"Ugh!" Blackbeard was struck with disbelief at the scene before him. He was well aware of Shiryu's strength; for Ace to force him back with a single strike meant his power had reached an extraordinary level.
Where on earth has he been these past two years?!
"Ace, look at Marco!" Blackbeard said with a sneer, addressing Ace.
The crowd looked over in confusion, only then noticing that Blackbeard was actually hoisting Marco up by the collar!
"Zehahahaha..." Blackbeard laughed, dangling Marco as he spoke. "Ace, you must have undergone some incredibly harsh training over these last two years. Otherwise, your strength wouldn't have grown this rapidly."
"It seems Pops spent these two years secretly training you while you were both 'missing.' Pops... he's still alive, isn't he? Eh?"
"Release Marco!" Ace didn't bother answering. Instead, he began walking slowly toward Blackbeard.
However, someone stepped in to block his path.
"Admiral Aokiji!"
This time, Ace was genuinely surprised. He hadn't noticed until now that Aokiji was actually present.
"Why are you here!?"
"Fire Fist Ace... you really didn't die." Aokiji looked at Ace with a touch of sentimentality, noting that the youth's aura had undergone a world-shaking transformation. He remembered the fight between Ace and Shiryu two years ago; back then, they were evenly matched, with Ace perhaps having a slight edge. Now, the difference was night and day; Ace had just sent Shiryu flying with a casual strike. While a single blow wasn't enough to judge Ace's full strength, it was certainly a telling indicator.
"Ace, be careful! Aokiji has left the Marines and joined Teach!" Vista shouted a warning.
"Oh?" Ace shot a curious glance at Aokiji but didn't press for details. Resolving the matter with Blackbeard was the priority!
"Move!"
Aokiji remained silent, but an ice spear materialized in his hand—his intention was clear.
Vrumm...
Flames erupted from Ace's hands. Truthfully, he had no desire to fight Aokiji, regardless of his reasons for joining Teach. Ace didn't believe for a second that Aokiji joined Blackbeard without some ulterior motive, but now, combat was unavoidable.
Just as the two were poised to strike, a sudden sound of shattering ice echoed across the sea.
CRASH!!
An unidentified oval object suddenly erupted from beneath the sea, bursting through the ice and soaring into the sky. Those nearby instinctively closed their eyes and braced themselves for impact. After a long moment, the expected crash never came. Opening their eyes in bewilderment, they witnessed a sight they would never forget.
The giant unidentified object in the sky was gone. In its place, five individuals—looking like transcendent immortals—descended slowly to various spots on the battlefield.
One man stood alone, clutching a famous blade that remained in its sheath. Simply by standing there, he exuded an overwhelming sense of pride and pressure. This was Kenshin!
"Brother Kenshin, it seems we aren't too late." A youth with a chokutō hanging at his waist smiled as he walked toward Kenshin. On the other side, Locke and Ann landed together, exchanging a smile.
"Ace, I'll handle Aokiji!" A young man draped in a black coat shouted with a grin from the highest point. With a single glance, Vale D. Drake grasped the situation; they had arrived just in time!
Boom!
Drake kicked off the ground, his body shooting forward like a rocket. Simultaneously, Ace moved, leaving only an afterimage behind as he blurred past Aokiji and lunged straight for Blackbeard.
"You think it's that easy to leave!?" Aokiji spun around to intercept, but with a swish, Drake appeared directly in front of him.
"It's you..."
"Why don't you just stay here for a while? Let Ace and Blackbeard settle their own business," Drake said casually, spreading his hands.
"General!" Van Augur instantly locked his sniper rifle onto Ace. Before he could pull the trigger, Bell appeared before him, a chokutō pressed against his throat.
Shiryu had just struggled to his feet when Kenshin's blade cleared its sheath, the cold glint of the edge appearing in a flash.
"I suggest you don't move. I can't guarantee what might happen if you do."
"Who are you?" Shiryu didn't make a single unnecessary movement; he could feel the lethal threat radiating from that blade. It was a sensation he knew well—the feeling of impending death. This was the closest Shiryu had felt to the grave in years; if he hadn't blocked Ace's finger-flick earlier, he'd already be a corpse. Now, before he could even catch his breath, that feeling had returned. He knew it came from the man before him.
With the arrival of Drake and his crew, the battlefield entered a delicate stalemate. The Blackbeard Pirates dared not make a move.
BOOM!
A massive explosion drew everyone's attention to a staggering sight: Ace had slammed a foot into Blackbeard's chest, sending the Warlord hurtling backward.
"Marco, are you okay...?" Ace helped Marco up.
"I'm fine. Ace, is it really you? Your strength..." Marco looked at Ace in total shock. Both Ace's speed and attack power had completely surpassed his own. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to kick Blackbeard away so easily.
Most importantly, Ace had just shattered Blackbeard's defense with a single kick! That was what shocked Marco the most. He had struggled so much because he couldn't break through Blackbeard's golden armor; even his full-strength strikes had only caused a few cracks that healed instantly. It was an incredibly troublesome defense. Yet, Ace's casual kick had caused a larger fracture than Marco's ultimate move.
"Your strength has improved quite a bit, Captain Ace..." Blackbeard muttered, looking at the shattered hole in his armor with a grim expression. This was the first time anyone had damaged his armor to this extent. If the blow had been any stronger, it would have wounded him. And Blackbeard knew better than to think that a single kick was the limit of Ace's power.
"Vista, take care of Marco!" Ace shouted to the nearby commander before turning into an afterimage and rushing Blackbeard.
"So fast!"
Many of the onlookers couldn't even track Ace's movements; they could only catch glimpses of afterimages. If they couldn't see him, they had no hope of defending. Within moments, Vista had reached Marco's side to shield him.
"Fire Sword Finger!"
Ace pressed his fingers together, and a laser-like blade of fire erupted, pointing straight at Blackbeard. A beam of flame as thick as a woman's wrist shot forth. Blackbeard, who originally had no intention of dodging, suddenly felt his pupils contract. He changed his mind instantly, swerving in a desperate side-step to avoid the beam. The laser grazed past Blackbeard's ear and completely bored through a distant mountain peak.
The sight left the crowd paralyzed with fear.