The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

Ignoring Enel's relentless aerial bombardment.

After all, he knew very well that, in terms of developing Devil Fruit abilities, combat experience, and the use of Haki alone...

He and Kizaru are roughly equal in skill; both are veteran, top-tier admirals in the Navy.

However, Kizaru possesses an absolute speed advantage thanks to the Glint-Glint Fruit, as well as terrifying precision and tactical insight hidden beneath his unfathomable "laziness."

A head-on clash would be difficult to determine a winner in a short time, and there was also Enel watching from the sidelines.

We can't force it; we need...cooperation.

Kuzan's gaze swept almost imperceptibly over Samuel, who was doing his best to maintain the mycelial forest while also observing the battle situation.

The two did not exchange any words, and even eye contact was extremely brief.

But they were all once great pirates/former admirals who roamed the New World and experienced countless life-and-death battles.

That keen sense of the battlefield situation and the tacit understanding of adapting to changing circumstances were quietly established at this moment.

"Mycelium Creep - Chaotic Growth!!" Samuel was the first to unleash mycelium.

Immediately afterwards, Kuzan made a move.

Instead of charging towards Kizaru, he slammed his hands down on the ground!

Ice Age!

"Snap!!"

Centered on Kuzan's palms, the extreme cold spread wildly in a fan shape towards the area where Kizaru was active!

This freeze is not a large-scale, indiscriminate coverage, but rather a highly concentrated, penetrating, and traceable measure!

Wherever the cold air passes, not only is the ground and mycelium instantly frozen, but it also forms a series of intricate, crystal-clear ice passages and barriers!

These ice structures are not random, thanks to the inherent textural and structural abilities of the hyphae themselves.

Instead, it subtly forms a simple maze and speed bumps, greatly restricting Kizaru's famous light-speed movement through space!

The surface of the ice is as smooth as a mirror, but it hides a secret, and ice spikes or cold air may burst forth at any time.

"Oh? You want to limit my speed?" Kizaru's figure flickered between several ice walls, his brows slightly furrowed.

Change the environment and diminish his advantages.

Meanwhile, Samuel continued to understand and looked at Enel in the sky!

"Fungal Explosion: Spore Mist!"

With a clap of his hands, the charred and seemingly lifeless mycelial remains, struck by Enel's lightning, vanished.

And the tiny spores floating in the air suddenly mutated!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Countless mycelial debris exploded like bombs, bursting into large swaths of dense, grayish-green spore mist with strong numbing and hallucinogenic effects!

This mist quickly spread, merging with the ice labyrinth created by Kuzan.

This reduced visibility in that area to a minimum and filled it with unknown toxins and interference!

No matter how fast Kizaru is, his speed is limited by obstructed vision, restricted path, and the interference of poisonous fog.

They also had to be more cautious and could no longer flash across the entire field at will.

Enel was forced to randomly use his skills because of his limited vision, since mycelium can explode indiscriminately when it comes into contact with sparks!

"Now!" A glint flashed in Samuel's eyes. Deep within the mycelium forest, several exceptionally thick mycelium strands, their tips hardened like spears, appeared.

Like a lurking venomous snake, it silently slithered along the shadow of the ice wall, suddenly thrusting from several tricky angles toward the approximate location of Kizaru!

This forces Kizaru to dodge, revealing his next movement trajectory!

And almost at the same time that the hyphae emerged

Kuzan's figure had appeared atop an ice wall at some unknown time.

"Icethorn - The Eternal Spear!"

His right hand clenched loosely, and extremely condensed cold energy was rapidly compressed in his palm.

It formed a crystal-clear ice spear, seemingly capable of freezing even the soul.

At the same time, his gaze, piercing through the spore mist, was fixed on Enel in the sky!

He was waiting, waiting for the moment when Kizaru would be forced to dodge by Samuel's mycelium!

They were also waiting for Enel to find an opening after Kizaru was positioned!

A silent collaboration, a deadly trap!

Kizaru's high-speed movement was restricted by Kuzan's Ice Palace and Spore Mist.

Enel's senses and vision were once again impaired by Samuel's spore mist, and he also had to face his own ice spear...

Kuzan and Samuel, two powerful figures from different eras and factions, are on this chaotic battlefield.

They displayed astonishing tactical coordination, temporarily putting Kizaru, a veteran admiral known for his speed, in a relatively unfavorable situation!

Meanwhile, Enel, high in the sky, seemed to have also noticed the change in the situation below.

The widespread lightning strikes temporarily ceased; the golden staff was held horizontally in front of him, lightning crackling around him.

The pupils coldly surveyed the battlefield, or rather... were on guard against something.

And... what did I hear?

"A good plan, but unfortunately, it's completely transparent to God."

"God has no fear, God has no worries."

Above the sky, Enel's face, which always wore a lazy and disdainful smile, showed a subtle change for the first time.

"For the whispers of God are nothing but..."

"Under the net of the mind, everything is transparent."

"God only needs to let this chaotic world..."

Thunderclouds gathered out of nowhere high in the sky, making a loud rumbling sound.

"Under the supreme thunder, return to 'purity,' and that will suffice!"

"Divine Punishment - Heavenly Calamity".

A pillar of lightning tore through the sky, indiscriminately bombarding the three people below!

Chapter 670 Unaware of the Battle Situation

Van Oka, Bagers, and Shiliu encountered Hawkeye Mihawk in the nearshore area of ​​Egghead Island.

Aramu, who should have been slaughtered but had been closely following behind, suddenly stepped in to help.

Meanwhile, Samuel and Kuzan encounter Kizaru, and Enel's four Logia-type Devil Fruit users clash.

In short, the navy's landing successfully disrupted the situation!

........

Meanwhile, in the core area of ​​the middle layer of Egghead Island.

This place was once a symbol of the intersection of technology and order, but now it has been reduced to a hideous ruin.

Gern strolled alone through the mess, his steps unhurried.

The military boots crunched on the gravel, making a distinct "creak" sound that seemed particularly jarring after the fighting had subsided.

"It seems that Blackbeard, that cunning fellow... didn't choose to fight to the death after all," Gern muttered to himself.

He knew Marshall D. Teach all too well; he was a greedy hyena who put "survival" and "profit" above all else.

Faced with a fully charged, murderous, and unfathomably powerful "Emperor-level" Luffy, Blackbeard would never be foolish enough to risk his life for a moment of pride.

When he finds that a quick victory is difficult or the cost is too high, he will inevitably choose to... retreat.

Or more accurately, a strategic shift, seeking a more favorable opportunity or target.

As he walked, Gern habitually placed his right hand lightly on the hilt of the "Eight Desolations" sword hanging at his right waist.

The five fingers were not clenched, but merely loosely joined.

This seemingly casual movement was an instinct he had developed over many years of fighting.

After all, in this dangerous area where a battle between emperors has just taken place, friend and foe are unclear, and Blackbeard may be lurking nearby, staying vigilant is the first priority for survival.

Of course, more importantly...

I approve of Blackbeard's character!

Currently, I have limited information after arriving on the island, only knowing that Luffy and Blackbeard have engaged in a fierce battle there.

The commotion was immense, even triggering conflicts at the levels of celestial phenomena and rules.

But the specifics of the battle, who won and who lost, whether both sides suffered heavy losses, or whether one side had already fled far away... he didn't know completely.

"Did our 'protagonist' win?" Gern wondered to himself.

Luffy's strength and growth rate are indeed astonishing, and the strangeness and power of his Nikka form far exceeded expectations.

However, Blackbeard possesses two top-tier Devil Fruits, Dark-Dark and Tremor-Tremor, and is cunning and shrewd; his true strength remains unknown...

The outcome is unpredictable.

As Gern pondered, he continued his search.

Luffy will not kill people.

So, if Blackbeard loses...

It must still be somewhere, but the probability of Blackbeard being defeated is extremely low.

It's more likely that Blackbeard will run away!

Suddenly, after turning a corner, Gern stopped abruptly.

The right hand, which had been resting on the hilt of the "Eight Desolations" sword, slowly loosened and fell to the side.

The calm, scrutinizing expression on his face was instantly replaced by an extreme solemnity.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and deep within his pupils, a sense of relief washed over him.

There is no other reason.

Because, about twenty meters in front of Gern, at the edge of a relatively flat but cracked and scorched open area...

Leaning against a huge stone wall about half a person's height, covered with cut marks and burn marks.

And the figure leaning against that stone wall...

It's Luffy.

However, it is not the fifth-gear Nika form with its white hair steaming, joyful leaps, and high fighting spirit.

It wasn't the usual Straw Hat Boy with black hair and eyebrows, a bright smile, and boundless energy.

At this moment, Luffy's hair and eyebrows were still snow-white, but the cheerful white steam had completely dissipated, leaving him looking pale and exhausted!

What's most alarming is his condition.

He slumped against the stone wall, his back against the cold stone, his head hanging limply, his straw hat askew on his head, covering most of his face.

His chest rose and fell weakly and rapidly, and each breath seemed to be extremely difficult.

Besides the scars from the battle, the exposed skin also showed an unhealthy, pale, and wrinkled appearance, a result of overexertion.

Gear 5 Nika form grants unimaginable power and "freedom" on a fantastical level, but at a terrifying cost.

Extreme physical exertion, overexertion of one's domineering spirit, and a terrifying strain on bodily functions...

At this moment, a backlash came like a tidal wave, dragging Luffy into extreme weakness.

Gern's arrival seems to have alarmed Luffy.

He slowly used all his strength to raise his head.

Beneath the straw hat was a face etched with exhaustion, hunger, and a childlike sense of grievance.