One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

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"ROAR!!!"

A thunderous dragon's roar echoed, carrying both agony and a twisted sense of satisfaction. From the smoldering abyss, a colossal figure emerged, rising steadily on a cloud of flames—Kaido, in his mighty Azure Dragon form.

However, Kaido, the so-called unkillable monster and the world's strongest creature, now appeared battered. His once-impervious dragon scales were scorched and scarred. Many of the scales had been entirely vaporized by the immense heat from Ace's sun-like explosion. Where scales were missing, blood, too, had been burned, leaving seared wounds that shocked onlookers.

Most devastating of all was Kaido's head. The once-proud Azure Dragon, who boasted two of the strongest dragon horns, now had only one remaining. The right horn had been completely obliterated by the explosive power of the attack. Burnt blood flowed from his dragon's head, making for a terrifying sight.

Yet Kaido—gravely injured—wasn't furious. Instead, he laughed heartily. 

"WORORORORORO! Incredible! Flame Emperor, you've actually managed to wound me this much! If you had combined that attack with Conqueror's Haki, I might've been finished!"

Despite his injuries, Kaido was filled with exhilaration. It had been so long since he'd felt such excitement. So long since he'd bled like this! The sensation of injury, of blood, of pain coursing through him—it reminded him of what true battle was.

This was war!

"If you hadn't taken it head-on, you wouldn't be in such bad shape," Ace remarked, observing Kaido's tattered form. However, his tone lacked sarcasm; instead, it was full of admiration.

Ace's attack had been directed at Kaido and the Five Elders, yet Kaido hadn't hesitated for a moment. Even though he hadn't been able to fully assume his strongest human-dragon form in time, and had remained in his dragon form, Kaido still charged at the blast head-on, like a wild bull.

Kaido had absorbed most of the attack's force, using his head to bear the brunt of the destructive impact. That's why he now appeared so grievously injured. 

If Kaido had chosen a more defensive approach—using Conqueror's Haki and the powers of his Azure Dragon form—he likely wouldn't have been harmed at all. 

But this was Kaido. Defense had never been part of his nature. From birth, he knew only attack.

"Hmph, I am Kaido, don't underestimate me!" he sneered. "Not like those five old men who rely solely on their so-called 'immortal bodies' to survive these kinds of attacks. Born aristocrats, bah!"

As Kaido turned his head, black lightning and flames danced around the edges of the cavern, gradually merging into a swirling storm of black thunderflames. Within these flames, the figures of the Five Elders began to re-form, their monstrous bodies slowly becoming solid once more.

Ace's eyes narrowed. He noticed that their regeneration was slower than before. 

Could it be that even the supposed immortality of the Five Elders had a limit?

"Stop spouting nonsense, Kaido!" bellowed Saint Warcury from within the black flames.

"The immortal body is part of our strength. Even your strongest form couldn't withstand that last attack, could it?" added Saint Mars, his voice eerily calm as he stepped forth from the flames.

With a violent burst of energy, countless black flames exploded across the battlefield. The Five Elders, like creatures from a nightmare, reappeared on the ground, fully regenerated.

Kaido let out a booming laugh. "Hmph! You talk about immortality like it's power, but I see it as a curse. How long has it been since your strength last grew? Back in the Valley of the Gods, I was no match for you. Now, I could crush the two of you alone!"

His laughter echoed across the battlefield.

"You expect us to reveal information to you?" retorted Saint Ju Peter, the one who had transformed into a monstrous sandworm. "You came here to defeat Flame Emperor, and now you're ready to submit to him?"

Kaido smirked, his fangs gleaming. "Hah, listen to the Celestial Dragon trash talking big. You haven't changed a bit!"

"Clap! Clap!"

At that moment, the sound of slow applause caught everyone's attention. 

Shanks stepped forward, joining Ace's side. His eyes were sharp as he glanced at the Five Elders, then back at the devastation surrounding them.

"How much of the Marine fleet can survive an attack like this?" Shanks asked, his voice steady but laced with authority. "Is this not enough for you to consider ending the war?"

His gaze locked onto the Five Elders, the weight of his words pressing down on them.

Ace's attack unleashed a power far beyond anyone's expectations. It was shocking to witness how the sheer might of a Devil Fruit could manifest such devastating force.

Conqueror's Haki - Entanglement focuses its strength on amplifying a single target's damage, condensing that force into a destructive blow. When fully unleashed, it has the potential to overwhelm anyone who hasn't reached the Admiral level in a single strike! Beneath that level, no one could withstand the full power of Conqueror's Haki, even if they had mastered it.

However, for large-scale destruction, Conqueror's Haki - Entanglement isn't nearly as effective. Even someone as powerful as Shanks would need to rely on his swordsmanship to cut down a Marine fleet. Though he can destroy a warship with a single slash, facing hundreds of them would exhaust both his Haki and his physical stamina.

This is where the power of Devil Fruits comes in. 

For instance, Whitebeard's Gura Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit) could trigger earthquakes and tsunamis, earning him the reputation of being able to destroy the world. At the moment, while Ace's Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit) cannot affect entire continents or seas like the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, within its area of impact, the damage is even more catastrophic.

The radiant explosion of Ace's Heaven and Earth End in Ashes attack was so powerful that even the elite Vice Admirals of the Navy, seasoned enough to participate in Buster Call operations, wouldn't survive. Any Marine caught within the blast radius would be obliterated, disappearing completely from existence—just like the gaping cavity the explosion left behind.

Ace's overwhelming power proved that, on his own, he could annihilate hundreds of Marine fleets. This was the leverage he referred to when negotiating. Once the battle begins, maybe only Sengoku, Aokiji, or other Admiral-level fighters could survive. But the Vice Admirals, officers, soldiers, and the warships that had been built over the years would all be lost.

Shanks fixed a sharp gaze on the Five Elders. In the face of his words, the Five Elders fell silent, their expressions turning grim. They couldn't understand—how was a Devil Fruit capable of producing such a terrifying force?

The Mera Mera no Mi, in the hands of Portgas D. Ace, had evolved beyond mere flames. Ace's power was evolving toward that of the sun itself. The most troubling aspect for the Five Elders was how Ace seemed to transform the very elements of nature around him into flames, replenishing his stamina.

The expressions of the Five Elders grew darker still.

When a Logia Devil Fruit user awakens their powers, they gain the ability to transform their environment into the same natural elements as their fruit, allowing them to restore their physical strength. This is what makes the combat endurance of a Logia user inhuman.

While this ability is troublesome, it typically only extends a Logia user's stamina—it doesn't necessarily enhance their maximum combat strength. Moreover, the continual transformation of the environment depletes energy, slowing down the body's nervous system and reducing combat efficiency.

But no one could have predicted that a monster like Portgas D. Ace would emerge on these seas—someone who could evolve the power of the Mera Mera no Mi into that of the sun.

Relying solely on the power of his Devil Fruit, Ace was able to exceed even the combined strength of some Four Emperors. In battle between top-tier fighters, Ace wasn't unbeatable—two combatants at the Four Emperors' level could still contend with him. However, when it came to overwhelming a Marine fleet, Ace's abilities were devastating.

Within the blast radius of his attack, anyone below the Admiral level had no defense—they would be wiped out instantly by his overwhelming power. Although Logia users can restore their physical strength by transforming their surroundings, the process isn't infinite. Eventually, their mental energy would be exhausted, and they would lose the ability to use their Devil Fruit powers.

However, Ace's strength allowed him to restore his stamina multiple times. In other words, Ace could continue releasing his fearsome solar explosions, like the Heaven and Earth End in Ashes over and over.

The entire Marine fleet stationed here, along with all officers and soldiers at the rank of Vice Admiral and below, could be wiped out and buried in the sea.

The situation had reached a critical point.

The expressions of the Five Elders were grim. None of them had expected this outcome. They had deployed all five of their forces to the Sabaody Archipelago, along with the full military might of the Naval Headquarters, only to be pushed to such a precarious position.

The Marines could be killed, injured, or suffer heavy losses, but under no circumstances could they be allowed to fall in the Sabaody Archipelago.

The real problem was, even if they managed to stave off complete disaster, the forces they had on hand were no longer enough to stop both Shanks and Flame Emperor.

Once again, they had severely underestimated the strength of Ace.

The Naval Headquarters fleet that had originally been sent to encircle the enemy had now become more of a hindrance than an asset. If they had known just how powerful Ace truly was, they wouldn't have brought so many fleet vessels, opting instead for the elite combat power of the Knights of God. In that case, they wouldn't have found themselves in such a desperate situation.

Their lack of intelligence had forced the Five Elders into this humiliating position, suffering a severe and unwilling defeat.

"Wait a moment. Aside from calling a truce, I have one more request," Ace suddenly interjected, raising his hand calmly just as the Five Elders were about to speak.

"What? Flame Emperor! Don't think that just because you have the upper hand now, you can start making demands of the World Government!" snarled Saint Warcury, glaring at Ace as if he wanted to tear him apart. Never before had the World Government been cornered like this—not even by Rocks.

"If you don't agree to my request, then we'll continue the battle! If you five don't die here, then maybe the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land will!" Ace's voice was calm as he eyed the Five Elders.

"Oh? You dare to invade the Holy Land? Do you even understand the power that lies there? Once you enter, don't expect to return!" warned Saint Saturn, his tone growing darker.

"Have you forgotten about my abilities?" Ace's lips curved into a faint smile as he waved his right hand. Instantly, a point of light flared in the atmosphere.

Crack! 

An air door suddenly appeared, quickly opening under the darkening expressions of the Five Elders.

"The Gate Fruit doesn't allow Nojiko to freely travel through the Holy Land, but what about me? With the power of the Gate Fruit, how many Celestial Dragons do you think I could burn to ashes? Maybe, I should make it even more interesting by broadcasting it live for the world to see," Ace continued calmly.

"How dare you! If you do that, even if you upset the balance of the seas, the World Government will fight you to the death!" yelled Saint Nusjuro, his lower body resembling that of a skeletal horse as he flew into a furious rage.

"We've already been fighting to the death, idiots!" Ace sneered, a bold smile spreading across his face, as he laughed aloud.

Ace's laughter only deepened the Five Elders' discomfort.

They had forgotten that this man could freely use the abilities of other Devil Fruits. At this moment, they were unsure if Ace was using Kuma's Nikyu Nikyu no Mi (Paw-Paw Fruit) or some other ability. The Paw-Paw Fruit allowed its user to push away anything, but not to extract demonic factors from other Devil Fruits and transfer them to others.

The Five Elders were well aware of the Paw-Paw Fruit's abilities. It was a formidable Paramecia Devil Fruit, capable of ejecting anything from physical pain, negative emotions, to even memories. In fact, it was regarded as one of the most overpowered fruits in the world. Otherwise, it would never have been offered as a prize, alongside the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Fish-Fish Fruit, Phantom Beast Species - Azure Dragon), to the Knights of God during the Valley of the Gods incident, a prestigious hunting trophy for the most elite.

Yet even with all its power, the Paw-Paw Fruit could never extract the devilish factors of other Devil Fruits.

But Ace had achieved the impossible—he was able to harness the devilish factors of other Devil Fruits and use their corresponding abilities.

Although these abilities weren't as fearsome as his Mera-Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit), which had evolved towards an almost solar level of power, the fact that he could use the powers of all Devil Fruits was terrifying enough to make the Five Elders tremble.

Full Devil Fruit mastery.

This wasn't a matter to take lightly.

Each individual Devil Fruit granted immense power to those who consumed them. But with that power also came specific weaknesses. Every fruit had its strengths and drawbacks. Still, the advantages of consuming a Devil Fruit often far outweighed the disadvantages.

But what if someone could wield 'all' Devil Fruit abilities?

By combining their powers, any weaknesses would be nullified. The abilities would complement each other, leaving no exploitable vulnerabilities.

And Ace was already demonstrating the potential for such terrifying mastery.

Moreover, this man was a complete madman, someone who acted without hesitation or restraint. If he truly decided to use the Gate Fruit to infiltrate the Holy Land, there was no telling how long the Celestial Dragons could survive.

What made it worse was that Ace not only had the power and audacity to massacre the Celestial Dragons, but he might even broadcast the carnage live to the entire world.

For the first time, the Five Elders felt their very lives in someone else's hands.

Their expressions grew increasingly grim. The threat posed by Ace was undeniable.

More troubling, however, was what Ace wanted from them.

By threatening them in this manner, what exactly did he plan to demand from the World Government?

The Five Elders stared at Ace, who was laughing confidently with an aura of absolute dominance, their anger simmering beneath their skin.