The battle entered its most intense phase.
The black-purple marks on Ace's body began to spread.
From the scar on his chest, they spread outward like a spiderweb.
Eerie Void Runes writhed beneath his skin.
Purple-black veins appeared across his neck, arms, and cheeks.
"Ace! Your body..." Lin Ye stared at the changes in his best friend in shock.
Ace lowered his head and looked at his hands.
The backs of his hands were covered in black-purple patterns that squirmed like living things.
"Looks like the time is shorter than expected," he said with a bitter smile.
"The corrosion of Void Energy is accelerating."
As soon as he said that, confusion flashed through Ace's eyes.
It was as though something was fighting for control of his consciousness.
"Slaughter... destroy everything..." he muttered.
"No!" Ace shook his head hard and regained his clarity.
"I'm Ace, not a slave of the Void!"
But that lucid state lasted only a few seconds.
Soon, his expression turned vacant again.
Lin Ye keenly noticed something was wrong with his friend.
"Ace, hold on!" he shouted.
"You're Ace, Luffy's brother, my best friend!"
"Don't let Void Energy control you!"
Hearing Lin Ye's voice, clarity returned to Ace's eyes.
"Lin Ye... thank you," he said through gritted teeth.
"But I can feel the Void Consciousness corroding my mind."
"We're running out of time. We have to end this quickly."
Seeing Ace's condition, Azazel smiled smugly.
"Do you see now? The power of the Void isn't so easy to control."
"Very soon, you'll lose yourself completely."
"You'll become a loyal servant of the Void Emperor."
"Shut up!" Ace roared, unleashing Void Hellfire.
The black-purple flames were even more violent than before.
But they were also more unstable.
The flames carried a destructive will that sought to annihilate everything.