The force of the kick was so overwhelming that Sengoku didn't dare underestimate the enemy for a moment.
In an instant, he raised his arms and coated them in powerful Armament Haki to block the attack.
But in the next second, he was stunned. A layer of frost suddenly spread across his arms, and in the blink of an eye, his entire body was frozen solid.
As the chill seeped through him, Sengoku realized this woman was completely unreasonable. For the sake of a personal grudge, she had disregarded the cooperation between the Marines and the World Government.
Now, Sengoku decided it was time to teach her a proper lesson.
The next moment, he erupted in brilliant golden light.
The blinding radiance made Esdeath instinctively raise her hand to shield her eyes. It was too dazzling to ignore.
Then she noticed that the ice encasing Sengoku had completely melted. Even the frost lingering around the nearby Onigumo vanished under the glow of that golden light.
In the following second, under Esdeath's gaze, the old man transformed into a towering golden giant, standing tens of meters tall.
Seeing the massive figure before her, Esdeath's expression filled with disbelief. She hadn't expected him to take such a form — like a giant Buddha come to life.
Sengoku had activated his Devil Fruit ability, but he didn't strike. Instead, he pointed to an island in the distance.
He knew this woman possessed an ability similar to the Frozen Fruit, and fighting aboard the battleship would be reckless. Their clash could easily destroy the ship from the shockwaves alone.
And if that happened, he'd have a hard time explaining it to Kaos.
Esdeath followed his gaze to the island and immediately understood what he meant. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she nodded in agreement.
After all, the battleship belonged to her too — she had no desire to see it damaged.
Without another word, she leapt into the air, stomped with both feet, and turned into a streak of light as she soared toward the island.
Watching her go, Sengoku noted that she had used Moonwalk, a technique from the Marine Six Styles. His brows furrowed slightly.
This woman was clearly gifted. To be so young and already capable of using Moonwalk — not to mention her physical resilience — put her at least at Vice Admiral level.
Still, Sengoku hadn't yet realized Esdeath's true strength. He simply saw her as someone who had Haki and had learned the Marine Six Styles.
Her earlier kick had been powerful, but in Sengoku's eyes, it was still just the strength of a woman. He judged her overall combat level as equivalent to a Vice Admiral.
That was Esdeath's only real flaw. Though she had two formidable abilities — the ice power of her Teigu and the Devil Fruit power of the Float Fruit — her physical durability couldn't match the standard physiques of those born in the Pirate World.
After all, every world's physical laws and limits are different.
Once she reached the island, Sengoku launched himself into the air, his feet shattering the deck beneath him as he flew skyward. In a golden flash, he followed her toward their new battleground.
Back near the battleship, Onigumo suddenly shivered. He had been nearly frozen solid earlier. If Sengoku hadn't intervened, he would've been dead.
The thought jolted him into action. He leapt from the battleship to the nearby cruise ship.
He wanted to inform Kaos about what had happened. But the moment he landed, a shadow shot toward him with lightning speed.
A blade was suddenly pressed against his neck.
He froze. A chill spread from the cold steel against his throat, paralyzing him. He could feel the killing intent radiating from behind — one wrong move, and he'd lose his head.
"Who told you to come here? Leave, or die."
The voice was soft and delicate, but to Onigumo, it sounded like a death sentence. His entire body was on edge. He knew the speaker wasn't bluffing. If he didn't retreat, he would die.
Still, thinking of the escalating conflict between Sengoku and Esdeath, he summoned his courage.
"Please inform Lord Kaos… That woman had a misunderstanding with Marshal Sengoku."
He stood frozen, but forced the words out.
The figure behind him — naturally, Stussy — didn't seem impressed.
"This isn't your concern," she said coldly. "Do you think Lord Kaos doesn't already know?"
Her words stunned Onigumo.
Of course — the battle had been so loud it was impossible to miss. And the cruise ship was nearby. Kaos had surely heard everything, yet hadn't appeared once.
Did that mean Kaos was tacitly allowing it? Did he approve of what that woman had done?
Suddenly, Onigumo felt helpless. He said nothing more, straightened up, and jumped back to the battleship.
He would wait quietly for Sengoku and Esdeath to return.
Fortunately, the battle between them was likely just a clash of power — not a fight to the death.
Still, Onigumo understood that although Esdeath possessed the power of the Frozen Fruit, Sengoku had only been frozen earlier because he had let his guard down.
He hadn't used Armament Haki to protect himself.
If there was a next time, Esdeath wouldn't be able to freeze him so easily.