The arrival of Sal brought relief to the three present. Ace seemed petrified, staring at the man who had entered with a vacant look, as a strange feeling arose within him. Now that this man was here, they were safe.
— No matter how much Ace used to dislike the name Roger, he had known it since childhood. His grandfather and father often mentioned him in their stories.
All these memories formed a steadfast image of Roger in his heart: an incredibly strong man, so powerful that even Garp and Whitebeard couldn't be sure of defeating him.
Ace, who had just lost his father, suddenly felt a strange sense of security.
Akainu felt five fingers gripping his arm, and the force of this grip was growing stronger. It seemed capable of ignoring his elemental state and holding his essence captive. A powerful dominating aura was affecting the speed of his transformation into magma. Akainu couldn't wait any longer; he needed to act.
— Bastard…
Akainu's body was covered in magma, and he immediately went on the counterattack.
Facing a flying fist, Sal, as if foreseeing the blow, had already turned his head to evade the attack, only a few strands of his hair singed by the high temperature.
In Akainu's eyes, Sal's pupils turned dark red, and in his other hand appeared the dark red sword "Ace." Thunder rumbled, and a dark red energy wave surged toward Akainu.
— Divine Evasion!
— It will crumble… boom…
Akainu flew backward and crashed into a massive Stone. When the smoke and dust cleared, a deep wound on Akainu's chest became visible. Blood stained his uniform a bloody red, making him appear even more fiery. Blood was frozen at the corner of his lips. He had been severely injured by Whitebeard's counterattack before his death. Now, he also had to face Sal's "Divine Evasion," which significantly weakened him physically.
However, Akainu rose, his heart burning with a thirst for justice, and step by step, without hesitation, he advanced towards Sal and the others. As long as he was alive, making him retreat by his own will was nearly impossible.
[SS-level character Akainu feels negative emotions towards Host, high hostility level, reward of 50,000 experience]
[SS-level character Ace feels positive emotions towards Host, high friendliness level, reward of 50,000 experience]
[Fate of SS-level character Ace altered, reward of 50,000 points]
[Level-up: Level 76 (13369/700000) +19]
The system message prompted Sal to glance at Ace. Could this kid already be at SS level? Upon reflection, it seemed possible.
Although Ace's power matched that of the strongest Seven Sea Pirates, not exceeding Doflamingo's strength. But having escaped execution and then survived Whitebeard's death...
It's unlikely anything could have stopped him from becoming the strongest in Whitebeard's Pirate team unless something unforeseen happened. It's probably just a matter of time before he becomes the strongest in the team. In the eyes of the world, his fame might surpass Marco's.
After all, Marco is already 43 years old, and his strength has nearly reached its peak.
The most important thing is that "Pirate King Roger" has returned. As Roger's only descendant, Ace's fame will naturally grow.
System Attribute Template
[Host: Augustus D. Sal]
[Age: 26]
[Level: 76 (13369/700000) +19]
[Strength: peak (General)]
[Endurance: peak (General)]
[Agility: peak (General)]
[Devil Fruit: None]
[Skills: Apex]
[Armament Haki: peak (Blessing)]
[Observation Haki: peak (Sound of all creatures' breath)]
[Conqueror's Haki: peak]
[Weapon: Ace]
[Points: 151368]
Sar felt a qualitative leap in Armament Haki. The level-up to 1 allowed his Armament Haki to reach its peak. Although Armament Haki did not significantly boost his current strength, it was a summit even Roger himself could not conquer.
In his time, Roger, relying on Conqueror's Haki, did not give due attention to training Armament Haki, ultimately stopping just short of the peak. He had no chance to reach the peak of Armament Haki in his lifetime.
Very few people at sea can reach the peak of Armament Haki, but if it does reach the peak, it can even resist the Tyrant without succumbing quickly.
A prime example is the former Fleet Admiral, Zephyr the Black Arm.
Relying solely on his physical strength and peak-level Armament Haki, he reached admiral-level strength.
Even Roger, Whitebeard, and others would not disdain him.
The Armament Haki on his hand flared up, and Sal looked at Akainu. His breathing was erratic, and he had sustained significant injuries. It seemed that Whitebeard's temporary attacks were truly terrifying, otherwise, he wouldn't have been harmed by the "Divine Evasion."
When Ivankov appeared in front of him, a strange thought crossed his mind, and he immediately shouted to Ace and Luffy.
"Fire Fist Ace, why did you bring your brother? Do you still want to join the battle?"
"I... you..."
Ace, who was usually the jokester, didn't know what to say now, as if something in his blood held him back from answering.
He just pulled Luffy towards the ship. In the distance, the battle around the Whale Ship had concluded. Rayleigh, having dealt with the Pacifistas, teamed up with the trio and pushed back Aokiji. The situation was very favorable.
As Ace was leaving, Sal suddenly mentioned that Roger had planned to...
— "Originally, this Supreme Saber 'Ace' was intended for you, but now it seems you have no chance to obtain it."
Ace stopped. He didn't understand what Sal meant. Did Sal think that Ace held a grudge against Roger all these years and therefore lost his sword?
— "I don't need a weapon, keep it for yourself."
— "Ha-ha, what a stubborn guy."
The two brothers left, and Sal saw that only Ivankov remained. He approached him and suggested a plan, which made Ivankov shake his head in horror.
— "No, absolutely not. If I do this, Akainu will pursue me for the rest of my life. I can't be on the run from an admiral forever."
— "Oh, don't you want that bastard Akainu to pay for what he's done?"
— "Isn't this enough?"
Sal's words were like the whisper of a devil, continuously echoing in Ivankov's ears.
— "Don't worry, this was my suggestion. If Akainu decides to delay, he'll definitely come to me first. Everything will be fine. Don't you want to become famous? Let the whole world know your name as a cadre of the Revolutionary Army, Demon King Ivankov."
Ivankov was evidently somewhat tempted. Looking at Akainu's battered state, it didn't seem so unrealistic, right?
He swallowed nervously and agreed.
"Alright."
While they chatted, Akainu had already reached them. Both his hands transformed into lava. He didn't know how furious the two before him were.
"Great Eruption!"
A giant lava fist, nearly 10 meters in size, sped straight toward them. Sal deflected the fist with the saber "Ace," preventing it from advancing. The terrifying lava exploded with countless sparks.
Two of the strongest at sea engaged in an astonishing battle. Despite severe injuries, Akainu was only slightly at a disadvantage.
Ivankov, watching from the sidelines, didn't interfere in the fight but simply waited for his chance. He had only one shot.
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