The train ship's gangway had just been lowered, and Akira's figure had not yet completely walked out of the cabin. The feverish emotions in the port that had long been accumulated to the peak exploded like a volcanic eruption.
The tsunami-like shouts from the mountains merged into a wave of sound that was visible to the naked eye, causing ripples on the sea surface.
Akira walked down the gangway in front of everyone. The moment he stepped onto the dock ground, the originally orderly crowd suddenly lost control.
"Akira-sama, look at me here!"
"Oh my god, he's coming towards me!"
Countless people rushed forward like a tide. Morgan and the Marshal personal guards led by him immediately formed a human wall and tried to block it, but they seemed so small in front of this fanatical torrent.
The human wall was broken down in an instant.
Several well-dressed young women screamed and rushed to the front, their eyes flashing with an almost crazy light, and they stretched out their hands to pounce on Akira.
However, before their hands touched the hem of Akira's clothes, a beautiful figure quietly stood in front of them.
Hancock still held Akira's arm affectionately, but moved his body seemingly unintentionally.
"Ouch!"
The woman who was rushing at the front slipped, and she fell forward in an extremely awkward posture. Along with this, several companions behind her also tripped to the ground, and they immediately rolled into a ball.
Hancock A haughty sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he didn't even bother to give alms to these "rude women" from the corner of his eyes.
The small commotion did not affect Akira.
After the emergency intervention of the city security team led by Mayor Land of Fire, the chaotic order was finally restored.
Akira looked at the extremely excited people in front of him, with a gentle smile on his face, and raised his hand to wave to the crowd.
It was this simple action that once again ignited the whole audience.
"Ah--Lord Marshal smiled at me!"
In the crowd, the moment a young woman who was closest to Akira saw Akira's smile, the expression on her face was first one of ecstasy, then extreme happiness, and finally she rolled her eyes and fell straight back. She was so happy that she fainted on the spot.
Several companions around her also fell to the ground one after another, with satisfied smiles on their faces without exception.
This scene made the first mayor of Land of Fire, who came to greet him, have his eyelids twitching. He quickly ordered the security team to carry away these fainted "lucky people", for fear of causing greater commotion.
Under the personal escort of the mayor, the Akira group finally made it through the crowd without any danger and successfully checked into the most luxurious Land of Fire Flame Hotel.
The enthusiastic crowd refused to disperse for a long time and still surrounded the hotel.
Internship on board.
Ace leaned on the side of the ship, looked at the empty port in the distance, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
The scene just now was too scary, and he didn't want to be surrounded by those crazy women.
Just as he was looking at the sea boredly, a strange object floating on the water attracted his attention.
It was an orange-red fruit with spiral patterns on its surface.
Ace blinked blankly at first, and then, a thought flashed through his mind like Inazuma.
Devil Fruit?!
Without any hesitation, he plunged into the sea, swam hard to the fruit, and fished it out.
Back on the deck, Ace placed the wet fruit in front of him, his heart beating wildly.
To eat or not to eat?
He thought of Akira Marshal's terrifying power that destroyed the world, and Zoro's dedication to the strongest swordsmanship.
Looking at myself again, apart from my pretty good physical skills and the Conqueror's Haki I just couldn't control at Awakening, I don't seem to have anything good to offer.
After hesitating for a while, Ace looked hard.
Picked up Devil Fruit, opened his mouth and took a big bite.
"Ugh..."
An indescribable taste exploded in his mouth instantly, and Ace almost spit it out on the spot.
He suppressed his nausea and swallowed the pulp.
The moment the fruit pulp entered the abdomen, a scorching hot air suddenly ignited from the body and instantly flowed through the limbs and bones.
The next second.
A ball of flame burst out of him uncontrollably.
The strange thing is that Ace did not feel any burning pain. Instead, he felt that the flame was extremely warm, as if it was a part of his body.
He tried to stretch out his right hand and thought about it.
A small ball of flame danced obediently on his fingertips.
Success!
Ace was ecstatic in his heart. He raised his hand and pointed to a lonely trash can on the shore, and flicked it with his fingers.
The small ball of flame shot out, drew a beautiful arc in the air, and fell accurately into the trash can.
Boom!
The trash can was instantly engulfed in flames and burned up in less than two seconds.
Seeing this, Ace was overjoyed. He turned around and faced the vast sea. He took a deep breath, gathered the surging power in his body into his right fist, and slammed it forward!
"Fire Fist!"
A loud roar!
A huge fist made of pure flames with a diameter of more than five meters roared out from his fist!
The burning giant fist was like a falling meteor, dragging a long flame tail and hitting the sea hard.
Boom--
A huge hole was instantly blown open in the sea, and monstrous flames shot up into the sky, turning the sky red!
A night of silence.
On the evening of the next day, the much-anticipated Flame Festival officially kicked off.
When night falls, the entire Land of Fire turns into a sea of light and a world of fire.
All the lights in the city were extinguished and replaced by thousands of blazing torches.
Countless people dressed in costumes, with flame totems painted on their faces, and holding torches poured into the streets from all directions.
Torrents of torches gathered and passed through the streets of the city, finally flowing to the Plaza de la Fire in the center.
The scene was like the Milky Way falling from the sky into the mortal world, shocking and magnificent.
Akira was invited to the high platform in the center of the Square of Fire. As the most distinguished guest, he will personally light the first main torch symbolizing the beginning of the festival.
However, the moment the mayor handed the fire to Akira.
A figure fell from the sky like a burning meteor and landed steadily on the high platform.
It is Ace.
"Lord Marshal," Ace had a confident smile on his face and bowed slightly to Akira, "How about I light the torch in the Flame Square?"
Akira Looking at the young man with a drastically changed temperament in front of him, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
After not seeing each other for a day, he actually learned to show off.
"Oh?" Akira asked with great interest, "How are you going to light them? I need to remind you that there are a total of eighty-eight huge torches around the square. It is not an easy task for you to light them all by yourself."
"Lord Marshal, please keep an eye on it!"
Ace smiled confidently and said no more.
He slowly raised his hands and spread his fingers.
The next second, clusters of orange-red flames flew out from his fingertips like elves with life.
Eighty-eight lines of fire drew splendid trajectories in the night sky, shooting accurately at the eighty-eight huge Iron Fire Wood totems surrounding the square.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Along with the continuous roar, eighty-eight huge torches tens of meters high were lit almost at the same time!
The flames soaring into the sky illuminate the entire night sky as bright as day!
The interns were stunned.
"So... so awesome!" Luffy was the first to jump up, with little stars in his eyes.
"Hey! Ace!" Zoro walked over with a dissatisfied look on his face, "We agreed to practice together and become stronger, but you secretly went to eat Devil Fruit!"
Ace turned around and smiled at Zoro, "I'm sorry, Zoro. With Devil Fruit's ability, I should be the strongest intern now."
Before he finished speaking, he jumped up to the top of the tallest torch in the center of the square.
Raging flames spurted out from his body, covering his entire body and transforming into a flaming giant standing tall on the sky and on the ground!
Ace opened his arms, facing the hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic people below, and announced loudly, "I am determined to be the Flame King of this Flame Festival!"
"You cheated! Ace!" Luffy jumped up and shouted unconvinced.
"Smelly brother," Ace looked down at him and laughed, "Go be your adventure king! This Flame King can only be me!"
The people of Land of Fire who originally worshiped flames completely fell into madness after seeing the miraculous performance of Ace.
"Flame King!"
"Flame King!!"
"Flame King!!!"
Hundreds of thousands of people chanted in unison, pushing the festival atmosphere to its climax in an instant.
The cheerful music sounded, and the enthusiastic people rushed forward, dragging the somewhat dazed interns with them, and poured into the center of the square. They held hands and danced cheerfully around the blazing bonfire.
Laughter, singing, and shouting merged into a sea of joy, echoing for a long time under the flaming night sky.
--