Chereads / One Piece: Ace The Emperor of Flames / Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: The War heats up!

Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: The War heats up!

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Countless streams of fire coalesced into massive fire dragons, enveloping the entire battlefield.

The leader of the Three Disasters and vice-captain of the Beasts Pirates, Flame Disaster King, attacked with full force.

As a Lunarian, King could generate flames from his body and wield them with devastating power. The Fire Dragon King was his most formidable large-scale attack, combining his innate flames and immense strength.

While Gion, Nami, and Hancock, each possessing Admiral-level combat power, could counter such an attack with their Haki and Devil Fruit abilities, King's true aim was not to harm them directly. Instead, he sought to compress their battlefield movements and create openings for Kaido and Charlotte Linlin.

Although King wasn't at the Admiral level, his strength as the vice-captain of the Beasts Pirates was nearly equivalent.

The desperate assault from Flame Disaster King didn't directly threaten the three women, but it forced them to use their Haki and abilities, slowing their actions momentarily.

This fleeting delay was all Kaido and Charlotte Linlin needed.

For the top combatants like the Four Emperors, even a brief hesitation was enough to exploit and launch a lethal strike.

Nami could contend with the Four Emperors primarily due to the Thunder Fruit's exceptional speed and devastating attack power, rivaling only the Sparkling Fruit and the Lava-Lava Fruit. Her fighting style leveraged long-range attacks, using her speed to reposition constantly and safely unleash her abilities. With the power of Conqueror's Haki-Infusion, she could engage the Four Emperors directly.

However, Nami's Conqueror's Haki wasn't as refined as Kaido's or Charlotte Linlin's. In a head-to-head clash, she couldn't overpower them.

Gion, despite her Admiral-level strength, and Hancock, with her top-level Admiral combat power, could only face the Four Emperors together.

But with King's fire dragons compressing their movements and Kaido's heat rays, Hancock and Gion were forced to fight separately.

In such a scenario, Hancock could hold her own against Kaido or Charlotte Linlin for a short period using her Conqueror's Haki-entanglement.

Gion, however, relying solely on the Cat-Cat Fruit-Phantom Beast-White Tiger Form for Admiral-level power, would likely be overwhelmed quickly.

Kaido and Charlotte Linlin recognized this.

Their target was the weakest: Gion.

"Little girl, you were so arrogant just now!"

Charlotte Linlin, stepping on Homies Zeus, rapidly closed in on Gion. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with fury, and saliva dripped nauseatingly from her blood-stained mouth. As the only woman among the Four Emperors, being repelled by two young girls was an unthinkable disgrace. Despite her obsession with having children and throwing tea parties since becoming one of the Four Emperors, Linlin's pride remained as fierce as ever. Such a shame could only be cleansed with blood.

Just when Kaido and Charlotte Linlin thought their success was imminent, a wonderful piece of music suddenly resonated across the battlefield. Despite the chaos, this music was unaffected by the noise, its melody wrapping around Nami, Hancock, and Gion, imbuing them with strange power. Their speed, strength, and spirit all surged dramatically.

Hancock let out a low cry, perfectly evading the attacks of the Fire Dragon King and Heat Breath, swiftly joining Gion and launching a more fierce and terrifying assault. Nami swung her weather stick, and with a delicate shout, unleashed a terrifying thunder.

"Three hundred million volts - Ten Thousand Snakes!!!"

Lightning flashed around Nami, turning into countless thunder snakes with terrifying fangs, colliding with the fire dragons created by King. The Thunder Fruit's power, amplified by the Vocal Fruit, easily overpowered King's Fire Dragon King, tearing apart the attack network instantly. Without King's large-scale attack, Kaido found himself unable to keep up with Nami's speed, enhanced by the Vocal Fruit.

"Angel Conis, the user of the Vocal Fruit!" Kaido growled, his eyes narrowing at the beautiful figure playing a harp, creating one wonderful note after another. The empowerment ability of the Vocal Fruit was even stronger than that of the Encouragement Fruit.

"Damn! The Entei Pirates really have some extremely troublesome abilities. Queen! Jack! Go kill her!"

Kaido's roar echoed towards Onigashima. The battle was now deadlocked, and he and Charlotte Linlin couldn't overpower the three girls quickly enough. However, the Vocal Fruit user's lack of frontal combat ability meant their subordinates could play a crucial role.

"I have been itching to kill someone!" Jack bellowed, grabbing his machete and leaping down from Onigashima.

"Hahaha, the enemy's head is mine!" Queen laughed exaggeratedly, performing bizarre dance moves before jumping down as well.

"Katakuri, kill her," Charlotte Linlin commanded, her frustration mounting. Gion and Hancock's joint attack, empowered by the Vocal Fruit, was wearing her down. Though they couldn't harm her due to her Conqueror's Haki and "Steel Balloon" physical defense, her stamina was rapidly depleting. Being repeatedly beaten back by these young girls had driven her to madness.

"Are you going to let me join the battlefield now?" Katakuri's eyes were calm, understanding that Mama's fury blinded her to the battlefield's broader situation. None of the Entei Pirates' top cadres like Kuzan or Rayleigh had appeared yet. Investing combat power blindly might not be the wisest decision.

Despite his thoughts, Katakuri knew that objections to Mama's commands on the battlefield were futile. He leaped down from Onigashima, heading towards Conis with deadly intent.

"Don't even think about using the power of the Thunder Fruit to rescue her!" Kaido roared at Nami, who was enveloped in lightning.

Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, crackling with black and purple lightning. Nami had no choice but to counter with her own Conqueror's Haki. The clash of their Haki disrupted the battlefield, interfering with the Devil Fruit abilities.

Nami found herself unable to transform into thunder to save Conis immediately.

"Little girl, don't think that I won't do it just because you're cute. Go to hell!" Queen cackled as he lunged at Conis.

Jack trailed behind, frustration evident. Despite their equal rank among the three disasters, Jack's lower status and fear of Queen's ruthless methods kept him from making the first move.

Meanwhile, Katakuri, observing the scene, sensed something amiss. His Ultimate Observation Haki flared, warning him of imminent danger. He swiftly retreated.

"Crack!"

An air door suddenly appeared in front of Conis. A moment later, a fierce sandstorm erupted, transforming into a deadly desert blade aimed at Queen and Jack.

"What?!!!" Queen and Jack's eyes widened in shock as they hastily attempted to defend themselves. However, the next moment, a deep gash appeared on Queen's chest.

"Brother Queen!" Jack's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

"Damn it! My Haki can't stop it..." Queen's pupils contracted as he felt the moisture being rapidly drained from his body through the wound. His Haki was powerless against this attack.

In the Entei Pirates, the only one capable of such a sand attack was...

"If you want to hurt Conis, you'll have to get through me first."

"Huh!"

The sandstorm quickly coalesced into a beautiful figure with blue hair.

"Sand-Sand Fruit user, 'Desert Princess' Vivi."

Katakuri's eyes narrowed with concern as he stared at the new arrival. The battlefield had just gained another formidable opponent.

"Kacha!"

A beautiful figure carrying a sophisticated sniper rifle appeared beside Vivi as the air gate closed.

"'Black Rose' Nojiko."

Katakuri's eyes twitched slightly. The number of cadres in the Entei Pirates had increased again.

"..."

So strong!!!

Katakuri looked at Vivi with a solemn expression. Even Queen couldn't resist the attack and was instantly injured. The strength of the Desert Princess was formidable.

"Another one!"

Kaido gritted his teeth, his scalp completely numb at this moment. Only a strong warrior of that level could easily injure Queen to such an extent. The Desert Princess could already be considered an Admiral-level combatant.

Another Admiral-level combat power! Still, an extremely troublesome Logia! And the Vocal Fruit user as well.

With such an Admiral-level combatant, Queen, Jack, and Katakuri might only be able to contain her. After all, their strength wasn't as great as King's.

Damn it! When did Admiral-level combat power become so common?! One after another, the Entei Pirates had all these Admiral-level combatants?

Kaido thought about the unprecedented powerful fighting force of the Entei Pirates and felt his head was about to explode. He didn't understand how King, who had fought alongside him for so many years, couldn't reach Admiral-level power. Yet, these young people in the Entei Pirates, one by one, all had Admiral-level fighting experience!

Is this Ace's special method?!

Thinking back to that terrible man, Kaido's eyes grew gloomy. The pirate alliance of their Beasts Pirates and BIG-MOM Pirates had reached the most critical moment.

Kaido was very aware of the current situation. There was a huge deviation from their pre-calculation of the Entei Pirates' fighting force. The current situation was that once the Entei Pirates were fully assembled, the pirate alliance of their Beasts Pirates and BIG-MOM Pirates would likely collapse quickly, just like the Naval Headquarters during the Entei incident.

At this time, there could be no hesitation, no waiting for casualties or reinforcements—only desperate efforts.

"All members of the Beasts Pirates, carry out the encirclement and suppression!" Kaido roared, intending to push all his troops forward.

"Linlin! You should know the current situation!" Kaido looked at Charlotte Linlin beside him.

"Perospero! All hands attack!" Charlotte Linlin commanded, her voice fierce and unwavering.

"Yes, Mama!" Perospero heard the order, sweating coldly, but he responded immediately.

With the cadres of the Charlotte family, they jumped off Onigashima and joined the battlefield.

The war was heating up!

"Kill them!"

Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son of the Charlotte family and the user of the Candy Fruit, pointed at Vivi, Nojiko, and Conis while sticking out his long, unsettling tongue. Behind Perospero, numerous officers of the BIG-MOM Pirates rallied, ready for combat.

The BIG-MOM Pirates, a special pirate group led by Charlotte Linlin, were bound together by the blood ties of her children. Except for a few, most of the officers were her children. Although none of them inherited Charlotte Linlin's monstrous physique, they were, on the whole, very formidable.

While only Katakuri among them could rival Admiral-level strength, many officers had achieved the level of Naval Headquarters Vice Admiral. And as the saying goes, "many ants can kill an elephant." When facing Vivi, whose strength was just at the threshold of Admiral level, a coordinated assault by these middle-tier fighters, along with Katakuri, Queen, and Jack, could overwhelm her with sheer numbers.

This was precisely the plan of the Beasts Pirates and the BIG-MOM Pirates at this moment. Without regard to the cost, they aimed to reduce the Entei Pirates' key combatants before more powerful reinforcements could arrive. Judging by the current situation, if the Entei Pirates fully assembled, the combined forces of the BIG-MOM Pirates and the Beasts Pirates might not stand a chance.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The Charlotte family boasted numerous Devil Fruit users, creating an impressive and intimidating display of power.

Perospero's candy creations morphed into deadly weapons, while his siblings, wielding various unique abilities, launched their attacks. Candy Spears and hardened sugar projectiles filled the air, targeting the trio of Vivi, Nojiko, and Conis.

"Don't underestimate us!" Vivi shouted, her eyes blazing with determination. She raised her arms, summoning a whirlwind of sand that swirled around her, deflecting the incoming projectiles. With a fierce expression, she directed the sandstorm toward the advancing enemies, forcing them to scatter.

Nojiko, ever the sharpshooter, took aim with her sniper rifle, picking off targets with precision. Her shots, enhanced by Haki, found their marks, causing chaos among the attackers.

Conis, strumming her harp, played a melody that empowered her comrades. The enchanting notes wrapped around Vivi and Nojiko, boosting their strength and agility.

"Push forward!" Perospero commanded, his voice dripping with venom. "We have the numbers! Overwhelm them!"

The officers of the BIG-MOM Pirates surged forward, a relentless tide of power and fury. But Vivi, Nojiko, and Conis stood their ground, their resolve unshaken. The battlefield was a cacophony of clashing abilities and explosive attacks, each side vying for dominance.

Meanwhile, Katakuri, Queen, and Jack observed the battle with calculating eyes. They knew the tide could turn at any moment. The Entei Pirates' reinforcements were a looming threat, and they needed to secure a victory before more powerful foes arrived.

"Stay focused!" Katakuri shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We can't afford to lose ground!"

With renewed vigor, the officers pressed their attack, determined to break through the Entei Pirates' defenses. But Vivi, Nojiko, and Conis, bolstered by their unyielding spirit and the power of the Vocal Fruit, fought back with everything they had.

The war had reached a fever pitch, and the outcome hung in the balance. The battlefield was a maelstrom of power, determination, and raw emotion, with each side fighting for survival and supremacy.