One Piece: Rinnegan Is My Golden Finger.

Marineford – In Front of Marine Headquarters

Hawkeye and the other Warlords arrived at the location Chiga had given them, only to find him already standing at the edge of Marineford's perimeter wall.

Chiga had his back to them, his gaze fixed on the inner bay just outside the wall—an area roughly three hundred meters in diameter.

If he intended to use Susanoo later, this space would be more than sufficient.

Everyone looked around, puzzled by the lack of a proper battleground. Were they really going to fight right in front of the Marine Headquarters? Was Chiga planning to have this area redecorated?

Hawkeye, however, remained indifferent. If Chiga didn't care, neither did he. All that mattered was the battle.

He stepped forward, already prepared, and asked, "Can we start now?"

Chiga turned, a mysterious look in his eyes. "Of course. But I need to set the stage first."

"A proper environment? We're not fighting here?"

"No. This is Marine Headquarters. If anything gets broken, are you going to pay for it?"

"Uh…"

For once, Hawkeye looked slightly awkward. Paying the Marines for property damage? Ridiculous.

Chiga didn't expect Hawkeye to pay, of course. Still, he couldn't let the Headquarters be destroyed.

This place was his home in the one piece world now, and he wouldn't allow anyone to damage it.

Not even Hawkeye.

With that thought, Chiga began to float into the air. Hawkeye's hand instinctively reached behind his back and gripped the hilt of his black blade, Yoru. Tension crackled in the air.

Then—

Bang!

A loud impact shook the area as a large figure crashed down from above. It was Fleet Admiral Sengoku, having leapt from his office window.

He strode between the two warriors with authority, glaring at Hawkeye. "This is not the place for your battle. If you fight here, you're declaring war on the Marines!"

Hawkeye frowned and looked toward Chiga.

Chiga didn't hesitate. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku, there's no need to worry. Our fight won't damage a single brick of the Headquarters."

"Oh? And how exactly do you plan to manage that?"

Chiga smiled, and dark flames ignited in his hands—though they emitted no heat, only an unnatural, bone-deep cold.

Sengoku's eyes narrowed. He recognized the flames immediately. They came from the Nekomata Fruit—a Mythical Zoan he had personally entrusted to Chiga.

But why was he using it now?

Chiga offered no explanation. Sengoku would understand soon enough.

Using the power of the Deva Path, Chiga floated toward the sea as though he intended to plunge into it.

The Warlords were startled. Chiga was a Devil Fruit user—he should sink like a hammer!

Hancock gasped and stepped toward the edge, about to leap after him.

Sengoku quickly caught her arm.

"He's fine," Sengoku said calmly.

Hancock spun to glare at him. "What's wrong with you?! He's a Devil Fruit user! He can't swim!"

Sengoku looked confused. Hancock hated men. Why was she so worked up over Chiga?

Still, he explained, "Chiga is... different. He's not affected by seawater."

"Are you joking? That's not possible!"

"Look for yourself."

Reluctantly, Hancock looked down—then froze. Chiga stood atop the water as though it were solid ground.

Her breath caught, and her heart slowed. He was fine. That was all that mattered.

She didn't care how. Love didn't need logic.

Out on the sea, Chiga suddenly dropped to one knee. Black flames surged from his hands, pressing against the ocean surface.

A single tomoe in his right eye began to shimmer.

He spoke in his mind.

"Medis, have you had enough beauty sleep?"

A mature, sultry female voice echoed in his thoughts.

"Hehe, Master... I thought you'd forgotten me!"

It was the Nekomata, Medis—his creation, bound within his Rinnegan.

As Chiga's ocular power had grown, she had entered a long slumber, nourished by his immense chakra. Now, with his right eye's power stabilized, she stirred once more.

She had stubbornly ignored him since awakening, sulking in silence. But with one word—just one call—her will melted away like snow in spring.

"Medis, I'm going to fully unleash your power. Be ready."

"Oh? You mean the awakening? I'm always ready."

Chiga nodded to himself, relieved. Before awakening the Nekomata Fruit, he needed to make sure Medis would be unaffected.

Now, with her consent, he began.

Ocular energy surged into the tomoe embedded in his Rinnegan. The awakening had begun.

A spectral black yokai cat rose behind him, and ribbons of shadowy flame coiled around his form.

The temperature plummeted.

Even the Marineford soldiers began to shiver, mist rising from their breaths.

Sengoku's jaw clenched. This chilling pressure—it was reminiscent of Aokiji's Ice Age.

But this was no ice. This was flame. Freezing, cursed flame.

There was no doubt in his mind—Chiga had awakened the Nekomata Fruit.

And if reports were true, this might not even be his first awakened fruit.

Sengoku recalled Aokiji and Akainu's earlier reports—the Goro Goro no Mi was also suspected to have awakened.

A terrifying thought took root in his mind.

"Could Chiga... already have the power to take down a Yonko crew?!"

Unaware of the chaos in Sengoku's mind, Chiga calmly completed the transformation.

The pupil of his right Rinnegan was now a dancing black flame.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Realm of Extreme Cold."

Fwoooosh!

The sea exploded in ghostly black fire, roaring outward across the inner bay and beyond.

Then—

"Recede."

Just as quickly as they appeared, the flames vanished.

And in their place, the sea had frozen solid into a glistening, frost-covered plain.

Chiga reappeared on the wall beside the stunned Warlords.

He turned to Hawkeye with a calm smile.

"Well? Is this battleground to your liking?"

---

Bro just froze a big chunk of the sea and acted like it's nothing.