One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

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The Five Elders stared at Ace with extremely ugly expressions. The man standing before them was more daunting than the three Ancient Weapons combined.

After all, his intellect rivaled that of Sengoku and Ben Beckman. This terrifying cunning put the Five Elders at a clear disadvantage, rendering Ace's actions and movements utterly unpredictable. The diverse Devil Fruits at his disposal only intensified the challenge.

"Damn it!" the Five Elders cursed internally. It was the power of the Door-Door Fruit that had put them in such a passive position. Although the fruit was rare, its inability to directly enhance combat power had meant it was largely overlooked by the World Government. Yet now, in Ace's hands, it had become the final piece that tipped the scales, pushing them to the brink.

Who could have imagined a monster like Ace, who could utilize multiple Devil Fruit powers? In the eyes of others, the Five Elders—who had ruled the world government for centuries, their power seemingly unshakable—now appeared helpless, faced with this monstrous being.

Portgas D. Ace, the real monster before them, was a one-man army of super-powered Devil Fruit abilities. His Mera-Mera Fruit, having evolved towards the power of the sun, had turned him into a humanoid Ancient Weapon, walking upon the sea. With such overwhelming might, even the Five Elders were at a loss on how to deal with him.

Could they really afford to fight him, no matter the cost? The very thought seemed laughable. Sure, their Conqueror's Haki could prevent Nojiko of the Entei Pirates from using the Door-Door Fruit, but it did nothing to stop Ace himself from utilizing that same ability. 

If they had this kind of power back then, the Valley of the Gods incident might never have occurred, nor would they have needed the cooperation of Garp and the Roger Pirates to bring it to an end. Even their most potent Conqueror Haki attacks couldn't defeat the strongest man of this era—Portgas D. Ace. And that wasn't even considering the Red Hair Pirates or the looming presence of Kaido of the Beasts.

Even with only the Entei Pirates, they couldn't prevent Ace from using the Door-Door Fruit to leave. So what if they managed to kill a few members of his crew? If they couldn't stop Ace from escaping, they'd soon face the wrath of a man who could freely travel anywhere in the world, using the power of the Door-Door Fruit. His vengeance would be as terrifying as that of a humanoid Ancient Weapon.

Even if they have a way to trap Ace in the Holy Land of Mariejois,

you realise they're still just in the negotiation phase!

Ace's bringing the Celestial Dragons death to the table was just a bargaining chip. If they pushed him too far and sparked his rage, they knew full well that his retaliation wouldn't stop with the Holy Land. Ace would destroy the Grand Line, the New World, and even the Marine branches if he desired.

The World Government controlled over 170 nations. If they enraged this madman, he wouldn't hesitate to target the leaders of those countries. The Five Elders were certain of this. And despite all their strength—despite the Navy, the underwater prison, and even the Knights of God—they would still be no match for Ace's fury.

The five of them wielded combat power above that of an Admiral, and that was still insufficient. Even if they mustered every ounce of the marine power, every combat unit they had, it would still be scarce. In any era, the combat strength of an Admiral could shape the fate of the seas, but in this moment, such power felt fragile against the unstoppable force that was Portgas D. Ace.

To send even the strongest Admirals to face Ace would be nothing short of a death sentence.

Ordinary Admiral-level combat power would require at least three Admirals to contain someone like Ace. Even for those Admirals capable of battling the Four Emperors head-on, at least two would be necessary to withstand Ace's attacks.

However, the World Government oversees more than 170 allied nations. Where could they possibly find the strength to protect the safety of all those royal families? If Ace was willing to go so far as to destroy the royal families of their member nations while broadcasting it live to the entire world, the centuries-old foundation of the World Government itself could crumble. 

Would it come to moving all the royal families from these 170 nations into the Holy Land of Mariejois for protection? That would make a mockery of the Celestial Dragons—the so-called "nobles of the world" and descendants of the Creator—who moved to Mariejois 800 years ago. Even if they ignored the impact and forcibly relocated the royal families, controlling their allied nations from afar, they would still have to contend with the Revolutionary Army watching from the shadows.

And with this madman intellect, he would undoubtedly use the Revolutionary Army to strike a devastating blow against the World Government. Allowing the situation to deteriorate to that point would result in a price too terrible for the world government to bear. 

The World Government, with its vast Marine branches, its control of the Grand Line, the New World, and its oversight of more than 170 allied nations, simply could not shrink its sphere of influence enough to resist Ace's attacks—especially when he could use the Gate-Gate Fruit to strike anywhere at any time. 

With such an overwhelming threat, the Five Elders exchanged grim looks. After considering every possible scenario, they realized there was only one solution: armistice and compromise with him.

"Can you promise not to use the power of the Gate-Gate Fruit to destroy the Holy Land and our external forces?" Saint Nusjuro finally asked, having already sheathed his black sword. His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, were filled with bitter resignation as he addressed Ace.

Ace smiled faintly, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Destroy the Holy Land and your forces? I'm a peace-loving person. Why would I do something so crazy?"

Saint Nusjuro's act of sheathing his sword and the words he spoke made it clear—the Five Elders had chosen to compromise. Ace was unsurprised by their decision.

For the World Government, with its vast power, Marine bases across the Grand Line and New World, and control over more than 170 allied nations, there were just too many vulnerable targets. It was only a matter of time before they had to yield.

When Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit ability came into play, their surrender became inevitable. He can use Kuma's ability to expel and absorb certain "demonic factors" from Devil Fruit users. Once these factors were removed and absorbed into his Comprehension Field, they became part of his power. These expelled abilities didn't return to their original users but stayed under his control.

Through this method, Ace gained control of abilities from people like Nami, Vivi, and Nojiko. However, he had little interest in offensive powers like the Shock-Shock Fruit. With his Mera-Mera Fruit evolving toward the power of the sun, Ace already possessed the most destructive force in the world.

Utilizing these supplementary Devil Fruit abilities, thanks to the Comprehension Field, still required Ace's physical strength, but that hardly mattered. His evolved abilities alone were more than enough to shake the world.

Using other offensive Devil Fruit abilities would only drain Ace's stamina needlessly. What he truly requires now are fruits with peculiar, auxiliary abilities—like the Gate-Gate Fruit.

It was precisely the capabilities of the Gate Fruit that forced the Five Elders to compromise. They could neither prevent him from escaping nor stop his retaliation. Their fears that Ace might destroy the royal families of more than 170 World Government nations, along with their Marine branches across the Grand Line and New World, were nothing more than baseless worries. 

Ace didn't desire such chaos. His ambition was far grander—he sought to become the king of the world. To him, all the world's power was already his to claim. Those who defied him could be dealt with later, once he sat on the throne. Why expend effort on something so ungrateful now?

The power Ace wielded resembled the nuclear deterrent that existed in the world he once knew. With the Gate-Gate Fruit, he could appear in any corner of the globe and use the evolved Mera-Mera Fruit, which now channeled the destructive force of the sun, to annihilate his targets. It was the very embodiment of nuclear deterrence. True deterrence lies in 'not' using it, for taking action would ignite a war to the death with the World Government—a battle Ace wasn't ready for just yet.

After all, Ace had no clear understanding of the full extent of the World Government's strength, nor of the mysterious powers Imu might possess. His own power was still growing, so it would be unwise to force a final confrontation at this moment. 

Of course, if the Five Elders pushed him into a corner, Ace would show no mercy.

It was this unyielding resolve, paired with a force comparable to nuclear devastation, that led the Five Elders to bend. Ace's calm declaration silenced everyone around him. Was this man 'not' insane?

The very man who publicly executed Celestial Dragons on the Sabaody Archipelago and declared war on both the Naval Headquarters and the World Government claimed to love peace. It seemed like the cruelest joke of all, but in this moment, the Five Elders had no choice but to accept it.

A strange buzz echoed through the air as the five monstrous figures began to shrink, reverting into their human forms—five old men in suits. This act of dematerialization sent waves of shock through the Marine high command. Sengoku and the other top officers watched with clenched fists, their expressions a mix of disbelief, bitterness, and anger. 

The world's highest powers—the Five Elders—had yielded to the Flame Emperor. Portgas D. Ace had won. Though the World Government compromised with Ace, the Naval Headquarters had suffered a complete and devastating loss.

For Sengoku, the defeat was particularly painful. As the leader of the Naval Headquarters, he couldn't afford to show his tears, but the bitter taste of failure overwhelmed him. Looking up at the sky, his eyes stung with emotion.

"You win, Flame Emperor," Sengoku muttered with a bitter smile.

Shanks, standing nearby, couldn't help but smile as well. The war was over, and Ace, their ally, had emerged victorious. The world had just witnessed the emergence of a force even more terrifying than the Ancient Weapons themselves. Unlike those weapons, Ace could appear anywhere at any time, making his deterrence far more potent.

Under this overwhelming threat, the Five Elders had no choice but to concede. 

"We've won!" Nami and the girls cheered in excitement. The war that Ace and his crew had waged against the Naval Headquarters, and by extension the World Government, had ended in their favor. Ace had secured their victory.

"Ace-san..." Issho smiled as well, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. Although the war had brought much suffering, fewer lives would be lost now that it was over. But still, he wondered—what exactly did Ace plan to ask of the World Government?

Just then, a large, reassuring hand fell on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Issho," Rayleigh said with a small smile. "Ace's request won't disappoint you."

Rayleigh's confidence in Ace was unshakable. Though they hadn't spent much time together, he could tell that Ace's mind and vision surpassed even that of Roger. Ace's request would likely bring Issho, who had joined their crew in a time of war, even closer to them.

Issho, despite being blind, smiled as he sensed Ace's figure through Observation Haki, silently awaiting the inevitable.

"Don't make unreasonable demands, Flame Emperor," Saint Saturn said solemnly. Though they held great power, even they were forced to show respect to Ace.

"It's a trade actually." Ace responded calmly, raising his right hand. At his feet lay Kizaru, gravely injured, still muttering faint words due to the lingering effects of the Ghost Fruit.

"For Admiral Kizaru," Ace continued, his tone steady, "I'm proposing an exchange." He then turned his gaze toward the Five Elders, awaiting their response.