Seven Days Later
Seven days had passed since Ace began training in Udon's remote mountains.
The jagged cliffs around him glowed faintly red — not from any sunset, but from the countless fireballs Ace had hurled into them over the past week.
Each blast melted part of the mountain into glowing lava.
Each explosion was followed by another.
And another.
Ace trained relentlessly.
On the day he met Hyogoro, he had learned every principle the old master could teach — all the theory, felt the internal Destruction Armament Haki on himself, all the stages of Internal Destruction Haki. But mastering it… that was different. Theory was easy. Application was hell.
There were three stages:
1. Precise Control of Armament Haki – fine control, down to the tiniest thread.
2. External Release of Haki – projecting haki out of one's body and into the target. This, Ace excelled at; he was practically a mage-type fighter already.
3. Internal Destruction – the hardest of all, transferring haki past the enemy's skin and detonating from within.
Only true top-tier warriors ever reached this stage.
Ace had reached it… barely.
He could do it.
But only with deep concentration.
In real combat? Impossible. No one waits politely to be killed from the inside.
Still, he trained.
His method was different from Luffy's. Luffy used his hands, his rubber body, his instincts. Ace fought like a caster — Haki as reinforcement, Devil Fruit as the main weapon. Whitebeard fought like that too: fruit as the core, haki as the anchor.
In the past few days, Ace even attempted to entwine Conqueror's Haki with his flames, the way the Emperors did. But nothing solid came out of it. Maybe he needed a life-or-death battle to unlock it. He always learned best under pressure.
He unleashed another attack.
"Fire Fist—BOOM!"
The great fiery fist shot forward, consuming the air itself — yet Ace frowned.
Fire Fist felt weak now.
Not worthy of a future Emperor.
Not worthy of what he needed to become.
He would need a new move. Something grand. Something devastating. But for now, nothing came to mind.
Exhausted, Ace collapsed backward onto the ground, staring at the drifting clouds.
He thought about the future.
He had promised Hyogoro he would release the samurai imprisoned in Udon — and he could do it easily. But what next? Would freeing them interfere with Luffy's destined victory over Kaido two years later?
His mind burned.
It felt like his brain was frying in hot oil.
"…Forget it," he muttered. "I'll just keep my promise and deal with Orochi."
Even if it meant angering Kaido.
Even if it meant the Beast Pirates giving chase.
At least Wano would gain a moment of relief.
That alone was worth it.
---
The Next Day — Flower Capital
Ace infiltrated the city under another disguise — this time as one of Orochi's own men. With practiced confidence, he walked through the palace gates, blending in perfectly.
Inside, he learned Orochi was not present tonight.
The tyrant was with his beloved oiran —Komurasaki ( Kozuki Hiyori ), though Orochi did not know her true identity.
Ace clicked his tongue.
Good.
If Orochi wasn't returning until tomorrow, tonight was the perfect time to eliminate the palace guards and set up the ambush.
---
Nightfall
Ace disguised himself again, this time as a night patrol ninja. He approached one of Orochi's samurai guards.
"Hey, you," Ace whispered urgently. "I have… information about the oiran Orochi-sama is pursuing. But… I don't know if I should say it here."
The samurai's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
The oiran Komurasaki was the most beautiful woman in all of Wano. Any secret about her was priceless — enough to earn a reward from Orochi himself.
The guard scoffed, "Stop mumbling like a woman. Speak like a man."
Ace leaned closer.
"Not here. Someone might hear. Let's go somewhere quiet."
The samurai didn't suspect a thing. This ninja had been a loyal retainer for over ten years — or so he believed.
They stepped into a shadowed corner.
And Ace struck.
His fist, coated in Armament Haki, flashed forward — internal destruction blooming like a silent bomb. The samurai's heart ruptured instantly. He died standing, eyes wide.
Ace felt nothing.
These samurai were Orochi's dogs. Mercy had no place here.
He burned the corpse to ash — no smoke, no evidence.
For the first time, Ace appreciated the terrifying convenience of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
He repeated the process with three more guards.
But after the fourth, he paused.
This was too slow.
Inefficient.
And even if he moved silently, the Observation Haki of the other guards would eventually sense something wrong.
He needed a better method.
A faster method.
And after a moment of thought…
Ace found it.
---