"So, are you begging me to let you go, Momousagi? If you pray to me, I might be able to spare you," Ace said with a playful smile.
Momousagi bit her red lips as she looked at Ace's mocking expression. Was this the superior emperor teasing the weak?
"Momousagi! Don't beg him! How can we beg a pirate!" Ghost Spider growled, his eyes bloodshot.
"Shut up, Ghost Spider!" Momousagi's eyes were bloodshot as she stared at him. "Can your personal honor and dignity be compared with justice?" she spat.
As an Admiral candidate, second only to the Marshal and three Admirals in the Marine, Momousagi didn't feel humiliated. However, the loss of five Vice Admirals and 10,000 elite Marines at once was something the Marine Headquarters, which still had to face the Four Emperors, couldn't afford.
"I pray to you, the Flame Emperor, for the sake of Vice Admiral Garp. Please, take back your power," Momousagi shouted, biting her red lips.
Humiliation flashed across the eyes of Tea Dolphin, Ghost Spider, Huoshaoshan, and Flying Squirrel. But for the sake of justice, they bore this humiliation.
"Hahaha!" Ace laughed, sensing the emotional turmoil in Momousagi and the others. "Commanding five Vice Admirals with Conqueror's Haki to pray to the Supreme King. Your understanding is heaven-defying, nourished by the unwilling prayers of the five Vice Admirals, Conqueror's Haki has strengthened!"
"Bah! Bah! Bah!" The black and purple lightning in the atmosphere grew more violent. The pupils of Momousagi and the others continued to shrink. Why did it feel like Portgas D. Ace's Conqueror's Haki was getting stronger after their prayer? Was he using their prayers to nourish and strengthen his Haki?
Pain flashed in their eyes as they realized they were becoming the nourishment for a pirate to grow stronger.
"Okay, since you prayed, I will give you a way out," Ace said with a slight smirk.
"Thank you for your kindness," Momousagi suppressed her unwillingness and lowered her head.
"You five, take one of my moves. Life or death depends on your own abilities," Ace said, the corner of his mouth curving into a hint of Haki. For the sake of Garp and the unwillingness of Momousagi and the others to be used as nourishment, Ace showed mercy by giving them a chance to survive. But letting them take his move was also a demonstration of his majesty as an emperor.
"Okay! We'll take your move!" Momousagi gritted her teeth, her Haki wrapped around Jinpira, exuding an amazing aura. Surely, the five of them working together could withstand a single move, right?
"Damn it, he looks down on us!" Ghost Spider's eyes were blood red, filled with grief and anger.
"Don't do anything stupid! Do you want to waste the opportunity Momousagi Vice Admiral fought for us? Ghost Spider!" Flying Squirrel said solemnly.
Tea Dolphin and Huoshaoshan didn't speak but silently unleashed their Armament Haki to the maximum.
"Moonwalk!" Momousagi and the others leaped up, appearing far away from the warship to protect the Marines behind them.
"Hahaha." Ace laughed as he watched them prepare. With his right hand, he grabbed the air hard. "Bah!" The violent black-purple lightning in the atmosphere converged towards Ace's right fist, forming a purple-black film. The ground beneath Ace's feet began to crack under the violent energy.
"Conqueror's Haki-Infusion!" Tea Dolphin's forehead was covered with cold sweat. Sure enough, it was this power! Once mastered, it could place him at the top of the sea, commanding the most powerful area.
"Be careful! We are facing an emperor!" Momousagi's Observation Haki sensed the immense power, her face filled with solemnity.
"Bah! Boom!!!" As Ace slowly raised his right fist, the world trembled. His pupils darkened with purple-black hues, and every cell in his body surged with strange power. This was pure physical power, fully substantial. Physical power and Conqueror's Haki fused completely.
"Hakai!" Ace's right fist blasted out violently. The terrifying shock wave, wrapped in a purple-black violent film, crushed towards Momousagi and the others.
"Block!" Momousagi's pupils shrank. Haki, physical strength, and swordsmanship reached their peak. Tea Dolphin, Ghost Spider, Huoshaoshan, and Flying Squirrel's eyes were filled with horror, no longer humiliation. Roaring, they unleashed all their power.
"Boom!" The overwhelming shock wave arrived in an instant.
"Boom!" "Pfft!" Five streaks of blood, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, spilled into the sky. Momousagi, Tea Dolphin, Ghost Spider, Huoshaoshan, and Flying Squirrel—all five Vice Admirals collapsed under Ace's single blow. This was a Four Emperors-level attack. Without the strength of an Admiral, they couldn't withstand a peak Four Emperors' full-force attack with Conqueror's Haki. To Ace, everyone below the level of Admirals and Emperors was an ant.
"Boom!" Momousagi spurted blood and fell into the sea. But despite her serious injuries, there was no joy in surviving the disaster. Instead, there was a quiet resignation. The seedling of hope had died.
"Pfft! Cough, cough, cough!"
Momousagi fell into the sea, waves of severe pain radiating from her body to her brain, causing her to choke on the water several times. Her beautiful eyes were full of horror. One strike—just one! And he didn't even use the Mera-Mera Fruit ability. Just a Conqueror's Haki-Infusion attack was enough to collapse the full resistance of three senior Vice Admirals and two Admiral candidates, including herself and Tea Dolphin.
Even for her, an Admiral candidate, all the bones in her body were broken by this blow. This power was comparable to the peak of the Four Emperors! Momousagi's eyes were wide with fear and disbelief.
No, it shouldn't be like this! According to Aokiji's report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku, in the battle between Aokiji and Portgas D. Ace, both had shown their full strength. Both Haki and fruit abilities were used to their utmost. During that fight, Aokiji even had a certain upper hand in terms of fruit abilities and Haki. It was only due to the power of Conqueror's Haki that the battle ended in a draw.
But what was happening now? How could Portgas D. Ace's Haki be so strong? Ace hadn't even used the Mera-Mera Fruit ability yet! Just relying on Haki and Hakoku, the shock wave known as Elbaf's strongest gun, he defeated all five of them!
Even among the Four Emperors, only Kaido of the Beasts and the red-haired Shanks, who were truly at their peak, could perform such a terrifying attack with only Conqueror's Haki-Entrapment!
There is also a gap in combat power among the Four Emperors. BIG-MOM, despite being a natural monster, spent most of her time hosting tea parties or giving birth. Her thinking disorder caused uncontrollable rages, and her body had become extremely bloated. After becoming one of the Four Emperors, BIG-MOM's strength had deteriorated.
The World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, was undoubtedly the strongest among the Four Emperors at his peak, his title saying it all. But Whitebeard was aging, his body bearing the scars of decades of battles. He needed infusions year-round to maintain his body functions. He could no longer rely on physical strength and Haki alone, instead depending more on his Shock Fruit.
Being able to launch such a terrifying attack with only Conqueror's Haki and physical strength meant standing at the pinnacle of Haki and physical prowess. Only the red-haired Shanks and Kaido of the Beasts could achieve this.
Although Aokiji was extremely powerful, one of the three strongest Admirals in Marine history alongside Kizaru and Akainu, his attacks didn't match the peak Four Emperors. Akainu, with his Lava-Lava Fruit—the strongest attack among Devil Fruits—and powerful Armament Haki, could launch attacks comparable to the peak Four Emperors. But Aokiji and Kizaru lacked Conqueror's Haki, limiting their strength.
Had Portgas D. Ace's strength qualitatively improved after fighting Aokiji? Was he already comparable to the two emperors at their peak? How did his strength increase so quickly? Thinking back to the scene just now, where Ace used their unwillingness and surrender as nourishment to make his Conqueror's Haki more powerful, Momousagi's eyes were filled with shock.
Could this be why Portgas D. Ace was so powerful? As long as he fought strong opponents, his strength would improve qualitatively. Using Haki to make the strong surrender allowed his Conqueror's Haki to use their unwillingness and surrender as nourishment.
In this sea, a strong person was defined by physical fitness, Devil Fruit ability, martial arts, swordsmanship, and most importantly, Haki. Physical fitness, aside from natural monsters like BIG-MOM and those like Kaido who ate the Fish Fruit—Phantom Beast Species—Blue Dragon Form, was honed through practice. Devil Fruit abilities, martial arts, and swordsmanship required the strong to put in effort to reach awakening. Haki was enhanced through conquering nature, defeating the strong, or fulfilling personal beliefs.
Yet, physical fitness, Devil Fruit abilities, martial arts, and swordsmanship all required time to polish. Strong people generally reached their peak strength after the age of forty. This had never happened before—a terrifying qualitative change in strength after a single fight. Portgas D. Ace had been at sea for less than a year, yet he already possessed Four Emperors-level power relying only on Conqueror's Haki and physical strength! This was a talent even more terrifying than that natural monster, BIG-MOM!
Could this man surpass Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger at their peak, reaching a height no one had ever reached? Momousagi's eyes were full of horror. What would such a monster make of this sea in the future? In this era, the Flame Emperor, Portgas D. Ace, would go completely berserk!
"Ahem! Ghost Spider!"
The weak but horrified voice made Momousagi shrink in fear. "Ghost Spider!"
Tea Dolphin, enduring the severe pain from his broken bones and internal injuries, fished the ghost spider out of the sea. His face was full of horror. The breath was gone. Ghost Spider was dead!
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Flying Squirrel and Huoshaoshan, not as strong as Tea Dolphin and Momousagi, could only float on the sea, panting heavily. Their Observation Haki detected the complete disappearance of Ghost Spider's aura, and their faces reflected shock and pain.
Although Ghost Spider was a core figure among the hawks and often at odds with the dove generals, he was also an important Vice Admiral in the Marines, with strength comparable to his senior peers. Unexpectedly, he died under this blow.
"Is it because he received a blow from the Thunder Fruit first and suffered injuries?" Flying Squirrel and Huoshaoshan understood the situation amidst their shock and pain. Thunder Fruit, one of the most invincible abilities in Logia, was naturally not simple. Similar to Aokiji's Frozen Fruit, when used with full strength, without Haki protection, the body's water would freeze, and Thunder Fruit would cause paralysis from the violent ability. This slight paralysis became fatal when facing an emperor's attack, leading to Ghost Spider's death.
A ghost spider who could perform Buster Call, one of the strongest among the many Naval Headquarters Vice Admirals, was lost in this operation. Justice suffered a huge loss.
"Did only one of you die? You folks are quite capable, especially Momousagi." The red light in Ace's eyes flickered slightly as he assessed the situation. He smiled slightly, knowing the resilience of the survivors. If not for the Admiral candidates Momousagi and Tea Dolphin, not only Ghost Spider but also Flying Squirrel and Huoshaoshan would have perished here.
This was the power of a Four Emperors-class warrior, a power zone with a force like a fault line. Without Admiral-level combat power, one couldn't withstand a blow from Conqueror's Haki entangled with all his power. Under generals and emperors, all were ants. Ace had finally stood at the top of this sea. The day to defeat Kaido, using Kaido's head as a stepping stone to become the king of the world, was not far away. The purple-black color in Ace's eyes grew more intense.
"..."
Hearing Ace's words, Tea Dolphin and Momousagi's eyes flashed with sadness and anger, which they suppressed. Huoshaoshan and Flying Squirrel closed their eyes, their eyelids trembling. Even if they were unwilling to face an emperor, what could they do? One blow had killed one and injured four. Such a powerful force left them without the courage to resist again. Upholding justice in this scenario would only mean certain death.
"You have already launched a strike. You will keep your promise?," Momousagi said, enduring her injury and raising her voice.
"Of course." The corners of Ace's mouth quirked up slightly, making Momousagi and the others suddenly tense.
"Brother Ace! I got the stuff!" At this time, the square-headed sisters waved their arms and said loudly.
"You should return to the Capital of Water 7 first," Ace said calmly.
"Oh!" Upon hearing Ace's order, Franky's family, Giant, Oyimo, and Cassie began to evacuate Enies Lobby.
"You guys, continue with the Buster Call."
Ace laughed as he looked at Momousagi and the others, who were struggling to get back to the warship from the sea.
"Wha, what?!"
Momousagi, Tea Dolphin, Flying Squirrel, and Huoshaoshan couldn't believe their ears. Continue to execute the Buster Call?
"Now that the signal has been sent, we must destroy everything here and wipe it off the map, right? Marines," Ace said, his voice filled with Haki.
If you offend the Entei Pirates, there is only one outcome, and that is to be completely wiped off the map!
At that moment, the eyes of Momousagi and the others were hazy as they began to understand. This Buster Call was not initiated by Spandam. It was Portgas D. Ace who started it. The purpose was clear: to completely destroy Enies Lobby. He was using the power of the Marines to achieve his goal.
"Load! Fire! Destroy Enies Lobby!" Momousagi, though ultimately unwilling, gritted her teeth and issued the command.
Things had reached a point where they had no choice but to obey Portgas D. Ace's orders and completely destroy Enies Lobby. The remaining Marine soldiers, suppressing their grief and anger under the weight of Conqueror's Haki, began to control the warship and open fire on Enies Lobby.
"Boom!!!"
The center of Enies Lobby instantly turned into a sea of flames.
"It's really spectacular, hahaha," Ace laughed as he looked at the Enies Lobby that had become a blazing inferno.
"As a pirate, you used the Buster Call to destroy the entire Enies Lobby. Your understanding is heaven-defying, drawing nourishment from it, Conqueror's Haki has been improved!"
An ethereal line of text appeared in Ace's mind. As he laughed, the purple-black color in his eyes grew thicker and thicker.
"Let's go too. This place will be completely wiped out," Ace said, looking at the girls with a soft smile.
The girls looked at Ace's gentle smile and nodded, their eyes shining brightly. They saw how Ace treated his enemies without any mercy, but he showed such tenderness to them.
"Ace!"
Ace looked into the distance as the Merry slowly appeared from the garden. On the bow of the ship, the ship's elf, Merry, who looked like a little girl, was waving happily towards Ace.
"Let's go back to Water 7," Ace said, laughing as he stepped back onto the deck.
The girls followed Ace's footsteps and returned to the Merry.
"!!!"
Robin, walking at the end, stared blankly at Ace, who stretched out his hand towards her.
"Robin, the sea is still very vast, but from now on, you will never be alone again," Ace said, his face radiating ultimate gentleness.
"!!!"
Robin's delicate body trembled, and tears flowed down her pretty face.
"!!!"
Ace gently stroked Robin's long black hair, and the warmth of his touch was so comforting.
Robin, so beautiful.
"Boom!"
The background behind them was the Enies Lobby, gradually disappearing under the Buster Call. The trip to Enies Lobby had ended quite successfully.