AN: This is my take on the events surrounding the Ten Day Admiral Duel on Punk Hazard, through the eyes of Kuzan aka Admiral Aokiji.
Disclaimer: One Piece and all characters (Except for OCs) belong to Echiro Oda. Props to him for being a badass.
HAZARD
Of Fire, Of Ice
Prologue: Lava Exhausts
The barbarous, splitting pain gnawed away at his lava-slathered thigh, the jarring dolor all that kept the Admiral's blurring consciousness afloat in a roaring sea of onerous fatigue. His left leg had been devoured by the ravenous molten rock, leaving this useless stump in its wake. Assessing his current condition, he sighed, his icy breath freezing the bits of volcanic ash falling around him. So this is how it ends, huh? Another sigh. An island abandoned after one of Vegapunk's failed science fair projects is gonna be my grave? He smiled at the cruel irony. So uncool. He'd miss Garp's cookies, Smoker's cigars, and his deep conversations with Sengoku. Sengoku. His worn out mind drifted off towards his superior. Sorry, boss. Your lazy kid picked a really good time to go off and be a stubborn bastard.
The sloshy, bubbly crackle of boiling magma continued to get louder, the menacing stomps of heavy boots making short work of the glacier-like ice blocks. About time he got here. As if replying to the Admiral's thought, the lava splattered onto the right side of his neck, right shoulder, and torso began to sizzle mercilessly. He grunted, the smell of burning flesh churning his stomach. I'm definitely going to feel this later. He thought even further. Would there even be a 'later'? Probably not, he concluded nonchalantly. In all the years he'd known Sakazuki or 'Akainu', as the Navy had christened him, mercy and compassion had never been his friends, let alone even passing acquaintances. The Admiral braced himself for the worst. Lying on the molten ground, he desperately willed arctic chill to flow out from his inner being, feeling the sensation of seared skin changing into living frigidity. Might as well go out with some kind of a bang. He thought.
"Save your breath, Kuzan." A gruff voice barked. With half his body now a chunk of icy glaze, Kuzan made the excruciating effort of turning his neck towards his opponent. Though the arctic covering made his magma seared wounds cooled off, the anguish of feeling the tender burns freeze filled him with nausea. Allowing his vision to steady, he took a look at his adversary. Sakazuki's face was riddled with deep purple bruises, his left eye bruised completely shut. His chest was strewn with scarlet-caked contusions. Frostbite had eaten away at his chest and stomach, chunks of torso unable to retain their magma form. Sakazuki's flower-laced tribal tattoo oozed deep red as the Admiral willed magma to heat up his frozen skin.
"I was wondering when you'd finally finish me, Sak." Kuzan quipped hoarsely, fully aware of how much Sakazuki hated being called that. Kuzan's throat was parched; these ten days of uninterrupted elemental struggle had done more than a number on his body.
Akainu scowled in annoyance at the mention of the nickname the rival Admiral had made for him. "It's always playtime for you, isn't it, Kuzan." The overwhelming din of fervently boiling, crackling, sizzling basalt filled the atmosphere, the ashy smoke sticking its pumice stained fingers up the sprawled Admiral's nostrils. Kuzan coughed in response, feeling the malicious aura emanating from his lava-drenched opponent. He let out an icy sigh. I guess it's my time. How uncool.
I don't know what it is with me and heat lately, but my two One Piece fanfics have both started off with characters experiencing extreme burns.
Anyways, how'd I do? Are you looking forward to seeing the grueling battle that put Admiral Aokiji in this excruciating agony?
Pick up the Den Den Mushi and Read & Review!
This will be a short fic so I'm going to try to update this pretty frequently.
While you're waiting (Especially if you're a fan of Monkey D. Dragon) check out my Dragons of the Void Century (my much longer project).
I'll see you guys later!