"Uncle, here I come!"
At opposite ends of the courtyard clearing, which had been set up as a tennis court,
Sakazuki and little Ace stood facing each other across the net, tennis rackets in hand.
Ace bounced the tennis ball back and forth, his face brimming with a confident smile.
"All right, bring it on."
"Haah—take this, Fire Fist Serve!"
Flames erupted from little Ace's arm and rapidly extended onto his racket.
[Bang!]
The instant the racket struck the tennis ball, it became a golden beam that shot over the net.
It bounced swiftly out of bounds beside Sakazuki's feet.
"Fifteen-love!"
Seeing this, Ace grinned smugly. "Haha, Uncle Sakazuki, how was that? Pretty amazing, right?"
This serve, perfectly executed through Flame Breathing, could be called his ultimate move.
Hardly anyone in the elementary division could return it.
"Not bad. Keep going." Sakazuki remained utterly calm.
"All right, Fire Fist Serve!"
Ace excitedly struck the ball again.
Yet this time, it flashed behind him at a speed his eyes could not even follow.
He froze in place, then turned around in shock to stare at the charred tennis ball embedded completely in the wall, smoke hissing from it.
"Oops, it went out. So it should be thirty-love now, right?"
Sakazuki's voice from across the court immediately snapped Ace out of his daze.
"Again!"
That shot was like a basin of ice water poured over his head. His relaxed smile was replaced by seriousness.
"Fire Fist Serve!"
[Bang!]
The tennis ball flew straight back again. This time, it landed precisely inside the court before bouncing out.
Ace clutched his racket tightly, having stood there the entire time without being able to react at all.
"Fifteen-thirty."
"Again!"
[Bang!]
"Thirty-all."
"As expected of Uncle Sakazuki, but I won't give up so easily!"
"**Fire Fist