One Piece: The Strongest Creature

In this world of pirates, where luck and fate are believed to exist, both the "chosen ones" and the so-called "villains of destiny" possess extraordinary luck. This luck extends to those around them, making it seem as though the world itself favours them.

Take Blackbeard's crew, for instance—those who followed Teach from the beginning, like Lafitte and others, gained incredible Devil Fruit powers by the end of the Wano Country arc.

Shanks, Luffy's mentor, and Luffy's father, Monkey D. Dragon, are similarly blessed. Their strength is undeniable, and their actions often lead to success. They quickly rose to power, becoming some of the most dominant figures in the New World.

The same applies to Ace and Sabo, sworn brothers of Luffy, the so-called "Son of Destiny." They, too, benefit from this remarkable luck. Sabo, in particular, whose heritage is less remarkable than Luffy's or Ace's, still rose to the position of Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army while in his twenties.

After consuming the Flame-Flame Fruit in the story, Sabo even dared to challenge Fujitora and proved himself to be at least on the level of a Warlord of the Sea. Yet, before obtaining the Flame-Flame Fruit, his talent was not on par with Ace's.

As the son of Gol D. Roger, the "Son of Destiny" of the previous era, Ace had a fortune similar to Shanks's and Monkey D. Dragon's. Despite losing the Flame-Flame Fruit after Kahn's arrival and Teach taking the role of Second Division Commander in the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace's presence still caused a stir.

Although losing the Flame-Flame Fruit meant Ace couldn't dominate his way from the East Blue to the New World, his adventure pushed him to unlock his true potential—his talent for Haki.

At just ten years old, Ace awakened Conqueror's Haki thanks to his bond with Luffy. No one knew Ace had this power, not even Garp, who remained unaware that his grandson had already awakened such potential.

This early awakening of Conqueror's Haki made it far easier for Ace to master other forms of Haki, and his growth in this area was remarkable. He ranked third worldwide in Haki proficiency. Most notably, he mastered Armament Haki in just a single day!

In the official Ace novel from Kahn's previous life, it was stated that Ace took only one day to grasp Armament Haki. In this life, he learned it even earlier.

The reason Ace was able to comprehend Haki so quickly is closely tied to Kahn's influence.

When Ace set sail, the "Cross Family" commissioned three island ships from the "Galley-La Company," which had integrated all shipbuilding companies in Water 7. These ships were sent to the East Blue, South Blue, and North Blue, along with a group of Kuja warriors to guard them.

Ace's natural curiosity, much like his younger brother Luffy's, led him to board the "Grantigne East Blue" ship. As expected, trouble followed. He stirred up a commotion, causing both Kuja warriors and clones to hunt him down. Ace, relying on his strong swimming skills, managed to escape.

During the pursuit, Ace accidentally tapped into Haki, dodging an attack meant to strike him down. This encounter sparked something within him, and in just one day, he successfully mastered Armament Haki.

This event marked a turning point in Ace's journey, putting him on a different path than in the original story. After awakening Armament Haki, he formed the Spade Pirates and recruited Deus from Sixis Island, along with other crewmates from different islands, setting out into the first half of the Grand Line. Soon after, Ace awakened Observation Haki as well.

By the time he was ready to enter the New World, Ace had already mastered both Armament and Observation Haki, a rare feat even during the Great Pirate Era. The last pirate to show such promise was Cross Kahn back in 1503.

Now, Cross Kahn had risen to become one of the Yonko, a representative of the new generation of pirates. Naturally, Ace's rapid growth did not go unnoticed by the Marines. The fact that Ace bore the "D." in his name, as Portgas D. Ace, made him an even greater threat in their eyes.

Ace's initial bounty was set at 75 million berries, an impressive figure for a first bounty, especially for someone with no rare Devil Fruit or special abilities. For context, even Nico Robin, a survivor of Ohara with the ability to read Poneglyphs, had her first bounty set at 79 million berries. Boa Hancock, despite leading the Kuja Pirates, only received an initial bounty of 80 million berries.

Ace receiving a starting bounty of 75 million berries showed how seriously the Marines viewed him. However, even this underestimated his true potential. Just three months after his initial bounty was issued, it skyrocketed to 250 million berries.

This sharp increase was triggered by a major event—Ace and the Spade Pirates had crossed paths with a Vice Admiral's fleet, leading to a fierce battle at sea. For most pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, an encounter with a Vice Admiral would be a near-death experience. However, Ace turned the tide of battle.

They faced Vice Admiral Draw (Weasel Vice Admiral), who captured Ace with plans to send him to Impel Down. But Ace performed a miracle. Not only did he escape, but he also managed to rescue his entire crew.

In the midst of this crisis, seeing his crewmates in grave danger triggered the Conqueror's Haki Ace, who had awakened at age ten. After seven years of dormancy, it exploded forth, as powerful as Luffy's during the Summit War. His Conqueror's Haki knocked out everyone around him, save for the Vice Admiral and a few Rear Admirals.

Taking advantage of this moment, Ace realized the gap between himself and the Vice Admiral and quickly fled with his fainted comrades. By the time Draw Vice Admiral regained his senses, Ace and the Spade Pirates were already out of reach, disappearing into the vast Grand Line.

Ace's demonstration of Conqueror's Haki before even entering the New World immediately drew Fleet Admiral Sengoku's attention. Upon hearing the Vice Admiral's report, Sengoku ordered Ace's bounty to be increased again, making him a 200-million-berry supernova. Ace became the most talked-about new pirate of the year, sending shockwaves through the world.

------------

You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion