Chapter 147: King against King!

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"Boom!" 

Ace's right foot collided violently with Sengoku's transformed Buddha-like right instep in midair.

"Boom!" 

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!" 

Countless bolts of black and purple lightning roared through the sky, crackling wildly. These black and purple lightning flashes, divided into two camps, clashed against each other, biting and tearing through the atmosphere. 

The intense collision sent the scorching steam engulfing the Sabaody Archipelago rolling back instantly.

The sky, the sea, the islands... everything began to tremble violently under the force of the impact.

"Boom!!!" 

It was as if a pair of invisible hands had torn the sky apart, with violent air currents swirling and recoiling in every direction. The sea churned with towering waves, and the incoming warships from the Naval Headquarters were tossed about like fragile boats, struggling helplessly against the massive tides.

The Sabaody Archipelago, rooted in the massive Archican Mangrove with its exposed roots, also shook violently. Giant branches and leaves were scattered everywhere. 

The sky rolled back, the sea quaked, and the islands trembled. This was a clash between two of the greatest rulers of the sea:

The Fleet Admiral of the Naval Headquarters, Buddha Sengoku, 

And the Flame Emperor, the Fifth Emperor of the Sea, Portgas D. Ace, both wielding the Conqueror's Haki!

"It's been a long time since I've witnessed a Conqueror's Haki collision," Rayleigh remarked as he stood at the forefront, facing the terrifying aftershocks of the battle.

His eyes flashed with the same black-purple lightning, a telltale sign of Conqueror's Haki, and a smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

This kind of clash was reminiscent of the legendary battles between Roger and Whitebeard! 

Rayleigh's gaze was filled with both nostalgia and longing. He thought back to the days when his old friend Roger had said, "Come with me, Rayleigh, and let's turn the world upside down!" It was those words that had led him to set sail on the Grand Line.

They had indeed turned the seas upside down, conquering the entire Grand Line together. Those memories were still vivid in his mind.

Now, the world was being shaken once again, this time by Roger's bloodline—Portgas D. Ace!

Perhaps this was destiny, Roger! 

Rayleigh's heart surged with excitement as he watched the fierce collision of Conqueror's Haki, a sight that rekindled his long-dormant fighting spirit after so many years of seclusion.

"Mr. Ace…" Issho, standing nearby, smiled faintly as he felt the overwhelming collision of Conqueror's Haki subsiding.

Having learned the full story of Alabasta from Vivi, Issho had reached his own conclusions. 

The Shichibukai system, created by the World Government, was a ridiculous and ironic institution that had no place in this world. Pirates, especially those notorious for their crimes, being granted the legal right to plunder? It was laughable. The system disregarded the lives and well-being of the people.

How could such a government call itself the protector of justice?

It was time for a decision to be made.

Issho gripped his sword tightly, his face somber.

After what felt like an eternity, the violent black and purple lightning that had filled the sky began to fade.

"It seems your head is safe this time, Akainu." Ace said, smiling slightly as he looked at Sengoku, whose body was now fully wrapped in Conqueror's Haki. Combined with the power of the Mythical Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha, Sengoku was able to completely insulate himself from Ace's intense heat.

The Buddha form of the Zoan-type Devil Fruit was indeed formidable.

Each Zoan-type mythical beast had unique abilities. For example, Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, gave him control over natural forces. Luffy's Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, allowed him to manifest the power of imagination itself, where anything he wished could become reality.

Sengoku's Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha, gave him the ability to release powerful shockwaves. But its true power lay in granting the user the strength, wisdom, and spirit of Buddha. 

With the combination of his giant Buddha form, brilliant mind, and perfect skill, Sengoku had become an unstoppable force. He possessed both Conqueror's Haki and the wisdom of a tactical genius, making him a figure to be feared.

This was the true strength of Buddha Sengoku, "The Resourceful General."

"You think I would let you get your way?" Sengoku responded, a faint smile of confidence on his face.

"Sengoku... Fleet Admiral..." Akainu muttered, his feelings complicated as he watched Sengoku land a devastating blow on Ace.

But what stirred him even more was the presence of another figure.

"Whoosh!"

A chilling sound filled the air as Aokiji appeared, his body and even his eyes emitting a piercingly cold aura. The full power of the Ice-Ice Fruit was on display.

With all his strength, Aokiji began to cool the searing magma surrounding Akainu. The constant heat radiating from Ace's Sun Prison garb had been blocked by Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki and his Buddha form, but the Magma around Akainu was still boiling at a terrifying temperature.

Aokiji's goal was to bring the temperature of the magma down to something closer to Akainu's natural state, much like how a normal human body can still function in environments far hotter than their body temperature.

As the icy air from Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit filled the battlefield, the molten lava surrounding Akainu began to cool.

"Ten thousand degrees Celsius… nine thousand… four thousand…" Aokiji muttered as he continued his efforts.

Finally, with a grunt, Akainu's magma-clad hand grasped the solidifying Magma, and he slowly pulled himself out, his face set in grim determination.

"Ah la la… this took more effort than freezing the sea," Aokiji muttered, panting as his body grew tired. Cooling Ace's hellish heat had required more energy than freezing the ocean during the Ice Age.

"...."

Akainu looked at this colleague whose ideas were completely different from his, with a complicated expression on his face.

"I never imagined I'd be saved by you one day, Aokiji."

"Well, don't worry about it, I'm still a Marine after all," Aokiji replied, scratching his cheek awkwardly as he glanced at Akainu's conflicted expression. 

Seeing Akainu look like this was something Aokiji wasn't used to.

"Is that so? I don't even know how to properly thank you, Aokiji," Akainu muttered, managing a rare, sincere smile. Then, he turned and spoke in his usual calm tone.

"Well, if you say thanks, I wouldn't know how to handle it."

"And Sakazuki..."

Aokiji scratched his cheek again, making Akainu's ears twitch.

"That gloomy expression suits you better." Aokiji shrugged.

Akainu turned his back on him, trembling slightly with irritation. 'My usual expression looks gloomy?!' 

'That's the expression a true Marine leader should have!' he thought, shaking his head. 

He knew deep down that he and Aokiji would never see eye to eye.

"Aokiji, it's been a while." Ace called out, a slight smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.

Ace didn't feel the least bit bothered by the fact that Aokiji had saved Akainu. After all, it was reminiscent of their battle from before, when Akainu and Aokiji fought for ten days and nights over the position of Fleet Admiral. Despite Akainu's ruthless nature, even back then, he chose to let Aokiji live after the fight, rather than finish him off.

So, it didn't surprise Ace that Aokiji would come to Akainu's aid now. 

There were no regrets in Ace's heart about Akainu being rescued. As he'd told him earlier, once Ace had fully mastered the "Zanka no Tachi" technique, Akainu had been pushed off the stage he once dominated. From this point on, Akainu was no longer a threat. 

In fact, Akainu being saved opened the door for more competition between him and Aokiji for the Fleet Admiral position. 

Akainu, who preached extreme justice, wouldn't shy away from the battle for the top spot just because Aokiji had saved his life.

As for the failure he just experienced? With the support of the Five Elders, Akainu still remained the top candidate for the next Fleet Admiral. Losing in front of the world didn't change that—it was almost certain that Aokiji would eventually be under his command again.

Ace's lips curved into an inexplicable smile. 

Of course, if Sengoku hadn't appeared, Ace wouldn't have hesitated to bury Akainu under the weight of his fire. However, Akainu had always been a tough opponent, even when faced with abilities that countered his Magma Fruit. His Haki and tenacity were not easily overcome.

The Naval Headquarters was dangerously close to Sabaody Archipelago, but everything was still playing into Ace's plan. 

Ace glanced at Aokiji, and his intense gaze made Aokiji, despite his mastery of the Frozen Fruit, shiver slightly.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Aokiji replied, awkwardly scratching his cheek again. At the same time, he let out a small sigh of relief. Luckily, Ace hadn't brought up the topic of joining the Entei Pirates in front of everyone. Even if Aokiji had refused, the mere suggestion would've seriously damaged his standing with the Marines and jeopardized his chances of becoming Fleet Admiral.

'Is this guy really waiting for me to join just on sheer confidence and conviction?'

Aokiji thought to himself, feeling something shift in the way Ace looked at him.

'Portgas D. Ace... he is really interesting,' Aokiji mused inwardly.

"So, what's next? A one-on-two fight between you and me?" Ace asked, glancing at Sengoku and Aokiji, a subtle grin playing on his lips, the confidence of a king clear in his stance.

"No, brat! It's one against three!" a voice shouted from above.

"Fist Bone! Impact!"

Garp's voice boomed as his figure descended from the sky, his iron fist wrapped in crackling black and purple lightning. It crashed down toward Ace.

Ace looked up at Garp's arrival, a small smile tugging at his mouth. He moved slightly, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

"Clang!" 

A long blade, imbued with powerful Conqueror's Haki, intercepted Garp's Iron Fist, causing space itself to tremble from the clash.

"Boom!!!" 

The impact of the collision sent shockwaves ripping through the sky.

"Long time no see, Garp!" Rayleigh called out, flicking his sword and laughing.

"Wouldn't you rather stay in your legendary status, Rayleigh?" Garp asked, a grin forming at the corners of his mouth.

"You haven't retired yet? Old Marine," Rayleigh chuckled, his eyes flashing with black and purple lightning, the same color as his Conqueror's Haki.

"Well then, let's get started!" Garp cracked his knuckles, his iron fist making a crunching sound as he laughed. As a Marine, he had to step up in this moment. 

'Ace, you really know me well,' Garp thought, glancing at Ace from the corner of his eye, his emotions swirling.

The moment Garp swung his punch, Ace's lips moved.

With his Observation Haki, Garp understood what Ace said.

"Thank you for everything, old man." Those were Ace's words.

Family and the Marines—these two things meant everything to Garp. And now, faced with an impossible choice, even Garp, a man who'd sailed the seas for decades, couldn't find the right answer.

But Ace had thanked him, calling him "old man."

'Well, old man or grandpa... it's all the same,' Garp thought, smiling faintly.

He knew what Ace meant.

'Just do what a Marine should do, old man. Even so, I will still become the leader of the world.' 

That was the message Ace had conveyed.

'You foolish brat,' Garp thought, smiling despite himself.

It was because Garp knew Rayleigh would step in so that he could face Ace without hesitation. Even in the heat of battle, family came first.

'How could I ever harm my own family?' Garp thought, looking at Rayleigh with a broad grin.

He raised his iron fist and charged forward like thunder.

A clash of legends—Marine Hero vs. The Dark King!

"Buzz!"

"Gravity Blade!"

A violent shockwave of gravitational force surged forward.

"Click! Click!"

Aokiji's right fist turned elemental, wrapped in Haki as he struck out against the intense gravity pressure.

"Ah la la," Aokiji exhaled cold air, casting a glance at the blind swordsman in the distance.

"Wandering Swordsman Issho. Please enlighten me about the strength of an Admiral," the man with the staff and sword said with a deep voice.

Admiral Aokiji vs. Wandering Swordsman Issho!

"Hahahaha!" Ace laughed loudly, eyes locked on Sengoku across from him.

His gaze was fierce, black and purple lightning dancing around him.