Luffy and his two companions arrived at an open space. After they stood still, Sabo said in a deep voice,
"Luffy, do we really have to come to this? We're brothers!"
Luffy remained silent, the white smoke emanating from his body growing thicker and thicker, gradually obscuring his face.
Ace couldn't hold back any longer. He clenched his fists and roared.
"Looks like we have no choice but to fight today, Luffy! Take this! Let me see your strength!"
After saying that, Ace charged straight at Luffy, his fist covered in Armament Haki, and he unleashed a powerful punch at Luffy.
"Fist Bone - Shattering Stars!"
Luffy showed no intention of dodging. Facing the powerful punch, he actually reached out and met it head-on, managing to catch Ace's fist in his palm.
Then, his arm suddenly went limp, like a nimble snake, and bit Ace's fist tightly, throwing him away.
Seeing this, Sabo frowned, but he didn't hesitate any longer and rushed forward after Ace.
He raised one hand like a claw and pressed it towards Luffy's face.
"Dragon's Claw!"
Luffy narrowed his eyes, his right arm rapidly expanded, and then he slammed it towards the charging Sabo.
"Gomu Gomu Giant Pistol!"
Sabo and Luffy were locked in a stalemate for a moment, but then Sabo followed in Ace's footsteps and was knocked away again.
The two landed together, exchanged a glance, and then charged forward simultaneously, attacking Luffy from both sides.
Suddenly, Luffy slammed his fists into the ground several times. Strangely, the ground was not damaged by his punches. Instead, it became softer and softer with each punch, and even ripples appeared.
Then, several rubber fists suddenly appeared on the ground. Ace and Sabo were stopped by these fists before they could even get close to Luffy. They barely managed to break free after being hit several times.
Sabo examined the gleaming ground and said in a deep voice,
"The earth has been assimilated into rubber! As expected, Luffy's Gum -Rubber-Rubber Fruit has Awakening!"
Ace nodded slowly and began to speak.
"I never expected Luffy to awaken Devil Fruit Awakening at such a young age. No wonder he has the confidence to set sail."
"But what's with all that white smoke around Luffy? This doesn't seem like Paramecia Awakening..."
"I don't know. Paramecia Fruits are inherently diverse, so their manifestations after Awakening might vary."
Luffy looked at Ace and Sabo with a complicated expression and said,
"Ace, Sabo, I really don't want to fight you guys, you should go back!"
Ace's expression changed, and he roared,
"You idiot! Do you think we want to fight? Can't you listen to advice and stop being a pirate?!"
Luffy shook his head; his attitude was very firm, and it was impossible for him to go back with Ace and Sabo.
He clenched his fist with one hand, and an aura erupted from his body—it was Conqueror's Haki.
"This world never belonged to them, and I will take it back!"
Ace's gaze sharpened, and he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, clashing with Luffy's.
Sabo doesn't have Conqueror's Haki, but he's also unaffected by Conqueror's Haki, simply staring blankly from the sidelines.
In terms of the strength of Conqueror's Haki, Luffy and Ace were evenly matched, and after a short stalemate, they both dispersed.
Luffy sighed softly and said,
"Ace, I remember you once wanted to become a pirate, but you gave up in the end and were even influenced by that Uchiha Senga to join the so-called Navy."
Luffy's expression seemed to indicate that he was very disappointed by Ace joining the Marines, which made Ace, as the older brother, very awkward. He glared at Luffy and shouted,
"Joining the Navy was my own decision! And it turns out I was right! Pirates have absolutely no meaning to this world! You've chosen the wrong path!"
Sabo patted Ace on the shoulder, looked at Luffy, and said...
"Luffy, stop being so stubborn."
Luffy felt a surge of irritation. He shook his head and shouted,
"Why is everyone like this? What kind of bewitching potion did Uchiha Senga give you?!"
Luffy's emotions grew increasingly agitated. The white smoke around him no longer drifted erratically but instead began to gather together, forming a white ribbon that trailed behind him.
His hair also started to float, and its color gradually darkened, subtly turning white.
"This situation can no longer be explained by the versatility of Paramecia Fruits, "Ace exclaimed.
"What on earth is going on? Is this still the Rubber-Rubber Fruit?"
Sabo didn't say anything, because he was also staring blankly at Luffy, completely unaware of what was going on.
A golden light flashed in Luffy's pupils. He looked up at Ace and the other two opposite him, and the next second, his figure vanished from the spot.
Sabo's pupils contracted, and he instinctively pushed Ace away. In that instant, Luffy between the two, raised his leg and swept it across Sabo's abdomen, causing Sabo's entire body to bend like a noodle and fall to his knees with a thud.
Ace reacted immediately and rushed to help. He punched Luffy in the back, but Luffy seemed to feel nothing. He shuddered and neutralized Ace's force, which then rebounded onto Luffy.
"Puff!"
This force was even greater than Ace's original strength. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his breath quickly weakened. Luffy turned around, grabbed Ace's arm, and lifted him up, swinging him wildly.
Once grabbed by Luffy, Ace's body instantly became incredibly flexible. He felt his body being pulled and tugged in the air. As he was being flung around, Luffy released his grip, and Ace was thrown out, crashing heavily into a rock Luffy.
"Ace..."
Sabo clutched his stomach, staggered to his feet, stared at Luffy with a pained look in his eyes, and said in a trembling voice,
"How could you attack Ace so severely? Are you really Luffy?"
A struggle flickered in Luffy's eyes. He held his forehead with one hand and gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"I didn't want to do this! You forced me to!"
"We're doing this for your own good! Do you know how special your identity is? What are you going to do with Vice Admiral Garp and Vice Admiral Dragon? If you provoke the King, do you think you'll have a chance to live?!"
"My affairs have nothing to do with them! And stop mentioning Uchiha Senga in front of me! I'm not afraid of him!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a mocking voice rang in their ears, a voice that was all too familiar to Luffy.
"Oh? Is that so? It seems I didn't make a deep enough impression on you before!"
"What!?"
Luffy's eyes widened, his body jolted, and before he could make a move, a familiar Repulsion Force erupted from behind him.
Shinra Tensei.