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"Evolution Rubik's Cube?!"
"Evolve any ability!"
Ace's eyes lit up, a newfound interest sparking within him.
Evolution represents a leap between levels; it's undeniably powerful. No matter how it evolves, it's enough to elevate a person completely!
In that instant, a fist-sized Rubik's Cube appeared, floating steadily before him.
Ace suppressed the thrill that surged within him, reaching out to take the Rubik's Cube. The seastone handcuffs cracked with his movement.
The Evolution Rubik's Cube felt cold to the touch.
But he couldn't help examining it closely.
Each side bore a unique texture, glowing with a strange, shifting brilliance.
Then, a wave of information flooded his mind:
[Number of evolutions: 1.
Cooldown time: None]
"Use the evolution count?"
Without further hesitation, Ace twisted the Rubik's Cube and replied.
"Ding! Ability selection..."
"Fire, Body Art, Armament Haki, Observation Haki, Conqueror's Haki, Sword Art, Spear Art..."
"Please choose the evolution ability!"
Ace stared at the list of options, brow furrowing as he pondered.
"Flame... must refer to the Mera-mera Fruit's ability; Body Art, Conqueror's Haki… which one should I choose?"
Ace wrestled with indecision.
Only one ability could be evolved at a time, with a one-month cooldown. Especially now, at such a critical juncture of life and death—if he chose carelessly, he might miss out on using the evolution ability when he truly needed it.
Yet the Mera-mera Fruit's power, physical skills, and Conqueror's Haki each held significant value.
Simply put, it was a hard choice; he didn't want to sacrifice any of them.
"If only it could evolve them all," he thought, sighing softly.
One evolution per month—what a limit!
Ace took a deep breath, considering it carefully.
"First, let's exclude Haki. Conqueror's Haki alone would require three chances. Right now, that would be a mere drop in the bucket, not worth the investment."
Though Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki were crucial, the current circumstances didn't warrant evolving them, so Ace ruled them out altogether.
Surviving tomorrow would still grant him the opportunity to evolve Haki in the future.
"Physical arts… it's not cost-effective."
As a user of the Logia Devil Fruit, Ace possessed the ability to become intangible and elementalize his body. While physical strength was important, evolving it didn't make much sense. After weighing his options, Ace arrived at his final choice.
"That leaves flame as the only option! Evolution Rubik's Cube, Mera-mera Fruit… don't let me down."
Taking a deep breath, Ace voiced his decision resolutely:
"Evolve the flame ability!"
The Rubik's Cube began to rotate slowly, as if guided by unseen hands, radiating a vibrant light that enveloped Ace.
"The flame ability is evolving…"
Ace's throat tightened, and he couldn't help but brace himself.
This was a life-risking decision.
If it failed or delivered unexpected results, he'd face the consequences of the One Piece World One Day Experience Card.
Beneath the radiant glow, Ace's body began to heat up. Every cell within him felt like it was undergoing a transformation, as though an unfamiliar fire were about to ignite.
"So… hot…"
Ace gritted his teeth to endure, the intensity bewildering him.
He had already consumed the Mera-mera Fruit; how could he still feel heat?
Fortunately, the sensation lasted only a few seconds before subsiding.
The Evolution Rubik's Cube's glow dimmed, as if depleted of energy and entering a dormant state.
With a final flash, the Rubik's Cube was absorbed into Ace's body.
[Number of evolutions: 0.
Cooldown: 30 days
Additional evolutions: 1]
The information pulsed through his mind, and Ace heard the familiar system prompt once more:
"Ding!"
"Flame evolution complete!"
"Evolution result: Flame power increased by fivefold; flame is now endowed with a new trait: Inextinguishable; this flame is no longer hindered by seawater or seastone."
Boom!
Ace's mind reeled with a "boom," leaving him momentarily dazed.
It took him a moment to come to his senses before he let out a shout.
"Damn!"
"This is incredible!"
The power of the Mera-mera Fruit had increased fivefold, instantly elevating his Logia ability to an entirely new level.
In terms of destructive force, it now outclassed most Devil Fruits. Who could still claim that the Mera-mera Fruit was inferior to the Lava-Lava Fruit?
This intensified flame could melt anything, leaving no trace behind.
And then, there was that unbelievable new trait: Immortality.
What did this mean?
Simply put, it meant that his flames were blistering on an entirely new level!
Just imagine—a flame that would never cease to burn, that no one could withstand!
And as for the New World's so-called fire users?
Let them try facing this super flame! There's a world of difference between a mere matchstick and a blazing mountain of fire.
Most importantly—
The Devil Fruit's inherent weakness had vanished!
Ace no longer needed to fear seawater or seastone; he was already formidable with his Devil Fruit, but now, with supercharged flames, he was a force of nature.
In less than a minute, Ace had undergone a complete transformation.
The dryness and heat within him slowly faded, replaced by newfound strength; no longer did he have to endure the energy drain inflicted by seastone.
"It's done!"
"From here on out, I'll be the next free traveler on the sea."
Ace calmed down, reflecting with pride.
Then, a thought sparked in his mind about the additional evolution opportunity provided by the Evolution Rubik's Cube, and he asked excitedly:
"System, the additional uses for the Evolution Rubik's Cube?"
To his dismay, the response was not what he hoped.
"Ding!"
"Access denied!"
"Additional uses can only be used by others besides the host. They refresh automatically with the next host evolution, and if not used within 30 days, they are cleared."
So, he couldn't use it.
If left unused within a month, it would disappear...
"What? Such a strict rule—why not let me use it just once? I'll owe you one next time!"
If he couldn't use it, why couldn't he borrow it?
The system's voice came back with biting sarcasm.
"This system is for check-ins, not lending or sales!"
"Fine, you win."
Ace sighed, defeated, and rose, heading to the window to observe the situation outside.
The sight that met him was surprising—the entire area was crawling with Marines.
Layers of Marine guards patrolled both the inner and outer sections of the prison, with no shortage of Marines on watch.
"Thousands of Marines just for me? Talk about VIP treatment!"
Ace chuckled wryly.
"There are two auras at the door… both at least Vice Admiral level… one of them, that's Tsuru!"
Sensing the powerful presence of the two figures at the door, Ace quickly identified them.
Then, his gaze landed on a distant figure in an upper-floor room.
Naval Headquarters Staff Officer, Tsuru.
Just then, the sound of casual footsteps echoed down the corridor outside, accompanied by hushed voices.
"Salute to Vice Admiral Garp!"
All Marine soldiers, including the two Vice Admirals, snapped to attention.
"Yeah, yeah, open up. This old man's just here for a look."
With a grin, the white-haired old man picked his nose nonchalantly, waving his hand.
The two Vice Admirals exchanged glances and, despite their discomfort, unlocked the door without further protest.
After all, even though they held the same rank, this was Garp they were dealing with.
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