Fujitora, who stood aboard one of the warships, spoke in a serious tone.
"It seems we cannot get any closer. Everyone, hold on tight. I will land the warships."
Upon hearing Fujitora's words, the Marines quickly grabbed onto the railings, masts, and other fixed parts of the ships.
The next moment, the warships suddenly plummeted downward. Just before smashing into the ground, they stopped abruptly, like a drop tower ride freezing in mid fall.
Then Fujitora used the power of his Devil Fruit to slowly and steadily place the thirty warships onto the ground.
At that moment, Aramaki took a Transponder Snail from his pocket and spoke into it.
"Five Elders, we have arrived at Egghead Island."
From the other side of the line, only the voice of Saint Saturn could be heard as he gave his order directly.
"This mission is to eliminate Vegapunk and attract the Phoenix Pirates to your location as much as possible."
Aramaki grinned widely.
"Understood. Leave it to us."
The moment the warships touched the ground, members of the Phoenix Pirates rushed forward.
Ace, his body engulfed in blazing flames, charged at the very front.
"Fire Fist!"
With a loud whoosh, a massive flaming fist nearly twenty meters in diameter shot straight toward the Marine warships.
Since the ships were already on land, there was no way for them to dodge. Even if they were still at sea, the warships would never have had the speed necessary to evade Ace's attack.
"That brat really doesn't hold back," Aramaki muttered coldly.
He stepped forward as his arms transformed into thick vines that plunged into the ground.
"Firebreak!"
A forest of thick wooden barriers erupted from the earth. With a thunderous boom, the Fire Fist slammed directly into them and instantly ignited the trees.
However, the wooden barrier had been reinforced with Armament Haki. Even the destructive force of Ace's Fire Fist could not break through it.
"Ace, it's Admiral Aramaki!" Yamato said excitedly as she stepped forward.
Ace stared at Aramaki with burning determination.
"Good. This time, we're defeating him."
During the war at Whole Cake Island, he and Yamato had barely managed to fight Aramaki to a standstill. Over the past month, Ace had trained relentlessly to become stronger, determined to gain the power needed to defeat a Marine Admiral.
Aramaki glared at the two of them and sneered.
"So it's you two troublesome brats again. The son of the Pirate King, and Kaido's daughter."
"Brothers, take down the Marines!" Curiel shouted as he rallied the Phoenix Pirates.
Immediately, the pirates surged forward and clashed with the Marine forces.
High above the battlefield, Marco hovered in the sky. Activating his Observation Haki, he carefully sensed the surroundings.
Yet he felt nothing.
The Five Elders were not present.
Marco frowned slightly.
He had expected at least one of the Five Elders to arrive with the fleet. During the battle at Whole Cake Island, one of them had appeared first and then summoned the others.
But this time, none of them were here.
"The Five Elders didn't come?" Marco muttered in surprise.
Still, the absence of the Gorosei meant an opportunity.
If the Admirals had come alone, this might be the perfect chance to eliminate both of them.
Meanwhile, Fujitora floated calmly in the sky while standing on a wooden board.
He spoke to the Marines behind him.
"Everyone, please remain cautious."
"Yes, sir!" the Marines shouted as their morale rose.
At the same time, many of them were eager to redeem themselves. They wanted to wash away the shame of their previous defeat and avenge Fleet Admiral Sakazuki.
On the battlefield below, Aramaki once again clashed with Ace and Yamato.
Aramaki frowned.
"Fire Fist, and the Ogre Princess. Why are you here on Egghead Island?"
Ace launched a punch that forced Aramaki back.
"For Dr. Vegapunk, of course."
Aramaki quickly realized something.
Ace and Yamato had grown stronger than the last time they fought.
His expression gradually became more serious.
One was the son of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger. The other was the daughter of Kaido, known as the strongest creature in the world.
The potential of these two was extraordinary.
Aramaki had no doubt that given enough time, they could eventually reach the heights of their fathers.
"I never imagined that the world's greatest scientist, Vegapunk, would side with pirates," Aramaki said coldly. "Anyone who opposes the World Government has no reason to continue existing."
He raised both hands.
"Forest Descend."
Instantly, countless tree vines erupted from his body and burst out of the ground, rushing toward Ace and Yamato.
The ground trembled as the forest rapidly expanded.
Ace and Yamato's expressions became more serious.
As a Logia user, Ace was not afraid. Fire naturally countered wood.
He roared loudly.
"Don't think your ability to absorb life force will save you again."
Ace raised his hand toward the sky.
"Great Flame Commandment, Flame Emperor!"
A massive sphere of blazing fire rapidly condensed in his palm. The fireball grew larger and larger until it exceeded fifty meters in diameter, glowing like a miniature sun.
During the battle at Whole Cake Island, Ace had not fully understood Aramaki's ability. Aramaki had secretly absorbed the life force of nearby people and even the moisture in the environment to constantly restore his stamina.
No matter how many times Ace and Yamato injured him, he had recovered almost instantly.
That battle had nearly pushed them into a desperate situation.
But after discovering the source of Aramaki's recovery, Ace realized the solution.
He simply could not allow Aramaki the chance to absorb life force.
Boom!
The Flame Emperor slammed into the forest.
The enormous fireball exploded instantly as endless flames surged outward, engulfing everything in their path.
A scorching storm of heat swept across Egghead Island.
Both Marines and pirates who had only just begun fighting were forced to brace themselves against the powerful heat waves.
"It's burning!" many soldiers cried out.
Even breathing became painful as the scorching air filled their lungs.
The raging flames incinerated the growing forest in an instant, leaving nothing behind.
A towering mushroom cloud of fire rose nearly ten thousand meters into the sky.
Among Logia Devil Fruits, the power of fire was already terrifying, and fire held a natural advantage over wood.
The Marines stared in shock.
"Is this the end of the world?" someone muttered while swallowing nervously.
Only a month earlier, the Marines had suffered a crushing defeat. Their morale had yet to fully recover.
Facing the Phoenix Pirates once again only deepened their unease.
After all, during both the Marineford War and the Whole Cake Island War, the Marines had never truly defeated the Whitebeard Pirates or the Phoenix Pirates.
Even though they had received orders to fight, many Marines still felt a lingering fear toward this powerful pirate crew.
High in the air, Marco watched the battlefield and sighed in admiration.
"Ace has grown even stronger."
Although Ace had not yet reached the level of an Emperor, he was only a step away.
Marco could not help but think that the blood of the Pirate King truly carried extraordinary talent.
Below, Aramaki's face darkened as he saw his entire forest burned away, even the seeds reduced to ash.
This attack had cost him a great deal of stamina, and without a source of life force nearby, recovery would not be easy.
"You brat..." he muttered angrily.
Meanwhile, Marco had already made his decision.
Since the Five Elders were not present, now was the perfect opportunity.
Ace could handle Aramaki.
That meant Marco could deal with the other Admiral.
Fujitora.
With that thought in mind, Marco immediately flew toward Fujitora.
A sneak attack was impossible.
Fujitora did not rely on his eyes to see the world. His Observation Haki and heightened hearing were extraordinary.
Even if Marco suppressed his presence, he would never be able to hide from Fujitora completely.
In that case, there was only one option.
Marco would defeat him head on.
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