Chapitre 123: Huge Deal
Sorry for the delay but I I needed this rest week.
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The world around them raged in chaos, yet for Luffy, all of it became distant noise. Akainu's magma fist had pierced through Ace's chest, leaving behind a smoking, gaping wound. Blood poured freely, staining Ace's trembling body as it dripped onto the battlefield below.
"Ace!" Luffy screamed, his voice breaking with desperation. He cradled his brother tightly, tears streaming down his face like rivers of anguish.
Ace coughed violently, his breaths coming in shallow, uneven gasps. His lips were stained red with blood, yet he forced himself to lift his gaze to meet Luffy's. His expression, though pained, carried a strange calm.
"Luffy…" Ace's voice was weak but resolute. "I'm sorry… for everything. You went through so much… all for me." He paused, struggling against the suffocating pain. "And yet, I couldn't be saved. I'm so sorry…"
"No!" Luffy's sobs choked his words as he shook his head violently. "Don't say that! You're not going to die! We'll fix this!"
Ace's faint smile tugged at his lips, though his eyes betrayed the torment within. "It's no use," he whispered. "He fried my insides. I… I won't last much longer. I can feel it."
Luffy's grip tightened around his brother, his tears falling harder. "You can't leave me! You're my brother!"
Ace's gaze softened, his smile widening slightly. "Honestly… I don't think I'd have wanted to live if it weren't for Sabo… and you, my unruly little brother."
His eyes fluttered closed for a moment as his breathing grew more labored. Then, as if struck by a sudden memory, he forced them open again. "Oh, right… If you see Dadan… give her my regards," he murmured with a weak chuckle. "For some reason… even her name feels special now."
Luffy couldn't respond, his sobs drowning his voice as Ace's words pierced his heart.
"I have one regret," Ace admitted, his voice trembling. "That I won't see you… achieve your dream." Tears welled in his eyes, mirroring Luffy's. "But I know… you'll make it. You're my brother, after all."
Ace's gaze seemed to drift away, his mind pulling him to a memory of the past—a simpler time.
"Listen up, Luffy!" a younger Ace's voice echoed in his mind. "We're gonna live without regrets! Someday, we'll set sail and live with more freedom than anyone else!"
In the present, a faint smile crossed his lips, pride flickering in his dimming eyes. "Just like we promised," he murmured. "The way I lived… I have no regrets."
His voice grew quieter, trembling with vulnerability. "But what I truly wanted wasn't fame or power…" He hesitated, tears trailing down his face. "What I wanted… was to know if I deserved to be born."
Ace's breathing slowed, his words fading. "I can't speak loud enough for everyone to hear… so tell them… Old Man, everyone… and you, Luffy…"
Tears streamed down his face, his smile faint but unwavering. "Even though I'm so worthless… Even though I carry the blood of a demon… Thank you all… for loving me…"
With those words, Ace's hand slipped from Luffy's face, falling limp. The faint smile on his lips remained as his body went still.
"Ace!" Luffy screamed, his voice raw with anguish. He clung to his brother's lifeless form, shaking uncontrollably as sobs wracked his body. "Ace! Please! Don't leave me!"
The battlefield fell silent. Pirates and Marines alike froze, their weapons lowered, bearing witness to the heartbreaking scene.
Through the haze of grief, a calm, unfamiliar voice interrupted the sorrow.
"Well, I hate to intrude, but I might be able to end this sad moment," said a figure emerging from the smoke.
Akira's confident smile radiated amidst the tension.
"Akira! Can you save Ace?" Luffy shouted, desperation mingled with newfound hope.
"Maybe," Akira replied with a sly smirk, his gaze shifting from Luffy to Whitebeard. "The question is… why should I?"
Whitebeard, towering and imposing, responded with a knowing look. "Uchiha Akira… The World Government's contract with you is complete, isn't it?"
"Indeed," Akira said. "I was only supposed to keep you away from the execution spot… and, well, it's already destroyed."
Whitebeard's booming laugh echoed across the battlefield. "Gurararara! I really want to take you in as one of my sons." His tone grew serious. "But now, I propose a deal… with your Uchiha Security Company."
Akira raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Save Ace. Ensure the safe return of all my sons to the New World. Give them a safe place to stay if they want it."
"And in return?" Akira asked, his voice measured.
"Everything I have—my fortune, my territories, all of it!" Whitebeard declared.
"You'd leave nothing for your sons?" Akira pressed.
"They're my greatest treasures," Whitebeard said, his voice firm. "I'd give it all to keep them safe."
Akira paused, a flicker of respect passing through his expression. "Deal," he said finally. "Your sons will be safe. All of them."
He appeared beside Ace, his chakra-infused hands glowing green as they hovered over the wound. Energy flowed into Ace's body, surrounding it with a gentle warmth. "Drink this," Akira muttered, holding a vial to Ace's lips.
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Akira had conducted extensive research on himself after consuming Muzan and discovered an astonishing property of his blood—it held miraculous healing capabilities. When refined into an elixir, it could mend even the gravest wounds in a remarkably short time. However, his knowledge of genetics and advanced science was limited, preventing him from making full use of his immortal body.
But Akira had already set his sights on a certain snake-like scientist—someone with the expertise to harness his blood's power and take its applications to an entirely new level.
Luffy watched in breathless anticipation as the massive hole in Ace's chest began to heal, though slowly.
Akira stood, dusting himself off. "He'll be fine after a few days," he said, his tone casual. "But this reminds me—I really need Orochimaru. If he works with my blood, he could make an elixir that heals in minutes."
Turning back to the battlefield, Akira's expression hardened. "But for now… I've got work to do."
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone