Following this, a familiar figure slowly emerged from the ice sculpture—it was none other than Aokiji who had disappeared earlier!
In his hand, he now held a crystal-clear, gleaming ice sword that appeared out of nowhere.
"Repent in the cold."
Aokiji said coldly, his tone filled with determination and ruthlessness.
Before his words could fade,
He suddenly swung the ice sword in his hand, violently stabbing it into Ace's defenseless body!
This attack came so suddenly and fiercely that Ace had no time to react at all.
As the ice sword penetrated deeper, Aokiji's gaze gradually turned cold, his expression even somewhat disappointed—the Second Division Commander of Whitebeard pirates was too weak, he was unable to even block such a simple attack.
With his back to Ace, who had been 'finished off' by the ice sword, Aokiji looked sharply at the others in front oh him while exhaling cold air.
"Now, does anyone want to tell me about those three golden lights?"
"....."
The scene fell into dead silence. No one spoke.
Everyone stared at Aokiji with strange expressions, their eyes looking at him as if he were a fool.
"Are all the Admirals like this now? So full of themselves?"
"Hey, Aokiji, aren't you celebrating a bit too early?"
"Hahaha, turns out Admirals aren't so scary after all—they can't even scratch a single hair on our 2nd Division Commander!"
"..."
Hearing these taunts, Aokiji felt uneasy.
Had that strike not actually killed Ace?
Just as he was about to turn around to confirm it, Ace's voice came from behind him.
"Ah, that was really terrifying, Aokiji. That ice blade was really cold."
At that moment, Aokiji also saw Ace's condition.
Where the ice blade had pierced him, crimson flames now burned fiercely!
And the wound from the ice blade was rapidly healing!
But these flames weren't from the Mera Mera no Mi—they seemed more like...
"Your body... these flames aren't from your Mera Mera no Mi..."
Aokiji's frown deepened, his mind momentarily blank.
What was going on?
Healing flames? It resembled Marco's the Phoenix regenerative abilities.
Strange!
A moment later.
Ace touched the place where the ice sword had pierced him, which had now fully recovered!
The skin was smooth and new, like a newborn's skin!
"Hahaha, the Phoenix power is truly amazing! Even such a severe injury can be easily healed!" Ace exclaimed in delight.
The others crowded around him, excitedly examining Ace, touching him up and down in amazement.
"Ace, you really recovered!"
"Hahaha, Vice Captain is incredible!"
Aokiji's furrowed brows never relaxed.
'Not a single scar left—it really is Marco's Phoenix power!'
Listening to their words, his heart grew heavier.
What was going on with Ace power?
"Aokiji, you celebrated too soon!" Ace stepped out from the crowd's admiration, cracking his knuckles as he looked at Aokiji.
Knowing he was now nearly invincible, his fighting spirit burned even fiercer!
"What's going on with your body? How do you have the healing powers of Marco the phoenix?" Aokiji finally voiced his confusion.
Ace smirked. "What? Never seen a dual Devil Fruit user before, Admiral?"
"Wh-what?! Dual Devil Fruits?!"
Aokiji's mind reeled.
A dual Devil Fruit user? A person which such power never exist before!
"That's right! Now let me test the power of an Admiral!"
As the words left his mouth, Ace's eyes blazed with unwavering determination and fighting spirit.
Clenching both fists, he unleashed the full power of his Mera Mera no Mi!
Like boiling magma, torrents of energy surged through him before coalescing into roaring flames in his palms.
These weren't ordinary flames—they carried the immense power and will of his ultimate technique.
"Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor's Blood-Bathed Fire Phoenix!"
With Ace's battle cry, spiraling pillars of fire erupted towards the sky, twisting and merging until they formed a colossal fireball that outshone the sun itself.
The massive sphere, composed of countless intensely burning flames, radiated light so brilliant it seemed capable of illuminating the entire sky!
Just when everyone thought this was the entirety of Ace's attack, an even more shocking scene unfolded—above that blindingly bright fireball, suddenly appeared an immortal phoenix engulfed in blood-colored light.
This legendary divine beast spread its vast wings, each flap bringing forth waves of blood-colored flames, seemingly burning away all the clouds in the sky!
The phoenix's eyes were filled with indomitable spirit and the will to be reborn.
It stood atop the raging fireball, as if treading on an endless sea of fire, reborn in flames!
"Aokiji! This is my strongest move! Show me your true strength!"
The fire phoenix screeched!
The blood-colored phoenix suddenly dove down, its speed so fast it seemed to traverse space.
Its talons tightly gripped a massive fireball.
This fireball was brighter than the sun, its temperature high enough to melt steel!
Flames danced between the phoenix's talons, emitting a deafening roar, as if even the air was being torn apart by this power.
With a sharp cry, the phoenix suddenly hurled the fireball towards Aokiji.
The fireball tore through the sky, leaving a brilliant trail.
Where it passed, water molecules in the air evaporated frantically, forming a white mist.
The ground was scorched red, rocks began to melt, everything seemed so unreal, as if it was a dream.
Aokiji stood in place, his eyes contracting.
He could feel the immense threat brought by that fireball.
He knew that if he was hit by this fireball, even he would find it difficult to withstand such an impact.
"A mere division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates has such power..."
An unprecedented sense of crisis welled up in his heart.
He pursed his lips, and cold air instantly enveloped his entire body, rapidly freezing the surrounding water molecules!
"Ice Age!"
Aokiji roared, the icy aura stored in his body instantly erupted, like a fierce wind in the dead of winter, sweeping all around him!
This cold air was so strong that it seemed to freeze time itself, causing the surrounding air to solidify.
With Aokiji at the center, an invisible force rapidly spread out.
Everywhere it reached, everything was covered by a thick layer of ice.
Trees, rocks, and even tiny particles in the air were all invaded by this sudden cold, instantly losing their original colors and temperatures.
With a thought from Aokiji, the extremely cooled air began to condense into form, creating a magnificent pillar of ice.
When the ice pillar met the oncoming giant fireball, a violent reaction occurred between them—ice and fire, the most basic and opposing forces in nature, collided, releasing an unprecedented amount of destruction.
.....