant Bear's intentions, remained a mystery. Did Ling Bai overhear the prior conversation with Dragon, or possess the ability to read minds?

Furthermore, how could this seemingly young boy, comparable to Luffy's age, possess such immense power?

The Tyrant Bear, undoubtedly in pain from Ling Bai's assault, "Why are you obstructing me?"

In a flash, the Tyrant Bear charged towards Ling Bai at high speed. A bubble materialized in its right hand, no larger than a glass ball. Deceptively ordinary in appearance, this bubble was in fact a compressed mass of air, capable of generating a terrifying explosion.

Naturally, this wasn't lost on Ling Bai. Well-versed in the capabilities of the original work's characters, Ling Bai was fully aware of his attack methods.

"The Paw-Paw Fruit's power is truly formidable, Revolutionary Army."

When the tyrant bear was just over a meter away from Ling Bai, the mention of "Revolutionary Army" sent a jolt through him, causing a wave of unease and momentarily disrupting his attack.

Only the top brass of the Revolutionary Army, including Dragon, were aware of his affiliation, a closely guarded secret. Yet, this individual somehow knew.

Disquieted, the tyrant bear momentarily faltered, a lapse Ling Bai capitalized on.

A multitude of ice arrows materialized behind Ling Bai, unleashed in a flurry reminiscent of Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama attack.

This attack surpassed even Esdeath's in potency.

A barrage of strikes echoed through the air. The tyrant bear, bombarded by a relentless hail of ice arrows, convulsed uncontrollably. Countless arrows exploded on his form, ripping through his clothing and even flesh. Sent flying backward, he bore numerous bloody wounds.

Though unnamed, the full-powered Ice Teigu rendered this attack devastating. Even a formidable opponent like Kuma struggled to resist.

It's important to note that Ling Bai hadn't exerted his full strength.

Following the onslaught, Kuma finally faltered. His body, torn and revealing its mechanical core, attempted to rise but ultimately crumpled to his knees. Thick smoke billowed from his Vegapunk-modified form, a telltale sign of malfunction.

"This fellow, Sengoku-san, what should we do with him?" Kizaru contacted Sengoku via Den Den Mushi, informing him of their predicament with the Celestial Dragons still in their possession.

His typically carefree demeanor replaced by a grave expression, Kizaru reported on Ling Bai Pirates – Captain Ling Bai and his crew: Bullet, Shiryu, and Crocodile.

The captain's displayed strength likely represented the tip of the iceberg, exhibiting an overwhelming dominance over the Shichibukai, the Tyrant Kuma, making his defeat seem effortless.

Sengoku, reeling from the shock, remained silent. Prior to Kizaru's call, Aokiji had contacted him, revealing that the enigmatic boy who froze a section of the sea outside Impel Down potentially possessed the power of a Devil Fruit with even more potent freezing abilities than his Hie Hie no Mi!

"Who is this guy?"

Fear gripped Sengoku concerning Ling Bai, whose very identity remained a mystery. This situation was particularly precarious, as the Marines were currently unable to directly deploy high-level personnel to address the Impel Down incident and could only choose to remain concealed.

Whitebeard and his pirate crew posed a far greater threat than those who escaped Impel Down. The public execution held immense significance for the Great Pirate Era. Eliminating the Whitebeard Pirates could potentially mark its end.