With a loud crash, the ice pillar controlled by Elior shot up from the ground, sending Kuma flying.
From the intel they had gathered, the Marines were already aware that Elior possessed ice-based abilities, but now, witnessing them firsthand, Kizaru was genuinely surprised.
"Even though both control ice, his power is far stranger than Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit… It even seems more potent!"
Kuzan never caused anything like Elior's attack, directly making a massive ice pillar erupt from the ground! And seeing Kuma take a direct hit, crashing through a building, made it clear just how powerful the impact was.
"...Thank you!"
Luffy, thinking Elior had come to help, couldn't help but express his gratitude. But what he didn't realize was that Elior wasn't here for his sake—he had his own interests at play. Those interests involved the Snake Princess.
Ignoring Luffy, Elior stepped forward, his foot pressing against the ground before vanishing from sight, launching himself toward Kuma.
Kuma was attempting to stand back up when Elior suddenly appeared midair and delivered a crushing downward kick, his foot coated in Armament Haki. The sheer explosive force behind Elior's attack—
"Who are you? Why are you interfering?"
Kuma's mechanical voice carried a trace of anger, but Elior remained indifferent.
Compared to Luffy's Gear Fourth in the original timeline, this kick was even more ferocious.
BOOM!
The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the Sabaody Archipelago. In an instant, the ground trembled, dust filled the air, and Kuma was sent crashing into a massive crater.
"What incredible strength! This guy—at this age—he's nothing short of a monster!"
Kizaru's usual carefree demeanor darkened as he watched the scene unfold. Elior's combat ability was beyond imagination.
Kizaru had been strategizing on how to rescue the Celestial Dragons, but now, it was clear that things wouldn't be so simple.
Kizaru could clearly see that Elior wasn't even using his full strength.
Esdeath's power, translated into this world, would be at the level of a Marine Admiral. But Elior's combat prowess was at that level and perhaps even beyond—especially considering that, without relying on the Demon's Extract, Elior was already stronger than Esdeath.
With Elior here, Kuma's plan was destined to fail. He wanted to send Luffy to Amazon Lily, but Elior wasn't going to let that happen.
Struggling, Kuma slowly rose from the crater.
Elior had already figured out his intentions.
How? Had he overheard his previous communication with Dragon? Could he… read thoughts?
And this boy… He looked around Luffy's age, yet how could he be this powerful?
Kuma, despite his mechanical modifications, felt a rare sense of pain from Elior's attack.
"Why are you stopping me?"
The next moment, Kuma accelerated, moving at high speed. In his right hand, a bubble the size of a glass orb formed. But this wasn't just an ordinary bubble—it was highly compressed air, capable of unleashing a devastating shockwave upon impact.
Elior recognized the technique instantly. He was familiar with the powerful figures of this world and knew exactly what attacks they relied on.
"The Paw-Paw Fruit… the Revolutionary Army."
Kuma's expression shifted upon hearing those words. He hesitated—just for a brief moment.
How did Elior know about his true allegiance? His status as a Revolutionary was classified; only Dragon and the top members of the Revolutionary Army knew about it. Yet this boy… this unknown force… had exposed him so casually.
For the first time, a flicker of unease appeared in Kuma's mind.
But in those few seconds of hesitation, Elior struck.
Behind him, dozens of ice projectiles materialized out of thin air, launching forward in rapid succession, much like Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama technique.
It was an overwhelming barrage—an attack even more refined than what Esdeath herself could unleash.
The frozen projectiles rained down mercilessly. Kuma's massive frame trembled as he was bombarded, his coat shredded, deep gashes forming across his body. Blood splattered as he was sent flying once more, his figure crashing through debris, leaving a long trail of destruction.
Elior didn't bother naming his attacks. But with the full mastery of his freezing abilities, even a modified cyborg like Kuma was struggling to endure.
And Elior still wasn't using his full power.
Kuma, now heavily wounded, tried to stand again. But his legs faltered, and he collapsed to his knees.
His modified body — enhanced by Vegapunk's technology — was malfunctioning. Energy leaked from the gaps in his cybernetic enhancements, thick smoke billowing out like a machine breaking down.
On the other end, Kizaru had already activated his Den Den Mushi.
"How do we handle this, Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"
"The Celestial Dragons are still in their hands."
Kizaru, usually laid-back, now spoke with a rare seriousness.
Elior's crew — Bullet, Shiry, and Crocodile — were all present.
And the captain's strength? What he had shown so far was likely only the tip of the iceberg, yet it was enough to easily overpower a Shichibukai like Kuma.
On the other side of the call, Sengoku remained silent.
Before speaking with Kizaru, he had already received intel from Kuzan.
The unknown boy who froze the waters outside Impel Down… might possess an ice-based ability stronger than the Ice-Ice Fruit.
"Who is this kid…?"
Sengoku couldn't help but feel a deep sense of unease.
Especially at such a critical moment—
They couldn't afford to dispatch their top forces to deal with the Impel Down escapees. Because an even greater threat loomed over them.
Whitebeard.
The impending execution of Ace would determine the fate of the Great Pirate Era.
And if Whitebeard fell…
Then perhaps, just perhaps, the age of piracy would finally come to an end.