The smoke gradually dispersed, and Bright reappeared before the members of the Spade Pirates.
Scal's face was deathly pale. His mouth hung open, the muscles in his cheeks trembling uncontrollably. He staggered backward, then simply collapsed onto the ground.
"Th-this," he muttered, "is this the power of an Emperor?"
"We can't win. How could we possibly beat a monster like this?!"
One of the pirates had completely broken down. His weapon clattered to the ground as he clutched his head with both hands, tears and snot streaming down his face while he wailed loudly.
Deuce gritted his teeth.
Honestly, even he was starting to despair. What kind of monster was this?
Bullets and blades were completely useless. They shattered the instant they struck his skin.
Ace's proud ability was no more effective than scratching an itch against him. It could not even make him take half a step back.
There was actually someone this strong in the world. Was this the power possessed by those called Emperors?
Before this, it had been utterly unimaginable...
Deuce gave a bitter smile.
He had seen the strength of monsters for the first time, but it seemed this would also be his last.
"It's not over yet!!"
At that moment, Ace roared. The flames around him surged even more fiercely, rings of fire spreading from beneath his feet in every direction.
"I told you not to damage this building."
Bright spoke somewhat helplessly as Armament Haki spread from beneath his feet, reinforcing the entire rooftop once more.
"Since setting sail, we've faced countless hardships and obstacles, but we crossed every one of them in the end!"
Ace took a deep breath and pressed both hands downward. The flames spreading beneath his feet rose in the next instant, becoming a massive pillar of fire that