Boom!
Marco spread his wings wide, colliding head-on with Ace's monstrous punch. A violent shockwave burst outward, sweeping across the battlefield like a hurricane, tearing through the air with unstoppable force.
In an instant, the sky seemed to split in two.
A surge of power rocketed skyward, the sheer wind pressure warping the very light. The energy blast shook the Moby Dick violently in the distance.
Fortunately, those still standing here to witness the battle were all elites among elites of the New World. Not a single one faltered under the chaotic energy storm.
Yet, every face was marked with deep frowns and confusion as they stared at Ace in the heart of the battlefield.
Just now, right before their eyes, Ace's power had surged again!
And it wasn't the first time they'd seen this happen.
This terrifying potential, this ability to grow stronger mid-battle, sent a shiver down each of their spines.
Of course, not everyone remained composed in the face of this display.
At the rear of the group stood the man known as the most ambitious pirate in the world, Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard. He shared the mysterious "Will of D" with both Ace and Luffy, yet at this moment, his body was visibly trembling.
Beside him, the Whitebeard Pirates' gentle Fourth Division Commander, Thatch, was the first to notice Teach's strange reaction. He turned to him with concern and asked,
"Teach, are you okay?"
Thatch's sudden voice drew the attention of the surrounding commanders, and soon, every eye turned to Teach.
"I… I'm fine, Commander Thatch!" Teach clutched his chest, breathing hard. His expression, however, was twisted with a complexity that made it impossible to read his thoughts.
His distorted features made it clear: he was suffering. Deeply.
Still, no one thought much of it.
After all, Teach was the only non-commander still standing here among them.
In their eyes, he was simply overwhelmed by the residual shockwaves of the battle.
Which made sense.
Even they, as seasoned division leaders, were struggling to endure the overwhelming power being unleashed.
Among them, only Jozu, the Third Division Commander and Diamond Fruit user, remained completely unfazed.
He silently stepped in front of Teach, his broad, towering frame shielding him from the surging shockwaves.
He didn't even look back. Arms crossed, he said with rare gentleness:
"Teach, if it's too much, feel free to go back below deck. A battle of this level… is still a bit much for you."
It was as if he feared his words might wound Teach's pride. Jozu had lowered his voice to its softest possible tone.
Even so, standing behind Jozu, Teach's face still twisted with pain.
Yet his expression gradually softened. He managed a harmless smile and replied,
"Thank you, Commander Jozu!"
Jozu didn't respond. He simply stood like a wall, shielding Teach from the storm of energy raging ahead.
"Gurarararara…"
Suddenly, Whitebeard let out a booming laugh.
Watching this warm and lively family before him, a rare light filled his eyes, as if even his long-standing illness had lifted.
He raised his great naginata and swept it outward in one grand arc,
Crack!
In that instant, it was as if something shattered in the air.
The rampaging energy that had been tearing in all directions stopped dead in its tracks.
Along the shoreline, it was as though space itself had been sliced in two.
Outside the boundary, wind and chaos reigned. Within it, calm serenity.
This was the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the strongest Paramecia-type Devil Fruit in the world.
And in the hands of the man even more powerful than the fruit itself, Whitebeard, it gave birth to this very era.
─────────🏴☠️────────
On the island…
The battle between Ace and Marco raged on.
Ordinary punches and kicks, once unleashed by these two powerhouses, now held the might to shake the heavens.
Every blow carried the force of an avalanche. The once-smooth coastline was now torn asunder, covered in gaping craters and jagged rocks.
Every second, the island echoed with the thunder of their collisions. The very stone beneath them crumbled into dust beneath the pressure.
Neither of them yielded.
They poured their will, their ideals, and their ambitions into every strike, battling not just with fists, but with conviction.
But while all attention remained on the clash…
Back in the crowd, Teach, the very man who had just been offered kindness, stared blankly at his hands in silent confusion.
That overwhelming force within his body had faded.
Yet…
He could still feel the mysterious energy lingering.
Just moments ago, Ace had exploded with an uncontrollable surge of Conqueror's Haki, enveloping not just Marco but the entire Whitebeard crew watching nearby.
Naturally, Teach had been caught in it as well.
To others, it was only a heavy pressure on the mind, a show of dominance.
But in Teach's case, something strange had occurred.
The spiritual pressure had taken a strange turn. It struck his insides like a signal, piercing his organs with an inexplicable resonance.
Moments later, an unfamiliar energy, eerily similar to Ace's, emerged from deep within Teach's blood.
It flowed through him, enhancing him, empowering him.
That strange look of "pain" he had worn earlier wasn't pain at all.
It was excitement. The thrill of power surging within him, barely held back, twisting his face into something grotesque.
Staring at Ace, still trading blows with Marco, Teach's lips curled into a hungry smile.
In his heart, he murmured:
"I wonder what other surprises you'll show me, Ace…"
─────────🏴☠️────────
Boom!
Ace's punch, curving mid-air with unnatural speed, slammed into Marco's head.
The phoenix's face instantly reverted to human form, revealing Marco's bruised and battered expression.
Launched backward by the force of the blow, Marco crashed deep into the island's interior.
Ace dropped from the sky, his springy, rubber-like legs bouncing twice against the ground before he finally landed.
"Huff, "
He exhaled a long, hot breath, leaving behind two trails of white mist in the air.
The extended use of Fourth Gear had utterly drained his stamina.
If not for his unrelenting will, and the mysterious new power that had awakened within, he would've collapsed long ago.
The black-and-red flame-like markings across his body faded, and Ace returned to his usual, muscular frame.
He dropped to one knee, bracing himself with one hand on the ground as sweat poured from his body like a river.
He looked completely exhausted.
Taking two deep breaths, Ace suddenly raised his head, his gaze locked forward.
From deep within the island's jungle, Marco emerged, clothes in tatters, body battered, swaying with each step, using trees to steady himself.
Blue flames still burned atop his head.
Had this been the start of the fight, such injuries would've been nothing to Marco. He could've healed instantly.
But now, he was just as drained.
Even activating his Devil Fruit powers had become a struggle.
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