MTS: Marvel and Beyond

Hearing Marco's stern warning, the Straw Hat crew nodded solemnly. Their brief encounter with the Pacifista had stripped away any remaining naivety. They knew they were far from the top in this vast ocean.

Yet, Luffy, true to his nature, refused to back down. Despite understanding his current limitations, he pouted, declaring, "No, I'm going to save Ace!"

Marco's face hardened. "Straw Hat kid, this isn't a game. It's war. Even I can't guarantee survival in the central battlefield, let alone you. If you die, even if Ace is saved, do you think he'd be happy about it?"

Luffy fell silent, his resolve shaken by Marco's words.

At that moment, Alex chuckled, drawing everyone's attention. "I can strengthen Luffy. That way, he'll have a chance of surviving in the thick of the battle."

Alex's grin widened as he envisioned the chaos to come: Luffy storming Marineford, clashing with admirals, and cementing his place as the Fifth Emperor two years ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, Zoro would defeat Mihawk, earning the title of the world's strongest swordsman, capable of splitting the heavens with a single blade.

The thought amused Alex immensely. The Marines won't know what hit them.

The Straw Hats, reassured by Alex's words, visibly relaxed. Nami, her voice steady despite the rapid rise and fall of her chest, spoke confidently, "With Alex strengthening Luffy, we don't have to worry about his safety. In fact, I believe he could become one of the key players in the upcoming war."

Sanji, ever the romantic, had a sudden realization. With the impending war broadcast live worldwide, if he too were enhanced by Alex, he could showcase his strength and win the hearts of countless admirers.

Sliding to his knees before Alex, Sanji solemnly declared, "Alex, please strengthen me as well. I'll pay any price!"

Marco watched this scene unfold with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. The crew's attitude had drastically shifted after Alex's offer.

"Just how strong can Alex's enhancements make someone?" Marco finally asked.

Standing tall, Usopp answered proudly, "Let me tell you: after Alex enhanced me, I defeated Admiral Aokiji in just a few minutes! And that's not even Alex's full potential!"

Marco's eyes widened. Minutes?

His initial skepticism returned. If Usopp's claims were true, the Straw Hat's sniper had surpassed even the admirals.

Alex, observing Marco's doubt, remained unfazed. He had long moved past the need to prove himself. The events at Marineford would speak louder than any words.

Turning to King Neptune, Alex said, "Neptune, have you considered switching allegiances? I could offer Fish-Man Island my protection instead of Whitebeard's."

Marco didn't react. If Alex could truly heal Whitebeard, the crew would be willing to relinquish anything—even their claim to Fish-Man Island.

Neptune's eyes lit up. He had already foreseen the dangers. Even if Whitebeard emerged victorious in the upcoming war, their forces would be significantly weakened, leaving Fish-Man Island vulnerable once more.

"Of course, Alex. What would you require from us in return?" Neptune asked eagerly.

Alex waved off the concern. "Nothing for now. We'll discuss it later."

Before anyone could respond, a whistling sound echoed through the air. A massive axe flew through the water, embedding itself in a distant part of the island.

Robin, always observant, furrowed her brows. "Why would someone attack Fish-Man Island?"

Neptune's expression darkened. "That would be Vander Decken IX. He possesses the Mark Mark Fruit, allowing him to throw weapons that will always find their marked target."

Neptune sighed deeply as he explained, "Vander Decken IX has been harassing my daughter, Princess Shirahoshi, for the past decade. Using his Fruit, he continually throws weapons at her. Unfortunately, since Vander Decken roams the deep sea, we've been unable to pinpoint his location or stop him."

Even in the ocean, where Whitebeard's strength would be significantly diminished, Vander Decken remained elusive. Fish-Man Island lacked warriors powerful enough to defeat him, which allowed his tyranny to persist for so long.

Hearing Neptune's explanation, Nami and the others were visibly furious. "That Vander Decken IX is despicable!"

Alex frowned as well. With plans to absorb Fish-Man Island into his Pocket Universe, Vander Decken was an unwelcome blemish. Though no threat to Alex, his mere existence was an irritant.

With a flick of his wrist, Alex conjured a portal. Through it, they glimpsed a dilapidated ship. Inside, a fish-man with a yellow hat and four legs stared back in shock.

As soon as Vander Decken recognized Neptune, his face twisted in fear, and he bolted from the ship.

"That's him!" Neptune shouted. "Vander Decken IX—the one who has tormented Shirahoshi for ten years! Guards, stop him! Kill him!"

Before the Royal Guards could react, Alex raised a finger. A purple glow gathered at its tip, forming a small, dense sphere. In an instant, the sphere vanished, leaving a vacuum trail through the water. Vander Decken's escape ended as the sphere pierced his chest, the residual energy within disintegrating his body.

Neptune gasped in awe. "Alex, how did you do that?"

Even Marco was stunned.

"Just a little trick, similar to the powers of the Door-Door Fruit," Alex replied casually.

Neptune nodded, seemingly satisfied, but Marco's mind raced. To open a portal and locate Vander Decken, Alex must have first pinpointed his position using Observation Haki. Yet, from the footage seen through the portal, Vander Decken's ship was hundreds of kilometers away—a feat of Observation Haki beyond any known limits.

And then there was the ocean itself. Alex, a Devil Fruit user, should have been hindered by the sea. Yet, not only was he unaffected, but he wielded his powers with impunity.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Marco asked, "How are you using your powers underwater? And from such a distance?"

Alex grinned. "I've fixed the flaws of Devil Fruits. No more limitations on consuming multiple fruits, and no more weaknesses to seawater or Seastone."

Marco was silent, realizing he had underestimated Alex's capabilities despite his initial high expectations.

With Vander Decken eliminated, a problem that had plagued Ryugu Kingdom for a decade was resolved. Neptune bowed deeply. "Thank you, Alex. Should you ever need our aid, Ryugu Kingdom will do everything in its power to assist."

He then turned to his right-hand minister. "Inform Princess Shirahoshi in the Hard-Shell Tower that she no longer needs to remain confined. She is free to go wherever she pleases."

The minister nodded and swam off swiftly to deliver the joyous news.

Moments later, a stunning figure entered the palace. Princess Shirahoshi, with her cascading pink hair, alabaster skin, and flawless features, was a vision of beauty. Her timid and delicate demeanor evoked a powerful protective instinct.

It was no wonder Vander Decken had become obsessed—not just for the ancient weapon Poseidon's power, but also for her unparalleled beauty.

The sight of Shirahoshi was too much for Sanji. Even without enduring two years on that place, the chef's blood pressure skyrocketed. He collapsed, nose bleeding profusely. Chopper rushed to stabilize him, fearing the worst.

Neptune introduced his daughter. "This is my daughter, Shirahoshi. Shirahoshi, come thank your benefactor!"

Shirahoshi approached Alex timidly, her large eyes brimming with gratitude. Bowing deeply, she said softly, "Thank you, Lord Alex."

Staring at Shirahoshi's rather overwhelming presence, Alex chuckled, rubbing his nose.

"It's nothing," he said. "From now on, Fish-Man Island will be under my protection. I'm simply fulfilling my duty."

Standing off to the side, Marco awkwardly scratched his head, muttering inwardly:

"Easy for you to say. Not everyone can exert such power in the deep sea. Even Pops wouldn't be able to catch Vander Decken IX down here."

While Marco felt a twinge of awkwardness, the rest of the group enjoyed a warm and lively feast. Even Alex found the gathering enjoyable.

Over the following days, the Whitebeard Pirates sent more crew members to Fish-Man Island to coat their ships in preparation for rescuing Fire Fist Ace.

The Straw Hat crew eagerly helped, fully committed to aiding in the rescue of Luffy's brother. This bond of camaraderie was the essence of a true shonen adventure.

Meanwhile, Alex spent his time touring Fish-Man Island with Princess Shirahoshi. He even opened portals to take her on a journey across the One Piece world, showing her breathtaking sights.

As the saying goes: If she's inexperienced, show her the world's splendor; if she's weary of the world, take her on a carousel.

Being her savior, Alex quickly became someone Shirahoshi admired deeply. After their travels, her eyes practically sparkled whenever she looked at him.

While Alex enjoyed his time with Shirahoshi, he wasn't idle. At the Whitebeard Pirates' request, he healed Whitebeard, restoring him to his prime. A fully revitalized Whitebeard would undoubtedly make a larger impact during the upcoming war at Marineford.

After returning from the Whitebeard Pirates, Alex began inscribing intricate runes on Fish-Man Island and the Sunlight Tree Eve.

Though he could easily transfer both into his Pocket Universe, doing so forcefully might damage them. The runes he was inscribing served to stabilize them during the transition.

Furthermore, these runes would harmonize Fish-Man Island and the Tree Eve with the existing system within the Pocket Universe, ensuring a seamless integration of their energy flows.

During this time, Alex continued to train and enhance his skills, focusing on increasing his Template Fusion Rate. Thanks to the World Tree in his Pocket Universe, which absorbed energy from powerful artifacts like the Mother Box, his energy collection speed had drastically improved.

[Energy Point +1]

[Template Fusion Rate: 67%]

At this rate, Alex would soon reach 80%, unlocking new abilities from the Root template.

Additionally, after relentless practice, his skill Abyssal Tree finally reached level 3.

[Third Tree: Abyssal XP +1]

[Third Tree: Abyssal XP +1]

...

[Congratulations, your skill Third Tree: Abyssal has leveled up!]

[Third Tree: Abyssal Lv3 (1/1000)]: Having crossed the abyss, you merge magic, technology, and soul. It integrates all abilities of the Unknown Wings, granting mastery over the phase power. Attacks ignore immortality effects.

New knowledge flooded Alex's mind as he absorbed the changes.

The power boost from this skill alone had increased his strength fiftyfold. This meant that Third Tree: Abyssal alone had quintupled his overall power.

Additionally, Alex now had finer control over phase power and could grant others some of the abilities from the Unknown Wings. For now, however, he could only share the power of the Black Wings, as higher-tier abilities remained out of reach.

Between honing his skills, inscribing runes, and taking Shirahoshi on more adventures, Alex remained busy.

Finally, after a few more days, Marco contacted Alex and the Straw Hat crew via Den Den Mushi, delivering a crucial update:

"The execution of Fire Fist Ace is set for five days from now. We're preparing to depart for Marineford."

The legendary Summit War, a pivotal moment in the world of One Piece, was about to begin.

°°°

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