Chapter 149: Summoning Helper!

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"Whoosh! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Countless charred bodies emerged from the ground.

These blackened, skeletal legions were still engulfed in terrifying flames, resembling fiery specters returning from the depths of hell. The entire battlefield turned a deep, dark red, as though it had transformed into the legendary purgatory of hell!

The legions of charred, black skeletons crawled out from the underworld, their empty eye sockets glowing eerily as the "crackling" sound of scorched bones echoed through the air.

They stared down the Navy soldiers with hollow eyes, who's face twisted in disbelief and shock.

Even the battle-hardened Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters, veterans of countless wars, stood frozen in their tracks. Horror was etched across their faces as they witnessed this unimaginable sight, as if purgatory itself had opened before them.

What... is this?!

Are these the vengeful souls of those killed by Portgas D. Ace? 

Is he controlling the soul of the dead?!

As they gazed into those hollow, flame-lit eyes, an icy chill crept up from the depths of their souls. Even the seasoned Vice Admirals, who had fought in many wars, felt a cold sweat break out across their bodies.

"Crack! Crack!"

The charred skeletons, their twisted forms radiating intense heat, let out a blood-chilling roar as they charged at the Vice Admirals.

Their mission was clear: to devour and tear apart anyone that the Fire Emperor, Ace, sought to eliminate.

And Ace, who controlled this army of the damned, seemed like a master presiding over Hades and purgatory itself.

"..."

Sengoku, witnessing this hellish spectacle, was utterly shocked.

Impossible. How could this be?!

Were these really the souls of those Ace had killed, now under his control?

How could something like this even happen?!

Earlier, the flames Ace wielded had exceeded the natural limits of Logia Devil Fruit by tenfold—though this was extraordinary, it still fit within the realm of the Mera-Mera Fruit's power.

But now… what kind of ability was this?!

Is Portgas D. Ace really controlling the souls of the dead?

This was no longer within the realm of a Logia-type fruit.

It was more akin to the mythical powers granted by Zoan-type Phantom Beast fruits—just like Sengoku's own Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Great Buddha form, which granted him the strength, wisdom, and spirit of the Buddha.

Could the Mera-Mera Fruit have given Ace the power to control the dead?

No… that can't be right! A Logia-type fruit like the Mera-Mera Fruit should have no such ability. It should not be capable of granting special powers to its user.

It wasn't the Devil Fruit granting this ability—it was Portgas D. Ace who had somehow given the Mera-Mera Fruit the power to command the dead!

A user… granting new powers to their Devil Fruit?!

The weight of this revelation struck Sengoku deeply, shaking his previously unshakable resolve. 

How could this even be possible?

The ability to grant a Logia fruit powers akin to a mythical beast fruit—this was no longer within the realm of human capability!

But what happened next sent Sengoku's shock into overdrive!

"Did you think this was over, Sengoku?"

Ace's eyes, glowing dark red like the burning sun, flared with intensity.

He raised his right hand and waved it with force.

"Buzz!"

Small, flickering points of light appeared in the air as Ace's hand moved.

And then—

"Buzz!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three souls suddenly manifested out of thin air in the atmosphere.

"This… this is just like what Ace did to Father Moria at Thriller Bark…"

In the midst of the chaos, Perona—who had been watching from the sidelines, guarding the captive Kizaru—covered her mouth in shock. Using her Ghost Fruit powers to repeatedly pass through Kizaru's body, she stared in disbelief at the three newly appeared souls.

"My life… it's such a failure. I'm sorry…"

Kizaru, overwhelmed by Perona's powers, knelt on the ground, mumbling in despair. It wasn't that he didn't want to escape—he simply couldn't. The battle with Nami, Rayleigh, and Issho had left him battered and drained. Now, he couldn't even summon Armament Haki to defend himself against Perona's ghost.

"It's Brook's Devil Fruit ability," Nami murmured in astonishment.

This was the same power Ace had used in Thriller Bark, a combination of Brook's Devil Fruit and the blessing from the Realm of Comprehension.

Ace's flames had copied and enhanced part of Brook's Revive-Revive Fruit abilities.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The three souls swiftly found three charred skeletons crawling nearby and shot into them.

"Buzz!"

Under the astonished gazes of Sengoku, the Marines, and the world watching, the three charred skeletons began to transform.

They turned into fiery puppets, their bodies burned and blackened, but their features became visible.

"Long time no see, Sengoku! Hahaha!"

One of them raised his head, looking at Sengoku, and let out a familiar laugh.

"Crocodile?!"

Sengoku's pupils shrank in disbelief as he recognized the familiar face. It was none other than Sand Crocodile, the former Warlord of the Sea who had died at Ace's hands!

"Crocodile…"

Vivi's eyes narrowed as she recognized him.

"Long time no see, Miss Wednesday... or should I say 'Desert Princess' now? I see you've awakened your Sand-Sand Fruit powers. You've truly made a name for yourself worldwide, hahahaha!"

Crocodile, now resurrected from the underworld by Ace and enhanced by his powers, looked at Vivi with a grin. His memories, implanted by Ace's Remnant Flame abilities, surfaced immediately.

"I never thought I'd see you again, Crocodile," Vivi said, her expression calm.

Any lingering demons from her past had been conquered during her journey with Ace. She now stood firmly with the Entei Pirates.

"I didn't expect it either. And long time no see, Miss All-Sunday... or should I call you 'Devil Child,' Nico Robin?" Crocodile turned to Robin, who stood beside Vivi.

"Ah, I'm quite proud of that title now," Robin replied with a faint smile.

"I never imagined I'd be resurrected like this, controlled by you, Portgas D. Ace, to wage a war that shakes the entire world. Your name echoes even in the underworld! Let me lend my soul to your cause, hahaha!"

Crocodile laughed uproariously as Ace sent a spark of light toward him.

The light, imbued with the Sand-Sand Fruit's abilities—awakened from Vivi's powers under Ace's command—merged with Crocodile.

"Whoosh!"

Instantly, a terrifying sandstorm erupted around Crocodile as his laughter echoed through the battlefield.

"Yahahaha!! You can even pull off something like this, Portgas D. Ace?!

I was just a frog in a well before, wasn't I? Yahaha!

Is this the legendary blue sea? Though it's not the infinite land, it's thrilling to feel solid ground again! Hahaha!"

Another figure raised his head—a face unfamiliar to Sengoku.

"Enel."

Raki and Conis recognized him instantly, their eyes flashing with surprise.

"Let this god soul serve your will, Portgas D—no, Flame Emperor!

I want everyone in the Blue Sea to know the name of this god! Yahaha!"

Enel laughed arrogantly, still clinging to the belief that, even in death, he remained an almighty god.

"Buzz!"

A flicker of light shot from Ace's hand, touching Enel.

This was part of the Thunder Fruit's power!

"Boom! Crackle! Boom!"

Accompanied by a violent storm of thunder, lightning surged uncontrollably through the sky, filling the battlefield with a deafening roar.

"Crocodile... and that man with the burnt wings—he must be from Sky Island.

Could it be that 'Cat Burglar' Thunder Fruit was taken from him?" 

Sengoku gritted his teeth, struggling to comprehend the scene before him.

The last of the charred bodies slowly raised its head, causing countless Marines' eyes to widen in shock.

"Onigumo?!"

Akainu, exhausted and gravely wounded, stared in horror, recognizing the familiar face.

It was none other than the former Vice Admiral Onigumo, a key figure from the Hawks camp, who had perished at the hands of Ace during the Enies Lobby Buster Call.

"I never imagined I'd return like this, unable to resist being controlled."

Onigumo's face twisted into a grim smile as he acknowledged his fate.

"Don't hesitate, my comrades."

His voice was heavy as he glanced toward the other Vice Admirals in the distance.

"Whoosh!"

Ace swung his hand, and eight flaming swords burst forth from the inferno.

Onigumo's hair whipped violently, fully controlling the eight blazing swords.

Eight-Sword Style!

"Let me lend you this power to use for now."

Ace smirked as he extended his hand, and a sphere of light, from the powers of the Paw-Paw Fruit, touched Onigumo's charred form.

"Whoosh!"

Three dark orbs of light shot toward Onigumo, Crocodile, and Enel.

"Buzz!"

The pitch-black Armament Haki roared through the air, wrapping around their bodies.

"Hahaha!"

Crocodile looked up, feeling the overwhelming power of the Haki coursing through him.

"In life, we couldn't wield Haki because we were just souls in a broken body. But now, Ace—no, Flame Emperor, you've granted us your own Armament Haki!

This power is unreal! Even these remnants of Haki are stronger than my full strength in my prime!"

Crocodile's laughter echoed, filled with newfound power.

"Is this what they call Armament Haki? A force capable of directly harming Logia users. Yahaha! Such a mighty force! Combined with my thunder, I'll make sure everyone in this blue sea knows this god name!"

Enel reveled in the power of Armament Haki as it enveloped him.

"This Haki, incredible... even its fragments make me this strong," Onigumo muttered, his face dark with intensity.

The Armament Haki tightly entwined around his eight flaming swords.

Under Ace's control, the temperature of the flame swords reached 1000 degrees Celsius.

Onigumo's mastery of Haki allowed him to wield the swords with deadly precision.

"Go! Use this power well and enjoy the thrill of the battlefield."

Ace's lips curled into a knowing smile as he gave the command.

The Armament Haki he had dispersed couldn't be used by the living, as they already possessed their own Haki. 

But for these souls—now animated as flame puppets made from charred ashes—Ace's Haki provided all the strength they needed.

Whenever their strength waned, they could simply absorb the fire around them to recover.

Ace clenched his right fist, drawing in countless flames, quickly restoring his physical power.

The Mera-Mera Fruit had awakened and was now strengthened by nature itself!

Sengoku watched, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"GUHAHAHA! Come on, Marines! Desert Spada!"

Crocodile bellowed, swinging his sand blade, now enhanced by Ace's Armament Haki.

"Boom!"

The terrifying sand blade grew to an immense size, slicing through the air, its edge gleaming with the deadly Haki, as it hurtled toward the Vice Admirals.

"Armament!"

"Clang!"

A sharp, metallic ring filled the air as the mighty Haki of the Vice Admirals clashed with the enormous sand blade.

"Boom!"

A violent shockwave erupted from the impact!

"Admiral candidate... Momousagi? Guhahaha!"

As a former Shichibukai, Crocodile was familiar with Gion, making him laugh even harder.

"Crocodile!"

Momousagi called out coldly as she unleashed a fierce slash with her blade.

"Boom!"

The terrifying Haki-infused strike cut through Crocodile's charred body.

"Pfft!"

Crocodile's form shattered instantly.

But Gion's face showed no satisfaction. Instead, she looked even more grim.

"Buzz!"

From the earth rose countless charred ashes, and Crocodile's body reformed.

"It's useless. I am the Flame Emperor's summoned ghost from the underworld.

Unless you defeat the Flame Emperor, I am immortal! Guhahaha!"

Crocodile sneered, glancing at the distressed expressions of the Marines.

Since his body was entirely made of charred ashes, he could no longer use the Sand-Sand Fruit's elemental transformation. 

But it didn't matter—neither Crocodile nor Enel needed elementalization anymore.

Once the "Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead" was activated, even if their bodies were destroyed countless times, they would simply reassemble from the ashes.

They could not be stopped—unless Ace himself was defeated.

"YAHAHAHA! Sixty Million Volts—Thunder Beast!"

Enel struck the large drum on his back, summoning a ferocious beast made entirely of thunder and lightning, wrapped in Armament Haki. The creature let out a roar of crackling electricity as it charged toward the Vice Admirals.

"Remember! My name is God Enel!"

Enel laughed wildly as he wielded the Thunder Fruit's powers, bolstered by Ace's Armament Haki, battling against the Admirals and Vice Admirals.

"Be careful, comrades. My body is now immortal.

And after using that bastard Haki, I'm far stronger than I ever was in life."

Onigumo spoke solemnly.

"Shave!"

"Clang!"

In an instant, Onigumo vanished, his eight flaming swords—each wrapped in terrifying Armament Haki—targeting eight Vice Admirals simultaneously, rendering them defenseless.

Onigumo didn't care whether his body was destroyed. It would simply reform, empowered by the "Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead."

But his enemies couldn't afford to take even a single hit.

The Vice Admirals knew that a strike from the Onigumo's flaming swords, charged with Ace's Haki, would mean certain death.

The Vice Admirals attacking the execution platform were completely blocked!

"How do you like my power, Sengoku?"

Ace's voice cut through the chaos, his lips curling into a smile.

"Unless you defeat me, they'll remain immortal."

Sengoku stared at Ace, his expression grim as he realized the scale of the impossible task before them.