Phoenix Reborn In One Piece

"Oh?" 

"Are you sure about that, Ryuen?" Aokiji's tone was questioning, but an icy chill began emanating from his body. 

"Didn't you notice? We've all been thinking about smashing you to pieces," Ryuen replied coldly. 

With that, Ryuen instantly transformed into his hybrid beast form! 

"Hm?" Aokiji was slightly surprised to see Ryuen's transformation. 

"Quick... run!" Daisy shouted when she saw Ryuen change form. 

"Got it!" 

The Dream Team immediately turned and ran, all except Robin. 

"Hey!" 

"Robin, what are you doing?" Nojiko called back loudly. 

But Robin didn't respond. She stood there, frozen in place. 

Nami and Kuina exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and ran back. The two of them hoisted Robin and carried her off in a flash. 

"No... no way!" 

"Put me down! We can't let Ryuen fight Aokiji alone. He's in danger!" Robin finally snapped out of it and struggled to break free. 

By now, the group had run several hundred meters away. They stopped, and Nami and Kuina set Robin down. 

As soon as Robin's feet hit the ground, she looked panicked and immediately wanted to run back to help Ryuen. 

Hog reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and saying: 

"Robin, don't worry about Ryuen. He's not as weak as you think." 

Robin stopped in her tracks, turning to look at the others. She saw their reassuring expressions. 

Just then, a wave of intense heat surged over them. Everyone's attention snapped to Ryuen and Aokiji's direction, where they saw flames roaring around Ryuen's body! 

The desert sand beneath his feet had turned to magma from the intense heat, and astonishingly, even the surface of the magma was on fire! 

"Is this Ryuen's true power?" Robin was stunned. 

"That's right. Ryuen ate the Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit," Nami said seriously. 

"A... phoenix?" Robin shivered. Was Nami joking? 

"Pfft!" 

"Hahaha, Nami's right. Ryuen really is a bird man," Daisy burst out laughing. 

For a moment, everyone else also struggled to hold back their laughter. 

"Ahaha~" 

Seeing their faces, Robin couldn't help but laugh too. 

"Thank you, everyone, but… are you sure Ryuen will be okay on his own?" Robin understood they were trying to cheer her up, help her relax, and make her forget Aokiji's harsh words. 

But she knew how strong Aokiji was, and she couldn't stop worrying. 

Seeing Robin laugh, everyone felt relieved. Aokiji's words earlier had been cutting, each one a dagger to Robin's heart. 

"Don't worry, Robin. We're not afraid of any Marine Admiral," Kuina said seriously. 

The others nodded in agreement. 

As for why he wasn't afraid…

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A few hundred meters away.

Aokiji quickly unleashed his freezing ability to resist the scorching heat. At that moment, Ryuen surprised him—Ryuen's flames were even hotter than Akainu's magma!

"Ah-la-la…" 

"What an incredible power. I just wonder how strong it really is," Aokiji said, his expression serious as he watched Ryuen.

Even though he already knew Ryuen possessed a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, it was only now, feeling its power directly, that he realized how extraordinary it was.

"I'm coming!" 

The moment Ryuen finished speaking, his figure vanished. In the next instant, he appeared right in front of Aokiji, raising a leg wrapped in dense Armament Haki, ready to strike.

"Boom!" 

The kick landed! 

But it didn't do much. Ryuen felt as if he'd kicked a steel plate—a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Aokiji, who had been sent flying into the air by Ryuen's kick, landed back on the desert sands. Kneeling on one knee, he froze the ground beneath him.

He looked at Ryuen with surprise. Ryuen's speed just now was incredible! 

Even though Aokiji had used Armament Haki to defend himself at the last moment, he still felt a searing heat in his abdomen. 

As he marveled at Ryuen's power, Ryuen was already attacking again! This time, Aokiji had to get serious.

"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!" 

In the blink of an eye, Aokiji formed a massive ice bird and sent it hurtling toward Ryuen.

Ryuen didn't even think of dodging. Instead, the flames on his body flared even more intensely. With a powerful flap of his fiery wings, he accelerated toward Aokiji. 

As the ice bird closed in, Ryuen lifted his flame-covered right leg. 

"Aaaaah!" 

"Boom!" 

Ryuen's flaming whip kick shattered the ice bird, and the intense heat melted it into nothing in an instant. 

"Ah-la-la!" 

"A weak spot!" 

"Ryuen, let's see how you like getting kicked!" 

Hearing Aokiji's voice, Ryuen's heart skipped a beat. Just as he destroyed the ice bird, Aokiji's leg was already swinging toward him!

Ryuen quickly wrapped his body in Armament Haki for defense.

"Boom!" 

The moment Ryuen completed his defense, Aokiji's kick landed on his waist, sending him flying. 

In just seconds, Aokiji had returned the earlier blow.

"Ow!" 

"No wonder you're a Marine Admiral—your attacks pack a serious punch!" 

Ryuen, sent flying over a hundred meters, rolled several times on the sand before coming to a stop.

Taking a deep breath, he rubbed the spot where he'd been kicked. But Aokiji wasn't done yet—he was already charging at Ryuen at lightning speed, his hands radiating icy energy. 

As he neared Ryuen, Aokiji planted his feet firmly on the ground, then launched himself like an arrow. He leaped into the air and thrust his hands forward with force. 

"Ice Age!" 

Aokiji muttered as a wave of icy energy erupted from his hands. 

In an instant, five massive ice pillars, carrying bone-chilling cold and overwhelming force, surged toward Ryuen. The freezing temperatures turned the surrounding air into frost, as if the entire world was frozen in that moment. 

Faced with such a powerful attack, Ryuen clenched his right fist. Scorching flames erupted from his body like a volcanic explosion, forming a massive fire dragon. 

"Blazing Emperor: Flame Dragon!" 

Ryuen roared in a low voice. 

As his words fell, the fire dragon, formed from his flames, let out a thunderous roar and surged forward, colliding with Aokiji's ice pillars. 

"Boom!" 

A deafening explosion shook the heavens and earth, as if the world itself was about to be torn apart.

The searing-hot fire dragon collided fiercely with Aokiji's five icy cold pillars. The impact distorted the space around them.

"Boom!!!"

Amid the violent clash, the ice pillars and the fire dragon vanished into thin air, scattering shards of ice and sparks in all directions.

As the attacks dissipated, Aokiji and Ryuen landed back on the ground, both wearing serious expressions as they stared at each other.

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