"Crackle, crackle"
The ground split into pieces, shaking violently, as two massive fissures cracked open and stretched toward the research facility.
"Rumble~"
The ground section of the research facility instantly buckled and rose, and the solid outer walls, like ramparts, disintegrated and gradually collapsed.
Just as the site Caesar used for his evil experiments was about to be reduced to dust, an intense cold air surged frantically from the two ground fissures.
Immediately afterward, scorching magma erupted, following closely behind.
This stream of extreme frost and stream of scorching magma instantly intertwined with Taro's vibration energy.
Holy crap, what the hell!
Taro lightly tapped his feet, leaping high into the air to evade the frantically surging dual attack.
"Kuzan, I told you, I won't allow you to destroy anything here!" a serious and cold voice rang out.
"Oh, Sakazuki, it's too late to say that now!" another lazy voice replied.
"The core of this island has already been frozen solid. We just need to continue pushing our abilities. Once the frost and magma reach their limit, the entire island core will shatter, and this place will sink into the sea!"
Aokiji and Akainu!
Taro immediately brightened upon hearing their voices.
Holy crap, I searched for you guys forever and couldn't find you. So you were down in the ground!
"In front of my magma, your ice won't be any more than my..."
"Rumble, bang!"
Just as Akainu was speaking, the immense energy woven together by the three of them finally refused to be confined to the small space and exploded.
The powerful shockwave instantly cleared the surface area for several kilometers around. After the devastating sweep, the entire ground looked as if it had been sliced, level as a mirror!
In the center of the mirror-like surface was a gigantic crater, half frost and half magma!
Taro was dumbfounded. Aokiji and Akainu, who were underground, naturally also noticed that something seemed off.
In the half-frost area, ice blocks slowly rose, condensing into the form of Aokiji.
In the other half-magma area, the magma boiled and churned, and Akainu also stood up.
They first glanced over the battlefield, then simultaneously noticed Taro hovering in the air to the side.
Akainu's face darkened. He looked up and shouted, "Taro, what are you doing here? What have you done?"
Aokiji also looked at Taro with a dark expression, then glanced at the stripped surface area of the research facility. After a brief thought, he understood.
Taro also realized then that he seemed to have accidentally stumbled into the middle of their fight.
Listening to Aokiji, it seemed he wanted to destroy the island by shattering its core.
And Akainu was clearly trying to stop Aokiji from doing so.
Taro awkwardly descended. "Uh, Vice Admiral Tsuru asked me to come take a look."
Fearing they might misunderstand, he quickly waved his hands and said, "It's true! If you don't believe me, go back and ask Vice Admiral Tsuru. Also, if you want to keep fighting, go ahead. I'll remain neutral and won't help either of you!"
Akainu looked at Taro, then glanced at the massive fissure on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "This... did you do this?"
Taro's mouth twitched. He scratched his head. "It was an accident! You can't blame it all on me; both of you played a part!"
Holy crap, I really didn't expect you two were competing underground!
Akainu actually nodded upon hearing this. "Hmm, you did very well!"
"Huh?" Taro was dumbfounded. What are you talking about?
"Kuzan, now your extreme frost will continuously dissipate through those fissures. Your plan has failed. Aren't you going to give up?"
Akainu stopped paying attention to Taro and turned to look at Aokiji.
Aokiji's expression returned to its lazy look, and he also glanced at Taro. "Although destroying this island is now impossible, it wasn't entirely in vain, was it?"
How could Taro not understand now that he had ruined Aokiji's major plan? He was instantly stunned.
However, he quickly remembered that even without his interference, according to the original plot development, Aokiji didn't succeed in the end anyway.
Thinking this way, Taro's guilt dissipated considerably.
"Ahem, gentlemen, how about we call this fight off?" Taro coughed lightly and asked tentatively.
"Taro, there are some things you don't understand!" Aokiji gently shook his head.
Akainu also shook his head and said, "Taro, you should go back now!"
If I don't understand, why don't you tell me? Taro felt a headache coming on.
Seeing that Taro had no intention of leaving, Akainu's face darkened. "Hurry up and leave!"
Aokiji tapped his forehead. "You've seen what you needed to see. Go!"
Holy crap, I didn't see anything!
Taro looked utterly confused, and then he heard Aokiji say another sentence:
"I heard you were following Zephyr to clear out pirates earlier. Was it because Zephyr went to see Vegapunk that you had time to come here?"
Huh? The person Teacher Zephyr went to see was Vegapunk?
Hearing the information Aokiji deliberately revealed to him, Taro's heart stirred. Akainu's face opposite them grew even darker. "Aren't you leaving yet?"
Taro rubbed his face. "Gentlemen, we can discuss this peacefully, why must... Holy crap!"
Taro was just about to ease the tension and ask for details about Zephyr and Vegapunk.
But Aokiji and Akainu simultaneously blasted a punch towards Taro. He had no choice but to leap up and fly into the sky.
"Then you two can take your time fighting!"
He shouted angrily and flew into the distance.
Taro couldn't quite decide how to evaluate Aokiji and Akainu.
That fellow Akainu is cold-blooded and volatile, determining good and evil based on position—he is truly detestable.
Aokiji is much gentler, understanding that good and evil vary depending on one's perspective, making him easier to accept.
However, with the Four Seas in turmoil, most pirates are indeed notorious criminals who deserve death.
Aokiji's gentle methods are too slow to take effect, while Akainu's ruthless methods leave major side effects.
"Sigh, this is difficult!" Taro sighed.
However, today's events made Taro realize that the conflict between the two seemed to be more than just a simple struggle for the Fleet Admiral position.
It looked like Aokiji knew what that research facility was used for.
So, did Akainu know or not?
If Akainu didn't know, his obstruction of Aokiji might have been at the behest of the World Government.
If he did know, then his continued actions are very intriguing.
This research facility was left behind by Doctor Vegapunk. Although it is now being used by Caesar for evil experiments, Vegapunk is not Caesar.
Compared to Caesar's research, Vegapunk's experiments were certainly astonishing—such as modifying "Tyrant" Kuma, researching Lineage Factor and Devil Fruits, etc.—but overall, they retained some semblance of humanity.
Caesar's experimental results, when created, were practically a bunch of monsters.
Did the conflict between the two involve Vegapunk?
Furthermore, Aokiji deliberately mentioning Vegapunk was clearly meant to hint this to Taro.
In that case, the entire matter is worth scrutinizing.
Perhaps it's time to go meet the marvelous Doctor Vegapunk!
But not now!
Thinking this, Taro pulled an Eternal Pose out of his pocket.
It was the compass Betty had given him when he left Elmal District, pointing toward the Revolutionary Army base, White Earth Island—Baltigo.
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