Simultaneous Time Travel: What Villain? I'm the Protagonist!

Seawater was still pouring into the crack.

Aokiji crouched at the edge of the crevice, his right hand pressed against the churning sea.

"The Ice Age—"

A burst of cold air erupted from his palm, freezing the very air. White frost spread wildly outwards from him, freezing the cascading seawater, the sliding boulders, and the entire crumbling fortress.

"Click—click—"

Huge blocks of ice rose wildly from the seabed, forcefully holding up the sinking Marineford.

Aokiji stood up, exhaling a long white breath. He shook his hand, watching the white light that had descended from the sky slowly land in the distance, and watching the giant bird that blotted out the sun transform back into human form.

He looked at Sheng Ren.

Sheng Ren also looked at him.

On the ruins, cranes are frantically digging through the rubble.

"Warring States Period! Where's the Warring States Period?! Where are the people?! Dig them all up!"

A dozen or so marines followed behind her, their hands bleeding as they desperately pried open the massive stone slabs. After digging more than ten meters deep, they finally saw the golden hand.

The golden statue from the Warring States period has been completely shattered. The person lies in the ruins, covered in blood, with barely any movement in his chest.

"Quick! Get him out! Medical team!"

The marines hurriedly carried him out. Tsuru stood by, looking at the aged face and the deep, bone-revealing wounds, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Someone shouted again in the distance.

"Where is Admiral Akainu?! Akainu! Has anyone seen Akainu?!"

No one answered.

That direction led directly to the deepest part of the crack—right below the opening Sheng Ren had smashed through. The seawater had completely submerged that area, leaving only a pitch-black abyss.

The crane closed its eyes.

"Send a few people," her voice was dry, "to search."

Looking at that cold abyss, everyone knew that the chances of Admiral Akainu still being alive were very slim.

Aokiji took a step forward.

The ice beneath his feet extended forward with each step, crackling and sputtering.

"Shengren".

Sheng Ren stood at the highest point of the ruins, looking down at him.

Aokiji stopped, standing ten meters away, his hands hanging at his sides, but he didn't relax at all.

"Marineford," he said, "a centuries-old fortress, and you've smashed it."

Sheng Ren didn't say anything.

Aokiji raised his head and stared at him.

Do you know what this means?

Sheng Ren looked down at him and finally spoke.

"What does that mean?"

Aokiji took a step forward, and the ice beneath his feet cracked open with a snap.

"It means order," his voice was deep, without anger, only something that had been suppressed for a long time, "it means that from today onwards, this sea will have no rules."

Sheng Ren smiled.

That smile was cold.

"Rules?" He pointed to the sinking ruins beneath his feet. "Whose rules? The Celestial Dragons'?"

Aokiji didn't reply.

Sheng Ren continued, his voice growing louder: "This fortress you've guarded for eight hundred years, what have you been guarding? Those beasts who treat living people like toys? Or those civilians who are beaten to death in the street if they're not slow to kneel?"

Aokiji clenched his fists.

"You blew up Mary Geoise," he said, "and killed the Celestial Dragons. I saw the civilians cheering."

He paused.

"But have you considered what the pirates on the high seas might do using this opportunity?"

Sheng Ren looked at him.

Are you afraid of pirates?

Aokiji did not answer.

Sheng Ren took a step forward, jumped off the ruins, and landed five meters in front of him.

"I'm not afraid," he said. "If one comes, I'll kill one. If ten thousand come, I'll kill ten thousand."

Aokiji stared at him.

“You’re not doing this for the sake of order,” Sheng Ren said. “You’re doing it for convenience. You don’t have to think so much, and you can sleep soundly just by listening to what the higher-ups say.”

Ice began to form on Aokiji's hands. The ice spread from his fingertips to the back of his hands, to his elbows, making a crackling sound.

Sheng Ren didn't stop.

"You ask me why I destroyed this place?" He raised his hand, pointing to the sinking ruins behind Aokiji, "Because this is the rock that's crushing those people!"

His voice rolled across the ruins like muffled thunder.

"I smashed it, and then those people could finally catch their breath!"

Aokiji remained silent for three seconds.

Three seconds later, he looked up.

There was no anger or murderous intent in those eyes, only a resolute conviction.

"I'm not protecting the Celestial Dragons."

He spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I'm protecting the ordinary people on this vast sea. They don't care who's in power; they just want to live—to live to eat, to live to sleep, and to live to see tomorrow's sun."

He raised his hand, and an ice blade grew out of his palm, three meters long, gleaming with a chilling light.

"You wrecked Marineford today," he said, "and tomorrow, those pirates will be wrecking ordinary villages."

He took a step forward.

"So, you have to stay."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a dark figure leaped out of the ruins!

Somaz!

He had been hiding deep within the ruins, holding his breath, waiting for this moment.

The knife was coated with jet-black Armament Haki, so black it gleamed, and the tip was aimed straight at Sheng Ren's head—there were no fancy tricks, it was purely for killing!

Sheng Ren didn't even turn his head.

But he moved.

He shifted half a foot to the side, letting the knife graz his ear. The blade sliced ​​through the air, the resulting gust of wind stinging his face. At the same time, his right hand shot back, fingers spread wide, gripping Somaz's wrist that was holding the knife like an iron clamp.

Somaz's expression changed drastically, and he tried to pull his hand away—

I can't pull it out.

Sheng Ren pulled him forward and punched him in the face with his left hand.

"Bang!"

The punch landed squarely, sending Somaz flying backward. His nose snapped instantly, blood gushing out and arcing through the air. But he didn't retreat. Using the force of the punch, he flipped backward, spun in mid-air, and landed ten meters away.

He stood firm.

He wiped the blood from his face, looked at Sheng Ren, and saw no fear in his eyes, only madness.

"So fast."

Sheng Ren glanced at him.

"You're not slow either."

Somaz pounced again!

This time he was even faster. The flashes of the blades were so continuous that it was impossible to tell which strike was real and which was fake—all were killing moves, each aimed at a vital point!

Sheng Ren stood still, his hands flying, deflecting each and every blade of light.

The knife and the fist collided, producing a dull thud like raindrops.

three seconds.

Five seconds.

ten seconds.

Somaz suddenly stopped wielding his knife.

It wasn't that he wanted to stop.

It was Shengren who grabbed his knife.

Sheng Ren gripped the blade tightly, staring at Somaz as the blade cut into his palm, blood dripping down between his fingers.

Somaz gritted his teeth, mustered all his strength, and tried to draw his sword—

I can't pull it out.

Sheng Ren looked at him.

"this one?"

Somaz's eyes widened.

Sheng Ren exerted his strength.

"Click."

The knife broke.

Half of the blade flew out and embedded itself in the ruins ten meters away, vibrating with a buzzing sound.

Somaz, holding the broken half of the knife, paused for a moment.

In that instant, Sheng Ren's fist landed on his face.

Somaz was sent flying backward, crashing through a broken wall, then a second, then a third—finally burying himself in a pile of rubble, where he remained motionless.

He had just flown off when Aokiji arrived.

The ice blades cleaved down, carrying a chill that could crack bones, and ice shards condensed in the air!

Sheng Ren dodged to the side, but the ice blade slashed past him, the cold air brushing against his face like a knife scraping.

Aokiji's second strike has arrived.

The third cut.

The fourth cut.

His strikes were faster than Somaz's, each one blocking Shengren's escape route and forcing him to take the blows head-on.

Sheng Ren took seven stabs.

When he received the eighth cut, a thin layer of ice formed on his right hand.

He glanced down at it.

The ice was climbing up, from the fingers to the wrist, and from the wrist to the forearm.

Aokiji didn't give him time to see, and the ninth slash arrived. This slash was faster and more ruthless, aimed straight at his heart!

Sheng Ren smashed the ice in his hand with a punch, sending ice shards flying everywhere, while simultaneously kicking Aokiji in the abdomen.

Aokiji sheathed his sword and jumped back.

The distance between the two increased to ten meters.

Sheng Ren looked down at his right hand—the ice was broken, but his fingertips were still a little stiff and not very flexible.

He clenched his fist, and white flames rose from his palm. With a flick of his wrist, the stiffness vanished instantly.

He looked up at Aokiji.

"It's cold enough."

Aokiji did not answer.

He simply gripped the ice skates in his hand tighter.

Just then, a beam of light shone from the horizon.

The light was so fast that it was invisible to the naked eye. It shone straight down from the sea and landed on the tallest broken pillar in the ruins.

The light dissipated.

Kizaru stood atop the broken pillar, hands in his pockets, tilting his head to look down.

"Oh dear," he drawled, "it's quite lively."

Sheng Ren looked up at him.

Kizaru jumped down from the broken pillar and landed next to Aokiji. He still walked with that lazy, sleepy gait.

He looked at Sheng Ren for three seconds.

"Brother Shengren," he said, "that time you hit me, it really hurt me badly."

Sheng Ren looked at Kizaru:

"A healing fruit? Or some other similar ability?"

Kizaru smiled but did not answer.

"Today, I will repay you for what you owed in the past, with interest."

He raised his hand, and a blinding light shone from his fingertips.

Somaz crawled out of the ruins.

His face was covered in blood, and his clothes were tattered, but when he stood up straight, his chin was held higher than anyone else's. He picked up the broken knife from the ground, held it in his hand, pointed the tip at Sheng Ren, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Shengren," he said, "you're not leaving today."

Sheng Ren glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Somaz took a step forward, and the broken sword was coated with another layer of Armament Haki.

"The Knights of God will be here soon," he said, emphasizing each word. "Commander Garin will be leading the team himself; all seven knights are coming. How many can you possibly fight alone?"

His voice grew louder and louder, carrying an innate sense of superiority.

"You think smashing Mary Geoise is the end of it? You think killing a few Celestial Dragons means you've won?" He sneered. "Those lowly commoners are dead, but the Knights of God are the true—"

"Stop talking."

Aokiji suddenly spoke.

Somaz paused for a moment, then turned to look at him.

Aokiji didn't turn around; his eyes were still fixed on Seijin, but his brows were furrowed tightly.

"Don't talk about these things during the battle," he said.

Somaz's expression changed.

"What do you mean?"

Aokiji did not answer.

Kizaru stood to the side, his eyes narrowed, his face still bearing that lazy expression. But the corners of his mouth were slightly turned down.

Just that little bit.

Somaz saw it.

His face flushed red instantly.

"You two—" he pointed at Aokiji and Kizaru, "Don't forget who you are! Without the World Government, without us Celestial Dragons, could you have become Admirals?!"

Aokiji didn't say anything.

Kizaru didn't say anything either.

But Aokiji gripped the ice blade in his hand even tighter.

It wasn't directed at Sheng Ren.

It's facing the ground.

Somaz was about to say something more when a burst of laughter suddenly came from afar.

"Kula la la la la—"

The laughter was so loud that it shook the rubble on the ruins, causing everyone to turn their heads.

On the sea, a huge whale ship is cutting through the waves.

Moby Dick.

A giant stood at the bow of the ship.

Whitebeard.

He held a naginata in his hand and had an IV drip attached to his body, but standing there, he was like a mountain.

"The Knights of God?" the white-bearded man spoke, his voice rumbling like thunder across the ruins. "They can't come."

Somaz's expression changed.

"What did you say?"

Whitebeard jumped off the ship and landed on the edge of the ruins. The whole island trembled when he landed.

He straightened up, looked at Somaz, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Gurararara, those guys ran into Linlin and Kaido at sea."

Somaz's pupils contracted sharply.

"What—"

"Charlotte Linlin said she wanted that kid," Whitebeard took a step forward, "Kaido said he wanted what that kid had. The two groups started fighting, and the Knights of God just happened to stumble in."

He laughed again.

"That sea is now filled with storms and thunder; even gods can't get through."

Somaz's face turned pale.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

Whitebeard didn't look at him again.

He turned his head and looked at the shadow of the person in the gray cloth short jacket in the center of the ruins.

"Kid," he said, "Marco told me your terms."

Sheng Ren looked at him.

Whitebeard took another step forward, standing in front of Aokiji and Kizaru like a wall.

"A space-type fruit," he said, "I promise you."

Aokiji moved his hand slightly.

The white-bearded man looked down at him.

"Kuzan brat," he said, "I don't want to fight you today."

Aokiji didn't say anything.

Whitebeard then looked at Kizaru.

"Borsalino, you don't want to fight either, do you?"

Kizaru squinted and didn't answer, but the light at his fingertips slowly dimmed.

Somaz panicked.

"You! What do you want?! He's a criminal! He's an enemy of the World Government! You—"

"Shut up."

Aokiji suddenly spoke.

Somaz was stunned.

Aokiji didn't look at him; his eyes were still fixed on Whitebeard. He was furious and wished he could tear Sheng Ren to pieces, but he knew that even if Garp rushed back, and even if the Holy Land still had fighting power, the 100,000 marines would be wiped out in one fell swoop when faced with the combined forces of Sheng Ren and Whitebeard.

"Gentlemen, how about we do you a favor and call a truce?"

Whitebeard's words were like a sharp blade, piercing through the smoke-filled battlefield.

Suddenly, the cry of a crane rang out in the distance.

"it is good."

Everyone turned to look at her.

The crane stood on the ruins, covered in blood, but standing straight.

"Today's battle was big enough."

She stared at Aokiji and Kizaru:

"Sengoku and Akainu's fates are unknown, Marineford is half sunk, should we continue fighting?"

Aokiji didn't say anything.

Kizaru didn't say anything either.

The crane looked at the white-bearded man.

"Whitebeard, the Navy admits defeat today."

Somaz panicked:

"How...how dare you!"

The crane turned to look at him.

That one glance made Somaz take a step back.

"Saint Somaz," Tsuru's voice was cold, "if you still want to fight, go ahead. The Navy is not going to play along."

The white-bearded man grinned and turned to look at Sheng Ren.

"Brother Shengren, come with me. Today you sank Marineford, and Sengoku and Akainu are both in mortal danger because of you. You've gotten your revenge."

Sheng Ren looked at him for three seconds:

Why?

The white-bearded man laughed:

"Sachi is dead," he said. "I watched that boy grow up."

He paused.

"Ace went after Teach, and there's still no news."

His voice trailed off.

"My ship can't be any shorter, so I don't want to fight anymore. Of course, if you insist on fighting, I'll play along."

Sheng Ren didn't say anything.

The white-bearded man took a step forward and stood in front of him.

"I agree to your conditions," he said. "Cure my illness, and I'll help you find a space-type fruit."

He stretched out his hand.

"Come with me."