Chapter 153

It looked completely unaffected by the seawater,

and had not sunk into the sea at all.

"Th-this is…"

Lu En's pupils contracted slightly as a sudden guess flashed through his mind.

If he wasn't wrong…

In this stretch of sea,

the one who could ride a bicycle alone, cutting across the ocean as he pleased…

seemed to be only one person!

That person was…

Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, Aokiji Little Kuzan!

A user of the Logia Ice-Ice Fruit!

A monster of terrifying strength, one of the future top combat powers of the Marines.

Just as expected!

True to Lu En's guess,

he stood on the deck, his eyes fixed on the distant figure riding a bicycle across the endless sea.

Gradually,

the figure on the bicycle was rapidly approaching in the direction the warship was sailing.

The distance drew closer and closer,

and Lu En could finally make out the appearance of that bicycle-riding figure.

A head of curly hair,

a deep purple bandana hat, a pair of tiny sunglasses that looked a little comical, a deep blue shirt, and a pure black coat-cape.

Tall and lean, pedaling the bicycle as he cut freely across the sea.

Apart from Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Aokiji, who else could this person be?

Wherever the bicycle passed…

the sea surface froze into ice along the way.

Following the bicycle's wheels, the fruit's ability spread its influence across this stretch of sea.

The wheels rolled…

leaving behind a trail of wheel marks stretching into the distance.

Around the area the bicycle passed, within roughly several meters, the sea had already frozen into ice, presenting a frozen stretch of sea.

Smooth as jade,

crystalline and translucent.

Under the sunlight at the edge of the sky, the smooth ice surface reflected a dazzling halo of light.

A user of the Logia Ice-Ice Fruit—terrifying to such a degree!

Even the sea…

had become Aokiji's back garden, as easy as walking on flat ground.

Taking all of this in, Lu En's gaze swept over Aokiji's figure with a look full of emotion.

"Truly worthy of being…"

"one of the top monsters on this sea!"

"Even though he hasn't yet become a Marine Headquarters Admiral, with the strength Aokiji currently possesses, I'm afraid he's already in no way inferior to a Headquarters Admiral."

"Compared to the already aged and declining Headquarters Admiral Master Zefa, Aokiji's strength is clearly stronger by a margin!"

Lu En narrowed his eyes slightly.

With Aokiji's current strength, he absolutely had the qualifications to become a Headquarters Admiral.

What Aokiji currently lacked…

was merely seniority.

Nothing more!

As long as his seniority was sufficient, Aokiji becoming a Headquarters Admiral was a certainty.

Once Steelbone Kong leaves the Marines, Sengoku rises, and Master Zefa retires,

then—

one of the three Admiral positions would be taken by Aokiji.

The day the three Marine Admirals are finalized…

won't be far off!

At the same time.

Just as Lu En was sizing up Aokiji,

several kilometers away,

Aokiji, riding his bicycle, also clearly spotted the massive warship in the distance.

"Ara~"

"What a coincidence, running into the warship Vice Admiral Captain Kapu is riding on."

At the sight of that massive warship, Aokiji immediately broke into a smile.

At first glance,

he had already determined who was aboard this warship!

As for the Yuhai Army hero, Captain Kapu...

Aokiji had always held him in considerable respect and admiration.

Always regarded him as an idol, a goal.

"Perfect."

"I can hitch a ride on a passing ship."

Having made up his mind, Aokiji pedaled his bicycle faster, drawing closer to that warship.

Before long,

the naval observers aboard the warship also noticed Aokiji steadily approaching.

Thus,

this piece of news spread completely throughout the entire warship.

"It's Vice Admiral Aokiji!"

"Vice Admiral Aokiji spotted in the waters ahead!"

"Go inform Vice Admiral Kapu at once."

A group of marines hurried off to deliver the news of Aokiji's appearance to Kapu's ears.

Upon learning that he had happened upon Aokiji...

Kapu's face was full of surprise, and he rubbed his chin with a strange expression.

"That little brat Aokiji..."

"He's probably here on purpose to find this old man, isn't he?"

"Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?"

"Running into each other by chance on this boundless sea? That kind of nonsense could only fool the greenhorn marines."

Kapu walked out of his cabin.

Reaching the railing at the edge of the deck, he saw Aokiji, now less than a kilometer away.

"Pass down this old man's order: have the warship cease sailing immediately."

"Wait for that little brat Aokiji to come aboard."

Seeing Aokiji's figure, Kapu immediately gave orders to several marine helmsmen.

Since they'd already run into each other...

There was naturally no need to avoid the other party.