That said, the World Government really had always been quite lenient toward the pirates roaming the seas.
Even the once-unrivaled Rocks Pirates—if they hadn't courted their own destruction by attacking God Valley—the government might never have taken action against them.
Perhaps they really never considered them a serious threat?
While Ian was reading the newspaper, the battle between Law and Ace was still ongoing.
Or rather, Ace was being thoroughly toyed with by Law.
Ace's physical attacks with the water pipe were completely countered by Law's Tekkai, hard as steel.
He wanted to unleash fire, but he couldn't keep up with Law's Soru technique at all.
"What an incredible move!"
Zoro's eyes lit up with excitement.
Even though he was a swordsman, he felt that the Six Powers techniques could be useful for him too.
Especially that high-speed movement—Shave (Soru)! It perfectly made up for his lack of agility.
"That's all you've got?"
Law said mockingly.
"Don't look down on me!"
Ace roared, and his voice transformed into thunder, crackling in every direction in an instant.
Even with Shave, it would be difficult to dodge something like that.
Nearby, Enel was training by himself when his brows suddenly furrowed.
Doing this kind of lightning trick right in front of the real Rumble-Rumble Fruit user, huh?
"Moonwalk."
Law stepped into the air and soared upward, avoiding the arcs of lightning bursting out.
But—
"Heh! Gotcha!"
Ace grinned triumphantly.
Just like Law, he too had risen into the air.
No—what he stepped on wasn't just air, but yellow clouds forming beneath his feet out of nowhere!
This guy… is a genius, isn't he?
Even Ian couldn't help but be a little impressed. Ace had just started learning his ability, and already he was using it like a pro.
"In the air, you can't move at high speed anymore, can you?"
Ace took a deep breath, and his roar transformed once more—this time into flames.
"Heat Breath!"
Scorching fire blasted toward Law, nearly hitting him point-blank.
Law's expression finally turned a little serious.
Ace was right—while airborne, he couldn't use Shave effectively.
In terms of speed, there was no way to dodge that attack.
But—
"ROOM."
Law gripped the longsword at his waist with his right hand. With a twist of his left wrist, an invisible surge of energy formed in his palm.
In the next instant, a translucent, spherical space bloomed in the air, instantly engulfing Ace and the flames he had just unleashed.
Then—
Law swung his blade.
"Huh??"
Ace was stunned. His flames were... cut?
No, it wasn't just the flames that were sliced!
He himself had been cut in half!!
Ace's body was split cleanly at the chest.
Still smiling, Law kept swinging his blade. Invisible slashes instantly diced Ace's body into pieces.
"You've still got a long way to go, kid."
Without Armament Haki, you're not even qualified to fight me.
Only Armament Haki can block the cutting power of the Op-Op Fruit.
With a twist of his finger, Law said, "Mes."
The dismembered pieces of Ace's body immediately began to spin within the ROOM.
"Uwaaaahhh!"
His screams echoed across the deck in an instant.
Ian shook his head with a smile.
The Azure Dragon Fruit was definitely powerful.
But the Op-Op Fruit wasn't something to take lightly either. Unless you're up against a master of Haki, the Op-Op Fruit's flashy abilities almost guarantee that Law rarely suffers any setbacks.
As the Golden Dragon soared toward Reverse Mountain, the battle that had taken place in the Goa Kingdom had already spread across the world via the newspapers.
The fact that the Golden Lion had attacked the East Blue was already one of the biggest headlines shaking the world lately.
Everyone lived in fear, wondering when that flying lion would appear above them and drop an island onto their heads.
So when the news broke that Ian had killed the Golden Lion, the entire world erupted.
Whitebeard Pirates.
"That guy Shiki… he's dead too?"
Whitebeard's expression was complicated.
Though he hadn't exactly been friends with the Golden Lion—just acquaintances, really—
Still, watching old comrades from the previous era disappear one after another… it was hard not to feel a twinge of melancholy.
His sons, however, were worried about something else.
"That guy… has he already reached the level to defeat the Golden Lion?"
Vista's voice was filled with disbelief and frustration.
That kid was only fifteen!
What was he doing when he was fifteen?
A wave of fear suddenly rose in his heart. In a few more years, how strong would that kid become?
"The Four Emperors?"
Someone angrily shouted, "Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, fine, but where does that kid get the qualification to be on par with my Pops?!"
Someone else looked worried, "The so-called Four Emperors… and the Beast Pirates already have two of them..."
On the deck of the Whitebeard Pirates, some were worried, some were furious.
But there were also those who were apart from all of this.
The girl silently practicing her sword, the dark-faced, chubby man.
And the one quietly drinking… Whitebeard.
He was just drinking silently.
The kid who once stood out so brilliantly back then had now truly become a shining sun at the peak, impossible to ignore by anyone.
Cake Island.
"Did that kid even take down Shiki?"
Charlotte Linlin's tone was unusually serious. "Four Emperors… that kid got to this point so quickly?"
"We need to speed up the peace process with the Giant Tribe!"
Wano Country.
"Ugh, gahahaha!"
Kaido laughed loudly. "Looks like that kid is coming back for a real fight this time!"
"Kid, hurry back. Let me see if you really have the qualifications to stand alongside me!"
Dressrosa.
Doflamingo rubbed his forehead. Maybe, it's best not to get any funny ideas for now?
The Emperor, tsk.
Sabaody Archipelago, the Paradise.
"Shiki…"
Rayleigh sat by the coast, fishing, gently shaking his head. "It's no longer our era."
Somewhere in Paradise, aboard a massive ship heading toward the Devil's Triangle.
"Brat! Wait for me! Emperor? I don't recognize that!!"
**********
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