Flying in the sky, King looked at Queen, who had already slipped away and cursed inwardly.
At this point, Ace was fully engaged in the fight. He hadn't met an opponent he could genuinely go all out against for a long time. Since entering the New World, the Four Emperors, Shin, and Yamato, had put him under incredible pressure. This battle ignited his drive to break through his own limits.
"Flame Commandment - Enkai!"
A burst of intense fire erupted from Ace, and King frowned. As a member of a unique race with inherent flame powers, he had some resistance to fire, but nothing could fully protect him against the specialized heat of Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit.
Thanks to Shin's guidance, Ace had also refined his flight abilities by harnessing his flames for propulsion, achieving speeds that rivaled even King's flight. Despite King's agility in the air, dodging Ace's attacks proved increasingly difficult.
When Shin first met Ace, Ace could only use fire bursts from his feet to cross distances. This mode was linear—fine for quick dashes but unreliable for complex maneuvers. Shin suggested he mimic Iron Man's approach by using his hands to help with balance, allowing for more controlled flight.
The two clashed fiercely in the sky. Flames burned around King, momentarily protecting him from damage. He skillfully wielded his wings, fortified with armament haki, to counter Ace's attacks, smashing into him repeatedly.
While King's flame powers helped defend him from Ace's heat-based attacks, the battle relied heavily on raw physical strength and haki. Even so, King's strength and resilience as one of the top combatants in his crew were evident, keeping him on par with Ace, who was equally relentless.
The battle dragged on for hours. King began to realize that he couldn't beat Ace quickly without a significant advantage. Observing Ace's unwavering stance and his own depleted stamina, King considered retreating to avoid ending up at a disadvantage.
Ace, meanwhile, had studied King's flame pattern. "So, the larger his flame, the stronger his defense. When it diminishes, his speed increases," he muttered. "Could he be using some form of mythical zoan devil fruit?"
Ace's assumption was mistaken; King's flame ability was a racial trait rather than a devil fruit power. But with this insight, Ace adjusted his strategy, striking when King's flame dimmed to exploit his vulnerability.
King grew uneasy, sensing Ace's shift in tactics. Realizing that both Yamato and Shin had already won their battles, he saw no benefit in continuing. 'This isn't a fight I can win; it's time to fall back,' he thought.
With that, King's flame dimmed completely, and before Ace could react, he turned into a blur, disappearing as a black speck on the horizon.
"This guy, he just ran off," Ace murmured, watching King vanish with a mixture of disappointment and frustration. "I was hoping for a fight that'd last days."
Ace took in the destruction left in their wake as he descended to the ground. Though most of the battle had been in the air, their techniques had left the town in ruins.
"Uh-oh, I'm going to have to pay for this," he muttered, realizing the financial toll this would take. Though Ace had a reputation for skipping out on meals, he wasn't one to ignore the major damage he'd caused. As a non-plundering pirate crew, the Spade Pirates covered such costs out of their own pockets.
"You don't have to worry; I've already handled the compensation," came a voice. Shin and Yamato approached him from a distance. "Remember, we took plenty from Kaido's treasure vault. I've set aside half for the crew's needs."
Pirate crews often had strict rules about treasure division. Still, the Spade Pirates operated more like an adventure group than a traditional pirate crew, so Shin's haul from Kaido's vault was seen as a collective gain.
Ace let out a sigh of relief. Though he wasn't stingy, he appreciated anything that reduced the amount of nagging he'd have to endure from his crew mates.
Managing the crew's finances was no easy task for someone like Ace, and even a small crew of twenty kept him constantly overwhelmed. Most of the logistics fell to Deuce, who was both sensible and reliable. Yet, given Ace's casual approach, Deuce often felt compelled to lecture him at length, a habit Ace found exasperating.
With the battle behind them, the Spade Pirates decided to leave the island. Spooked by the destruction, the locals quickly scattered whenever they saw Ace and his crew approach.
"So, what's our next move? Should we go find the Red-Haired Pirates?" asked Ace as he stood on the Spade Pirates' deck with Deuce, Yamato, and Shin.
Shin stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It's a good idea. Training with Shanks might teach us something about Conqueror's Haki infusion."
"Conqueror's haki can be used like armament haki?" Ace asked, surprised.
Shin nodded toward Yamato. "Ask him. Kaido was a master of that technique."
Yamato nodded. "Yes, that brute's mastery of Conqueror's haki infusion was his strongest move, far surpassing regular armament haki in sheer power."
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Chapter 90: Hyuga Clan's Sacrifice is now available.