Marco had actually already realized that Ace had achieved his Devil Fruit Awakening with Mu Chen's help. But that help seemed to have involved making him hate Pops. No wonder you didn't want to tell Ace and the others.
Only now did Marco finally understand why Whitebeard had told him about faking his death while keeping it from Ace.
Although he knew Ace would be fine, Jozu and the others were still worried about him. After all, Ace was a pirate, and he had inherited Whitebeard's fleet.
After exchanging blows with Ace, Mu Chen stopped and calmly looked at his panting opponent. "You can't even break through my defense. Is this all you've got after awakening?"
"Looks like this so-called Devil Fruit Awakening isn't much after all."
Provoked by Mu Chen, Ace's face instantly flushed red. Anger at being belittled mingled with frustration at the gap in their strength. He beat his flaming wings fiercely, turning into an orange-red meteor as he circled behind Susanoo.
His flaming longsword gathered all his strength as he slashed at Susanoo's back.
"Finally using your head?"
"But against absolute power, no trick will work."
Mu Chen snorted coldly. Susanoo suddenly turned, visible currents of red energy and lightning wrapping around its enormous blade!
It was Conqueror's Coating. The enormous blade collided with the flaming longsword!
The force of the Haki instantly traveled through the sword into Ace. Agony shot through his arm, and the impact sent him flying backward.
"Impossible!"
Ace's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
His flaming longsword held all the power of his awakening, yet his opponent had shattered it with a casual blow!
Moreover, Mu Chen's attacks seemed capable of ignoring his flames' defenses and striking his body directly. "There's nothing impossible about it."
Mu Chen controlled Susanoo as