As Koa looked at the person in front of him, magma began to bubble and flow from his body, coating both his right and left hands. In that moment, he resembled Akainu, though without the full benefit of elemental intangibility. The young man responded instantly, launching another freezing attack—this time, the ice was noticeably thicker. But Koa's magma clashed against it with ease, melting it back in a hiss of steam and smoke.
Koa advanced, preparing a punch—not using Haki, nor his full strength, just pure magma power at roughly 20% of his capacity. The man didn't flinch. He charged in as well, transforming his right hand into ice and forming an ice sword in his left.
Their clash came quickly and fiercely. Koa unleashed compressed magma that exploded in a small-scale volcanic blast, while the ice sword struck his magma-covered arm, briefly freezing it before the intense heat shattered the frost.
Koa followed up with a magma punch that slammed into the man, sending him flying into a cluster of trees, which cracked and fell from the force.
"HAHAHAHA! You're good—that's why I'm extending my invitation again!" Koa laughed madly, the thrill of battle coursing through him.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want to become a pirate," the man said seriously, brushing the frost from his coat.
"You'll change your mind… boy," Koa replied, still grinning.
"My name's Kuzan, not 'boy.' And I'm older than you," the man snapped back. That name—Kuzan—sparked a glint in Koa's eye. He knew what this man would become: a future Marine admiral who'd one day battle Akainu for the soul of justice.
"How about a bet, Kuzan?" Koa said suddenly, voice rising with challenge.
"A bet? About what?" Kuzan asked, clearly intrigued despite himself.
"If I win this fight, you join me. If you win, I'll leave you alone," Koa stated, locking eyes with him.
"And why would I agree to that?" Kuzan questioned.
"Oh, you've got no idea how annoying I can be once I set my mind on something. At least this way, you get a chance to fight and be done with it," Koa replied with a wide, confident grin.
"…Fine," Kuzan said after a pause. "I accept your bet."
He assumed Koa's confidence came purely from his Devil Fruit powers.
But Koa? He was grinning for another reason entirely—he had no intention of fighting Kuzan at full power. He was going to handicap himself just enough to make this fight fun.
Kuzan made the first move, turning the entire landscape into ice. Koa allowed it, giving Kuzan the advantage without complaint, simply observing as the frozen terrain spread. Kuzan then took a massive chunk of ice and hurled it toward Koa. Koa calmly punched through it, magma hissing on contact, as he continued walking forward.
In response, Kuzan summoned compressed balls of ice and launched them rapidly. This time, Koa raised his magma-covered arms to block the incoming attacks, neutralizing each one with sizzling heat. Without breaking stride, he began running toward Kuzan.
Kuzan leapt into the air, conjuring a massive bird made entirely of ice. Koa grinned at the spectacle, then formed a giant snake-shaped construct of magma, sending it to clash with the icy bird. While Kuzan was focused on defending against the magma serpent, Koa quietly prepared another strike from a different angle.
He conjured a magma spear and hurled it with precision. The weapon struck Kuzan in the side, catching him off guard and knocking him into the air. Seizing the moment, Koa leapt up and closed the distance, delivering a devastating punch infused with a concentrated magma explosion.
The blow connected directly. Kuzan, unable to react in time or conjure a shield, took the full brunt of the attack. The force of the impact sent him crashing to the ground below. Koa followed swiftly, slamming another magma-infused punch into Kuzan's body as he hit the ground.
The earth beneath them cracked and trembled under the pressure. Koa paused, his fist still smoldering, as he sensed Kuzan's breath growing weaker.
After a few minutes, Kuzan emerged from the rubble, his bloodied body staggering upright. He coughed violently, blood dripping from his mouth, yet his eyes locked onto Koa with fierce determination—he was far from finished.
"Come on… I'm not done yet," Kuzan said, raising his hands to guard his torso while hastily patching himself up with ice.
Koa watched him silently, visibly impressed.
'No wonder he becomes an admiral in the future… his willpower is incredible—especially at this stage of his life, when he still holds onto that burning passion to shape the world,' Koa thought. As he readied himself, his mind drifted to a similar battle: Zoro versus Mihawk. Despite the overwhelming difference in strength, Mihawk still honored Zoro by fighting with his full might. Koa decided it was time he did the same.
"I see," Koa said. "Forgive me for underestimating you. You've done everything you can to fight me with everything you've got, while I've been holding back. If I truly want to recruit you—and if I want you to respect me—I must first show you my own respect… by going all out."
As Koa's words left his lips, his entire aura shifted. The air around him grew heavy, oppressive. Even Kuzan, bruised and battered, felt the terrifying weight of it. Gone was the cocky pirate who had approached him with an offer. Standing before him now was something else—something monstrous. A being who would crush anything that stood between him and his goals.
Kuzan acted on instinct, freezing the ground where Koa stood—but it was already too late.
Koa vanished from sight.
Kuzan's eyes darted around, searching—until a shadow swallowed the sunlight. He looked up.
High above, Koa was descending, his fist cocked back and radiating a terrifying power.
"Divine Rupture," Koa muttered.
In that moment, Koa unleashed everything—advanced Conqueror's Haki, advanced Armament Haki, and the destructive quake force of his Devil Fruit, all fused into one devastating strike.
Kuzan reacted instantly, surrounding himself in multiple thick layers of ice in a desperate attempt to block the blow.
It wasn't enough.
The moment Koa's fist connected, a cataclysmic explosion erupted. The ground beneath them shattered, and the entire section of the island was obliterated. A shockwave roared across the landscape, shaking the entire island to its core.