*Fix - Chapter 80: Battle of Belief: Vs Kuzan and Sakazuki

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(T/N: Fix Chapter. Sorry guys for repeated pharagraph)

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A chilling white mist spread across the frozen sea, resembling thin clouds. A gentle breeze dispersed the mist, revealing Kuzan's tall figure. 

Half of his body and face were encased in blue ice, but as he slowly raised his head, the ice cracked and shattered, exposing his tattered robes and visible scars beneath. 

Even though he had partially turned to his element in advance, he still couldn't completely evade Arashi's explosive attack.

"The pressure... it's unprecedented," Kuzan murmured, narrowing his eyes. 

There was no doubt—Arashi had never stopped moving forward since appearing in his view. 

His growth was monstrous, a creature among monsters. 

From being vastly outclassed by Kuzan, to slowly surpassing him, and finally to that shocking day at Marineford when he apprehended the legendary Golden Lion Shiki. 

Before Kuzan knew it, the man standing before him had become someone whose shadow he could no longer see.

From that day two years ago, Kuzan's awe had turned into resolve. 

Clenching his fists, he vowed to catch up to his former friend. Since then, he'd never slacked off in his training, honing his skills to their limits.

"I'm not standing still either, Arashi!" Kuzan's eyes sharpened as an ice sabre formed in his hand, its blade surrounded by an invisible aura. 

Armament Haki! The reason the "three monsters" were given such a title was their unparalleled talent.

A sudden sharp whistle tore through the air. A radiant blue arc of lightning shot downward toward Kuzan, who swiftly leapt backwards. 

Just as his form vanished, a thunderous blade sliced through his afterimage, cleaving the icy ground beneath him.

Boom!

The intense lightning scorched a hole in the ice, followed by a violent sword slash carving a long gash across the frozen surface.

"Quick reflexes!" Arashi grinned, twisting his body mid-air as his lightning blade descended again. Kuzan swung his ice sabre to block the strike.

"Observation Haki, huh?" Arashi's eyes narrowed, his expression turning icy. 

The ability to sense the external world through Observation Haki was something Arashi had mastered to perfection. 

Seeing Kuzan wield it so adeptly sparked envy in his heart.

Lightning crackled around Arashi as he vanished almost instantly, reappearing behind Kuzan with his hand outstretched.

"Three hundred million volts! Lightning Flash!"

Zzzzt!

A dazzling pillar of lightning swelled and surged forward, swallowing Kuzan's figure in an instant. 

When the light faded, Kuzan's form reemerged, his entire body reduced to shattered ice, scattering across the frozen landscape.

"Impressive, as expected of the strongest offensive Logia," Kuzan muttered, his expression grim as black smoke rose from his figure. 

Despite elementalizing preemptively, he'd still suffered injuries.

"If you can't even handle the warm-up," Arashi grinned, his tone laced with mockery, "how do you plan to survive the main event?"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Arashi disappeared in a flash of lightning. 

Kuzan's eyes flickered as Observation Haki activated, his senses tracking the incredible speed of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

Zzzzt!

A massive lightning strike spanning thousands of meters descended from the sky, roaring toward Kuzan. 

The searing bolt blazed with such intensity that, the moment it appeared in Kuzan's view, it was already upon him.

Boom!

Thunder reverberated, and lightning seared the iron-hard ice, releasing a thick white mist. The raw energy and temperature of the strike were terrifying.

"Where are you looking?" A sudden voice rang out. 

Kuzan's pupils contracted as Arashi abruptly emerged from within the lightning, his fist crackling with electricity, hurtling down toward him.

Caught off guard, Kuzan could only hastily raise an arm to block.

Bang!

The overwhelming force surged through Kuzan's body, bypassing his surface defences entirely.

"Cough!"

A mouthful of blood spurted from Kuzan's lips as he was blasted backwards, smashing into the ice and rolling thousands of meters before coming to a halt.

But Arashi wasn't finished. Gripping the massive lightning bolt in his hand, he swung it fiercely.

Crackle!

The frozen surface hissed and steamed as the ice rapidly melted into seawater, surging toward Kuzan's prone figure.

Reacting instantly, Kuzan leapt from the ice just as the lightning reached him. 

Even so, the strike grazed him, leaving his body smoking and his face contorted in pain.

"This... is the gap between us?" Kuzan muttered, retreating with a grim expression. 

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he stared at the contracting lightning with a solemn gaze. 

There was no doubt: Arashi hadn't even gone all out. This was merely a friendly spar—a warm-up between old comrades. 

Yet even this exchange bore down on him with immense pressure.

The sea breeze swept across the battlefield, scattering icy fragments into the air. 

The two men locked eyes, and as if in sync, both charged simultaneously. 

Lightning crackled, and Kuzan darted forward, leaping high with his ice sabre slashing down toward the lightning wielder.

Clang!

The lightning blade clashed against the ice sabre, sending shockwaves rippling outward. 

The ice beneath them cracked audibly as the two forces collided.

"You've improved a lot, Kuzan!" Arashi laughed heartily, stepping forward. 

His movement was as fast as lightning, and his entire body crackled with electric arcs, giving Kuzan no room to breathe.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their elemental blades clashed repeatedly, generating waves of energy that scorched the air and sent icy shards flying.

"You've mastered both Armament and Observation Haki, huh? Impressive as always, Kuzan!" Arashi praised. 

"You've gained the strength to truly challenge me!"

Arashi's admiration was genuine. It was clear that Kuzan, one of the future Admirals, had developed significantly in just two years. 

His Devil Fruit abilities had reached new heights, and his mastery of Haki was remarkable. 

The man before him already embodied the qualities of a future Admiral, his strength undeniable.

"You're too modest!" Kuzan gritted his teeth, blood trickling from his lips. Each clash revealed his disadvantage. 

The immense power transmitted through Arashi's lightning blade was wearing him down, penetrating even his elemental defences.

The two moved at lightning speed, their elemental powers colliding again and again, filling the air with steam and crackling energy. 

Yet it was evident that Kuzan was being pushed back.

"This isn't modesty," Arashi chuckled, his tone light but his strikes relentless. "It's acknowledgement—recognition of a comrade's strength!"

Wielding his lightning blade single-handedly, Arashi's movements were wide and commanding, infused with advanced Armament Haki. 

With each swing, he pressed Kuzan further back, asserting his dominance in their exchange.

After a dozen exchanges, Kuzan leapt high into the air and extended both arms outward.

"Ice Age!"

In an instant, the air turned deathly cold. A bone-chilling frost engulfed Arashi, creeping across his skin, clothes, and even his hair. 

Within moments, a layer of frost covered him entirely, spreading rapidly outward.

Even the blood and cells within his body seemed to freeze solid. Arashi felt a bone-chilling cold! 

But in just an instant, he burst out laughing, his entire body shuddering.

"Armament Haki!"

Invisible energy rapidly swept across his body, expelling the cold and shattering the ice that coated his skin. Kuzan's eyes darkened, a hint of shock flashing through them. 

His opponent's mastery of Armament Haki had reached its peak—able to coat his entire body effortlessly. How did he achieve such mastery?

Before Kuzan could process this, an intense surge of lightning erupted from Arashi's form.

"500 million volts!"

Arashi's voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling weight. He raised his right hand, aiming it directly at Kuzan.

"Heaven's Judgment!"

Zing! A massive blue thunderbolt roared forth, swallowing Kuzan whole in an instant. 

The bolt streaked across the horizon, illuminating the entire world for a brief moment. 

The lightning crackled for a full five or six seconds before fading, leaving behind a profound silence.

Ten kilometres away, Kuzan crashed heavily onto the icy ground, his body emitting black smoke. He lay motionless in a spread-eagle position.

"If you've decided to oppose me, then don't hesitate!"

"Kuzan!" Arashi sighed softly, lowering his right hand slowly. 

The cold wind howled around him, carrying with it a searing heat from the lingering electricity. 

Suddenly, blue arcs of lightning flared violently around him as he spoke in a low, emotionless voice.

"Energy Barrier."

A blue protective dome expanded swiftly, enveloping him and everything within a hundred-meter radius.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Molten magma's fists slammed into the barrier, creating ripples on its surface but failing to breach it. 

Arashi turned to face the figure standing a kilometre away.

"Ambushing me? That doesn't suit someone who claims to stand for 'Absolute Justice,'" he said, his gaze turning icy. 

He called out the figure's name.

"Sakazuki!"

Sakazuki's face was grim, his voice as cold as the icy wind. "When dealing with a traitor like you, any means are justified."

Arashi laughed lightly, his expression mocking. "Don't use baseless excuses to cover up your fear and insecurity." He smirked. "You know full well that you're no match for me."

At his words, Sakazuki's eyes filled with killing intent, his face growing even darker.

"You dared to defect. You must understand the consequences awaiting you," Sakazuki growled.

Arashi chuckled dismissively. "When did I ever say I was defecting?" He paused, then added calmly, "I'm simply upholding the justice I believe in."

Through his advanced sensory abilities, Arashi could perceive the scholars of Ohara, now safe under Barrett's and his crew's protection. 

Civilians from the rescue ships had been transferred to Marine vessels, and Jaguar D. Saul had reunited with T. Bone, Eveya, and others. 

He was now lying on a deck, speaking excitedly to Nico Robin.

For now, Arashi's focus was on the three future Admirals standing before him.

"No matter what you say, it won't change your betrayal."

"You are the shame of the Marines, Arashi!" Sakazuki sneered, molten magma bubbling from his body, gathering in his right arm.

"Someone like you…"

"…must be eliminated!"

The killing intent in Sakazuki's eyes was unmasked. 

With a swing of his arm, molten magma erupted, forming a massive crimson fist that barreled toward Arashi.

"Hellhound!"

At that moment, Arashi stood frozen, his expression unreadable. 

Without warning, his right hand twitched, gripping the hilt of a sword at his waist—one he had never drawn before.

A flash of black and red light erupted as the gleaming blade slid out of its sheath. Electricity crackled and danced along its length, sizzling menacingly.

"You are..."

"…insufferable!" Arashi's voice was cold, his eyes snapping open with a piercing glare.

Buzz!

Conqueror's Haki surged forth, rolling like a tsunami. 

The black and red lightning entwining his blade shimmered violently, twisting into distorted lines. With a flick of his wrist, the blade slashed forward.

Crack!

The icy ground within a ten-kilometre radius began to shatter, fractures forming from the sheer pressure of his Conqueror's Haki. 

The sound of breaking ice echoed across the frozen expanse.

Two low words resonated across the battlefield.

"Divine Departure!"

Light exploded outward. A golden dragon seemed to rise faintly in the gleam, letting out a ferocious roar. 

Sakazuki's eyes widened as dazzling sword light filled his vision.

Before he could even register Arashi's movement, an overwhelming force engulfed him. 

His magma-based Logia powers faltered as if suppressed by an invisible weight.

Boom!

The impact sent Sakazuki hurtling through the air.

Clang!

Arashi sheathed his blade, his expression cold as he watched Sakazuki's figure crash into the distance. 

Lightning crackled violently around him as he took a single step forward.

Zzzap!

In an instant, Arashi disappeared and reappeared above Sakazuki, extending his hand. His fingers clamped down on Sakazuki's head with an iron grip.

"I can't muster even a shred of liking for you," Arashi muttered icily. Lightning surged from his fingers, illuminating the heavens.

Boom!

Sakazuki's head was slammed into the icy ground with devastating force, shattering the surrounding ice. 

Arashi stood up slowly, his cold gaze fixed downward.

But in the next moment, Sakazuki, his face bloodied and twisted, opened his eyes with a fierce glare.

"I feel the same way about you!"

Magma surged around Sakazuki as he leapt to his feet, his fists blazing with heat.

"Great Eruption!"

The sudden attack caught Arashi off guard. A blazing magma hound tore through his abdomen in an instant.

Looking down at the gaping hole where his midsection had been, arcs of electricity flickering across it, Arashi narrowed his eyes.

"I underestimated you," he admitted coldly.

Seizing the opportunity, Sakazuki retreated rapidly. But in the next second, his body froze.

Behind him, a dark shadow loomed silently. The primal, beastlike aura it exuded made Sakazuki's entire body stiffen.

<End Chapter>

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