Ace believed his physical skills were quite strong; his younger brother Luffy, a Gum-Gum Devil Fruit User, had never been able to defeat him. He told Vic not to use his elemental transformation, but didn't say he wouldn't either. This might be because he wanted to get revenge on Vic for exploiting him for so long.
"Okay! I don't need it."
Hearing that Vic no longer needed to use his elemental powers, Ace regained his confidence and unleashed a barrage of fire attacks at Vic, but to no avail!
To Ace's crew, Vic was still standing there motionless, but Ace's flames couldn't touch Vic. They were all crew members Ace had invited from the East Blue, and they hadn't even gone to the Grand Line yet. How much strength and insight could they possibly have? They simply couldn't see through the trickery.
Ace was not only far stronger than them, but he had also Awakening Observation Haki. He could clearly sense that Vic had used his incredible speed to dodge his fire attack and then quickly returned to his original position. Because of his speed, to the average person, Vic was no different from standing still.
If Vic knew, he would definitely say it's because your fire attack speed is too slow. I can only slow down my speed to weave between your continuous attacks. If I'm too fast, I might run into your fire. That's the real reason you can see it clearly.
After witnessing just a glimpse of Vic 'Iceburg speed, Ace began to regret his earlier words to him. He finally understood why Vic always stood quietly when he and Luffy saw Vic on the mountain!
Because this guy was moving so fast, the two of them couldn't see how he was moving at all. They could only see his back when he stopped moving!
However, Ace did not completely admit defeat. No matter how fast you are, to maintain such speed, you must consume a lot of stamina. If this continues, you will eventually be exhausted. As Logia Fruit user, he is not afraid of being attacked at all, and can be said to be invincible.
" Mr. Vic! You're cheating! What kind of skill is it to dodge with speed? If you're so capable, face my attack head-on!"
Ace had thought that Vic would eventually run out of energy, but he was destined to be disappointed. Vic continued to move at the same speed as if he hadn't used up any energy, while Ace was already a little tired from using his Devil Fruit ability. So he continued to provoke Vic, since he had already provoked Vic once before.
"Okay! Then I won't hide."
Ace had only approached the situation with a "let's give it a try" attitude, but he didn't expect Vic to actually agree, abandoning his own advantages. So how will Vic deal with his attack now?
Judging from how Vic had been dodging his attacks, he deduced that Vic was an agile type known for his speed, and his offensive and defensive methods were probably limited. He figured Vic should be able to defeat this guy who was being restrained by him before he ran out of stamina!
" Fire Fist!"
Another burst of flame shot towards Vic, the scorching heat wave causing the onlookers to squint, and the figures of the two in the arena distorted in the heat.
This time, however, the flames didn't pass through Vic's body and fly behind him. Instead, they reversed halfway through and engulfed Ace. The remaining flames seemed to be affected by some external force and flew diagonally upwards into the sky. They didn't continue to sweep towards Ace's companions behind him, but they still gave them a big fright!
The massive ball of flame rapidly enlarged in their pupils, its scorching heat already scorching their hair and eyebrows, threatening to engulf them in the next moment. They had already closed their eyes, awaiting death, but in the end, they survived, and the flames eventually flew into the sky.
Although Ace was engulfed by the flames he released, as the flames themselves, he was not harmed at all. Once the flames stopped receiving replenishment from him, they gradually died down, revealing Ace, who was completely unharmed within the flames.
Clearly, Ace used elemental transformation; otherwise, as someone with the Flame-Flame Fruit, he would have been burned as well. He had just said that elemental transformation shouldn't be used to dodge attacks, but now he had used it himself. He was indeed strict with others but lenient with himself. However, Vic didn't say anything.
Although Vic agreed that he couldn't rely on elemental transformation and speed to dodge attacks, he had countless other methods at his disposal Artistic Conception of Wind, Swordsmanship, Conqueror's Haki, Armament Haki Emission, etc. Any one of them could make Ace's flames retreat.
Vic just used the external release of Armament Haki; Ace's flames alone couldn't get close to him!
In other words, Vic was still standing there without moving, but Ace had used all his skills and achieved nothing, while he was exhausted. He didn't even know how Vic had deflected his attack, even though he was just standing there doing nothing.
" Mr. Vic! All you know is dodging and defending? Do you know that attacking is useless and want to exhaust my strength?"
Ace was still helpless against Vic, so he had to speak up again, which made his crew feel that their captain was going too far. This was too much of a bullying, he was using every trick in the book, but he wouldn't let others use this or that. This battle was not fair at all, and even they, as pirates, felt ashamed!
It's only because that Shichibukai and their captain are acquaintances that they've been so tolerant of him. What if it were another Shichibukai?
It's not certain that another player could defeat Ace. In the original story, Ace defeated a Shichibukai not long after setting sail. This Ace would only be stronger, but he encountered the king of the Shichibukai, and despite having great strength, he couldn't use it.
" Ace! Do you know that once I make a move, you might not even be able to withstand a single strike!"
Vic came here specifically to strike Ace, and to strike him from all angles. He still has many tricks up his sleeve, but now Ace is telling him to take the initiative, which could be a matter of one-hit kill.
Vic's attacks are now at the level of a royal-grade basic attack. Vic is even afraid of accidentally killing Ace with a heavy blow, so he has to hold back his attacks. Ace is courting death!
"What a joke! You think I, the invincible East Blue, can't even withstand one of your moves? You're too arrogant! Make your move!"
Ace certainly had the right to be arrogant. He obtained the Flame-Flame Fruit not long after setting sail, and from then on, no one could harm his body. It could truly be said that he was invincible throughout the East Blue.
However, he didn't include Garp and Vic, the two East Blue people, in his calculations. With his elemental transformation as a backup, he wasn't afraid of any attacks. This was a conclusion he had drawn without exception during this period. He didn't believe Vic could be an exception, just as he had been helpless against Vic's elemental transformation when he attacked Vic earlier.
"You know too little about this vast ocean and the powerful creatures that roam its waters! This defeat is the best way for you to grow! It's your greatest gain in the East Blue!"
Vic simply said that, then raised his arm and slowly threw a punch at Ace, but he remained standing still.
To Ace and his friends, this punch seemed rather childish. Vic's punch was slow and lacked any apparent force. He also stood still and didn't get close to his opponent, making the punch look like a mere show.
Ace thought so too, because his Observation Haki hadn't given him any warning of danger. But if he had observed carefully, he would have noticed that the tiny ash floating in the air between the two of them was moving rapidly toward him. That was the ash produced after the plants were burned by his flames, which had already filled the battlefield.