079 Fire and Ice: The Mad Dog’s World Is Hard to Fathom

"Peach Rabbit?"
"Peach Rabbit?"
"Ah, what is it?" Peach Rabbit came back to herself, withdrawing her gaze, and looked at Tina with confusion.
"What were you thinking about? You seemed so absorbed," Tina rolled her eyes dramatically.
"It's nothing, just some things came to mind," Peach Rabbit replied a bit awkwardly.
"Um, then Peach Rabbit, who is he?" Tina was only briefly surprised, then swiftly changed the topic—she wasn’t stupid.
"That’s Skybird."
"Skybird? That sounds so familiar, like I’ve heard it somewhere before..." Tina wracked her brain, brows furrowed, unable to recall for the moment.
"Skybird, full name Xuan Ye Tang, Animal-type, Ancient species, Flame Bird user, first in the Navy Grand Competition, ranked above the three monsters, his strength is extraordinary." Smoker, standing nearby, was visibly excited, his blood seemingly boiling.
"He’s Skybird, Xuan Ye Tang? The one who even gave Vice Admiral Akainu trouble?" Tina finally remembered, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"No wonder, no wonder my instincts told me he’s a rare challenger. I never expected the elusive Skybird to appear at Marineford. This challenge is an opportunity I absolutely can't miss." Smoker clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fervor.
"Smoker, you’re not thinking of challenging him, are you?" Peach Rabbit stared at him in shock, looking at Smoker as if he were insane.
"Why not? It’s such a rare chance—I have to at least exchange a few moves."
"His temper isn’t great. If you provoke him, someone could die," Peach Rabbit cautioned, though she didn’t fully understand Xuan Ye, she knew enough.
He liked peace and solitude, often trained alone; sometimes he was calm, sometimes wild.
Complex, pathological, violent—these words were enough to describe Xuan Ye’s peculiar character.
If you didn’t offend him, it was fine. But if you did, even if you survived, you’d certainly be left in tatters.
"So fierce?" Tina shivered.
"Of course!" Peach Rabbit rolled her eyes.
But Smoker paid no heed to Peach Rabbit’s warning. At this moment, he was eager to challenge Xuan Ye.
Since entering Marineford, Smoker had heard rumors about this man time and again.
Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji—these three men were blazing stars in the Navy, their brilliance suppressing the younger generation, even leaving veterans gasping for breath.
Vice Admirals of Navy Headquarters, near-Admirals, Logia-type users, their destructive power rivaled natural disasters. These dazzling halos made them famous, and nobody dared question their terrifying strength.
Yet, there was one person ranked above them. Smoker remembered the first time he heard this; he didn’t believe it, thinking it was nonsense.
But after some inquiry, he realized he had no choice but to accept it, because that person truly had the power to overshadow the three monsters.
From then on, Smoker’s goal quietly shifted.
"To defeat Skybird, who stands above the three monsters."
But Skybird’s whereabouts were always elusive; throughout the year, not even a shadow could be seen, leaving Smoker at a loss.
Today, he finally met his target, and his heart was anything but calm.
"Skybird, just you wait," Smoker gritted his teeth, his fighting spirit ablaze.

――――――――――――――

Dusk. The violet-red sunset still burned like fire.
Marineford, the harbor. The sea, normally rolling with waves, was now blanketed in white.
Before their eyes, the entire ocean was frozen solid, transformed into a glacier, its chill seeping into the bones, making one shudder involuntarily.
At the center of the sea, Xuan Ye stood on the ice, stamping his foot on the frozen surface, smiling, "Looks like your Ice Age has grown even stronger."
"Don’t talk to me. I’m very angry right now." Wreathed in cold, Aokiji’s face was dark, showing Xuan Ye no kindness.
He remembered that just a moment ago, he was sleeping soundly, but the next instant, he’d been blasted away.
Little did he know, at this moment, Aokiji was disheveled, as black as a beggar, his robes tattered, looking every bit a vagabond.
And the culprit was the rascal before him.
The reason was simple: after years apart, Xuan Ye missed him, so he gave him this gift—because they were friends.
Thinking of this, Aokiji’s face grew darker and his heart heavier.
If you want to fight, just say so—no need for such excuses.
"Just as well, I haven’t fought you in ages. Let’s see the strength of a near-Admiral today," Xuan Ye smiled awkwardly, feeling a bit guilty, but the next moment, he tossed those feelings aside.
"You bastard," Aokiji gritted his teeth, determined to teach Xuan Ye a lesson today.
Cold surged, the temperature plummeted, and Aokiji vanished, appearing beside Xuan Ye without warning. His fist, as big as a cauldron, swung straight for Xuan Ye’s face.
He hated that face, and today he was determined to leave his mark on it.
"Bang..." Ice shards flew. Xuan Ye caught Aokiji’s fist, the ice beneath his feet cracking, laughing, "Good grief, you trying to ruin my face?"
"That’s the idea! Frozen Moment!"
Face dark as night, Aokiji’s body radiated cold, a blast of frost erupting. Xuan Ye’s fist was quickly encased in ice, which crept up his arm in the blink of an eye.
"You really don’t hold back, do you?"
"Sss... sss..." Golden-white flames burned, their terrifying heat shattering the ice on his hand and quickly searing toward Aokiji.
"Damn you," Aokiji intensified his cold, becoming a human ice sculpture, freezing everything.
Xuan Ye, likewise, raised the heat of his flames. In an instant, an iceberg and a volcano collided on the sea.
The ocean cracked, the ice beneath Xuan Ye’s feet melted rapidly, and within moments, the sea was back to water.
"Fighting here puts me at a disadvantage," Xuan Ye smiled, floating in midair, looking down on Aokiji with contempt.
"Ice Spear!"
Cold rolled, Aokiji wielded an ice blade, thrusting at Xuan Ye.
"Flame Blade!"
Good grief, Xuan Ye twitched, flames coiling around his hand as a golden-white longsword blocked Aokiji’s furious attack.
"Ding... ding..."
Invisible forms, darting back and forth, one white, one red, entwined in combat.

Explosions and chaos, the glacier was shattered and torn. Unnoticed, the two had been fighting for nearly an hour.
Now, at the harbor, several figures arrived, the leader’s face black with rage, the others helplessly amused.
"Those bastards, what are they doing? Freezing the sea—don’t they know this is Marineford? Don’t they realize they’re disrupting traffic? Back and already causing trouble, damn them." Kong, whiskers bristling and eyes glaring, cursed loudly.
"That kid’s as much of a rascal as ever," Garp picked his nose and laughed, "But I like him."
"Separate them for me. The Navy ceremony is about to begin, and lots of merchant ships and supplies need to be transported. If this keeps up, we’re finished."
The air trembled.
"I’ll go," Sengoku said helplessly, thinking he’d soon be taking office and it was best not to let those two fools wreak havoc any longer.
Moments later, at the harbor, Sengoku was followed by two bruised and battered fellows.
"You idiot, you hit so hard," Xuan Ye grumbled, rubbing his swollen face.
"Like you’re one to talk. Look at my eyes—almost blinded," Aokiji roared, pointing at his swollen eyes, extremely angry.
"Hmph, serves you right for trying to ambush me," Xuan Ye pouted disdainfully.
"Jerk, give me back the Berries you borrowed. I need to treat my eyes."
"No money, no life," Xuan Ye said smugly, arms crossed, utterly shameless.
"I’ll kill you," Aokiji lunged, ready to teach Xuan Ye a lesson.
"Come on, I’m not giving it back."
"Enough!" Kong shouted, face flushed, looking at the two squabbling like fishwives, wishing he could strangle them.
"A Vice Admiral and a Rear Admiral—how disgraceful."
"Tch..."
"Hmph!"
Both spat, glanced at each other, then turned away.
"Absolutely uncivilized. The Navy should have proper manners. Look at you, obviously parentless," Akainu, draped in his Vice Admiral coat, glared at Xuan Ye with contempt.
Everyone’s faces changed.
The only thought was that Akainu was courting death again—like a mad dog, lacking the strength yet still provoking others, truly beyond salvation.
Alas... the world of mad dogs is beyond our comprehension.
"Akainu, get out of here!" Kong’s face turned, shouting angrily at Akainu.
But it was already too late.
...