Zzt—!
As Garp's voice faded into the air, something began to shimmer in his eyes—a violent hue of purple-black, as if darkness itself had taken on form.
It roared.
A storm of terrifying purple-black lightning crackled from his gaze, streaking across the atmosphere like the cries of a beast unchained.
In the blink of an eye, all of that wild energy converged, drawn to Garp's already-shadowed right fist like moths to flame.
The power didn't disperse—it clung. No, it wrapped tightly, like shackles forged by fury and will. His right hand had become a vessel of barely-contained devastation.
"…W-What is this?"
Ace's eyes widened, fixed on the ominous energy coiling around Garp's arm. He could feel it—his own Conqueror's Haki stirring in response, as though roused from slumber.
"Watch closely, Ace!"
Fwoosh!
In a single leap, Garp soared dozens of meters into the air.
He paused, Haki flowing through his senses, calculating the exact distance between himself and Ace to ensure the blast wouldn't harm the boy. Then, with a smirk, he drove his fist downward.
And in that instant—
The power unleashed.
The violent purple-black energy, once bound to his fist, erupted like a king beast finally broken from its cage.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The force didn't just strike—it descended, tearing through the very sky, rippling with a wrath that seemed to shake the world.
The earth below had no chance.
Beneath that unfathomable weight, the land shattered like brittle glass.
Chunks of terrain were hurled skyward, only to be obliterated mid-air, reduced to drifting ash in the wake of that overwhelming Haki.
"Blue Hole!" Garp roared with a wild grin.
Ace could only stand and stare, heart thundering, as shattered ground and lingering purple lightning painted a battlefield he could barely comprehend.
Was this… what Kaido spoke of?
That supreme force, ruling above all others—Conqueror's Haki: Infusion?
He'd seen it in his past life, in panels and pages, but to witness it—feel it—was an entirely different thing.
This wasn't strength.
This was dominion.
"…Hah!"
The thought had barely formed when the light around Ace suddenly dimmed.
The next heartbeat—he was no longer standing on that broken earth.
He stood amidst a dense forest.
A man in samurai garb was hurled backwards, driven by a sweeping purple-black slash.
Kouzuki Oden?!
Ace's heart leapt. He knew this moment—!
"Damn it! What is this?! I won't accept this!!"
Oden let out a defiant roar as he scrambled to his feet, unwilling to yield.
Fwoosh!
Just then, a towering figure leapt from the trees, forcing Oden to halt.
Whitebeard. Edward Newgate.
"…He's here."
Ace's mouth curled into a grin as his voice echoed with a sudden, assertive confidence.
In his eyes—flames of red fury began to swirl, as if his soul itself ignited. That crimson Haki, wild and untamed, surged forth and enveloped the blade in his hand: Ace, his Supreme Grade Meito.
BANG!
Purple-red Haki screamed across his body, splitting the earth with a single step forward.
"Roger!!!"
Whitebeard let out a thunderous laugh. His own Conqueror's Haki surged, wrapping itself around his famed blade: Murakumogiri.
"YAAAAHHH!!"
Ace and Murakumogiri struck at the same moment—two Supreme Grade Blades, cleaving the air.
BOOM!!!
The blades never touched—yet the air between them exploded.
Raw, unrestrained force surged through the island, as if the entire world itself had gasped.
"They… They didn't even connect!"
From a distance, Kozuki Oden squinted against the wind and fury, barely able to stay upright. His voice trembled with awe.
"WAHAHAHA!"
"GURARARA!!"
The two laughed wildly, unleashing their Haki without restraint. No holding back.
BOOOOOOM!!!
CRACK!!! CRACK!!! KRAKOOM!!!
The sky fractured. Purple-black lightning screamed across the heavens, warping the air itself.
The island broke beneath their feet. The sea rose in towering waves.
Onlookers from both the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates were thrown off their feet, sent flying like leaves in a storm.
Even the sky—the sky itself—looked as if it were being torn apart by their overwhelming will.
Conqueror's Haki: Infusion—Clash of Kings!
FWOOSH!
The vision shattered.
Ace's consciousness returned to the nameless island.
In his mind, glowing golden text floated into view:
[Your comprehension is unparalleled. Through direct perception, you've gained insight into—Conqueror's Haki: Infusion. Through observing Garp's Blue Hole, you've gained mastery over—Flame Ring: Blue Hole!]
"BWAHAHAHA! Looks like this old man's still got it… though I might be getting a bit rusty!"
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TL/N:
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