Izo, standing nearby, suddenly recalled some images upon hearing Vista's words and murmured involuntarily, "The one who can heat up seawater? What a monster! Once, he nearly burned through the bottom of our ship."
"If it really is him, paired with Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit, it might truly be a perfect match!"
Ron smiled faintly, "Exactly, the abilities of the Heat-Heat Fruit should not be underestimated. It can not only manipulate high temperatures, instantly raising the surrounding heat, but also transmit heat remotely. This ability is like possessing an invisible force, capable of inflicting significant damage on enemies without direct contact.
And your Flame-Flame Fruit, Ace, is equally formidable. The flames it produces possess extremely high temperatures and destructive power.
If these two abilities are combined, they could raise the upper limit of flame temperature. Working together, complementing each other, they might truly yield unexpected results."
As he listened, a gleam gradually lit up Ace's eyes.
"Alright! Ron, I'll follow your advice. I want the Heat-Heat Fruit!"
At this moment, Ron slowly shook his head, leaving Ace utterly bewildered
.He furrowed his brow, looking at Ron with confusion. "What's wrong Ron?, is there still a problem?"
"We don't have the blood of ability users here yet; we need to go retrieve it." Ron reminded again,
"Big Mom suffered some hidden losses this time at the Underwater Great Prison. If we go, we'll definitely face difficulties from them, but don't worry—they wouldn't dare to break relations with us completely."
"I'll go!" Ace immediately responded.
In his view, if he didn't even dare to face something like asking for blood, what right did he have to call himself a pirate!
As he spoke, Ace was about to bid farewell to everyone and head straight for Whole Cake Island.
He intended to get Charlotte Oven's blood—if he could exchange something for it, that would be best; if not, then he'd have no choice but to take it by force!
Just as Ace was about to leave, Jozu stopped him.
"Don't rush, Ace. Wait until I've get Pop's Haki, then I'll go with you. If anything happens, we can watch out for each other."
Jozu was also worried that it might be dangerous for Ace to go to Whole Cake Island alone, especially since it was full of unknowns.
He knew Ace's personality was somewhat reckless and feared he might run into trouble along the way.
So, he decided to wait until he completed his Haki replacement before accompanying Ace.
Ace thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.
After what happened with Luffy, he no longer thought things through as impulsively as before.
Especially after witnessing those people in the New World who could casually create fireballs with their hands—their strength had deeply shocked him.
These experiences had tempered his temper somewhat, and he now understood the importance of teamwork and acting cautiously.
"Alright then, we'll go after you've replaced your Haki, Jozu." Ace said with a smile, his expression carrying a newfound steadiness.
These words immediately left Bullett and Crocodile utterly bewildered.
They stood to the side, exchanging confused glances, their minds buzzing.
They had understood some of the earlier conversation, but the more they listened, the less they comprehended.
"Haki replacement?" Bullett scratched his head, completely unable to figure out what this so-called Haki replacement meant.
Could someone really replace their own Haki with someone else's?
That sounded absolutely ridiculous!
"How is that possible?" Crocodile muttered quietly beside him, his mind in complete disarray, utterly unable to grasp the concept.
Just then, Ron's gaze fell upon Shiki, who had been waiting so long that he felt like a flowers that had wilted.
"Shiki, is there anything you want?" Ron's voice broke the silence, and everyone's attention shifted to Shiki, awaiting his response.
'Finally, it's my turn!'
'This moment seemed frozen in time, with everyone's eyes fixed intently here.'
'I must consider this carefully!'
Shiki stroked his golden, glossy beard, his movements were calm. His gaze first lingered slowly on Bullett and Crocodile.
The changes in Bullett and Crocodile after obtaining their new abilities were truly astonishing.
They seemed to radiate a completely new aura of power, making others unable to help but take notice.
Shiki narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of hesitation passing through them.
Yet, in the end, he gently shook his head, having made some decision in his heart.
"This time, I..." Shiki's voice was slightly hoarse.
As he spoke, his eyes shifted slyly, finally settling on the softly glowing ring on Ron's finger.
"I want a Space Ring," the Shiki said succinctly and directly.
He had long coveted this ring!
In his imagination, the Space Ring was nothing short of miraculous.
It contained numerous rooms, each perfectly arranged and incredibly spacious, as if it were a portable mobile castle!
Not only could it store ample food—whether fresh fruits, delicious meats, or various daily necessities—all could easily be accommodated within.
Moreover, in that spacious interior, one could leisurely brew a pot of fragrant tea and savor it slowly, or indulge in wild drinking revelries.
Even staying inside for ten days to half a month wouldn't feel the slightest bit cramped or inconvenient.
"A Space Ring?" Ron raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing the Shiki's request with a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He truly hadn't expected that what the Shiki wanted was actually a Space Ring.
Still, it had to be said that the Space Ring was quite practical.
In Ron's view, although it was valuable, its price wasn't particularly steep.
After all, given the resources Ron possessed, acquiring such a ring was no difficult matter.
However, in the eyes of the Shiki and others, the Space Ring was already an extremely rare treasure.
Because Ron's list of items for sale didn't include such things, for the Shiki and his crew, the Space Ring was like a distant, unattainable gem—an item not for sale.
Seeing the Shiki's expectant gaze, Ron couldn't help but chuckle softly.
After all that, the Shiki had picked the cheapest option, which took Ron by surprise and even made him feel a bit embarrassed.
If others found out, they might think he was being too stingy.
But all of this was based on the Shiki being Ron's bodyguard.
It was precisely because of this special relationship that Ron considered fulfilling this seemingly simple yet somewhat unique request.
If an outsider had made such a request, Ron would have refused without a second thought.
After all, the value and significance of the Space Ring in his mind were only understood by specific individuals.
All in all, Shiki still came out ahead.