A massive blue-white slash descended from above.
The instant Saint Roselith Seraphina's sword cut through the air, an overwhelming chill swept across the sea.
Snow-like frost seemed to descend from the sky as the temperature around the battlefield plummeted.
The wind became razor-sharp.
Countless thin blades of ice formed within the freezing current, accompanied by several enormous frost-covered sword-shaped projections that descended toward the Spade Pirates' ship.
Ace's flames were extinguished one after another.
The blazing heat surrounding him was overwhelmed by the sheer cold.
Frost rapidly spread across the surface of the sea.
One layer.
Then another.
And another.
In the blink of an eye, the seawater surrounding the Spade Pirates' ship had begun to freeze.
The ice continued spreading beneath the vessel until the entire ship was firmly locked in place.
Massive blocks of ice connected the hull to the frozen sea, effectively preventing the ship from moving.
The members of the Spade Pirates stared in disbelief.
"This…"
"Vice Admiral Hakutaku is terrifying!"
"She isn't just a swordswoman!"
"She can freeze the sea with her sword!"
"What kind of monster is she?!"
The crew's voices trembled.
They had known that Saint Roselith Seraphina was powerful.
They had heard the rumors surrounding her battle with Whitebeard.
But hearing about such a feat and witnessing it with their own eyes were two entirely different things.
This wasn't merely a matter of strength.
The precision of the technique was frightening.
She had frozen their ship without immediately destroying it.
She had immobilized them while leaving the vessel largely intact.
That level of control meant that Seraphina could have destroyed them if she had truly intended to.
Ace stood amid the frozen battlefield, breathing heavily.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
He looked at the woman standing ahead of him.
Even after everything he had done, he hadn't managed to land a single meaningful attack.
Six months.
He had spent six months training, fighting, surviving, and mastering the power of the Mera Mera no Mi.
He had believed that his improvement would allow him to close the gap between himself and Saint Roselith Seraphina.
But reality had given him a brutal answer.
The gap was still enormous.
"This power…"
Ace clenched his teeth.
He looked down at his right hand.
A layer of frost had already covered it.
His fingers were stiff.
He could barely move them.
He hadn't even touched Seraphina's clothing.
Yet he had already been pushed into such a miserable state.
Ace's expression became increasingly serious.
"This is terrifying."
The flames around his body suddenly intensified.
The heat generated by the Mera Mera no Mi spread through his arm.
The frost began to melt.
Steam rose from his skin as the ice was burned away.
Fortunately, Ace's Devil Fruit was a Logia.
The flames gave him a natural advantage against ordinary cold.
But even then, Ace understood that his Devil Fruit alone wasn't enough to overcome the difference between them.
Saint Roselith Seraphina stood quietly on the frozen sea.
Her blind eyes remained covered, as always.
She didn't need sight.
Her Kenbunshoku Haki had already mapped the battlefield around her.
Every movement.
Every breath.
Every fluctuation in Ace's presence.
Nothing escaped her perception.
"Ace."
Her voice was calm.
"You're still holding back."
Ace grinned despite his exhaustion.
"Hey, Seraphina!"
"Don't think you can beat me while holding back!"
"I've come a long way since the last time we met!"
Saint Roselith Seraphina tilted her head slightly.
"Stubborn."
She raised her sword.
The surrounding temperature dropped once again.
The sea beneath the Spade Pirates' ship began to tremble.
Then
BOOM!
Huge pillars of ice erupted from beneath the water.
One came from the left.
Another emerged from the right.
Several more burst upward around the ship.
The ice formations came from every direction, turning the battlefield into a frozen maze.
"Ace!"
"Captain!"
"Look out!"
Ace immediately reacted.
"Mirror Flame!"
He thrust his left arm forward.
A massive wall of fire erupted in front of him.
The flames expanded rapidly, creating a blazing barrier between Ace and the incoming ice.
The first ice pillar collided with the wall.
CRACK!
Steam exploded into the air.
The heat melted part of the ice.
Ace grinned.
"See?"
But his expression changed the next instant.
The wall of fire wasn't enough.
Another ice pillar erupted from beneath the ship.
It pierced directly through the vessel.
BOOM!
The wooden hull shattered.
The enormous pillar continued upward.
Ace's eyes widened.
"Damn it!"
He attempted to move.
Too late.
The pillar struck him directly.
BANG!
Ace was launched upward.
Blood splattered across the ice.
"Captain!"
"Ace!"
The members of the Spade Pirates panicked.
Several immediately reached for their weapons.
They were pirates.
They couldn't simply watch their captain be beaten without responding.
"Attack!"
"Help Captain Ace!"
But before anyone could move, Ace shouted from the center of the battlefield.
"STOP!"
His voice echoed across the frozen sea.
The crew froze.
Ace wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"This is between her and me!"
"Don't interfere!"
Deuce clenched his fists.
"But Ace "
"I said don't interfere!"
Ace's expression became serious.
He wasn't saying it because of pride.
He wasn't trying to prove himself.
He was protecting them.
The difference between their strength and Seraphina's was simply too great.
If the Spade Pirates attacked now, they wouldn't be helping him.
They would only be throwing their lives away.
Ace understood that.
For the first time, he could clearly see the terrifying gulf between an inexperienced pirate crew and a true veteran powerhouse of the sea.
Saint Roselith Seraphina quietly listened to Ace's words.
Her expression softened slightly.
At least he had learned something.
"Ace."
"You've improved."
Ace looked toward her.
"But you're still not strong enough."
"You cannot enter the New World with your current strength and expect to survive for long."
Seraphina's tone wasn't mocking.
It was an assessment.
The New World wasn't simply another sea.
It was the second half of the Grand Line, a place where powerful pirates, veteran crews, Marines, and monsters who had survived countless battles gathered.
A rookie could possess an impressive Devil Fruit and still die within days if they lacked the strength to protect themselves.
Ace understood that.
But understanding danger didn't mean abandoning his dream.
He suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha!"
Seraphina sensed his spirit rising again.
"Ace?"
"I know!"
Ace clenched both fists.
"I know exactly what I'm doing!"
"I want to become the Pirate King!"
The declaration rang across the frozen sea.
The members of the Spade Pirates fell silent.
Ace's voice carried an unwavering determination.
"The Pirate King."
"That is the summit I'm aiming for!"
Saint Roselith Seraphina remained silent.
She had heard many pirates talk about becoming the Pirate King.
Most of them spoke about wealth.
Others dreamed of fame.
Some simply wanted to dominate others.
But Ace's words carried something different.
There was a hunger for freedom in his voice.
A desire to stand at the highest point of the sea without bowing to anyone.
Saint Roselith Seraphina finally spoke.
"The Pirate King?"
"You?"
"Yes."
Ace didn't hesitate.
"Me."
His answer was absolute.
"I'll become the Pirate King!"
"I'll find Gol D. Roger's treasure."
"I'll obtain the One Piece!"
The flames surrounding Ace grew stronger.
His blood seemed to boil with determination.
He was Roger's son.
The son of the man who had stood at the summit of the pirate world.
Yet Ace didn't want to become the Pirate King simply because Roger had been one.
He wanted to reach the summit through his own strength.
He wanted to prove that his life belonged to him.
Saint Roselith Seraphina sensed that resolve.
"So that's your dream."
Ace nodded.
"That's right."
"Then tell me something."
Seraphina's sword lowered slightly.
"How do you intend to reach that summit?"
Ace didn't hesitate.
"I'll defeat the strongest pirates in the New World."
"I'll challenge the Yonko."
"I'll surpass them."
"And after that, I'll find the One Piece."
Seraphina was silent.
"So you're planning to enter the New World and challenge one of the Four Emperors?"
Ace grinned.
"That's right."
"Whitebeard."
The name alone caused the atmosphere to change.
Edward Newgate.
Whitebeard.
The legendary pirate whose name carried weight across the entire sea.
The man recognized as one of the most powerful pirates in the world.
The same man whom Ace had once heard about only through stories.
Now Ace intended to challenge him.
Saint Roselith Seraphina almost laughed.
"You can't even defeat me."
"And you're already planning to challenge Whitebeard?"
Ace scratched the back of his head.
"That is a problem."
"But how am I supposed to know whether I can win unless I actually try?"
His grin returned.
"I'll get stronger."
"I'll prepare better."
"And next time, I won't be as careless as I was today."
Seraphina sensed the stubborn determination in his voice.
For some reason, it reminded her of herself.
That unwillingness to retreat.
That refusal to accept the limits imposed by others.
That belief that the only way to discover whether something was possible was to attempt it.
"Ace."
"Yes?"
"Then go."
Ace blinked.
Seraphina smiled faintly.
"I'll let you pass."
Ace's expression became one of surprise.
"You're serious?"
"Yes."
"You've already made your choice."
"I have no reason to drag you back to the East Blue simply because I believe you're not ready."
"But remember something."
Seraphina's voice became serious.
"The New World won't show you mercy."
Ace's grin widened.
"I know."
"Then I'll become strong enough to survive it."
Saint Roselith Seraphina nodded.
"Good."
There was another reason she had allowed Ace to leave.
She wanted to see what kind of man he would become.
Ace possessed tremendous potential.
But potential wasn't strength.
A powerful Devil Fruit wasn't enough.
A strong body wasn't enough.
Even a powerful crew wasn't enough.
The sea tested a person's will again and again.
Only those capable of enduring that pressure could continue moving forward.
Seraphina could sense that something remained incomplete within Ace.
There was a part of his dream that even he didn't fully understand.
But if Ace himself hadn't discovered it yet, there was no reason for her to force the answer upon him.
Some things could only be understood after walking one's own path.
Several hours later, the Marine warship returned after completing its resupply.
The ship approached the frozen battlefield.
Bruce stood near the bow.
As the warship drew closer, he immediately noticed the damaged Spade Pirates' ship.
Its hull was battered.
Ice surrounded its lower half.
The crew was struggling to free the vessel from the frozen sea.
Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"Vice Admiral."
Saint Roselith Seraphina stood calmly nearby.
"Yes?"
"Are we really going to let those pirates leave?"
Bruce looked toward the Spade Pirates' ship.
Ace and his crew were slowly sailing away after escaping the frozen waters.
Saint Roselith Seraphina simply waved her hand.
"What else should we do?"
"You've already heard my purpose for coming here."
"I wasn't sent to destroy Ace."
"I came to determine whether he was capable of entering the New World."
Bruce frowned.
"And your conclusion?"
"He's not strong enough."
Bruce waited.
"But?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina smiled.
"But he has the determination."
Bruce understood.
She wasn't interested only in how strong a person was today.
She was also interested in what that person could become tomorrow.
"Vice Admiral."
Bruce hesitated before asking another question.
"Everyone knows you don't tolerate injustice."
"You've arrested countless pirates and criminals."
"So why did you speak with that boy privately?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina remained silent for a moment.
Then she answered.
"I've received reports from Captain Ain."
"She is currently stationed in the New World."
"And the situation there is becoming increasingly unstable."
Bruce's expression became serious.
"The balance of power is shifting."
"Smaller pirate crews are being absorbed by the larger forces."
"As a result, the major pirate crews are becoming even larger."
Saint Roselith Seraphina nodded.
"Exactly."
"The New World already has too many established powers."
"When smaller crews disappear beneath the banners of stronger pirates, the major powers only become harder to challenge."
"So?"
Bruce still didn't understand.
"So we need new forces."
Seraphina looked toward the distant pirate ship through her Kenbunshoku Haki.
"New forces capable of disrupting that balance."
"Ace is one possibility."
Bruce frowned.
"But what if he joins one of the Yonko crews?"
Seraphina shook her head.
"If Ace were willing to submit himself to another pirate's banner, then he wouldn't be the kind of person capable of reaching the summit he claims to seek."
"A man who wants to become Pirate King won't willingly spend his life beneath someone else's flag."
Bruce considered her words.
"That doesn't mean he won't change his mind."
"No."
Seraphina agreed.
"People change."
"Dreams change."
"Circumstances change."
"But I don't believe Ace's ambition will allow him to remain beneath another man's shadow."
She paused.
"Besides, there's another reason."
"What reason?"
"Ace isn't a cruel person."
Bruce looked surprised.
Seraphina continued.
"According to the Marines' reports, during the months since he entered the sea, Ace has attacked pirate vessels and taken their treasure."
"But there have been no confirmed reports of him deliberately slaughtering ordinary civilians."
"He doesn't appear interested in abusing those weaker than himself."
Bruce nodded slowly.
"That sounds like Garp's influence."
"It probably is."
Saint Roselith Seraphina smiled.
"Vice Admiral Garp may have a terrible way of teaching children."
"But his sense of protecting innocent people has clearly left an impression."
Ace had inherited more from Garp's teachings than he probably realized.
He possessed the recklessness of a pirate.
He possessed the ambition of a man who wanted freedom.
He possessed the fire of his Devil Fruit.
But beneath all of that, there was still a line he was unwilling to cross.
That mattered.
Saint Roselith Seraphina understood that better than most.
She wasn't trying to create a world without pirates.
She knew that was impossible.
Nor was she interested in blindly supporting every decision made by the World Government.
Her objective was far more complicated.
She wanted to change the broken structure of the world without drowning it in unnecessary bloodshed.
If new forces could weaken the most dangerous pirate powers while protecting ordinary civilians, then allowing those forces to emerge had value.
Ace could become one such force.
Perhaps he would fail.
Perhaps Whitebeard would crush him.
Perhaps another Yonko would defeat him.
Perhaps he would eventually become something entirely different from what Seraphina expected.
She couldn't predict the future with certainty.
But she could give him the opportunity to walk toward it.
Bruce looked at the distant Spade Pirates.
"So you've already decided what you're going to do with Ace."
Saint Roselith Seraphina shook her head.
"No."
"I've only decided not to stop him."
She turned toward the open sea.
"From this point forward, his choices belong to him."
The Marine warship slowly began moving again.
The Spade Pirates disappeared into the distance.
Ace was sailing toward the New World.
Toward Whitebeard.
Toward the Yonko.
Toward a future that would eventually shake the entire world.
And Saint Roselith Seraphina was preparing to enter that same sea.
Neither of them knew exactly what awaited them.
But one thing was certain.
The moment their paths had crossed, the currents of the Grand Line had already begun to change.
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