A week passed in training more brutal than anything before.
Yamamoto had not been joking about increasing the intensity. Now we woke at four in the morning—before dawn. Ten laps running uphill with stones strapped to our backs. Sword training until our hands were raw. Endless sparring. And Haki training that completely drained our spiritual energy.
But the results were plainly visible.
My Armament Haki could now hold for twelve seconds—nearly three times longer than a week ago. My Observation Haki had improved as well—I could sense presences within a ten-meter radius even with my eyes open and while moving.
Sabo had also progressed rapidly. Although he still couldn't manifest Armament, his Observation Haki was even sharper than mine. He could sense attacks coming from completely blind angles.
"You two have different talents," Yamamoto remarked during our midday rest. "Ace is more of a direct assault type—pure power. Sabo is more of a defend-and-counter type—speed and precision."
"What do you mean?" Sabo asked while drinking water like he hadn't had any in days.
"I mean you need to develop according to your individual strengths. Ace, focus on Armament and fire power. Build attacks that can shatter an enemy's defenses. Sabo, focus on Observation and speed. Build combinations that can slip through the smallest opening."
That made sense. In the original timeline, Ace was indeed a frontal combat fighter who overwhelmed opponents with sheer power. While Sabo—after becoming Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army—fought more as a tactical fighter with complex techniques.
"Understood!" we answered in unison.
"Good. Now continue training. This time I'll attack both of you at once. You need to survive five minutes without getting hit."
"Five minutes?!" our faces went pale. Yamamoto in serious mode was terrifying—even his adult underlings often ended up badly bruised.
"Yes. Starting now. READY?!"
He didn't wait for an answer. He attacked immediately at blinding speed.
Sabo and I leapt in opposite directions—survival instinct. Yamamoto went after me first—his fist aimed straight at my stomach.
I blocked with an Armament-coated hand—WHAM!—still sent flying back several meters despite the protection.
"Don't just block! Dodge!" Yamamoto shouted while attacking again.
I dodged right—his fist passed my face by a hair's width. I countered with a flaming uppercut—he parried it effortlessly and kicked at my legs.
I jumped—but Yamamoto had already predicted it. His fist was waiting in the air—
"ACE!" Sabo suddenly appeared from the side, swinging his staff at Yamamoto's head.
Yamamoto was forced to retreat to avoid the blow. I landed safely.
"Good teamwork!" Yamamoto praised while immediately turning on Sabo with a rapid combination of quick jabs.
Sabo stepped back while deflecting with his staff—but Yamamoto's speed was too high. One jab punched through his guard and nearly caught his face—
Sabo tilted his head at the last possible second. The jab missed by a hair.
"Observation Haki! Good!"
But the praise was a trap. A kick came from below—Sabo reacted too late—
I hurled a fireball at the incoming kick. Yamamoto was forced to pull his leg back to avoid the heat.
"The combination keeps improving!"
The fight continued brutally. Five minutes felt like five hours. Every second was survival. Every movement was a choice between taking a hit or getting away clean.
But somehow—through the combination of Sabo's Observation Haki and my Armament Haki—we held on.
When the time ran out, we collapsed to the ground—gasping, bodies soaked in sweat and caked with dust.
"Passed. You both survived without taking a single hit." Yamamoto looked... proud? "A week ago you wouldn't have lasted thirty seconds. Now a full five minutes. Remarkable progress."
Praise from Yamamoto was the greatest reward.
But the brief rest ended the moment one of Dadan's underlings came sprinting toward us with a panicked expression.
"DADAN-SAN! BLUEJAM! He's back! With fifty people!"
Fifty?!
That was far more than expected!
Dadan was on her feet instantly. "Call the alliance! Now!"
"Already done! They're on their way!"
"How long until Bluejam arrives?"
"Ten minutes at most!"
Ten minutes to prepare. Not much, but it had to be enough.
"Yamamoto, set up a defensive strategy! Everyone else, grab your weapons and gather at the open area! Ace, Sabo—"
"We're fighting," I cut in with a tone that left no room for argument.
Dadan looked at me. Wanted to protest. But seeing my eyes—seeing the resolve there—she let out a long breath.
"Fine. But you don't go far from me and Yamamoto. Understood?!"
"Understood!"
Ten minutes passed quickly. Everyone gathered in the open area in front of the hideout—forty people from the bandit alliance, armed with a variety of weapons.
Then they came.
From behind the trees, a large crowd emerged. Fifty armed men—swords, axes, and even a few flintlock pistols. At their head, Bluejam walked with a supremely confident grin.
"Dadan! I'm back as promised!" he bellowed. "And this time I brought enough people to destroy all of you!"
"We're ready for you too, Bluejam!" Dadan roared back. "Did you think we'd just sit here and wait?!"
Bluejam surveyed our forces—forty people—and burst out laughing.
"An alliance? You built an alliance? Hahaha! Doesn't matter! We still outnumber you! And more importantly—" his gaze locked onto me with dangerous intent. "I want that Devil Fruit brat. Alive or dead!"
Rage exploded in my chest. Fire ignited in both hands without me even thinking about it.
"If you want me, come and take me yourself!"
Bluejam grinned widely. "With pleasure! ATTACK! KILL EVERYONE! CAPTURE THAT KID!"
Fifty pirates surged forward with a battle cry.
"HOLD YOUR POSITIONS! DON'T FALL BACK!" Dadan roared.
The two forces collided in the middle of the open ground.
CLANG! CLANG! WHAM! BOOM!
The sounds of clashing steel, screaming, and explosions all merged into a single roar of chaos.
Yamamoto moved like a storm—his sword dancing, cutting down five men in an instant. Dadan fought with a large axe—every swing sending one enemy crashing down.
Sabo and I fought side by side. Sabo with his iron staff—fast, precise, every strike landing on a vital point. Me with a combination of Armament Haki and fire—every punch leaving burn marks.
"ACE! LEFT!" Sabo shouted.
I dodged on reflex—a sword passed through where my head had been a moment ago. I countered with a flaming punch to the attacker's stomach—he was sent flying with his shirt on fire.
"SABO! ABOVE!"
Sabo backflipped—avoiding an axe coming down from above. He landed and immediately swept his staff at the attacker's legs—they snapped with a sickening crack.
We moved like a single unit—protecting each other, covering each other's blind spots.
But fifty opponents was too many. Slowly, our forces were being pushed back.
"DADAN-SAN! There are too many of them!" one of the alliance bandits shouted in panic.
"HOLD THE LINE!"
But morale was beginning to crack. Some of the alliance bandits started falling back—too afraid to die.
Bluejam saw it and laughed. "Look! They're starting to break! KEEP PUSHING!"
Damn. If this continued, we would lose.
I had to do something. Something big. Something that could shift the momentum.
"SABO! Cover me for thirty seconds!" I shouted.
"What are you going to do?!"
"Just trust me!"
Sabo didn't ask again. He planted himself in front of me in a defensive stance—staff raised, Observation Haki pushed to its limit.
I closed my eyes. Focus. Draw every last bit of spiritual energy in my body. Not just a little—ALL of it.
Fire began blazing across my entire body. The heat surged dramatically. The air around me shimmered and warped.
This was a technique I had never attempted before. A technique I'd imagined from manga memories—one of Ace's signature attacks.
But a stronger version.
The fire energy gathered in front of my chest. Forming a massive ball—the size of an adult's head. Blazing orange. Intensely hot.
"What is that?!" several of Bluejam's pirates stopped attacking—staring at the enormous fireball with wide eyes full of terror.
"EVERYONE GET AWAY FROM ACE!" Dadan screamed in panic—she could tell what was about to happen.
Our forces pulled back, creating an open space around me.
I opened my eyes. Stared at Bluejam's crew, who now looked uncertain for the first time.
"HIKEN!" I roared with everything I had and drove the massive fireball forward.
WHOOOOSSSHHH!
The fireball launched like a meteor—fast, scorching, devastating.
BOOOOOMMM!
A massive explosion. Fire spreading in every direction. Screams of pain erupting from dozens of people at once.
When the smoke thinned, a devastating scene lay before us—twenty of Bluejam's pirates were sprawled across the ground with severe burns. Some were still conscious but couldn't stand. The ground was scorched black within a ten-meter radius.
Complete silence.
Everyone—ally and enemy alike—stared at the aftermath of the blast with their mouths hanging open.
I myself was breathing heavily. Energy nearly completely gone. Legs trembling. Vision slightly blurred.
But I couldn't show weakness. Not now.
"Who's next?" I shouted, forcing my voice to sound stronger than I felt.
The pirates still standing—thirty remained—looked terrified. They began backing away.
"DON'T RETREAT! He's just a kid! He has to be out of energy!" Bluejam roared furiously.
But no one was willing to advance. They had all seen what happened to their twenty comrades.
"COWARDS! YOU'RE ALL COWARDS!" Bluejam drew his own sword. "Fine then, I'll kill the brat myself!"
He charged at me with surprising speed for a body his size.
I tried to raise my hand—but my body wouldn't respond. Energy truly exhausted.
Damn.
"ACE!" Sabo tried to run and shield me but three pirates cut him off.
Dadan and Yamamoto were too far away—held back by other enemies.
Bluejam was almost upon me—his sword raised high, ready to cut down.
Was this it? Was this the moment I died in my second life too?
No.
I REFUSE TO DIE HERE!
With the last of my strength, I raised my hand. A small flame appeared—tiny, nowhere near enough for an attack.
Bluejam laughed. "THAT'S ALL YOU'VE GOT?! YOU'RE DEAD!"
His sword came down—
CLANG!
The sound of steel clashing hard against steel.
But it wasn't my sword that blocked the blow. I didn't even have a sword.
Standing in front of me was a figure I never expected to appear.
An old man with white hair. A white coat with the word "JUSTICE" printed on the back. And a face I knew all too well.
Monkey D. Garp.
Grandpa had arrived.
And he looked very, very angry.
TO BE CONTINUED