Crackle!
Boom!
Flames soared, engulfing the sky in a crimson glow.
A monstrous blaze twisted and contorted, reshaping itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The fire took the form of a half-human, half-beast creature.
Ace's face was now fierce and wild, resembling a spotted leopard. His original 1.8-meter frame had expanded to over 2 meters, his exaggerated muscle lines bulging with power.
His entire body was covered in a deep red hue, strange patterns etched across his skin, wreathed in swirling flames. His nails were razor-sharp, and a long tail flicked behind him.
A terrifying, overwhelming aura radiated from him.
Boom!!
In the Human-Beast Form, his fist wrapped with Armament Haki collided fiercely with Gin's right foot.
Bang!
The powerful shock wave made it difficult for people to open their eyes.
"This isn't an ordinary Zoan... It's a rare Mythical Zoan!"
Gin was sent skidding backward. His sharp gaze locked onto Ace, who now bore a completely different presence, brimming with savage, untamed power.
"I really underestimated you."
Gin admitted, his expression turning serious.
He hadn't expected Ace to be a Devil Fruit user, let alone one with an extremely rare Mythical Zoan fruit.
Ace smirked upon hearing this.
"Yeah, I'd say I got pretty lucky. If I hadn't got this devil fruit ability before running into you... Well, things might've turned out differently."
Facing Gin head-on, Ace no longer harbored any of his previous arrogance. He had witnessed Gin's sheer strength firsthand, and he now realized his mistake of underestimating the powerhouses of the world. If even one of Obask Luke's Eight Stars was this strong, how terrifying was their captain?
But there was no time to hesitate.
Whoosh!
Ace clenched his right fist, flames surging around it.
"This is your move, right? Here, take it back. Fire Fist!!!"
A massive firestorm erupted from his punch, crushing the very air as it hurtled toward Gin.
"Fire Fist!!"
Gin refused to back down. His right fist ignited into raging flames and collided head-on with Ace's attack.
Boom!
With a loud explosion, the flames shot up into the sky.
The sky itself was dyed red, waves of searing heat washing over on both sides.
The crew on both sides were horrified and immediately drove the boats away from the coast, not daring to approach.
They could only watch the battle from a distance.
Boom!
The two figures charged into each other once more, fists slamming into flesh in a brutal exchange.
"You're strong... But your Armament Haki is too weak."
Gin taunted.
His Armament Haki-infused punches smashed against Ace's flaming fists, each impact shaking Ace to his core.
"Is this guy's fist made of steel? It's so hard..."
A sharp pain pulsed through his hand, making Ace gasped and gritted his teeth to hold on.
Not long ago, during a battle with a Vice Admiral in the Sabaody Archipelago, Ace awakened his Armament Haki, which was still far from being mastered.
Even with the increase brought by the Mythical Zoan fruit, which strengthened his physical fitness to a certain extent in all aspects, however, it is not Azure Dragon or the Buddha Fruit after all, which gives a strong defense that can make people nearly impervious to attacks.
Right now, he was at a disadvantage.
But he had one edge, speed.
His Mythical Zoan fruit, the Leopard-Tailed God, granted him incredible agility.
Whoosh!
After taking a heavy blow, Ace immediately pulled back, transforming into a fiery blur as he dashed around at blinding speeds.
Swoosh!
In a flash, he appeared behind Gin, claws gleaming with deadly intent.
Without hesitation, he slashed forward, aiming to tear Gin's apart.
Clang!!
Gin's Armament Haki-covered forearm blocked the deadly swipe at the last second.
Ace's claws, sharp enough to carve through solid rock, barely left a scratch.
"It's useless. Don't compare me with the half-baked Vice Admiral you defeated by chance!"
Before Ace could react, Gin's right hand shot forward like a lightning strike, gripping Ace's wrist like an iron vice.
Then, the index finger of his left hand stretched out and turned into an afterimage: "Flying Finger Pistol!"
Whoosh!
His dark fingers, as hard as iron, pierced through Ace's body like a hot knife through butter.
"Aaahh!!!"
Caught off guard, Ace howled in agony as Gin's relentless attack riddled his body with bloody holes.
The next moment, he broke free from the restraints and retreated violently.
"Roar!"
Then his eyes turned fierce, and he suddenly opened his mouth, electric sparks crackling along his fangs.
"Thunder Howl Cannon!!"
Whoosh!
A blinding streak of lightning tore through the sky, aiming straight for Gin.
"Fire Fist!!"
Gin's gaze sharpened, and he thrust his burning fist forward.
Boom!
The loud explosion shook the sky.
Lightning and fire clashed violently, shaking the earth and sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
The force shattered the ground, sending massive waves rolling across the ocean.
"Bastard..."
Ace clutched his bleeding abdomen while glaring at Gin with unwavering determination.
"Divine Fire!"
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, hurling two fire-forged spears at Gin.
Gin merely chuckled in response.
"You really don't get it, do you... I'm the incarnation of fire."
Gin didn't dodge at all.
The blazing spears shot straight through his body, leaving two gaping holes burning through his flesh.
But he barely flinched.
"Mirror Flame!!"
A massive wall of fire erupted in front of him.