When Ace regained consciousness, half an hour had passed. He was deeply inspired and thought about many things. Then he quickly stood up and bowed deeply to Vic was sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Vic's words today could save him from many detours, which is a great favor. Vic did not avoid this greeting; it would not be an exaggeration to call it a teacher's greeting!
"Alright! Life is a journey of self-cultivation and spiritual refinement. Let's stop here for today. The rest is up to you to figure out. I'm leaving!"
After speaking, Vic vanished in a Inazuma. This technique once again shocked Ace. Although both of them were Logia Fruit users, Vic's development of his abilities had clearly reached an extremely deep level.
Ace didn't believe that Vic was still hiding on the island, deliberately creating an air of mystery. The only explanation was that he had left the island quietly, as Vic's ability to teleport long distances was something Ace could only dream of.
Ace did not leave the island immediately. He and his companions trained on the island for a month before leaving and sailing directly towards the entrance of the Grand Line Reverse Mountain!
Having witnessed Vic's power, East Blue had no reason to stay in the Ace anymore; he was going to the Grand Line to compete with the true geniuses and strongmen!
Similar to the original story, Ace, having eaten the Flame-Flame Fruit, arrived in the New World without any obstacles, his bounty skyrocketing, earning him the title of the strongest rookie of the year.
Although the Navy pursued them during the journey, it would have been difficult to defeat a Logia user without deploying one or two Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, let alone a combat genius like Ace who had already Awakening Observation Haki and later Awakening Armament Haki during the voyage!
Within the Spade Pirates, Ace's combat strength was unparalleled. Even after recruiting several new crew members in the first half of the Grand Line, the name Fire Fist Ace still shone brightly in that section of the Grand Line.
Perhaps Vic's appearance changed something; the Spade Pirates sailed all the way to the New World without encountering a single Shichibukai, and thus the plot of defeating Shichibukai and being invited by the World Government did not occur.
However, whether it was fate or the correction of the world's forces, after Ace found Shanks in the New World and thanked him, he still trespassed into Whitebeard's territory.
It's also possible that he wanted to prove himself by defeating Whitebeard, his Pops Roger's old rival. After defeating several pirate crews under Whitebeard, he finally drew out the World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard Newgate!
The strongest members of the Whitebeard Pirates were mostly on the Moby Dick. The two pirate crews met on an island, or it could be said that Whitebeard took the initiative to pursue and intercept the Spade Pirates.
Whitebeard didn't act immediately; as one of the Four Emperors, he had to maintain his dignity. So, it was definitely the captains on his ship who volunteered. Blackbeard wouldn't actively participate in such a battle, as it would conflict with his low-key and patient nature. Blackbeard only participates in group battles where he can fish in troubled waters.
Squad leader Thatch was the first to attack. His weapon was a pair of swords. Although he was a captain-level figure on the Moby Dick, he was still far inferior to Ace, who possessed both Logia Haki and dual Haki. Thatch was at a disadvantage after thirty moves, and after fifty moves, he could only parry. He was quickly defeated.
The second to enter the arena is Diamond Jozu, the captain of the second division. He is Paramecia Devil Fruit User ability to turn any part of his body into diamonds. Without using Haki, the defense of his diamonds is virtually invincible.
Furthermore, Jozu is incredibly strong, capable of transforming the powerful defensive capabilities of diamonds into tremendous offensive power, somewhat similar to how Armament Haki can convert defense into attack.
However, while diamonds offer strong defense, fire is their nemesis. Therefore, in the battle against Ace, Jozu's diamond defense was essentially rendered useless, and he could only rely on Armament Haki to fight against the all-pervasive flames, which was extremely difficult.
As expected, Ace won again, and his strength impressed even Whitebeard, who became much more serious while watching the battle.
The third to step up was Jinbe, whom Whitebeard had personally recommended. Jinbe didn't have a specific role on the Moby Dick; if you had to name one, he was a lifeguard and helmsman.
Whitebeard realized the difficulty of Flame-Flame Fruit, so he sent Jinbe, who had mastered the use of water to the extreme, to take action.
In the original story, Jinbe and Ace fought fiercely for five days and nights, but Ace's strength was now vastly different. When the difference in strength is not significant, battles often last a long time, just like the fight between Akainu and Aokiji.
However, if there is a significant difference in skill level, the battle can be decided quickly. Even though Jinbe is skilled with water, his water is completely ineffective against Ace, who has been instructed by Vic. The water is vaporized by the high temperature as soon as it is used. Fish-Man who cannot rely on water are more afraid of fire than normal humans, so Jinbe was defeated after two hours.
In fact, apart from Marco, the first division commander, the overall strength of the other division commanders in the Whitebeard Pirates is not that different; they just have different focuses.
So after several captains were defeated, the other captains and crew members knew where Ace's strength stood. Ace's strength was very balanced with basically no weaknesses, so they were all waiting for Marco to make a move.
They understood that Marco was just as aware of this, so he stepped forward himself. Marco is Zoan -type Bird-Bird Fruit user, Mythical Zoan, Phoenix Form. This Devil Fruit's power contains extremely strong Logia attributes, making it a very powerful fruit ability.
This battle was truly evenly matched between the two. They fought fiercely for seven days and nights, and in the end, Ace lost by half a move. After the battle, the two had a big meal and then slept for several days.
At this point, the relationship between the two pirate crews had undergone a subtle change. It was no longer an adversarial relationship between challenger and challenged. Whitebeard's sons all acknowledged Ace's strength.
Whitebeard also took notice of Ace's talent. In the original story, Ace was valued by Whitebeard because he revealed his identity as Roger's son, but Ace achieved that through his own strength.
In order to convince Ace to join the Whitebeard Pirates, after Ace had eaten, drunk, and rested well, Whitebeard decided to personally intervene.
Whitebeard, carrying his pheasant sword, walked step by step toward Ace. The powerful pressure made Ace's expression change. In order to shock Ace, Whitebeard used the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power plus the Conqueror's Coating in his first move, knocking Ace unconscious in one blow.
When Ace woke up, Whitebeard stretched out a hand and uttered his famous line, "If you haven't had enough trouble yet, then carry my name and roam freely across this sea! Be my son!"
In the original story, Ace did not agree immediately; the words "be my son" only made Ace feel deeply humiliated!
Ace had seen Vic in action before, so he wasn't shocked by Whitebeard's one-hit victory, and therefore he was even less likely to agree; he only felt more humiliated!
In the original story, Ace attacked or ambushed Whitebeard in hundreds of ways without success before finally being won over by Whitebeard and joining the Whitebeard Pirates. Here, it's Whitebeard chasing after Ace, trying to get him to join.
Therefore, Whitebeard took the initiative to show off his strength, displaying his muscles and charisma, but Ace was bound to get injured in the process.
Whitebeard was undoubtedly invincible, but with Vic's brilliance preceding him, Whitebeard's performance always fell short in Ace's eyes. Whitebeard had thought he could subdue Ace within half a month, but a month had passed and he still hadn't succeeded!
He neither let Ace leave nor killed him, but kept harassing Ace, defeating Ace more than ten times every day.
With a Emperor of the Sea as his sparring partner, Ace's strength improved rapidly, but he eventually joined the Whitebeard Pirates after being persistently persuaded by Whitebeard.
There's nothing I can do if you don't join. This old guy is blocking the way and won't let you leave. He beats you up more than ten times a day. Even a person made of iron can't take that. Besides, Ace saw Whitebeard's true feelings for him and eventually took on Whitebeard's name.
However, Ace here doesn't have the Whitebeard Pirates ' symbol tattooed on his back. Just like in the original story, Ace was appointed as the long-vacant second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, with Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach lying in wait under his command.
Ace's own crew members were directly incorporated into the Whitebeard Pirates. Some were ambitious and enterprising, while others were obliterated. The once-famous Spade Pirates disappeared from the sea and became fresh blood for the Whitebeard Pirates. The Seaquake for a while, but quickly returned to its original turbulent state!