Luffy's words echoed in the cold throne room, carrying an undeniable determination. Ace stared at the ancestral ice sculpture, still in a fighting stance, his fists clenching unconsciously, flames flickering between his fingers. Allen, on the other hand, could feel more clearly the primal power within him, originating from the World Seed, resonating with the faint, yet different in nature, flame aura remaining in the ice sculpture.
"Completely purify the Lord of Frozen Silence..." A glimmer of hope flashed in the High Priest's cloudy eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry. "But this is by no means easy. The Lord of Frozen Silence is sealed in the ' Permafrost Core ' deepest beneath the castle. Its chill, accumulated over hundreds of years, is far greater than it once was. And Her Highness, I'm afraid she cannot hold out for much longer."
As if to prove her words, Princess Illya let out another painful cry, and the conflict between ice and fire around her intensified, causing the temperature of the entire throne room to fluctuate wildly under her influence.
"Then let's not waste time!" Luffy strode towards the entrance to the underground palace from the throne room. "Let's go straight to that core and solve the problem!"
"Wait, Straw Hat Kid." The High Priest stopped him, but his gaze fell on Ace and Allen. "The path to the Permafrost Core is sealed by the last power left behind by Lord Portgas. It is a trial he set for his successor. Only by passing the trial and proving that you are qualified to control and complete the mission can you enter the core, awaken his remaining will, and obtain the true power to fight against the Lord of Frozen Silence."
She pointed to the two sides of the throne room, where two enormous doors had risen up at some unknown time. One door was adorned with ever-burning flame patterns, while the other was covered with ice that had never melted.
"Behind the Gate of Flame lies the test of understanding and mastery of the ' Will of Flame '; behind the Gate of Ice, one must confront the extreme cold and prove one's unwavering resolve," the High Priest explained. "Both successors, you must each choose a gate and pass the trial. This is a necessary step."
Ace and Allen exchanged a glance, without any hesitation.
"Leave the flames to me." Ace grinned, his fist blazing with fire, and strode towards the Gate of Flames. "Perfect for stretching my muscles."
Allen calmly walked towards the ice gate. "I'll go this way."
"Hey! Wait!" Luffy shouted in dissatisfaction, "Why are only the two of them allowed to go? I want to go and defeat that Lord of Frozen Silence too!"
" Luffy," Robin said, pressing her hand on his shoulder with a smile, "This is a trial for their bloodline, and an opportunity to understand the source of their power. We should wait here and protect Her Highness the Princess."
Zoro, leaning against the wall with his sword in his arms, said, "That's right, don't interfere in other people's family matters."
Sanji lit a cigarette and looked at Princess Illya, who was struggling in pain. "Besides, we also have ladies here who need protection."
Luffy pouted, but then quieted down and turned his attention to Princess Illya: "Alright. Well then, you big tree (referring to the High Priest), you'd better figure out a way to make this older sister more comfortable!"
The high priest and the ice warriors began to perform a calming ritual around Princess Illya, temporarily stabilizing the conflicting forces within her.
Ace and Allen, on the other hand, each stepped into the gates of their own trials.
The Gate of Flames slammed shut as Ace stepped through, revealing a boundless world of lava beyond, with scorching waves of heat hitting him. It wasn't just physical heat, but flames that directly burned his will. Countless phantoms of flames attacked him, roaring and whispering, trying to shake his resolve and lure him into the rage of power.
"This level of fire..." Ace's body ignited with an even more concentrated and intense World-Purifying Flame, his eyes sharp, "It's still far from enough!" He strode forward, and all the approaching fiery phantoms crumbled under his purer will and the flames themselves. What he wanted to prove was not the strength of the fire, but the "will" to control the fire and not be consumed by it.
Beyond the gate of ice lay absolute silence and extreme cold. Allen felt as if everything about him was about to freeze—his movements, thoughts, even his very concept of existence. The endless, chilling winds, carrying a soul-crushing temperature, attempted to assimilate him into this eternal ice field.
The Definition Domain unfolded spontaneously, Resistance the frozen rules. But Allen soon discovered that forcibly resisting the extreme cold was both costly and ineffective. Recalling his experience in the Emerald Dream, he stopped trying to " Definition " warmth to combat it and began to "understand" the essence of this extreme cold, why it existed, and its relationship with fire—opposing yet symbiotic. The light of the World Seed flowed gently within him, helping him perceive the subtle and ancient balance between ice and fire. Though his steps were slow, he moved forward resolutely in this frigid domain of consciousness, searching for an exit and a deeper understanding of the rules of "ice."
Inside the throne room, everyone waited anxiously. Time ticked by, but the two doors remained tightly shut, with only the patterns on them occasionally flashing, indicating that the trial was still ongoing.
Suddenly, Princess Illya opened her eyes wide, her pupils completely covered in ice blue, and a terrifying chill, far exceeding what she had felt before, erupted from her body!
"Not good! The curse has completely suppressed the flames!" The high priest's expression changed drastically.
Almost simultaneously, the two trial gates burst open!
Ace strode out, his flames solidifying around him, his eyes becoming even more profound and sharp.
Allen followed closely behind, his aura calm and serene, yet his eyes seemed to possess a clarity that could see through the essence of the rules.
They successfully passed the trial!
At this moment, the final battle is about to begin against Princess Illya, who is completely controlled by the curse of ice (or rather, her body is temporarily dominated by the will of the Lord of Frozen Silence ).