One Piece: Kaido's adopted son, starts with the Eight Gates Formation.

"Spirit particles can be frozen?" Hasward finally showed a hint of surprise.

"I'm not freezing spirit particles," Aokiji said. "I'm freezing 'movement' itself."

The awakened power of the Ice-Ice Fruit is not limited to water molecules, but directly freezes the kinetic energy of matter. Even though spirit particles are special, they are still in motion, and that motion can be frozen.

Hasward's entire right arm was sealed in a transparent ice coffin.

"Perfect balance—" He prepared to activate his ability to return the frozen damage to Aokiji.

The ice has indeed disappeared.

But it wasn't Haschward who made it disappear. Rather, the Aokiji refreeze at the very moment the ice disappeared.

"You think I didn't see what you said to that fire kid just now?" Aokiji's tone was lazy. "'Damage retribution'? Then I'll keep freezing you. Every time you retribute, I'll freeze you again. Let's see who runs out of strength first."

Hasward's expression turned grim.

His "perfect balance" can indeed return damage, but each return consumes spiritual pressure. If the opponent keeps inflicting the same damage, he will have to keep returning it—and his spiritual pressure is limited.

"You're draining me."

"Hmm," Aokiji admitted, "I'm better at long battles. After all, I'm a rather lazy person and don't like quick wins."

Meanwhile, Yhwach's battle with Hawkeye and Jhin continues.

Yhwach, fighting two opponents, held the upper hand but couldn't quickly defeat them. Hawkeye's swordsmanship was too exquisite; every strike aimed straight for vital points, forcing Yhwach to remain focused. Jhin, meanwhile, constantly harassed him from the air; while his blue flames couldn't harm Yhwach, they successfully restricted his movement.

"You're stalling for time," Yhwach saw through their intentions.

"Otherwise what?" Hawkeye retorted.

Yhwach was right. They were stalling for time—waiting for Kaido and Lynn to return from Avici Hell.

But Yhwach will not give them that chance.

"Honorable departed!"

His voice resounded throughout the Spirit King Palace, and an invisible power emanated from his body.

The holy runes on all the Sternritter members present began to glow—then disappeared.

Their abilities were reclaimed.

Bazzby's flames went out. The other knights' special abilities also vanished. Horrified expressions appeared on their faces, and the pain of their power being drained caused them to kneel on the ground.

"Your Majesty, you—" a knight asked, trembling.

Yhwach ignored them.

All the recovered power converged into Yhwach's body, his spiritual pressure surged, and black patterns spread from deep within his skin to his body, transforming into a tangible black armor.

The triple cross-shaped pupils transformed into a new form—a composite eye filled with countless pupils.

"The power of the Spirit King, the second stage." Yhwach's voice changed, becoming deeper and more majestic, as if countless people were speaking at the same time.

Hawkeye gripped the knife tightly.

He could sense that the man in front of him had at least tripled his fighting power.

"Jhin," Hawkeye said in a low voice.

"I know." Jin also felt the pressure.

"retreat--"

Yhwach disappeared.

The next instant, Hawkeye's world flipped.

He saw a gigantic hand, its palm brimming with black Spirit King power, slapping towards his face.

Hawkeye didn't have time to draw his sword.

His palm slapped onto another knife.

Red-haired Shanks appeared in front of Hawkeye at some point, holding Griffin in one hand and blocking Yhwach's attack.

The shockwave spread in all directions, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground of the Spirit King Palace.

"What brings you here?" Hawkeye asked.

The red-haired man's expression was serious: "I've said it before, my Observation Haki is the strongest."

He looked at Yhwach, whose complex eye reminded him of some unpleasant memories.

"You are Shanks." Yhwach's composite eye stared at Shanks, its countless pupils turning simultaneously, trying to predict Shanks' actions.

But the future of the redhead—like Lynn's—was also a blank in his eyes.

No, it's not entirely blank.

There is a blurry image.

An image of a three-year-old child sitting at the highest point of the Spirit King's Palace, drinking AD calcium milk.

Yhwach understood—the redhead also carried the "gift" given to him by that child.