Chapter 167 – The Burnt Akainu
"Let me show you the ultimate form of my power!"
As Ace spoke, his eyes sharpened. The purple flames surrounding him suddenly shrank, compressing inward. His body began to glow with a deep violet radiance as the energy condensed within.
The flames accumulated inside him, causing his body to expand—soon reaching over three meters in height. His skin cracked under the pressure, and from within the fissures flowed molten streams of liquid-like purple fire, so dense they looked almost solid. It resembled burning magma, threatening to burst out at any moment.
"Armament Haki!"
Ace roared, releasing a surge of Haki to coat his body. The blackened armor sealed the cracks, forcibly containing the violent energy within.
Dark violet patterns spread across his towering frame like engravings of fire itself. His hair, turned entirely purple by the heat, rose upwards in burning strands, while his eyes glowed with calm yet intimidating purple pupils.
From afar, the figure looked less like a man and more like a Flame Emperor descended.
This was Ace's new form—Emperor Yan.
---
"Tch." Akainu—Sakazuki—glared at him coldly.
"So this is your grand trump card? In the end, it's just a change in appearance."
He adjusted his cap with disdain.
"A flame is still a flame. No matter how you condense it, no matter how hot it burns, it can never become a physical entity. Without substance, you can never defeat me."
"Really?" Ace sneered, raising his right palm.
"Then try and feel… the true power of Emperor Yan!"
With a hiss, searing heat erupted from behind him, launching his massive frame forward. In an instant, he appeared before Akainu, his palm stopping just ten centimeters from the admiral's chest.
The gathered purple fire and Haki compressed into a single point—
BOOM!
A dark violet beam erupted from Ace's hand, piercing straight through Sakazuki's chest and slamming him into the ground below.
"—Cough!!" The admiral spat blood, his face twisting. Though he'd narrowly avoided the blow with elementalization, the Haki-infused impact rattled his insides, surging through his organs.
"General Sakazuki was struck again!"
"And this time—he's injured!"
Gasps rippled through the Marine ranks.
But the admiral pushed himself up, ignoring their shock.
"I see now… You're compressing the flames to boost your speed and strength, coating every strike with Haki to bypass my Logia body. Clever…"
He touched his chest, the wound knitting slowly. His expression hardened.
"But if that's all—it's still not enough to defeat me."
---
"Didn't you notice?" Ace chuckled, pointing at Sakazuki's chest.
"Take a closer look."
The admiral's eyes narrowed. He looked down—and froze.
A charred burn scar marred his chest.
"Impossible!" Sakazuki's face darkened, disbelief twisting his features.
"I clearly elementalized to evade your strike! How can I—made of magma—be burned?! Your flames… should never harm me!"
Ace shook his head slowly.
"You think I transformed just to strengthen my attacks with Haki? If that was all, I wouldn't need this form at all."
He clenched his fist, purple fire seeping out like liquid through the cracks of his body.
"You said fire can't become an entity… Then let me show you what it feels like to be burned by flames that do have substance."
---
With another explosive burst of heat, Ace shot forward. His blazing fist, wrapped in fluid-like purple fire, slammed against Sakazuki's chest.
"Hmph! As long as I predict your attack, I'll just elementalize again. Your fists will never—"
CRACK—BOOM!
The punch struck home, detonating against his magma chest. For a split second, Sakazuki sneered—then his expression froze.
The violet flames clung to his magma body, burning into it, eating away at the molten flesh.
"AAAAH!!"
The admiral screamed as the impossible happened—magma itself scorched by flame. He writhed, rolling across the ground as the purple fire devoured him.
At last, he forced the blaze off and staggered upright, his chest charred with deep burn wounds.
"Admiral Sakazuki… burned?!"
"Impossible! He's magma itself—how can magma be burned?!"
Even the battlefield stilled at the sight. Marines gaped in shock, their morale shaken.
On the other side, Aokiji (Kuzan) and Kizaru (Borsalino) broke from their clashes with Marco and Jozu, both staring grimly at their fellow admiral's wounds.
"Sakazuki…" Kuzan muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Borsalino's usual mocking tone vanished, his face tense. "Ooh… This is… quite troublesome."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics