Battle on The Ice

(3rd Person View)

Kuzan stood on the frozen sea. He straightened up and adjusted his shades as he looked up at the Dragon Knight's ship. He had the galleon frozen in place as he had intended, but the issue was that he also froze the whitebeard ship in place as well.

"Ara ara." Kuzan said, "I think this is about to go bad."

Suddenly, Kuzan jumped away and watched as Starrk landed on the spot where he was. He had thrust his blade at the ice. He watched as Starrk pulled the blade out and gave him a serious scowl.

"Oi, what's your deal, Kuzan?!" He growled, "Why don't you and the old fart do me a favor and fuck off?"

"Long time no see, Black Wolf." Kuzan said, "And apologies for the trouble. We don't mean to involve you."

"Yea well, that's too damn bad." Starrk said as he coated his blade in armament haki, "Cause I am a bit annoyed right now."

"I'll rather not fight you now." Kuzan said as he formed an ice spear, "But if you insist, I can impale your chest with ice like I did the last time we met."

Starrk glared at him, "You couldn't get the job done then.." He said seriously, "What makes you think today will be any different?"

Before Kuzan said anything else, he looked up as a barrage of cannonballs shot his way.

He jumped away once again as the cannonballs hit the ice and exploded.

Starrk saw this and looked up to the Dragon Knight's ship, they had aimed several cannons at them.

"Tch." He said, "Looks like they won't send anyone, eh?"

Starrk then raised his blade and used it to block Kuzan's attack. Kuzan had launched at him with his ice spear. Starrk gave him a smirk as the two clashed.

The impact of this clash caused a shockwave that slightly shook the ice they were on. Fortunately for Starrk, the ice was dozens of meters thick and it was as safe as land. This meant he could fight without worry.

This also meant that breaking off the ice would be fairly difficult.

Kuzan jumped away from Starrk who swung his blade at him several times. He then dodged the several thrusts Starrk was using to try to pierce him.

"Do you think that you would achieve something with these attacks?" Kuzan said

"And what makes you think I am trying to achieve something with these attacks?" Starrk said as he kept on with the thrusts

Kuzan noted that the thrusts he was using were similar to fencing attacks. He had a couple of marine underlings that based their movements on fencing. If he knew anything from them, he would know that Starrk is trying to push him away to create some distance.

"Your strength and skills are nothing to scoff at." Kuzan said as he deflected his sword with his spear, "But you're too predictable as you were back then."

Kuzan stomped his foot on the ice and summoned more ice, forming them into spikes underneath Starrk.

Starrk jumped away and swung his sword, cutting the spikes in half. He then lunged over them and towards Kuzan who saw this coming. He had reared his spear back and as soon as Starrk lunged, he thrust it towards his head.

Starrk then used the spikes to propel himself over Kuzan's spear and in midair, he swung his blade at Kuzan's arm.

Kuzan's arm was seemingly cut off and fell. Starrk then landed next to Kuzan and prepared another attack. But before he could do something, he sensed another barrage of cannonballs coming his way.

He jumped and avoided the explosions.

Kuzan then looked at Starrk as he picked his arm up. Without breaking eye contact, he placed his arm back and reconnected it.

"Hm," Starrk said

"You think I don't have a way to deal with haki users?" Kuzan said

"Yea I figured you did that." Starrk said, "Used advanced observation to see the attack coming and then used your logia powers to avoid damage, kinda like that mochi monster."

"I must say, your movement has improved." Kuzan noted, "Borsalino told me he beat you with a little difficulty the first time he met you. I have to say I am impressed by your progress. Seems that joining the Whitebeard Pirates helped you out."

"Uhuh," Starrk said

While this was happening, Garp was watching this unfold through his binoculars.

"Well, I'll be damned." He grumbled, "That fool went ahead and involved Starrk. He has the Whitebeard pirates stuck in place and his men are flanking them to put them in a pinch. Well, what are you gonna do about it?"

"Garp-san." He heard a voice say

"What?" He turned to see Bogard walk up to him

"A call." Bogard handed him the transponder snail, "Anne."

"Okay." Garp took it, "Yea?"

"Garp-san!" Anne called, "Permission to engage the Dragon Knight Pirates!"

"Denied." Garp said, "Protect the rear and wait for Borsalino and Momonga to join us."

"But sir!" She exclaimed

"Stand down, Rear Admiral." Garp told her, "Don't do anything stupid. Kuzan has this handled. If he needs any help, I'll step in. You tend to your wounded survivors."

"Garp-san..." Anne said

"That is an order, young lady!" Garp said, "And it's final! Oi Bogard! Get me some rice crackers! When Kuzan needs some help, drop down there and lend him a hand. Also, someone get me through to Sengoku, gotta give him the report!"

As Bogard handed him some crackers and his crew were running around, Kuzan kept clashing with Starrk who was keeping up with him.

Starrk was aiming to cut Kuzan's vital areas, something that took the Vice-Admiral by surprise. The last time they had met and fought, he wasn't this focused on ending the fight so quickly. Despite Starrk being aware of Kuzan's ability to avoid haki damage, he was still focusing on cutting him up.

This told Kuzan that Starrk was aware of a way to bypass this ability and damage him. This put him on edge so he was more than willing to end his fight with him and focus on his actual target.

Starrk glared at him as he closed the distance and went for a wide swing. Kuzan saw this coming and jumped away, noticing an abnormal amount of armament haki on his blade.

"Ara ara." Kuzan said as the blade passed by right in front of him, "That is some concerning amount of haki right there."

Starrk looked at him seriously, "And there's much more where that came from." He said

Before anything else, Starrk noticed something unusual. Kuzan sensed it too and they both looked toward the Dragon Knight's ship. All of their cannons were no longer pointed at them or any of the navy warships.

They then watched several mounted ballistae being armed and pointed directly at the frozen sea below them.

"What the?" Starrk said

The ballista then fired the massive bolts that were equipped with something. The bolts hit the frozen waters and stuck on impact.

Kuzan watched in confusion at the purpose of ballistae being used against his ice.

Suddenly, they saw massive sparks explode from the bolts.

Starrk widened his eyes, "What the actual fuck?" He said, "Is that thermite?!"

"Where the hell did they get that stuff from?!" Kuzan exclaimed

The Dragon Knight Pirates were using thermite to break free from the frozen waters.

Garp watched this from his ship as he ate crackers.

"Oh, that's not good." He said, "All cannons aim at the Dragon Knight's ship and fire. Make sure you put a hole in it. One that is bad enough to keep them from sailing."

The marine warship then fired its cannons at the Dragon Knight's ship which also returned fire, hitting the cannonballs with their own, causing explosions in the middle of the air. As the marine warship fired more, the Dragon Knight's ship met their volley with one of their own, precisely meeting them in midair. This was causing a massive row of explosions.

"Ooookay...." Garp said, "That is a concerning sign...I don't think a Yonko ship has that type of technology....."

Bogard knew what he meant, "This is not good."

As this happened, Kuzan's ship had fully flanked Starrk's as his men dropped barrels of gunpowder explosives to try to break free.

"Oh fuck!" the lookout exclaimed, "Prepare to return fire at that ship!"

"Return fire?" one of them said, "Fuck that, let's initiate the fire! All cannons point at that warship, blow it to kingdom come! And while you're at it, hit the ice and break our ship free!!"

They began firing at the ship.

Starrk noticed as this happened. He then looked at Kuzan who was still distracted by the Dragon Knight's ship.

But before he could do anything, something crashed right next to them.

They both saw it was a massive black sword, it was planted in the ice.

Starrk then watched as a figure launched towards them from the ship, it landed behind the sword.

"Ara ara..." Kuzan says, "So he finally shows himself."

Starrk narrowed his eyes as The Dragon Knight straightened himself up and grasped the handle of his greatsword.

In the blink of an eye, He swung his sword and sent a massive slice at Kuzan who widened his eyes in surprise.

Kuzan coated his arms in armament haki and blocked the slice, but the power was so great that it sent him reeling back several meters. Starrk watched this and readied his blade, but the Dragon Knight had already sent another massive slice at him as well.

Starrk instinctively blocked the attack with his blade but the power was also strong enough to send him reeling back.

Shocked at the power, Starrk looked at the Dragon Knight who merely stood where he had landed. He noticed that he had a black cape that was flapping in the wind.

"What the actual fuck is this guy?" Starrk said bewildered

Kuzan straightened himself as he also looked at the Dragon Knight in disbelief.

"This kind of power..." He said, "This guy is no joke. I think I will have to take this ordeal a bit more seriously."

The Dragon Knight then rested his massive black sword on his shoulder.

"Well then..." He said with a deep raspy voice,

"Shall we dance?"