บท 91: Chapter 91: The Shocking Horror!
(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! For more chapters, visit my [patreon.com/LazySeeker] Thank you!)
-----
Naval Headquarters.
Inside the office...
"Bwahaha, I haven't slept in three days, and I'm just ten donuts short of my personal best!" Garp laughed, lounging on the couch with a bag of donuts in hand.
"You're so boring, Garp. If you've got that much energy, why not go catch some pirates?" Across from him, Chief Staff Officer Tsuru said in a serious tone. "Ever since Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai, was killed, piracy has surged. The seas are growing restless, and your adopted grandson, Ace, is part of the reason."
The Shichibukai system, established by the World Government to counter the manpower shortages at Naval Headquarters caused by the Great Pirate Era, helped maintain a delicate balance of power between the Navy, the Shichibukai, and the Four Emperors.
But now, Crocodile was dead.
To downplay the impact, the World Government credited his defeat to Smoker and Hina, promoting them to Commodores at Naval Headquarters. However, despite this effort, the sea grew even more chaotic as pirates, eager to prove themselves, saw Crocodile's fall as an opportunity.
The Shichibukai were meant to be deterrents, using their strength and reputation to keep other pirates in check. But with one of them defeated—allegedly by two Marine colonels—pirates across the seas began to question the Shichibukai's power. Many sought to take Crocodile's place, dreaming of the privileges that came with being a Shichibukai: legal plunder, and the favor of the World Government.
The World Government was initially planning to fill Crocodile's seat quickly, with a pirate of great renown to reassert the Shichibukai's strength. But during the Shichibukai meeting, they were interrupted by a call from none other than Ace, who unleashed Conqueror's Haki right in the Holy Land of Mariejois, throwing the entire place into chaos.
Now, the selection of a new Shichibukai was indefinitely postponed.
"Hahaha! That's my grandson!" Garp slapped his thigh, laughing heartily.
"Garp, this isn't a laughing matter!" Tsuru's voice hardened. "Do you realize how much trouble your grandson has caused us? As a Marine hero, you have a duty to help maintain the balance of the sea!"
Next to her, a tall and striking woman with a beauty mark and a spider tattoo on her long, fair legs spoke up. This was Gion, Vice Admiral of Naval Headquarters, known by her alias "Momousagi."
"Hahaha, let that kid Kuzan handle this kind of thing. I am just a Vice Admiral, and I leave the responsibility of maintaining the balance of the sea to you young people. Hahaha!"
"Aokiji? We haven't been able to contact him at all!" Gion's frustration was evident as she continued. "He's probably picked up your laziness, Garp-chan."
Gion's irritation flared. As Aokiji had once served under Garp's command, it wasn't a stretch to say he had inherited his mentor's iron-fist discipline—and his laziness. Now, the chaos in the seas, stirred by Ace's reckless actions, was putting immense pressure on the Navy.
With Garp here lounging around, breaking donut-eating records, and Aokiji slacking off somewhere, Gion was feeling overwhelmed. She desperately wished that Marshal Sengoku would show up and give Garp a stern reprimand. Only Sengoku, with his authority and history, could scold the Marine hero who had been offered a promotion to Admiral multiple times but declined every time.
Tsuru, however, simply sighed, covering her forehead with her hand. "They really know how to make things difficult," she muttered.
Suddenly, the office door burst open with a loud bang.
Garp, Tsuru, and Gion turned their heads, eyes widening as they saw who had barged in.
"Marshal Sengoku?"
Gion's eyes sparkled with hope, wondering if her earlier wish had come true. But there was something off about Sengoku's appearance—he was panting heavily, his face flushed.
"Haha! Sengoku! You're just in time. I'm about to break my personal donut-eating record. Are you here to congratulate me? Hahaha!" Garp, ever carefree, greeted Sengoku with a boisterous laugh.
"Huff... huff..." Sengoku raised his head, still catching his breath, veins bulging on his forehead. His eyes locked onto Garp's, and his expression darkened with fury.
"What the hell are you talking about, you idiot?!" Sengoku suddenly roared, his voice echoing through the room. He vanished in an instant, appearing right above the stunned Garp. His fist, cloaked in dark, crackling Haki, was already raised.
"Boom!"
The entire office—and even part of the Marine building—shook violently.
"Conqueror's Haki? Sengoku, are you trying to kill me?!" Garp barely dodged, looking up at Sengoku in shock.
Fights between Garp and Sengoku were nothing new, but they were usually little more than arguments or scuffles, rarely escalating to full-on combat. And never had Sengoku unleashed Conqueror's Haki before, let alone with such ferocity.
"What's going on, Sengoku? Why are you so angry?" Tsuru asked, looking puzzled. Sengoku was known to be reliable and level-headed, especially in critical moments. For him to use Conqueror's Haki in an office brawl was unheard of.
"Yes, Marshal," Gion added. "Garp-chan might be lazy, and his grandson caused quite a stir with the Crocodile incident, but this is going too far."
Sengoku's eyes, still burning with rage, softened slightly at Tsuru and Gion's words, but he didn't let his anger down. His gaze returned to Garp, piercing with intensity.
"Do you know what your grandson, Ace, has done now, Garp!?" Sengoku demanded.
"Isn't it just killing one Crocodile? That guy was wreaking havoc in Alabasta. What's wrong with getting rid of him? Besides, didn't we settle this already?" Garp replied, still unbothered.
"This isn't about that!" Sengoku shouted.
"Your grandson, Ace, fought Aokiji. And now, Aokiji is gravely injured."
"What?!" Tsuru and Gion gasped, their eyes wide with shock.
"Bwahaha! Ace fought Kuzan and gave him a beating? That kid's really something!" Garp's surprise was brief, quickly replaced by a proud grin.
Though the news of Aokiji's injuries shocked Garp somewhat, it didn't completely catch him off guard. After all, he'd watched Ace grow up. He knew firsthand the boy's potential—his talent was unlike anything Garp had ever seen.
From birth, Ace had possessed the innate strength of Conqueror's Haki, marking him as a natural-born leader. By the age of seven, he had already learned the advanced technique of Haki—Conqueror's Haki Entanglement—and even then, his abilities had stunned Garp.
With that kind of power, Garp wasn't entirely surprised Ace could stand toe-to-toe with an Admiral like Aokiji.
Still, the seas were stirring, and his grandson was at the center of it all.
"Are you kidding me?! Portgas D. Ace has fully mastered Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement, and his Mera Mera Fruit has completed its awakening!
Aokiji fought him with all his strength, without holding anything back, and the battle still ended in a draw, with both sides severely injured.
Do you know what that means, Garp?!
Looking at you now, it's clear you know plenty about your grandson. Why don't you tell me everything?!
Damn it! What else are you hiding from me?!"
Sengoku's face twisted with anger as he looked at Garp, whose expression was more shocked than surprised.
Grabbing Garp by the collar, Sengoku raged, spitting as he shouted.
"Complete mastery of Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement?! The Mera Mera Fruit, awakened?! A fight with Admiral Aokiji, ending in a draw?! And both were injured?!"
Gion's eyes widened in disbelief. The words hit her like a thunderclap, exploding in her mind.
Even though Aokiji has a laid-back demeanor, his strength is unquestionable. As the leader of the more pacifist faction within the Marines, his terrifying power is enough to face the Four Emperors of the New World!
If Ace could fight Aokiji, with both giving it their all, and still draw, then... doesn't that mean Portgas D. Ace now holds the power to dominate the seas!?"
Tsuru's eyes were filled with shock.
He's fully mastered Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement, awakened the Mera Mera Fruit, and fought Aokiji to a draw when the Admiral was at full power. Both came away injured. There's no doubt about it – Ace possesses an overlord's strength, the kind that can rival even the Four Emperors of the New World!
"This is incredible!" Tsuru's eyes reflected deep astonishment.
During the Shichibukai meeting, she had sensed how powerful Garp's grandson was through his Conqueror's Haki, but this level of power? It's unbelievable!
"He's barely entered the Grand Line and hasn't even completed the first half of his journey, and yet, he already possesses enough power to rule the seas?!"
"What else do you know about Portgas D. Ace?! Tell me everything, Garp! Don't you realize that Aokiji being seriously injured is a massive problem for the Marines?"
Sengoku's forehead veins bulged as he shouted, his anger reaching a boiling point.
"There are only three Admirals in the Navy, and they are our most critical strategic assets. We need one Admiral stationed at Headquarters at all times, and another to protect the Holy Land of Mariejois. The third serves as a mobile force to maintain balance across the seas.
But now, Aokiji's injured!
This means, for the time being, the Marines' mobile strike force is out of commission! If word of this gets out, it will cause chaos! The Four Emperors, the Revolutionary Army, and all those lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity—once they learn the Marines have lost a key piece of their strength, they'll act! The seas will erupt into turmoil!"
"Fine, you want to know? I'll tell you. So calm down. I'm close to drowning…"
Garp sighed as he looked at Sengoku, whose eyes were now bloodshot.
Now that Ace could fight Aokiji to a draw, there was no way the Navy could take him down. Revealing information about Ace wouldn't matter at this point. In fact, intelligence like this is useless against the true powers of the sea.
The Four Emperors, for instance, have had their strength studied in depth by the Navy. It's precisely this knowledge that has kept their authority from being challenged. After a moment of reflection, Garp began to recount Ace's story, his expression softening with memories.
"Ace was born with the Conqueror's Haki after being born. By the time he was seven, he had mastered Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement. And as soon as he got the Mera Mera Fruit, he broke through the natural limitations of the Devil Fruit..."
Sengoku, Tsuru, and Gion stood frozen, utterly stunned by Garp's words.
"What kind of monster is this?! In this world, mastering Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement is enough to grant you the power to rule the seas. But to do it at the age of seven? And not only that, but he also pushed the Mera Mera Fruit's powers beyond their normal limits, making his flames more dangerous than Sakazuki's Magma-Magma Fruit?"
Compared to Ace, even the three current Admirals – Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu – seem almost ordinary.
Yes, ordinary Admirals! It's as if hell itself is playing a cruel joke!
Those three are called the strongest Admirals in Marine history, hailed as monsters of their generation. But next to Ace's talents, they appear so... mediocre!
What a terrifying talent!"
Suddenly, Sengoku's eyes widened as a realization hit him. His expression changed, fear creeping into his eyes.
"Wait... are you saying that when Ace found the Mera Mera Fruit, it was as if the fruit was drawn to him?"
Sengoku's voice trembled as he recalled something disturbing.
"Yes," Garp confirmed. "He discovered it while fishing, attached to the belly of a Sea King. It was almost like the Mera Mera Fruit was waiting for him to find it."
Even Garp seemed bewildered by this.
"Do you know what Devil Fruits Ace's crew members possess?"
Sengoku's lips quivered as he pressed the question.
If his suspicions were correct, then Ace wasn't just terrifyingly powerful on his own—his crew's combined strength could also reach unimaginable levels.
Garp, Tsuru, and Gion stood frozen, unable to process what Sengoku was implying. They had never seen Sengoku like this before.
"Thunder Fruit, Sand-Sand Fruit, and Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Suzaku."
Sengoku's lips trembled as he spoke each name, and with each word, Tsuru and Gion felt their hearts pound harder.
"The Thunder Fruit—an ability that's practically invincible, even among Logia. And the Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Suzaku—powerful enough to rival even the Four Emperors, like Kaido. And then there's Crocodile with the Sand-Sand Fruit..."
Tsuru muttered in disbelief.
Devil Fruits, the ultimate treasures of the sea, grant those who consume them tremendous power. A powerful Devil Fruit can create a terrifying warrior. Whitebeard, for example, would still be a mighty Four Emperor with just his Conqueror's Haki, but it was the Gura Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit) that gave him the power to shake the world.
Kaido, too, is called the strongest creature because of his Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.
This generation's Admirals—Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji—earned their place because of their Devil Fruits: the Magma-Magma Fruit, Glint-Glint Fruit, and Ice-Ice Fruit, all powerful even among the Logia types.
But now, Ace's crew has Devil Fruits that can compete with the very best the Marines have to offer. Wait...
Suddenly, Tsuru's eyes widened in horror as she connected the dots. The fear was unmistakable in her expression.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง