The world was horrified by what they were witnessing.
In the Holy Land of Mariejois, the Five Elders, already emitting a strange black mist, looked on in disbelief.
"Ten times?! The flame temperature released by the Mera-Mera Fruit is ten times that of the Lava-Lava Fruit?!" Saint Warcury exclaimed, cold sweat streaming down his forehead. "Are you kidding?! This temperature surpasses any natural flame. This isn't a natural flame. The temperature of Portgas D. Ace's flames exceeds the limits of natural fire! Is this still a Logia Devil Fruit?"
Logia Devil Fruits have inherent limits defined by nature itself. For instance, Aokiji's Frozen Fruit can only reach temperatures found in natural freezing conditions. Similarly, Akainu's Lava-Lava Fruit tops out at 1,400 degrees Celsius, the ultimate temperature of natural magma. The Mera-Mera Fruit's flames are cataloged in the Devil Fruit encyclopedia with a maximum of 1,200 to 1,300 degrees Celsius, reflecting the hottest natural flames.
But now, what they were hearing defied all understanding. Portgas D. Ace's flames reached a terrifying 10,000 degrees Celsius, ten times hotter than natural magma. This was beyond the realm of natural phenomena and Logia abilities.
Saint Mars, his long hair and beard framing a gloomy face, echoed the sentiment. "I thought it was just his body that was strange. But even the natural flame limit of the Mera-Mera Fruit has been raised!"
The Five Elders, despite their reluctance to believe it, couldn't deny the evidence before them. Akainu's reaction on screen—shock, disbelief, and an inability to accept—was unmistakable. Knowing Akainu, they realized he would have mocked Ace if he were exaggerating. But Akainu's stunned expression confirmed it: the flames Ace wielded were hotter than those from the Lava-Lava Fruit.
"Could there be secrets about the Devil Fruits that we don't know about?" Saint Peter pondered, his eyes flashing with the same strange look as his peers.
"Whether it's strange or not, we'll understand after confronting it. These flames surpass the boundaries of a Logia's power. It's disgusting," said Saint Nusjuro, his glasses reflecting the same strange look. He gripped his sword hilt tightly, disgust evident in his gaze. His shadow, a skeleton horse, neighed madly, reflecting his aversion to the unnatural flames. Saint Nusjuro, who had mastered the horse bone form, a legendary monster turned into a skeleton by fire, felt a deep-seated disgust for flames, particularly these flames that exceeded natural limits.
Saint Peter, Saint Warcury, Saint Mars, and even the distant Saint Saturn, heading to the Sabaody Archipelago, shared this sense of disgust. In Pangu City, the black fog permeating the area grew denser and more sinister.
Ace, amidst the chaos, stood firm, his flames burning with a terrifying intensity that shook the world to its core. The battle between him and Akainu had transcended the limits of Devil Fruits, entering a realm of power and potential that no one had ever seen before.
"Ten times?! It's unbelievable. This history... is no longer within the scope of a Devil Fruit's ability," Rayleigh muttered, his eyes wide with horror as he watched the figure of Ace, clad in the blazing sun garments, standing at the center of the monstrous fire domain.
Even the legendary sun god 'Nika,' known for his incredible powers, couldn't achieve something like this. Ace had done what even the sun god couldn't? No, Ace's current form seemed to align more closely with the title of 'Sun God.' Rayleigh's eyes were dazed as he observed Ace, who resembled a living sun in the heart of the terrifying inferno.
Although Rayleigh, who had been to the Final Island, knew that Nika's title of Sun God stemmed from liberating enslaved people and symbolizing hope, Ace's current figure seemed to embody the sun itself, not just a symbol of hope. It was an incredible sight, and Rayleigh was filled with shock.
"Exceeding the limit of a Logia Devil Fruit... I've never heard of such a thing. This scorching heat, this terror... my Observation Haki can't even get close," Fujitora said, his usual smile replaced with shock. His Observation Haki was completely burned away as soon as it neared the fire domain.
"Uncle Rayleigh, Uncle Fujitora, wrap your entire bodies in Haki. Do not leave any gaps," Nami instructed solemnly. "The moisture in the atmosphere over the entire Sabaody Archipelago is rapidly evaporating. If this continues, anyone without Haki protection will be roasted alive by the high temperature."
"What? The people!" Fujitora's expression changed drastically.
"Don't worry," Nami reassured him. "Ace will try to contain the fire's influence to GROVE-1 through 29. In the short term, it won't affect the public. Ace has saved countless lives since he set out to sea. We all strive to create a world where 'everyone can have enough to eat and everyone can have a banquet,' so the Sabaody Archipelago will not be destroyed."
Fujitora was somewhat reassured. GROVE-1 to 29 were mostly illegal areas like human auction houses and trafficking dens, primarily places of Celestial Dragons' enjoyment. Their destruction would actually benefit the people. Fujitora fell silent, thinking about the recent conversation and the story of Nami's past, which revealed the collusion between pirates and Marines that led to brutal and inhumane rule. This filled Fujitora with anger. Cocosia Village and the surrounding sea areas had been saved by Portgas D. Ace.
"Can you tell me more about Mr. Ace? For example, the Alabasta incident," Fujitora asked softly.
"Of course, Uncle Fujitora. Let Vivi tell you about the Alabasta incident," Nami replied, understanding Rayleigh's intention to bring this upright and powerful Man onto the side of the Entei Pirates. Having someone like Fujitora as an ally would be a significant advantage.
Nami called Vivi over. "It's the former princess of Alabasta, Vivi, right?" Fujitora smiled. Though he couldn't see, his finely honed Observation Haki allowed him to sense the nature of people, and the kindness of the Entei Pirates under Portgas D. Ace was palpable.
"Yes, Uncle Fujitora. Let's start from the beginning," Vivi said, understanding Nami's intention and began recounting the Alabasta incident.
Fujitora, Rayleigh, Nami, and Vivi wrapped their bodies in Haki to protect against the high temperature as they listened to Vivi narrate the events of Alabasta.
Kizaru, standing nearby, could only twitch uncomfortably as he endured the unbearable heat. Defeated and captured, he lacked the privilege of using Haki for defense.
"Ten... ten times...?" Akainu stammered, his voice filled with disbelief as he stared at Ace's raised finger and faint smile. Even with his entire body and eyes transformed into flowing magma, he could still feel the searing heat radiating towards him. The revelation struck him like a heavy hammer to the heart.
While his physical strength, Haki, and martial prowess were vital, the Lava-Lava Fruit was the cornerstone of Akainu's ability to stand toe-to-toe with the Four Emperors. This power was his pride, the guarantee of his position at the top of the sea.
In his early days, Akainu had wielded swords and mastered kendo. But after consuming the Lava-Lava Fruit, he dedicated himself entirely to mastering its powers and developing complementary martial arts. The terrifying might of the Lava-Lava Fruit had long been Akainu's greatest source of pride.
But now, Portgas D. Ace, in an incredibly calm and condescending tone, declared, "The temperature of my flame is ten times that of your Lava-Lava Fruit."
Such a statement was absurd, a direct challenge to everything Akainu stood for. His eyes turned blood-red with fury as he roared, "What a f**king joke! Portgas D. Ace!!!"
Akainu's entire body instantly transformed into flowing magma, surging rapidly towards Ace, who stood cloaked in the scorching sun prison suit. However, as Akainu drew closer, the temperature grew increasingly unbearable, causing even his lava form to tremble. The tenfold difference in heat was overwhelming.
Ace, observing Akainu's suspended lava form, let a smirk curl his lips. "Don't you dare get close? Then let me help you," he taunted. Suddenly, Ace stomped the ground, turning it into lava even hotter than Akainu's. The temperature was more terrifying than the Earth's core.
In an instant, Ace's sun-like form appeared before Akainu. Flames roared out from Ace's scorching sun prison suit, sealing all of Akainu's escape routes. The intense heat made Akainu's pupils constrict in fear. "No, there's no way to avoid it!" he thought, horrified.
With a powerful punch, the tenfold heat gap struck Akainu violently, accompanied by the sound of burning flesh and shattering bones. Blood spilled into the atmosphere, evaporating instantly. Akainu's body, like a broken kite, flew helplessly through the air, his face contorted in pain and shock. His Lava-Lava Fruit could not withstand this attack; only Haki could offer some resistance.
Desperate, Akainu mobilized all his Haki. But before he could react, Ace, like a blazing sun, appeared above him and stomped hard on his abdomen. The impact sent Akainu crashing into the ground, creating a pool of lava even more terrifying than the core of the Earth. Most of the Sabaody Archipelago's GROVE-1 turned into a hellish landscape under the intense heat.
"Damn it!" Akainu cursed, sinking slowly into the magma, his face twisted with pain and frustration. This was a tenfold difference he could not overcome. Ace watched coldly as Akainu was engulfed by the magma, realizing the futility of his resistance.
With a resounding "boom!" and another "boom!!!", Ace, wearing his scorching sun prison suit, stepped down, unleashing a terrifying wave of heat across most of Sabaody Archipelago GROVE-1. Instantly, the area transformed into a nightmarish lava hell, where lava, hot as the Earth's core, splashed and devoured everything in its path.
What was even more frightening was that the temperature, under the intense burning of the scorching sun's prison clothes, continued to rise. At its core, the temperature exceeded a staggering 10,000 degrees Celsius. The luxurious buildings meant for the enjoyment of the Celestial Dragons were shattered and melted in the face of this inferno, their remains dissolving into the molten abyss.
The mangroves of the Archipelago, crucial to the ecosystem, screamed as they melted away, their roots unable to withstand the searing heat. The unique natural resin bubbles, constantly exhaled by the mangroves, turned into high-temperature balloons that burst continuously in the atmosphere, further raising the temperature across the entire archipelago.
This relentless heat distorted the air in Sabaody Archipelago GROVE-1 to such an extent that the very medium that caused distortion burned away. The area became a life-forbidden zone, more terrifying than the center of the Earth. In the heart of this fiery hell, Akainu's figure could be seen sinking in agony and defiance.
"Damn it! Portgas D. Ace!" Akainu cursed, his body, now fully transformed into flowing magma, stretching out a hand towards the sun-like figure of Ace. His face twisted with pain and reluctance, he was gravely injured—worse than when he had faced Whitebeard's full force.
The blow Ace delivered completely restrained the Lava-Lava Fruit's ability, causing devastating injuries. Only through the defense provided by Haki and Akainu's near-monster resilience did he avoid being struck through the heart, as Ace had once been. Yet, even this indomitable warrior was now severely injured, submerged in lava ten times hotter than his own.
Simple lava couldn't kill Akainu, a Lava-Lava Fruit user who had transformed into magma. However, this terrifying lava, with its temperature exceeding 10,000 degrees Celsius, relentlessly sought to assimilate Akainu's magma body, heating it to the extreme. Akainu fought desperately, using Haki and his Lava-Lava Fruit abilities to resist assimilation. While lava couldn't kill magma outright, it could transform it, turning Akainu's entire being into flowing magma of unimaginable heat. Once assimilated, Akainu's internal organs would fail under such intense heat, leading to his inevitable death.
Like a normal human body exposed to a boiling environment, Akainu's magma-formed body faced an environment far beyond its limits. The Lava-Lava Fruit's temperature limit, around 1400 degrees Celsius, served as Akainu's normal body temperature after elementalization. Now, he was trapped in lava more than seven times hotter. Using all his strength, Akainu resisted the high temperature environment with Armament Haki and his fruit's abilities. Once his physical strength waned, his body, exposed to the lethal lava, would be rapidly heated, his internal organs failing in the process.
From the moment Akainu fell into this lava hell, his life entered a countdown. He was utterly defeated. As long as Ace maintained his scorching sun prison suit, increasing the lava's temperature, Akainu's demise was inevitable. Even the battle-hardened Akainu understood this harsh reality. Maintaining Haki to resist the heat drained his strength, and the surrounding lava, once his ally, now sapped his energy.
Low-level magma couldn't harness the power of higher-temperature lava. In this hellish landscape, Akainu's Lava-Lava Fruit was rendered inferior to Ace's abilities. The power dynamics had shifted dramatically. His Lava-Lava Fruit, once superior to Ace's Mera-Mera Fruit, was now subordinate.
This realization struck Akainu hard. His strongest asset had become his greatest liability. Feeling an unprecedented sense of powerlessness, Akainu looked up at Ace, who stood above him like a blazing sun. For the first time, Akainu felt truly defeated, not just physically but existentially. Facing a power in a higher dimension, even a staunch believer in absolute justice like Akainu could only succumb to despair.
Ace, observing Akainu's agony, stated, "It seems you have realized the gap between us." Ace's voice echoed with an overwhelming confidence. "From the moment I mastered the residual fire style, your Lava-Lava Fruit became inferior to my abilities. You are no longer my match."
In this new dynamic, Akainu's once formidable Lava-Lava Fruit was rendered powerless. His only defenses, Haki and martial arts, were inadequate. Akainu's martial arts, designed to enhance his fruit's abilities, now failed him. Compared to Aokiji, whose ice powers could still be potent when focused, Akainu was utterly outmatched.
Ace's dominance was undeniable. He declared, "Just die, Akainu. You are no longer fit for the stage I've set." As Ace raised his foot, ready to deliver the final blow, Akainu's helplessness and unwillingness were palpable.
For the Marines witnessing this, Akainu's defeat was a crushing blow, more devastating than Kizaru's earlier defeat. Akainu was the backbone of the hawks in the Marines, the likely successor to the position of Marine Marshal. His crushing defeat shattered the morale and confidence of the Marine soldiers.
Kizaru's defeat had been under unique circumstances, but Akainu's loss in a direct one-on-one battle against Ace was a brutal reality. It was a decisive, humiliating defeat, leaving the Marines in despair. Many Marine backbone generals shed tears of frustration and disbelief, questioning if their pursuit of justice was doomed to be torn apart.
In the face of the overwhelming power of the Entei Pirates and Flame Emperor Ace, the Marines felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness. Even Akainu, their strongest hope, had been crushed. The once unshakeable belief in their cause now faced a grim, terrifying reality.
Akainu, looking up at Ace, his eyes filled with defiance and helplessness, could only curse his fate.
Ace's right foot slammed down on Akainu's head.
"STOP!"
"Boom!"
A figure emitting golden light flashed from a distance and appeared in front of Ace. The right foot of a golden Buddha statue, wrapped in violent black and purple lightning, collided with Ace's descending right foot.
"Boom!"
"Marshal Sengoku!!!"
Countless Marines had tears in their eyes as they watched the figure transform into a golden Buddha.
"I can't let you go on unscrupulously any longer, Portgas D. Ace!" Sengoku, with his golden face filled with righteous fury, glared at Ace.
Sengoku had activated his Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha, a Mythical Zoan type. His body shape remained the same as his usual height, but now he radiated immense power.
"Unscrupulous?" Ace scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "I just want to crush his head."
Ace's eyes blazed like the sun, flashing with a deep purple-black hue. He applied more force, pressing his right foot against Sengoku's golden Buddha instep.
"Damn!"
Sengoku's golden eyes also flashed with the same intense purple-black color as he pushed back with his right foot.
"Bah! Boom!!!"
Violent black and purple lightning suddenly illuminated the sky as their Conqueror's Haki clashed, splitting the heavens.