"Ditt!"
"Ah!!!"
A searing, bone-chilling sound accompanied Akainu's agonized scream, the kind of scream that could make even the most hardened soul wince. The pain was beyond excruciating, beyond anything a human should endure. Earth doctors classified pain into ten levels, but the agony Akainu felt surpassed even the highest threshold. It was the searing torment of being burned alive, doubled in intensity by Ace's Residual Fire Style: East-Rising Sun.
The pain was so overwhelming it threatened to shatter Akainu's mind, to send him spiraling into unconsciousness. But Akainu, with his monster-level physique and unyielding will, fought against the darkness. Blood dripped from his gritted teeth as he forced himself to remain conscious, driven by the sheer terror emanating from Ace's attack.
"This... this is!!!" Akainu's eyes were wide with pain and fear.
"Elementalization!!!" he roared, turning his entire body into hot lava.
But the next second, it was as if a gentle breeze blew past, wiping away everything in its path. The earth, sand, and ancient giant trees around Akainu were all instantly erased, leaving no trace behind.
"Pfft!"
Akainu's lava form was shattered, sending him flying backward as a broken red shadow. His blood, as soon as it hit the air, evaporated from the intense heat.
"Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The broken red shadow that was Akainu crashed into the ancient trees of the Sabaody Archipelago, trees that had stood for countless years. In an instant, these trees, along with the buildings and structures, were reduced to splinters and ashes. Lava flowed down the fractured branches, consuming everything in its path, reducing the prestigious GROVE-1 to a hellish landscape of molten rock and flame.
Under the horrified gaze of countless onlookers around the world, the entire Sabaody Archipelago GROVE-1 was engulfed in a sea of lava and fire. Akainu's shattered form slammed into a massive root.
"Bang! Gollum! Gollum!"
The root, the earth, the resin of the Sabaody Archipelago, and the surrounding buildings all melted into terrifying magma. The space transformed into a nightmarish active volcano, consuming and destroying everything in its reach.
"Gulu! Gulu!"
The boiling lava flowed relentlessly, a ferocious beast devouring everything in its path. The scene was a testament to Ace's overwhelming power, a power that left even the mighty Admiral Akainu defeated and broken, his form lost in the relentless tide of molten destruction.
"Sakazuki!"
Seeing how just one attack caused such a terrifying, hell-like scene, Kizaru couldn't help but let out a low roar of distress. The battlefield had transformed into a nightmare of fire and molten destruction.
"Hey, Kizaru, are you distracted?" Rayleigh's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his Conqueror's Haki surged violently.
"Oops!" Cold sweat broke out on Kizaru's forehead. He was caught off guard.
"One hundred million volts! Razer! Black Mamba!"
In Nami's beautiful eyes, terrifying lightning flashed suddenly. The weather stick in her hand pointed at Kizaru.
"Boom! Boom boom!!!"
With a deafening roar, a gigantic snake made entirely of thunder and lightning sprang into existence. The thunderous beast opened its electric jaws and let out a roar, the very sound vibrating with power. The entire snake, formed of pure electricity, struck with a lethal precision, like a black mamba aiming for a fatal bite.
"Ah!" Kizaru, distracted and unable to fully transform into his light element, let out a roar of pain. His pupils dilated with horror. Even more than the searing pain of the Thunder Fruit, the paralyzing effect coursed through him, rendering him momentarily helpless.
Though Nami's lightning-based attack could not deal a fatal blow to the Logia-type Sparkling Fruit user, Kizaru found himself besieged by the terrifying Conqueror's Haki of the 'Dark King,' Rayleigh.
"Shua! Poof!"
Rayleigh's long sword, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, swung violently. Blood sprayed as a deep, shocking gash appeared on Kizaru's abdomen.
"Cough! Cough! Poof!"
Kizaru coughed up blood, his body collapsing to one knee. His injuries were severe, his strength ebbing away.
"Buzz!"
With a focused gaze and a determined smile, Fujitora's gravity powers bore down on Kizaru, preventing him from escaping by turning into light once more.
"Surrender!"
Rayleigh's long sword was now pointed at Kizaru's throat.
"Kizaru, you can just stay here," Rayleigh said, a hint of confidence in his voice.
"It's so scary, 'Dark king,'" Kizaru said, raising his head with difficulty. He looked at the long sword that emitted a cold, sharp light, and managed a pained, ugly smile. His forehead was covered in cold sweat.
Slowly, he raised his hands in surrender.
The entire world watched the broadcast in stunned silence. In front of the whole world, the highest combat power in the world government, Admiral Kizaru, had been defeated.
"Gulu! Gulu!"
Countless streams of magma surged continuously, sulfuric gases rising in a noxious cloud. Ace's figure suddenly appeared amidst the chaos, his dark red eyes blazing with an intensity like the sun.
"Stop pretending to be dead, Akainu. Come out and dance again." The corners of Ace's mouth curved into a confident smile. His handsome face was marked by dark red cracks that pulsed with an impressive Haki, exuding an overwhelming presence.
Akainu, known in the original work for his resilience, had endured numerous full-force attacks from Whitebeard and still pursued Luffy. His ability to withstand damage was nearly unmatched in the pirate world, rivaled only by Kaido, who transformed into the formidable blue dragon of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
Now, the magma swirling like an active volcano signaled the awakening of Akainu's Lava-Lava Fruit. This top-tier Devil Fruit's awakening made it nearly impossible for even advanced Observation Haki to pinpoint Akainu's movements within the molten mass. However, Ace could still lock onto the core location of the Devil Fruit's ability release, identifying Akainu's position.
From within the seething lava, Akainu used his awakened abilities to restore his strength, his body now fully assimilated with the magma.
"Gulu! Gulu!"
After Ace's taunt, a molten arm slowly emerged from the magma, Akainu's body materializing fully from the flowing lava. His presence was terrifying, a manifestation of his unyielding will.
"Boom!"
The molten hand grasped the surrounding magma, leveraging its power to pull Akainu from the depths like a specter rising from the infernal depths. Fully released, the Lava-Lava Fruit's ability cloaked Akainu in an aura of overwhelming heat and fury.
"Damn!"
Despite his entire body, including his head, being composed of flowing lava, Akainu's face contorted in pain. His breath was heavy, eyes wide with horror.
"What a terrible attack!" he thought. The gentle touch from Ace's fist had inflicted severe damage, despite his defenses of Haki and Lava-Lava Fruit abilities.
"No, the Lava-Lava Fruit can't defend against this power," Akainu realized. Only Haki offered any resistance to Ace's terrifying strength.
The feeling mirrored Ace's earlier battles when his Mera-Mera Fruit's flames were countered by Akainu's Lava-Lava Fruit. Now, the tables had turned. Ace's Devil Fruit ability completely suppressed Akainu's, inflicting severe damage.
The excruciating pain of being burned was a sensation Akainu had never experienced since consuming the Lava-Lava Fruit. To make matters worse, Kizaru had been captured due to his distraction, falling to Rayleigh, Nami, and Fujitora.
The defeat of an Admiral of Headquarters, the world's highest combat power, broadcast to the world was an intolerable blow to Akainu's sense of absolute justice. Gritting his teeth, Akainu's lava eyes glared at Ace's demonic form.
"Kizaru has been defeated. In front of the world, I, Akainu, must not fail!"
"Portgas·D·Ace!" Akainu's body elongated like flowing lava, mastering the Lava-Lava Fruit to its fullest, transforming entirely into molten rock.
"Phew! Phew!"
His fists, now completely lava, launched a fierce attack at Ace. The true terror of the Lava-Lava Fruit wasn't just its heat but the explosive power akin to a volcanic eruption.
Ace watched as Akainu's body turned into flowing magma, his attacks spreading like a fiery storm. Ace countered with a powerful punch of his right fist.
In response, Akainu's fluid magma body twisted and surged, dodging Ace's punch in a strange manner. However, Ace's left fist struck Akainu's magma form hard.
"Ahem! Poof!"
Akainu spat out a mouthful of molten blood, but an iron-blooded smile appeared on his face, now completely transformed into flowing magma.
"It's true, your most terrifying attacks are all focused on your right fist! As long as I don't get hit by your right fist, it's fine! Although I am still at a disadvantage, my combat experience is enough to fight with you, Portgas·D·Ace!"
Akainu roared, wrapping Haki around his molten fists, ready to continue the battle.
Then, Akainu launched a fierce attack on Ace.
Ace, unfazed by Akainu's words, raised his fists and counterattacked.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Akainu pushed the Lava-Lava Fruit ability and his Haki to their absolute limits. To avoid Ace's devastating right fist, he continuously transformed into flowing lava, taking hits from Ace's left fist, sustaining injuries but persisting. His profound combat experience and unparalleled resilience allowed him to endure the onslaught.
"Boom!"
After receiving another powerful left punch from Ace, Akainu's body skidded across the ground, turning it into molten lava and sending magma splashing in all directions.
"I see," Ace said, a slight smile curling the corners of his mouth. "You've turned your entire body into flowing lava to block my Observation Haki, relying on your combat experience and resilience to stall until Naval Headquarters arrives for support. It's pathetic, Akainu. Are you really just trying to hold me back?"
Ace's words were cutting, revealing the truth behind Akainu's tactics. Observation Haki, cultivated to its ultimate form, could foresee the future briefly. However, Akainu's complete transformation into magma obstructed this ability. Using his combat experience, Akainu dodged Ace's right fist and the devastating Residual Fire Style – East Rising Sun while absorbing the other attacks with his body.
Akainu's strategy showcased his remarkable combat experience and reaction speed. However, this method consumed immense physical strength, even for someone with Akainu's stamina. Despite the regenerative power of his Logia Devil Fruit, it was unsustainable for more than a few hours. Akainu had abandoned the notion of defeating Ace, focusing solely on stalling until reinforcements arrived.
"Huh, what's the use of arguing? Victory belongs to us in the end!" Akainu retorted coldly. Known for using words to attack his enemies, Akainu remained unmoved by verbal assaults, embodying iron-blooded resolve and ruthless adherence to absolute justice.
"The thickness of your skin is indeed extraordinary, but can you really hold me back?" Ace's eyes blazed with intensity.
"Boom!!!"
"What?!!!"
Under Akainu's incredulous gaze, flames erupted from Ace's body, transforming into a blazing sun-like garment that enveloped him.
"Since there is east, there is naturally west," Ace declared, standing at the center of the inferno. "Remnant Fire Style – West: Scorching Sun Prison Clothes!"
Ace, adorned in the blazing sun garment, radiated a terrifying heat. The flames burned ferociously, making him appear as the embodiment of the sun.
"This, this temperature..." Akainu's pupils contracted in disbelief. Even in his lava form, he felt the oppressive heat. This was no ordinary Logia flame from the Mera-Mera Fruit.
"Aren't you always proud of the temperature and destructive power of your Lava-Lava Fruit?" Ace's smile grew more intense as he approached Akainu, spreading his fingers.
"Your Lava-Lava Fruit's temperature limit is 1,400 degrees Celsius," Ace stated, his voice steady. "But the temperature of my flames right now is ten times that of yours!"
Akainu's face twisted in shock and horror as he realized the immense power Ace wielded. The sheer heat and destructive potential of Ace's flames were beyond anything he had ever encountered.