The moment Zaraki's words fell, the atmosphere aboard the Moby Dick, which had barely eased because of Ace's shout of "Brother," instantly dropped to freezing point, colder than it had been during the earlier standoff.
Everyone on the ship felt their breath catch.
The dogs of the Celestial Dragons?
Even without Zaraki saying the name outright, the people on this deck were not fools.
Those words pointed toward CP0, the World Government's blade hidden in the shadows.
Even among the Four Emperors, killing CP0 agents was not something to brag about lightly. It meant dragging the Celestial Dragons' gaze directly onto oneself.
Marco's eyelid twitched, and the way he looked at Zaraki changed completely.
This guy was not simply arrogant.
He had no regard for his own life at all.
Even Whitebeard's mountain-like figure paused slightly, and deep within those eyes that had seen every corner of the sea, a trace of approval flashed.
"Gurarararara..."
That low laughter rang out again, and this time, it was filled with admiration.
Whitebeard's enormous body leaned back against his throne, making the entire ship tremble faintly.
"What an interesting brat! To think the Marines could produce someone like you. Looks like that old bastard Sengoku hasn't had an easy life either."
That teasing remark broke the silence, yet it only made the atmosphere on the deck even stranger.
No one dared to answer.
Everyone's eyes remained fixed on Zaraki, as if they were staring at a monster that had crawled out of the abyss.
Under everyone's gaze, a scorching wave of heat suddenly erupted.
"Enough!"
Ace shoved aside the crewmates in front of him and strode to the bow, facing Zaraki across the sea.
Flames rose from his shoulders, the firelight reflecting across his face, while his eyes remained incomparably firm.
"Brother," Ace said, his voice slightly hoarse, "this is between us. It has nothing to do with Pops or the Whitebeard Pirates! Just like when we were kids, fight me!"
He wanted to prove the path he had chosen with his fists.
Not far from the Moby Dick, a small deserted island rose from the sea, little more than rock, sand, and sparse trees.
It sat between the fleets like an arena the sea itself had thrown into their path.
Zaraki looked at Ace, and the smile on his face slowly vanished, replaced by calm.
"Fine."
His answer was soft, not loud at all, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
The moment his voice fell, Zaraki vanished from where he stood.
There was no explosive stomp like Shave and no wasted motion at all.
His figure blurred once, and by the time the sea wind snapped back into place, he was already standing on the deserted island several hundred meters away, without even disturbing the sand beneath his feet.
Zaraki lowered Murasame from his shoulder and dragged the tip of the blade through the sand, carving a long mark behind him.
He lifted his eyes toward Ace on the Moby Dick, his gaze emotionless, as if saying:
'Come.'
That ghost-like speed made everyone's pupils shrink.
After a brief silence, cheers erupted aboard the Moby Dick.
"Ooooooh! Ace, go!"
"Show them what Fire Fist Ace can do!"
Diamond Jozu waved his enormous fist and roared excitedly, "That's right, Ace! Burn him!"
Pirates were naturally battle-hungry.
The suffocating pressure from earlier vanished, leaving only anticipation for the fight.
Marco, however, was not as optimistic. He walked to the pale-faced Atmos and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. Ace is much stronger than before."
Atmos's lips moved, but no words came out.
He knew Ace was strong.
But the ominous feeling in his heart was growing heavier and heavier.
It was the trembling that came from deep in the bones when facing a natural enemy.
In a corner of the crowd, Teach, still being held down by Jozu with one hand while clutching the scorched wound along his side, had a sinister and greedy light flashing in his small eyes.
Fight.
The harder, the better.
Best if that Marine reveals more of his trump cards...
...
On the deserted island, Ace's figure descended in a burst of flame.
His feet landed on the beach, scorching the sand beneath him into flowing grit.
"Fire Fist!"
Ace did not hesitate in the slightest.
His right fist shot forward, his entire arm transforming into a spear of fire that blasted toward Zaraki.
Scorching flames dyed half the sky red. The air burned and twisted, producing a sizzling sound.
That flame was hot enough to melt a steel warship in an instant, yet Zaraki did not even blink.
He merely raised his left hand, spread his fingers, and lightly clenched them toward the massive flaming fist rushing at him.
Buzz.
An invisible force spread from his palm.
The roaring spear of fire slammed into something like an unseen wall several meters away from him. It was not the flame being nullified.
The pressure from Zaraki's palm compressed the air in front of him so violently that Ace's fire was crushed apart before it could reach him, collapsing into scattered sparks that vanished in the wind.
The cheers aboard the Moby Dick stopped.
Everyone looked as if their throats had been seized, the frenzy on their faces turning into utter shock.
How... was that possible?
Zaraki had not even drawn his sword. With one hand alone, he had crushed Ace's Fire Fist.
"Is that all the progress you've made, Ace?"
That indifferent voice drifted across the sea and clearly entered Ace's ears.
In the next second, Zaraki's figure vanished again.
Ace's heart clenched. He pushed his Observation Haki to the limit, suddenly turned around, and crossed both arms in front of his chest, Armament Haki covering them.
A tremendous impact rang out.
A terrifying force struck his crossed arms, as though a mountain had slammed into him head-on.
Ace felt both arms go numb instantly.
His sternum creaked, and his whole body flew backward beyond his control, smashing into a huge boulder on the island with a thunderous crash.
When the dust cleared, Zaraki's figure stood where Ace had just been, still holding the posture of having thrown a punch.
The entire scene fell into dead silence.
If the first exchange could be called carelessness, then this time, it was pure suppression through strength.
"Cough... cough!"
Ace crawled out from the pile of shattered stone and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The Armament Haki coating his guarding arms flickered violently, nearly breaking apart under the impact, and he had clearly suffered internal injuries.
He stared hard at Zaraki, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Was he still the same guy who had spent every day messing around with him and Sabo?
This kind of strength...
"We're not done yet."
Zaraki's voice was very quiet.
He lifted his right foot and lightly stepped down.
With his foot as the center, the beach shook violently.
Cracks spread through the sand and stone beneath Ace's feet, racing toward him one after another.
Seeing that scene, Atmos, aboard the Moby Dick, suddenly remembered the scorched wounds across his chest and the moment Zaraki's blade pressure had torn his ship apart beneath his feet.
That fear seized his heart again.
He finally understood where his unease came from.
"Ace! Watch out!"
He used every bit of strength in his body to roar.