The seaside of an unnamed island...
"Hahaha, brat, let me show you my fishing skills. Even in the Marines, my fishing skills are top-notch!" Garp laughed, holding a large and exaggerated fishing rod.
Ace, meanwhile, fiddled with a massive fishing rod that dwarfed his small frame, completely ignoring Garp's boasting. He cast his line into the sea.
"Haha, that's not how fishing works. You need to put bait on the hook first. If you fish like this..." Garp began to explain when suddenly, with a swift motion, Ace lifted the rod and a huge herring leaped out of the sea.
"Crack, snap, snap!" The herring, over ten meters long, flapped against the rock wall.
"What did you just say?" Ace glanced at the stunned Garp.
"Ahem! Ace, you're just lucky with this one. Grandpa still has a lot to teach you about fishing." Garp was about to impart more fishing wisdom when Ace caught a marlin even bigger than the herring with another quick lift.
"..."
Garp's mouth hung open as he stared blankly at the two giant fish flapping on the rocks.
"Huh? Old man, what happened to your fishing skills?" Ace pretended to be confused.
"How hard can it be to catch such ordinary fish? Look, grandpa, I'll catch a Sea King for you!"
Garp's face turned red with embarrassment. His eyes bloodshot with concentration, he stared intently at the sea. Garp had chosen this island for Ace's practice not only because of the ferocious beasts but also because it was surrounded by Sea Kings. Ordinary beasts no longer posed a threat to Ace, and the powerful creatures on the Grand Line were beyond Ace's reach for now. The Sea Kings were perfect for honing Ace's skills, and with Garp watching over him, Ace's life wouldn't be in danger.
However, Garp, overwhelmed by Ace's successes, just wanted to catch a Sea King to save face.
"Sea Kings?" Ace murmured, looking out to sea.
"That's right, Sea Kings! These creatures are different from wild beasts and fish. They are the kings of the sea, each possessing terrifying size and strength," Garp explained, his eyes still scanning the water.
"Is it this one?" Ace asked, jumping into the sea. With a powerful pull, he yanked an eel-like creature hundreds of meters long from the water.
"Yes, yes, this is a Sea King!" Garp nodded approvingly, then suddenly froze.
"Roar!" The Sea King roared and lunged at Ace.
"Hey! Ace!" Garp shouted, rolling up his sleeves to jump in and rescue him. This level of Sea King was beyond Ace's ability to handle, or so he thought.
"Buzz!" Ace's eyes froze as the Sea King charged. A flash of purple-black light flickered in his pupils and then erupted.
"Boom!" A terrifying wave of energy passed over the Sea King, freezing it in place.
Then...
"Boom!" The Sea King's eyes rolled back as it collapsed into the sea, then floated lifelessly to the surface.
"Ba, Conqueror's Haki!" Garp murmured in disbelief, watching Ace drag the unconscious Sea King ashore. He knew Ace had the potential for Conqueror's Haki, having witnessed a powerful burst the day Ace was born. But Ace's ability to control it at such a young age, targeting only the Sea King without any guidance, was unheard of. Not even Roger had managed such a feat.
Garp stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the level of Ace's talent.
Meanwhile, Ace paid no mind to Garp's astonishment. After hauling the Sea King up the rock wall, his eyes were drawn to a strange fruit on its abdomen, burning like a flame. Ace recognized it instantly.
The Mera-Mera Fruit!
"Your understanding is heaven-defying! The Mera-Mera Fruit is attracted by your astonishing understanding!" The text appeared in Ace's mind, solidifying his destiny.
Ace stared at the fruit in his hand, the words echoing in his mind, and felt enlightened. It reminded him of how the Nika Fruit had seemingly chosen Luffy, avoiding the World Government for years. The Mera-Mera Fruit had also chosen him, brought by a Sea King.
Ace had been concerned about finding the Mera-Mera Fruit. In the original story, he remembered only vague details about obtaining it on an island after setting sail. Finding it had seemed like searching for a needle in a haystack. Without it, his ability to perform the one-sword cremation, a transcendent power, would be lost. But now, holding the fruit in his hand, he felt relieved. He had acquired the Mera-Mera Fruit ten years earlier than in the original story, and his unique understanding was about to unleash its potential.
Without hesitation, Ace peeled the Mera-Mera Fruit and took a bite.
"Crack!"
"..."
Ace's mouth twitched. The taste was as awful as described.
"Um?!!!" At that moment, Garp snapped out of his daze and looked at Ace on the rock wall. "Hey! Ace! What are you eating?!!!" Seeing the bitten Mera-Mera Fruit in Ace's hand, Garp rushed over, pulling Ace in front of him.
"Whoosh—" Suddenly, flames erupted from Ace's body, turning his surface into fire.
"Hiss! It's so hot!" Garp, unprepared, pulled his hands back, blowing on them to cool off. The flames around Ace didn't burn him. He had become a flame man the moment he ate the Mera-Mera Fruit.
"Your understanding is heaven-defying, and you can exert 100% of the Mera-Mera Fruit's ability!" The words in his mind made sense to Ace. The development of a Devil Fruit was about mastering its use, but the fruit's inherent power didn't need development. By eating the Mera-Mera Fruit, Ace's body became flame, its strength matching his own.
Sabo had immediately wielded the Mera-Mera Fruit's power after eating it, but mastering it fully required hard training. However, Ace's exceptional understanding allowed him to skip that part. His physical strength would dictate the power of the fruit, and with his Combat Turtle Breath Technique and complete absorption, increasing his physique was straightforward. Given time, he could match or surpass Kaido's monstrous physique.
Ace envisioned the terrifying power of the Mera-Mera Fruit combined with his one-sword cremation.
"Ouch, Was that an Devil Fruit?! A precious Logia fruit too... It looks like the Mera-Mera Fruit, one of the top Logia fruits!" Garp, recognizing the fruit, was astounded. "W-where did you get this Devil Fruit?!" he asked.
"Found it in the belly of that Sea King," Ace said, pointing at the unconscious creature.
"...." Garp checked the Sea King, finding a concave mark on its belly matching the fruit. The Mera-Mera Fruit, a rare and powerful Logia Devil Fruit, had dramatically ended up with Ace. It was on par with the Marine's most esteemed fruits, like Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit.
With Ace's extraordinary talent, Garp burst into laughter, seeing a bright future for a potential Admiral. Ace shuddered at Garp's smile, not entirely comfortable with his grand ambitions for him.