An overwhelming spiritual force suddenly exploded from Ace's body.
The inherited power of the previous Pirate King's bloodline surged once again, clashing fiercely with Naguri's.
Bloodlust, intimidation, killing intent, dominance, cruelty, fear...
All kinds of terrifying auras clashed chaotically in the air, a storm of raw willpower colliding without restraint.
Fortunately, there were no humans living near this coastline.
But the same could not be said for the sea creatures, forest beasts, or even the insects burrowed in the soil.
All of them were unintentionally struck down by Ace's uncontrolled burst of Conqueror's Haki.
Then, from deep within his chest, a mysterious substance surged from Ace's heart, only to immediately return and fuse with it again. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into countless microscopic particles, each carrying a strange, high-level energy. These particles moved unpredictably through his body.
As Ace's rage intensified, his heart pumped faster to meet the body's soaring demand for blood.
And with the blood came the energy.
Those special particles were carried rapidly through his bloodstream, flooding every corner of his body.
When the energy reached the wounds on his arms, it clung tightly to the nearest cells. The power surged, massive, yet incredibly precise.
A strange reaction occurred at the cellular level. The mysterious particles created a one-way channel on the surface of the cell membranes.
Through this gateway, the particles entered his cells, triggering an accelerated rate of cell division and regeneration.
Before long, the wounds that had once bled freely began to slowly heal.
After just ten seconds, the deep cuts had faded into shallow scars.
But the transformation wasn't over.
This mysterious energy didn't just heal.
Once it had traveled through Ace's entire body and returned to the heart, the black particles suddenly changed again, turning bright crimson, the color of living flesh, and vanished back into the heart without a trace.
Thump… thump… thump…
Ace's heart beat like a war drum, pounding loud enough to echo through the heavens and earth.
Watching from the side, Luffy felt a strange tremor stir deep in his chest the moment Ace began his transformation. A feeling he couldn't explain. A mysterious sense of awe.
Zzzzt…
A sound like metal grinding filled the air as a dark red layer of Armament Haki spread across Ace's fists. It looked like steel, glowing faintly with heat.
Steam began to rise gently from Ace's body.
"Master…" Ace said quietly.
"I'm going to sea."
"That was our promise."
"You… can't stop me."
His voice was calm, even, completely devoid of emotion.
Yet the impact of those words struck Naguri like lightning.
Sensing the overwhelming resolve radiating from Ace, Naguri's old, clouded eyes began to shine faintly. Though still muddied by age, they lit up with a hidden clarity.
He withdrew his killing intent, the oppressive aura that no longer held sway over Ace, and sighed softly from the depths of his heart.
Then, with heavy meaning in his voice, he said:
"Then defeat me, Ace."
"Prove to me that you're worthy!"
Shhh!
A tremendous surge of Haki burst from Naguri's body.
Armament Haki erupted from every limb, coating his clothes, his hat, and even his smoking pipe in glossy black. Under the sunlight, it glinted like polished obsidian, like he was wearing a suit of mythic black armor.
BOOM!
The two locked eyes for only a moment.
As if on cue, they vanished, then reappeared mid-air, crashing into each other with a thunderous boom. It sounded like an ancient bell ringing from the depths of a mountain cave, its low roar shaking the entire landscape.
Fist met fist, the most primal form of combat.
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward as their blows collided.
The ground beneath their feet caved in instantly. Massive cracks split outward in every direction.
Seawater surged through the widening gaps, flooding the broken shoreline.
It was as if the very earth had been torn in half, golden sand fell into the depths, dark mud churned with seawater, and the beach began to vanish.
Ace gritted his teeth, channeling every ounce of strength into the fist locked against his master's. His blood boiled, almost literally, from the pressure surging through him.
The sheer force of the collision pushed both men to their limits. Neither had room for distraction, they poured everything into this single clash.
Inside, Naguri could barely contain his astonishment.
Just moments ago, Ace had been far beneath him in strength.
But now…
Even with his full power unleashed, Naguri found himself locked in a stalemate with his student.
"What terrifying talent…" he thought.
Even though Naguri had aged and his physical form declined slightly, he still held pride in his strength, a pride not so easily shaken.
"Ace…"
He looked into his disciple's eyes, steadfast, unwavering.
Naguri's gaze brightened.
"But this… still isn't enough!"
With a roar that echoed like his younger self, Naguri poured all his Haki into the point of contact.
Advanced Armament Haki compressed his aura into a concentrated burst, an explosive shockwave.
It didn't cover a large area, but its power was monstrous.
BOOM!!!
The sudden blast smashed into Ace's body like a cannon, passed straight through him, and pierced the sea beyond, parting the ocean in a momentary miracle.
"Wha, ? Gah…!!"
Caught completely off-guard, Ace couldn't react in time.
The explosive force tore through him, sending blood gushing from his mouth. His body was hurled backward like a ragdoll, crashing toward the distant ocean.
But that strange energy returned again.
It surged through his body, stabilizing his wounds before they worsened.
Still airborne, Ace gritted through the pain tearing at his insides. His arms stretched out unnaturally and shot forward, grabbing two massive boulders on the shoreline.
"Rubber…"
Ace's entire body pulled taut, aiming squarely at Naguri.
That mysterious energy flowed freely through his body, like a calm stream filled with the power of the sea. It accelerated his recovery, and then kept flowing, pouring more strength into his cells.
The energy overflowed, filling every inch of his frame.
Beneath his skin, a world-shaking force brewed quietly.
"MASTER!!!"
Ace roared to the heavens.
"I'm going to sea, more free than anyone else!"
"If I surrender to power, what kind of man would I be?!"
"I refuse to let my life be filled with regret!"
"I'll search for it, the reason I was born into this world!"
His eyes burned with a terrifying force, an aura that made even the heavens tremble, as he looked down at Naguri.
"RUBBER…"
"DESCENT OF THE GODS!!!"
Ace's body became a blazing cannonball in mid-air, slicing through the sky with a screech like lightning.
Dark red Armament Haki engulfed his entire body.
The island trembled beneath him.
The power he unleashed was so intense, it caused Naguri, though locked on target, to freeze for just a breath.
Looking up at Ace's descending form, Naguri's eyes began to clear, glowing with youthful brilliance.
He saw not just a student, but a man ready to take on the world.
"Yes!! Ace!!"
"There's nothing, nothing, "
"That can stop a man's determination to sail the seas!!"
"Go, Ace!"
"I'll be waiting…"
"Waiting for the day you become a king!!"
BOOM!!!
Ace, blazing with unstoppable might, crashed into the shoreline like a meteor.
The shriek of air and searing friction ignited his entire form in flames, mixing with the dark Haki, hellfire incarnate.
That monstrous blow struck Naguri with full force.
The collision was apocalyptic.
A deafening explosion shattered the coast.
The beach, the cliffs, the rocks…
Everything was reduced to ash.
From that moment on, the shores of the Goa Kingdom were wiped clean from the map.
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