Chapter 146: I Just Want To Crush His Head!

With each step Ace took, clad in his blazing Sun Prison Garb, the entire region of Sabaody Archipelago GR-1 was engulfed in an overwhelming wave of heat. The temperature soared so high that it seemed as if the island had transformed into a molten inferno, a hellish landscape where lava, as hot as the core of the earth, erupted and scorched everything in its path. The once-vibrant area became an apocalyptic scene as the lava, increasing in heat with every moment, melted through buildings and dissolved everything it touched, including the iconic mangrove roots of the archipelago.

In the midst of this hell, Akainu, the mighty Marine Admiral, found himself submerged in a sea of lava that far exceeded the temperatures he himself could generate. His body, which had been transformed into magma due to his Magma Fruit powers, was being slowly overwhelmed. Despite his immense strength and mastery of Haki, the searing heat of the lava, which now exceeded 10,000 degrees Celsius, was pushing Akainu to his limits.

Akainu's arm, transformed into flowing magma, stretched out in a desperate attempt to fight back. His eyes, filled with both pain and defiance, glared at Ace, who stood in the center of this fiery cataclysm, radiating an aura as fierce as the sun itself. The situation was dire. The very magma that had once made Akainu a formidable force was now being outclassed by the terrifying heat of Ace's attack. Magma that should have been his ally now threatened to consume him.

Akainu's mind raced, grappling with the reality of his situation. He was gravely injured, worse than when he had been struck by Whitebeard's quake powers. His body, while resilient due to his monstrous strength and Haki, was being pushed to the brink. The extreme heat was slowly assimilating his magma form, threatening to merge his very essence into the surrounding magma, raising the temperature of his body to lethal levels. 

As long as Ace maintained control of his Sun Prison, the heat would only continue to rise. Akainu knew that once his stamina ran out, and he could no longer sustain his Haki or his Devil Fruit powers, the intense lava would begin to attack his internal organs, leading to inevitable failure. Even though his magma-based body was resistant to such extreme temperatures, it was only a matter of time before his defenses gave way.

Akainu was a veteran of countless battles, but now he found himself helpless, trapped in an environment that turned his greatest strength into a liability. His once superior Magma Fruit powers were now rendered inferior to the fiery inferno that Ace had unleashed. What had once been the pinnacle of magma abilities now seemed dwarfed by Ace's terrifying power, which transcended the capabilities of the Mera-Mera Fruit he had inherited. Akainu's mind reeled—how could this be? His Magma Fruit was supposed to be superior, but now it felt like a mere shadow before the heat and fury of Ace's power.

Akainu's life was now on a countdown. The mighty Marine Admiral, feared across the seas, was facing his ultimate defeat, consumed by a power greater than his own. All he could do was resist—resist the inevitable, as the heat continued to rise, draining his strength, inching him closer to his demise.

Akainu, looking up at the blazing figure of Ace, felt a deep, unsettling realization for the first time in his life—a sensation of powerlessness that cut through his iron resolve. This was Ace's power, a force from a higher dimension, a level beyond his own. As the sun-like figure stood tall, seemingly absorbing the surrounding lava, Akainu found himself overwhelmed by an opponent whose strength transcended anything he had ever encountered.

For Akainu, this was a nightmare scenario. He had always prided himself on being one of the most powerful men in the world, a steadfast defender of Marine justice with the ability to turn his body into magma, a force feared and respected by all. But now, the very power he relied on—the Magma Fruit—was being rendered useless. His superior strength, once thought invincible, was now reduced to a lesser ability before Ace's overwhelming might.

This wasn't just a battle of physical strength. It was a battle of pride, belief, and the core of Akainu's identity. The Magma Fruit had always been considered the superior power compared to Ace's Mera-Mera Fruit. But here, standing before him, Ace had elevated his Devil Fruit to a new dimension, subjugating Akainu's magma in a way that had shattered the established order of power. The reality was too cruel for even Akainu, a man known for his ruthless, absolute sense of justice.

Ace, now blazing with an aura like the sun, looked down at Akainu with cold authority. His voice carried the weight of victory as he addressed the fallen admiral. "It seems you've finally realized the gap between us," Ace said, his eyes flashing with the deep, burning intensity of the sun. From the moment Ace mastered the Remnant Sun Prison Garb, the Magma Fruit had ceased to be a threat. Akainu was no longer his equal. The battlefield that once belonged to the admiral now lay in ruins, consumed by the flames of Ace's power.

Akainu's most prized weapon, his magma, had failed. All that remained was his Haki and physical prowess, but even that could not bridge the chasm between them. Ace's power had surpassed the limits of ordinary combat, turning the tide decisively in his favor. Akainu was being pushed to the brink, not by a legendary pirate crew or a coordinated ambush, but by a single man.

The realization cut through the morale of the Marine forces. Akainu, the pillar of their strength and the likely successor to the position of Marine Fleet Admiral, had been utterly crushed. The Marines had faced defeat before, such as when Admiral Kizaru fell in battle. But Kizaru's loss had been to Rayleigh, the Dark King, a legendary pirate, and the circumstances had been different—there was a sense of honor in defeat. But now, seeing Akainu defeated in a brutal, one-on-one confrontation with Ace, the psychological toll was overwhelming.

Ace's victory wasn't just physical. It was a symbolic crushing of the Marine's hopes, a direct attack on the heart of their leadership. And as the Marines looked on in horror, Akainu's strength began to falter. His body, once resilient and unyielding, was succumbing to the inevitable.

Standing above Akainu, Ace showed no mercy. "Sink, Akainu," he said coldly, his voice a death sentence. "You no longer belong on the stage I've built." The blazing heat around him intensified, as Ace prepared to deliver the final blow. The Marines watched in helpless horror, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what was happening.

Just as Ace's foot descended to finish Akainu, a flash of golden light erupted from the distance. In an instant, the figure of Sengoku, transformed into his massive golden Buddha form, intervened. His foot, wrapped in the destructive power of black and purple Haki lightning, collided with Ace's attack. The clash of powers shook the battlefield.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" cried the Marines in a mixture of relief and despair, as the legendary Marine leader entered the fray. Tears filled their eyes as they saw Sengoku standing firm, refusing to let Ace continue his rampage unchecked.

"I won't let you go any further, Portgas D. Ace!" Sengoku roared, his golden form towering over the battlefield.

Ace looked at him, unfazed, his anger barely concealed. "Unscrupulous? I just want to crush his head." His eyes burned with a mixture of purple and black flames, the embodiment of his overwhelming Conqueror's Haki. As his right foot pressed down, Sengoku pushed forward with all his might.

A violent explosion of black and purple lightning erupted between them as the two Conqueror's Haki wielders collided, creating a spectacle of power that rippled across the battlefield. The fate of Akainu, and perhaps the entire Marine force, now hung in the balance as these two titans clashed.

The fearsome battle between Ace and Sengoku had begun, with the Marines and the world watching in awe.