"Hah…" Kuzan let out a frosty breath before slowly standing up.

He was dressed in a gray overcoat, a small felt hat perched on his head, sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose, and gloves covering his hands—a complete winter ensemble.

Ever since leaving the Marines, Kuzan's sense of style seemed to have leveled up. With this outfit, he exuded an effortless coolness.

"Ahh, la-la… So in the end, I still had to step in, huh?" Kuzan muttered, surveying the scene around him with a lazy smile.

Smoker let out a sigh of relief, rising to his feet. "Honestly, I think only your ability is suited for a situation like this. It was a big help."

"Oh? You think so?" Kuzan casually scratched his head.

Smoker then asked, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Why are you even here? Didn't you resign from your promising career as an admiral?"

Hearing this, Kuzan was momentarily stunned before replying, "I may not be an admiral anymore, but I'm still part of the World Government.

"I'm not some nobody, am I? Don't forget, I'm now the head of the Security Bureau. Although this department doesn't have much authority yet, in terms of administrative ranking, I hold a position equivalent to that of a Marine Fleet Admiral."

"And how exactly does that relate to you being here?" Smoker asked helplessly.

"You really don't get it, huh?" Kuzan gave Smoker a blank stare before continuing, "As the head of the Security Bureau, it's only natural for me to take the lead.

"I received a report that a group was gathering here to cause trouble, organizing illegal meetings, and that powerful criminal forces were running rampant.

"All of these fall under the jurisdiction of the Security Bureau. So, as an upstanding officer of the law, I've come to uphold justice and eliminate these evildoers for the sake of the people. That's only fair, right?"

Smoker was momentarily speechless.

From an official standpoint, Kuzan wasn't wrong. These kinds of matters did fall under the Security Bureau's authority, and from an intelligence perspective, his assessment was spot on. After all, this was a pirate island, what kind of decent person would choose to live here?

However, despite his convincing words, the truth was that Kuzan had been acting under Claudius' orders. He was part of the backup forces, stationed here long in advance.

Under normal circumstances, Kuzan wouldn't need to get involved at all—he was just here as a contingency.

But earlier, when Shiki went completely berserk, attempting to wipe out the entire sea and everyone on it, Kuzan waited to see how things would unfold. When it became clear that the chaos was spiraling out of control, he had no choice but to step in.

If this whole situation was a boxing match, then all the top fighters were the boxers, each competing in the ring. But Shiki? He was the one trying to destroy the entire damn ring before the fight could even conclude!

And Kuzan's role was to make sure the ring stayed intact.

Claudius had anticipated this scenario.

With so many powerful individuals gathered, there was bound to be at least one person trying to flip the table.

And if things got too heated, the sheer aftershocks from their battles could easily destroy the island multiple times over.

But a battlefield needed stability.

And after considering all available options, Claudius realized that Kuzan's ability was the only one that could guarantee order.

With a single move, Kuzan could freeze the ocean, creating a new battlefield where the fight could continue without total devastation.

That's why Claudius had positioned Kuzan as a silent observer—someone who would act only if necessary.

Now, Kuzan was half a spectator, half a participant.

---

Shiki, hovering in the air, had been moments away from wiping out everyone. But then, out of nowhere, Kuzan froze the entire sea, instantly shutting down his plan to use the tsunami as a weapon.

Still, Shiki wasn't ready to give up.

Just as he was about to make his next move, a sudden, crushing force of gravity slammed down on him, pulling him straight out of the sky!

Fujitora was pissed.

From the start of this operation, it had been his responsibility to contain Shiki. But he had underestimated the man, allowing him to nearly turn the whole situation on its head.

That was unacceptable.

Earlier, Fujitora had been cautious, he had held back, prioritizing the safety of those around him. But now, with Kuzan's ice securing the battlefield, there was no longer a need for restraint.

"You like flying so much, huh? Well, let's see how much you like being dragged to the ground!"

---

The chaos Shiki had unleashed was temporary.

With Kuzan stabilizing the battlefield and Fujitora locking Shiki down, the rest of the fighters calmed down slightly then resumed their battles without hesitation.

Ace wasted no time, throwing a blazing punch at Charlotte Linlin. The sheer heat from his attack melted parts of the ice, sending billowing steam into the air and clouding visibility.

Linlin, reacting instantly, raised Napoleon, her Emperor's Sword, and swung it down, cutting through Ace's Fire Fist.

But before she could recover, a sharp voice rang out from within the steam.

"Perfume Femur!"

Hancock launched a powerful kick aimed directly at Linlin's waist.

Linlin's reflexes were sharp—without missing a beat, she raised her free arm, reinforcing it with Armament Haki, and met Hancock's attack with a solid punch.

The expected impact never came.

Linlin's eyes widened in surprise.

With graceful dexterity, Hancock stepped on Linlin's arm and used it as a runway, sprinting straight toward her head before leaping into the air.

"Empress—Smash Kick!"

Hancock's deadly heel came crashing down, aiming straight for Linlin's skull!

For a moment, Linlin was stunned.

But then, she roared:

"NAPOLEON!!!"

"YES, MOM!!!"

Napoleon responded immediately, and in a flash, it shifted forms, transforming into a hat atop Linlin's head, infused with Armament Haki.

The moment Hancock's petrifying kick landed, the impact was brutal—Napoleon was instantly turned to stone and shattered into pieces!

However, Napoleon had served its purpose, absorbing a portion of Hancock's Devil Fruit effect. The rest of the impact was neutralized by Linlin's Haki-enhanced defenses.

---

Meanwhile, in another part of the battlefield, Claudius had somehow appeared, casually observing the chaos.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and muttered, "So, everyone who was supposed to show up… has shown up.

"But the real question is… where the hell are Bartholomew Kuma and Dragon?"

At first, Claudius assumed they were lying in wait, biding their time for the perfect moment.

But after all the destruction that had just taken place, they still hadn't shown themselves.

That was… odd.

"Tch. When I get back, I'm docking their pay."

Then, a smirk tugged at Claudius' lips as a sudden realization hit him.

Dragon and Kuma were missing.

But so was Douglas Bullet.

(To be continued.)

***

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