Akainu slowly approached Luffy, step by step. Ivankov felt his blood freeze from the admiral's formidable presence—alone, he was powerless against the fleet admiral.
"Ivankov," Akainu said, "give me Dragon's son. I promise you'll leave unharmed, and I won't tell anyone that you know Luffy. The secret will remain hidden."
"Uh..." Ivankov tried to buy time, pretending to consider the proposal.
Akainu's words were just a clever maneuver to neutralize Ivankov. Creeping close enough to strike, he didn't wait for an answer and unleashed a fierce attack on him.
"Hellhound Bite!" Akainu exclaimed.
A massive lava dog head lunged at Ivankov, hitting him right in the face. The unbearable heat, akin to a volcanic eruption's flames, scorched the skin, covering Ivankov's face with smoke. He collapsed to the ground, and silence ensued.
Luffy, unsure whether Ivankov was alive or dead, tried to stand, his voice anxious:
"Iva, are you okay?"
"Don't waste your breath, Monkey D. Luffy. You'd better take care of yourself. Ace used the 'Fire Fist' to lure Whitebeard to his death, and he's using you to lure your father, Monkey D Dragon. You and your brother are true friends of the naval fleet," Akainu continued moving towards Luffy. This "nova," who had caused so much trouble, was now like a treasure in his pocket.
"Human Devil Fist, Net!"
Ivankov, who seemed to have fallen, suddenly sprang up, and his scorched facial skin peeled off like a thick plaster mask. His fingernails turned into sharp claws, but when faced with Akainu's lava body, they were powerless. On the contrary, the claws themselves were destroyed.
It's not fair to say all his efforts were useless, but they did manage to capture Akainu's attention.
"Ivankov, can't you just lie down and stop using these futile tricks?" Akainu said, not hiding the disdain in his voice.
Ivankov, sensing the pressure, swallowed hard. Akainu's power was truly terrifying. He quickly said to Luffy:
"Luffy BOY, run faster, I won't be able to hold him for long!"
"Iva..." Luffy barely managed to utter.
At that moment, a powerful stream of flames rushed at Akainu from a distance. From afar, Ace's shout was heard: "Fire Fist!"
A figure with a fiery trail flew over the battlefield. Seeing his brother in danger, he immediately rushed to his aid.
"Luffy, are you okay?" Ace asked his brother with concern, as if charging him with energy.
"I'm okay, Ace, just a little weak and hungry," Luffy replied with genuine joy, despite the weight of his injuries.
"You, kid," Ace then smiled. This kid was always like this.
Meanwhile, the flow of flames gradually dissipated, and Akainu emerged unscathed. He stood before the fire like a skyscraper over a sea of flames, without defending himself and not having used Haki even once.
Seeing this, Ace couldn't believe his eyes and asked:
"How is this possible? I hit him with all my strength, but he wasn't even harmed?"
Akainu wasn't in a hurry to attack; he tried to undermine Ace with words:
"Ha-ha, Fire Fist Ace, you are such an uneducated man. My 'Magma Fruit' is stronger than your 'Fire Fist Fruit,' which means you will be weaker than me your entire life. Just like now, you hit me with all your strength, but I didn't even defend myself; you can't hurt me."
Hearing Akainu's words, Ace paled with bewilderment. If there was an issue with the fruits and their power, then he would never be able to avenge his father's death by killing Akainu.
But the stubborn Ace didn't immediately believe it, instead he focused the flames in his fist again. His entire arm became fiery red, and he decided to attack from close range.
Watching Ace's rushing figure, Akainu smiled. Whether what Akainu said is true or not, it has already shaken Ace's spirit. Confused enemies often make wrong decisions, like rushing thoughtlessly at him now. Such enemies are the easiest to defeat.
Akainu's fist also transformed into magma and collided with the flaming fist. The lava fist quickly overpowered the flame, and the victor was determined instantly.
Ace was thrown back by Akainu's powerful force. Whether it was his physical strength or the powers of the Devil Fruit, Ace was completely defeated.
The lava fist attacked Ace's head again. This time, Ace crossed his arms together and barely managed to make a defensive strike before he was repelled. His hands were severely burned at the point of contact, causing Ace's arms to tremble in pain.
The user of the "Fire Fist Fruit" was burned and badly injured. This led Ace to be consumed by self-doubt. He was so vulnerable in front of Akainu.
Akainu's body hovered above Ace, blocking out the sun, and his low, mocking voice continued:
— Is this the blood of the Pirate King Roger? What a disappointment. It seems Roger was just a man with a false name. Let me give you one last lesson, Gol·D·Ace.
Luffy and Ivankov, seeing Ace in danger, immediately reacted in their own way. Luffy weakly shouted, and Ivankov attacked, trying to stop Akainu.
— Ace, watch out!
— "Death Wink"!
Ivankov continuously blinked and attacked, but it didn't harm Akainu at all, only splashed magma bubbles onto his body.
A giant magma fist extended towards its target once again. This time, it was sure to hit.
Suddenly, a hand appeared from the side and grabbed Akainu's arm. It happened so quickly that Akainu didn't even see his opponent's movement. All the heat from the magma couldn't penetrate that hand.
— Akainu, you don't need to teach Ace. No matter how hopeless he may seem to you, it's not your place to tell him what to do, – Sals's cold and confident voice reached Akainu's ears. Akainu froze, his pupils narrowed. He hadn't even noticed how Sals appeared beside him. Was it pride, or did the opponent use their power to avoid his "Observation Haki"?
— Roger, you're already a ghost of the past. Do you still think you can control the world in this era? – Akainu slowly turned his head to stare at Sals, and their eyes met in a cold, impassive gaze.
— You'll find out soon, "Red Dog."
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense, and Sals, despite being shorter than Akainu, exerted pressure on him with his aura.
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