Puchi!!!
Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, Ace suddenly bit into his own flesh, veins and blood boiling beneath the skin!
From the gaping wound, a gush of deep crimson blood erupted.
Scalding hot, the blood flowed into Ace's mouth, the lifeblood fueling his body, his crimson eyes reflecting a predatory intensity.
Now, Ace resembled a living vampire, and even the bravest onlookers couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear.
But unlike the monsters of legend, this vampire drank only his own blood—a self-sustaining, righteous predator.
As the boiling blood streamed down Ace's throat into his stomach, an immense surge of energy erupted within him.
BOOM!!!
The storm of power raged like a hurricane, shaking the entire icy island. Whitebeard had no choice but to extend his massive hand to shield himself from shards of ice flying toward his face.
The energy, normally meant to nourish the body over time, was forcibly extracted by Ace, converted into a one-time-use weapon.
This was not a waste.
This was his style of battle!
Because he believed…
Even without this gifted body, he could still reach the pinnacle of the world!
DONG!
Ace's heart thundered like a war drum, echoing in the hearts of everyone around.
DONG!
Again, the pulse reverberated.
It was as if some switch had been flipped in Ace's chest, igniting a violent rhythm.
The Whitebeard Pirates saw it as if in hallucination: blood-red afterimages rippled around Ace with every beat of his heart.
DONG… DONG… DONG…
The blood, once a source of life, became pure energy, digested by Ace's stomach.
Instantly, his heart became a motor, no longer under his control, powered by the flood of energy!
Though much of the energy was wasted in the transfer, the remainder infused every cell of Ace's body, granting him godlike strength for a short while!
With each heartbeat, Ace's body regained an eerie calm.
He may never realize that this moment, this step he took today, would become the very reason the Celestial Dragons and this planet faced invasion.
Shhh…
Ace lifted his gaze once more. Whether adjusting for the battle ahead or touched by the divine power in his blood, his expression was utterly blank.
Only his eyes burned with crimson intensity. No one could read his thoughts anymore.
The only certainty: Ace was going all out.
"Father!"
Ace's voice broke the silence, emotionless yet fierce:
"Are you satisfied with this form?!"
Swoosh!!!
Before the words reached Whitebeard's ears, Ace's figure vanished from sight entirely.
Whitebeard, shocked by Ace's transformation, instinctively clenched his fist, slamming it forward where Ace had been.
BOOM!!!
The entire ice island and surrounding sea quaked violently.
Shards of ice erupted like fractured space, cracks spreading outward.
At the origin of these fractures, a massive white fist collided with a dark crimson one.
The impact unleashed a storm of shockwaves!
Compared to Whitebeard's massive punch, Ace's fist was small—a mere tack in comparison.
Yet that tiny, Soru-sharp fist accomplished something that left everyone present in awe.
Blood, like a crimson stream, dripped from between Whitebeard's knuckles, staining the ice below a brilliant red.
One strike. One clash.
And the former strongest man in the world was bleeding.
If this story spread across the seas, countless seasoned fighters who had faced Whitebeard would laugh at it.
But it had truly happened.
This, in essence, was why the Celestial Dragons could dominate centuries ago.
Not because others revered them.
But because… they were overwhelmingly powerful.
Ace slowly lifted his head, crimson eyes locking with Whitebeard's.
Before the shocked pirate could speak, Ace declared:
"You're right, Dad…"
"I can't always rely on Luffy's strength."
"Ace…"
Whitebeard's expression softened, his anger replaced by a quiet whisper of the name of his beloved son.
Ace continued, calm and resolute:
"The Haki my master taught me, the fruit powers Luffy helped me develop, the ways you taught me to fight on the seas…"
"All my power until now… it's always been borrowed, given to me by others. I never considered my own path to strength."
"Since the moment I gained consciousness, I thought the blood flowing in my body was a curse… a sin that should not exist in this world…"
"I resisted it. I refused to accept it…"
Puchi!
As if amused by some realization, Ace let out a short laugh, his cold expression softening slightly:
"Though Luffy and Sabo always guided me… I think I've been pretending to listen all along."
"And only now do I notice…"
"That even this blood of mine… is power!!!"
Shing!!!
Ace's elbow shot forward, the edge of his fist moving straight toward Whitebeard.
"Ace, you brat!"
Whitebeard's eyes widened. He hadn't expected this cunning from his son!
Ace's biceps and triceps bulged as he prepared to retaliate, but…
Even though the punch had stopped moving toward Whitebeard, the sheer force under Ace's feet carved two wide trenches into the ice.
Ace continued speaking calmly, as if Whitebeard's astonishment didn't exist:
"I've been chasing Luffy all this time, without ever understanding his true meaning!"
"Legend isn't about reaching some height…"
"It's about becoming my true self!!!"
Shing!!!
The ice beneath Ace shattered completely.
Whitebeard's footing became unexpectedly soft.
The force from Ace's elbow pressed him down toward the ice below.
"What!?"
Whitebeard's eyes widened as he realized Ace could push back his immense power.
In that moment, even the eternal hero of the seas felt the first stirrings of age.
Yet… he was Whitebeard.
Pride would not allow defeat.
Gritting his teeth, he admitted:
"This… is truly astonishing power, Ace!!!"
The next instant, Whitebeard's hand trembled. His Murakumogiri was hurled away.
His free fist formed a shockwave sphere around it, crashing toward Ace's body.
At that moment!!!
The rubberized ice beneath Ace deformed violently.
Whitebeard hadn't anticipated this, and his punch went slightly off-course.
Ace nimbly sidestepped, effortlessly evading the full force of Whitebeard's strike.
As the ice deformed, its elastic energy surged.
Well-versed in the properties of rubber, Ace propelled himself backward, leaping into the air.
BOOM!
The ice, acting as a trampoline, launched the stunned Whitebeard high into the sky.
On the Moby Dick, everyone watched, speechless.
They could not keep up with the rapid, unpredictable flow of battle.
All they could do was witness it with their own eyes.
Become…
Witnesses of this new era.