Not an Illusion, Damn It

At this moment.

Wilton felt another shackle inside his body break open. The first time had been because of Dragon; this time, it was Ace.

But it was still just short.

It felt like taking a dump and getting stuck halfway through, needing only one final push.

"Fuck your Conqueror's Haki. You're weak as hell, and you think you can crush my will?"

"I'm gonna kill you."

Wilton was completely enraged and began spouting profanities. He could not endure it any longer.

Explosive Double Axes.

Wilton's momentum surged. His eyes seemed to spit fire as he was thoroughly provoked. With an explosion beneath his feet, he leaped high into the air and smashed down toward Ace.

Fire Fist.

Ace was slightly stunned as he watched Wilton charge fearlessly, as though he intended to drag him down to death with him. Something stirred in Ace's heart.

It was as if Wilton had suffered the destruction of his family and the loss of his wife and children, as though Ace were the enemy who had murdered his father. Like he had been injected with stimulants, Wilton was determined to kill him.

That air of utter disregard for death was genuinely shocking.

Bang—

Like a volcanic eruption, a massive flaming fist churned the air and blasted toward the dumbbell falling from the sky with overwhelming force.

A circular shockwave spread outward. Sadi, Smoker, and the four Jailer Beasts raised their heads blankly, looking at that fearless and unyielding back. They suddenly realized that even death was nothing more than this.

So what did a mere Conqueror's Haki amount to?

For a moment, the two humans and four beasts seemed infected by Wilton's resolve. One after another, they rose firmly to face that will that inspired terror in their hearts.

At that second.

Their mindsets were gradually transforming. Though it was slow, they were no longer as pitiful as before. A single burst of Conqueror's Haki had nearly robbed them of their ability to fight.

"Death and Impel Down are your final destinations."

High in the air.

Wilton pressed down with all his strength, but the flaming fist remained steadfast, and the force pushing back grew stronger and stronger.

"As long as I'm here, don't even think about hurting Luffy and the others."

Rumble—

A mushroom cloud of flames rose into the air. Blood sprayed from Wilton's mouth as he was blasted away, smashing through street after street before finally crashing into a hillside and kicking up a sky full of shattered rocks and dust.

Ace, meanwhile, was driven deep into the ground. A spiderweb-like crater three hundred meters wide spread around him as he panted heavily.

Before he could catch his breath.

Wilton descended once more, his mouth full of blood and his expression fanatical. He was still as simple and brutal as ever, relying on one move to conquer all.

The air roiled and tore apart.

Ace looked up and roared, launching another Fire Fist. Without any surprise, Wilton was blasted away again, while the shattered crater beneath Ace expanded once more.

Explosive Double Axes.

Fire Fist.

Explosive Double Axes.

Again and again.

Whenever Wilton was sent flying, he always got back up immediately, rapidly closed the distance, and smashed toward Ace.

Half of Nanohana shook.

The area where the two were fighting had already been reduced to ruins. The ground was torn apart and heaved upward, while countless broken walls and rubble burned with raging flames.

No one knew how much time had passed. Ace panted violently, blood spilling from his mouth, his expression heavier than ever before.

What was going on?

Why could that guy keep getting back up? Was he a Zoan user?

Sensing the familiar pressure from above, Ace looked up and saw a figure drenched in blood, yet brimming with astonishing vitality.

That guy was like he could not be killed.

Although Ace held the upper hand, if this continued, he might be worn to death.

"Your strength is completely unworthy of your position, but this ends here."

Facing Wilton's unyielding charge, Ace's gaze turned cold. He crossed his hands as rings of fire spread out from his body, then gathered in spirals above his head, like a sun radiating incomparable light and heat.

Great Flame Ring: Fire Emperor.

"Lord Wilton!"

"Major General Wilton!"

Sadi and Smoker shouted. Watching that incomparably enormous sun swiftly engulf Wilton, their expressions changed drastically as they worried for him.

The destructive power contained within that flaming energy sphere was simply too great.

Bang—

A massive mushroom cloud rose, and endless flames incinerated everything. The whole of Nanohana shook violently as everything within a thousand meters was leveled.

Flames were everywhere.

Blinding light filled the air.

Smoker, Sadi, and the others instinctively lay flat on the ground. Feeling the rolling heat overhead, they could not help being shocked by the power of Fire Fist Ace.

Thinking about it, it made sense.

As the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, as well as a Logia-type Devil Fruit user with a bounty exceeding five hundred million, how could he possibly lack sufficient strength?

"Ace."

Luffy lay on the ground with a bloodied head, barely clinging to life. Looking at Ace in the center of the flames, his face was pale, and he too was stunned by Ace's power.

Though he had never been able to beat Ace since childhood, he had trained hard ever since Ace went to sea. He had thought he had caught up, but the gap had only grown wider.

And that huge Marine was even more terrifying than he had been in Loguetown. He had actually pushed Ace to this point.

Huff.

The air burned like dry firewood crackling in flames. Suddenly, those orange-red flames seemed to come alive, forming a fiery tornado that began to spiral inward and shrink back into Ace's body.

For ten thousand meters ahead lay scorched earth.

Within the ruins burned to ashes, two enormous dumbbells lay scattered to one side. A charred figure, black as coal, was buried among them, while the surrounding air rolled with heat.

Ace looked at the charred body without speaking. He had never seen such a valiant Marine Rear Admiral, someone even more outrageous than certain vice admirals.

In the New World, his opponents had all been capable subordinates of the Four Emperors, such as the Three Calamities, the Sweet Commanders, and other officers, or elite vice admirals from Marine Headquarters.

People like Onigumo and Momonga.

Although they had not fought for long, he had the feeling that this rear admiral was even more troublesome than Onigumo and the others.

"It's over."

Ace gave him a deep look and was about to transform into fire to rescue Luffy. As for Sadi, Smoker, and the four Jailer Beasts, he had not taken them seriously at all.

But just as Ace moved, he abruptly stopped and stared at that scorched ruin in disbelief.

A faint sound rang out.

Before his eyes, that charred hand suddenly lifted and slapped the ground. Then, that sturdy and oppressive body slowly rose to its feet.

A powerful gust spread outward as the black ash on Wilton's body fell away, revealing tough, reddened skin beneath.

Though his face was covered in blood, his eyes were exceptionally violent and chilling, as if every drop of blood in his body were boiling and burning.

Bang—

Whether it was an illusion or not, Ace felt that this guy's aura had become even fiercer. What was happening? How was he getting stronger the more they fought?

The passive skill Self-Sacrifice had activated. The more severe his injuries, the stronger his attack power became.

Mount Tai Presses Down.

Wilton grabbed the dumbbells on the ground, leaped high into the air, and smashed them fiercely toward Ace. The air along the way was crushed apart.

This time, he was faster and stronger.

It truly was like two dumbbell mountains pressing down on him. Flames surged from Ace's right arm, forming a massive flaming fist that shot skyward, but this time, he could no longer easily blast his opponent away as before.

What kind of joke is this?

Ace's expression changed drastically. Feeling Wilton's surging strength, his eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. This guy's strength had really increased.

It was not an illusion.

Damn it.