"I didn't expect this world to have someone of this level of power."
Looking down at Aokiji—who had just frozen the entire sea with a single technique—Madara's eyes lit up with genuine interest.
An ice-based jutsu?
He remembered that the ninja world had once seen the Ice Release kekkei genkai, but its power was nowhere near this.
Could this be an ability unique to this world?
While Madara was still observing curiously, Aokiji—having just prevented the destruction of the ships and loss of life—breathed a small sigh of relief, then finally looked up at the man standing atop the massive wooden tendrils.
His voice was cold, laced with suppressed fury.
"Was it you who destroyed Impel Down?"
For once, Aokiji was truly angry. What was supposed to be a simple communication errand had turned into witnessing the total annihilation of the world's most secure prison.
Was he supposed to take the blame for this?
Seeing Aokiji's furious expression, Madara's lips curled into a grin, and he suddenly changed his mind.
It had been far too long since he'd encountered someone strong enough to be interesting. Now that he'd regained his youthful body, testing it against such a foe didn't sound like a bad idea.
After all, if he wanted to leave… who could stop him?
"It was me," Madara answered without hesitation.
Aokiji's fury briefly faded, replaced by a calm focus. But the glint in his eyes revealed that it wasn't true composure—it was a calculated calm before battle.
Yes, a battle.
Exhaling frosty breath, Aokiji raised his hand into the mist. The white haze condensed rapidly, forming a crystalline longsword of ice over a meter in length.
"In that case... I can't let you go."
His voice was frigid.
With a burst of astonishing leg strength, Aokiji leapt skyward—crossing over a hundred meters in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Madara, slashing down with his ice blade.
Clang!
The blade was stopped by the curved edge of a scythe.
The weapon in Madara's hand was originally paired with the Uchiha clan's Gunbai fan, but after his aging, it had been repurposed as a walking stick and stayed with him. When he was transported to this world, the Gunbai hadn't come along—but fortunately, the scythe had.
With both hands gripping the shaft, Madara pushed against Aokiji's ice sword with a savage grin.
"Not bad at all."
As he spoke, the red three-tomoe Sharingan spun into motion—unleashing an invisible wave of spiritual energy.
Genjutsu: Sharingan!
Only someone from this world would dare to stare directly into a Uchiha's eyes during battle, unaware of the Sharingan's illusion-casting abilities.
Caught off guard, Aokiji's mind wavered under the sudden mental assault, and his grip loosened on his sword.
*(TL/N - I know that this is a WTF moment. Unless the author itself know what he is doing or he is... Meh. Just think of this as AU naruto getting buffed😐)
Madara took the opening.
With a swift motion, he pulled back the scythe and slashed at Aokiji's neck without hesitation.
Swish!
Time seemed to freeze. Aokiji's head was severed cleanly and began to fall.
Madara's eyes narrowed with contempt.
So this was the strength of this world? Pathetic. Truly pathetic.
But then, something unexpected happened.
From the severed neck, frost bloomed across the open wound. In the next second, the head and body reconnected seamlessly, as if nothing had happened.
"A clone? No... what kind of ability is this?"
Before Madara could ponder further, Aokiji had already snapped out of the genjutsu. He leapt back quickly, his eyes wary.
What had just happened?
He'd been hypnotized, losing focus for a moment during battle—a rookie mistake. If the enemy had possessed Haki, he might've died just now!
"I mustn't look into his eyes," Aokiji warned himself.
"This guy is immune to physical attacks," Madara noted.
Both of them instantly assessed the situation and began adjusting their strategies.
The first clash had ended in a draw—both unfamiliar with the other's techniques.
Adapting quickly, Aokiji tossed aside his ice blade. Rather than risking another illusion in close combat, he extended his palm forward, splaying five fingers.
Cold air rapidly condensed.
In a flash, a massive ice-bird formed, wings outstretched. It flapped forcefully and soared toward Madara like a guided missile—carrying explosive momentum and bone-chilling frost.
Wherever it passed, even Madara's Wood Style roots froze solid.
Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!
Dodging was nearly impossible. The ice bird tracked its target with precision and struck like a missile.
But Madara didn't plan on dodging.
Having deduced Aokiji's immunity to physical attacks, Madara instead began forming hand seals at lightning speed. The moment the bird completed its form, he finished his jutsu.
Opening his mouth slightly, he released a torrent of blazing fire—forming a massive spear of flames.
The scorching heat shot forward like a pillar of destruction.
Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!
The fire arrow and ice bird collided midair—erupting in an explosion of steam and light.
The ice bird shattered into a rain of crystals, melting into brilliant droplets midair.
The fire arrow also burst apart, scattering embers across the battlefield. Trees nearby were ignited, slowly burning.
This clash again resulted in a stalemate.
Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating!
Madara's Sharingan widened, and a fervent grin spread across his face. Without hesitation, he launched another assault.
As Indra's reincarnation and descendant, the thirst for battle ran in Madara's blood. It was part of why he craved power.
Now, faced with a worthy opponent, his fighting spirit surged.
This time, he used another Fire Style technique.
Not only because Wood Style was ineffective due to being a physical attack…
But also because Madara had observed with his Sharingan that whenever fire met ice, the latter would melt and weaken significantly.
This man's "ice" was clearly countered by "fire."
And conveniently, Madara's true specialty wasn't Wood Style—it was Fire Style.
The Uchiha crest itself was modeled after a fan to fan the flames of fire.
Fire Style: Dragon Flame Caterwaul!
Four scorching fireballs burst from Madara's mouth, transforming into four fierce fire dragons that charged at Aokiji from different angles.
Unfazed, Aokiji calmly gathered cold air to counter.
Though his ice was weaker against fire, he wasn't about to concede defeat.
Meanwhile…
Back on the ground, Magellan—the newly appointed Warden of Impel Down—had just finished confirming the safety of the surviving guards and ordered an emergency rescue of those trapped under the ice.
Then, he rose to his feet, glaring at the man battling atop the massive wooden tendrils.
"To destroy Impel Down so brazenly… unforgivable!"
His furious voice echoed across the ice.
Corrosive venom began to drip from his melting body, burning holes through the frozen surface with each drop.
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Remove the parentheses btw