Chapter 229: Fish-Man Island! ()

"Buzz!"

The mysterious light completely enveloped Shirahoshi, and under its glow, her beautiful face took on a divine radiance.

"Ace-sama, what is this...?" 

Shirahoshi looked at Ace, her expression filled with confusion. Deep within her, she felt a power awakening—a force that seemed both familiar and foreign. 

She had encountered it before, during the tragic moment when her mother was attacked by the Celestial Dragons. Overwhelmed by despair, Shirahoshi's cries had summoned a multitude of massive Sea Kings, driving the Celestial Dragons into unconsciousness. 

The power she now felt stirring within her was identical to the one that had summoned the colossal Sea Kings back then. 

No... it was even greater. 

Her mother had never explained what this power was, though the queen's expression had been a mix of shock and solemnity. 

This memory left Shirahoshi feeling flustered and uncertain. She turned to Ace with pleading eyes, lost in her worry over the nature of this overwhelming force. 

"Don't worry. This power isn't something to fear. Trust me—embrace it, understand it, and learn to control it," Ace said gently, sensing Shirahoshi's emotional turmoil. 

"Yes, Ace-sama," she replied, her anxious expression softening.

"As expected of 'Poseidon'—the power of Poseidon is truly formidable to guide," Ace muttered, his expression serious as he focused on maintaining his Realm of Comprehension. 

The Realm of Comprehension was a unique manifestation of Ace's extraordinary understanding, combined with the power of 'Nika.' This field was an ability exclusive to Ace, but its use came with a price—it drained his physical strength. 

The deeper he pushed the boundaries of this field, the more intense the toll on his stamina. Even in the past, when Ace had pushed his Devil Fruit powers to their limits, it had never demanded this much effort. 

This wasn't even comparable to the strain he'd faced during the Flame Emperor Incident, where he used six powerful Devil Fruit abilities simultaneously. 

It was clear: the power of Poseidon, which could command all the Sea Kings across the oceans, was on a scale unmatched by anything else. It was one of the three Ancient Weapons, capable of destroying the world. 

Ace couldn't help but suspect that Poseidon's power might be the strongest of the three Ancient Weapons. After all, the sea itself was the most mysterious force in the pirate world—a source of life and destruction. Even those who ate Devil Fruits were rejected by the sea. 

The power to command every Sea King was nothing short of overwhelming. Compared to Poseidon, the destructive might of Pluton, which could obliterate an island in a single shot, seemed far less imposing. 

However, fully channeling Poseidon's power demanded an astronomical amount of physical energy, far more than Ace had anticipated. 

"Ace-sama, may I ask you a question?" 

Shirahoshi's soft voice broke the silence as she looked at him with her luminous, gentle eyes. 

"Hmm?" Ace responded, his gaze shifting to her. 

"Will this power... be of help to you, Ace-sama?" 

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with determination as she awaited his answer. 

Ace was taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled warmly. 

"Yes, Shirahoshi. It will help me," he replied with a reassuring nod. 

With Ace's current strength and status, there was no need to hide the truth. The power of Poseidon was something Ace needed to secure. If this ability were to fall into the hands of the World Government, the consequences would be disastrous. 

The ability to command all Sea Kings was a power that Ace couldn't allow anyone else to wield. It had to be firmly in his own hands. 

"Then I will do my best!" 

Shirahoshi's eyes gleamed with determination. Though the power frightened her and left her feeling overwhelmed, the thought of helping Ace gave her courage. 

Ace had done so much for her—protecting her from Vander Deken's relentless attacks, giving her the freedom to live her life, and even enabling her to honor her late mother. 

Ace's kindness, patience, and belief in her—even calling her the strongest—had given her strength. For Ace's sake, she would conquer this fear. 

"Buzz!"

The light within Ace's Realm of Comprehension suddenly intensified. 

"The resistance is lessening," Ace observed, his focus sharpening. 

He turned to Shirahoshi, his expression softening further. 

It became clear to him that the difficulty in channeling Poseidon's power had stemmed from Shirahoshi's fear and resistance to it. Now, with her determination shining through, that resistance was beginning to fade. 

'Poseidon' can only manifest within the body of a mermaid princess, a being born once every eight hundred years. 

This mermaid princess is not merely the vessel of Poseidon's power but also one of the enduring symbols of the sea itself. 

Shirahoshi, however, harbors fear and resistance toward the power of Poseidon. Naturally, this has made the awakening of this immense force an arduous process. 

Now, though, the fear and resistance in Shirahoshi's heart have almost completely faded. As a result, the recovery of Poseidon's power has become significantly smoother. 

"Don't worry. No matter what, you will always be Shirahoshi—not just 'Poseidon.'" 

Ace's warm gaze met Shirahoshi's as he spoke reassuringly. 

"I trust you, Ace-sama," Shirahoshi replied, her beautiful eyes shining with newfound confidence. 

"Everyone, step back," Ace ordered firmly, his eyes narrowing with focus. 

"Got it!" 

Nojiko responded immediately, summoning the power of her Door-Door Fruit to open an air door. 

"Whoosh!" 

Without hesitation, the group quickly stepped through the door. 

"Ace-dono, I'm entrusting my daughter to you," Neptune said, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. 

Though he didn't fully understand what Ace was about to do, Neptune trusted him. As king, he knew well the significance of the power dormant within Shirahoshi. 

This power, without the protection of a sovereign capable of controlling the seas, could bring unimaginable disaster upon her. 

But now, there was only one such sovereign in the world—the Flame Emperor, Portgas D. Ace, standing before them. 

Even with their short time together, Neptune had come to understand Ace's character. He was a man of unparalleled strength and steadfast reliability. Entrusting Shirahoshi to him brought Neptune a sense of peace. 

Still, he couldn't help but worry about what was to come. 

"Don't worry. This is just an added precaution," Ace said, offering a reassuring smile. 

Hearing Ace's words, Neptune and his three sons exhaled in relief before stepping into the air door. 

"Creak!" 

In the blink of an eye, the air door closed behind them. 

From a safe distance, the group watched Ace and Shirahoshi intently, their hearts filled with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. 

Ace's expression grew serious as he confirmed their departure. 

 "Buzz!"

An intense energy radiated outward as mysterious fluctuations began to ripple through the air. 

In the next moment, the sky itself seemed to shift. Air currents transformed into blazing flames, crackling with raw power. 

1,000 degrees... 2,000 degrees... 5,000 degrees... 

10,000 degrees! 20,000 degrees!! 30,000 degrees!!! 

Ace's control over his flames had now reached an unimaginable threshold, surpassing 30,000 degrees Celsius. 

The terrifying heat boiled and surged, yet the atmosphere remained strangely undistorted. 

This was no ordinary phenomenon. Ace, using the awakened power of the Mera-Mera Fruit and the unique abilities of his Realm of Comprehension, had turned every air current in the area into fire itself. 

Ordinarily, even the awakening of a Logia-type Devil Fruit would not allow for such a complete transformation of the environment. But with his extraordinary Realm of Comprehension and the powers of Nika, Ace had achieved the impossible—turning the very air into a sea of flames. 

"Buzz!"

With a simple wave of his right hand, Ace summoned a glowing light shaped like a bear's paw to envelop Shirahoshi. 

This was the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit, allowing him to repel the extreme heat from around her. 

Without such protection, even the slightest movement in an environment of 30,000 degrees would dehydrate and kill anyone lacking exceptional Haki. 

"Unbelievable... this heat... such power..." 

From a distance, Neptune stood in awe, his body drenched in sweat—not from fear, but from the sheer loss of moisture under the oppressive heat. 

And this was despite being far from the center of the flames. 

Had they remained close to Ace, the unrelenting heat would have evaporated all the water in their bodies, leaving them to perish in the heart of the inferno. 

"To wield such power using only a Devil Fruit… In the history of this ocean, there has only ever been one person capable of such a feat," Rayleigh remarked, a faint smile curving at the corners of his mouth.

No matter the era, becoming the overlord of the seas requires more than just one form of strength. 

"Ace-san's power… it's stronger than during the Flame Emperor Incident. Is this part of his plan?" Jinbei asked, his voice tinged with awe. 

Jinbei had experienced the searing temperatures of Ace's flames during the Flame Emperor Incident. But the power Ace was now exhibiting, the intensity of these flames—this was something on a completely different level. 

Yet, Jinbei couldn't begin to grasp just how far Ace's power had grown. 

"Ace wants to ensure there are no accidents," Rayleigh explained calmly. "These flames also allow him to recover his physical strength quickly. Don't worry, Neptune—Ace always prepares thoroughly before taking action." 

--- 

Neptune nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on Shirahoshi and Ace in the distance. 

 "Whoosh!" 

The roaring flames in the atmosphere began to converge, flowing back into Ace's body. 

In an instant, Ace had restored the physical energy he had spent activating his Realm of Comprehension. 

"Now, Shirahoshi, master the power within you completely! This power is known as 'Poseidon.' The power to command all the Sea Kings of the ocean!" 

"Yes, Ace-sama!" 

Shirahoshi straightened, her voice loud and determined. 

 "Buzz!" 

The Realm of Comprehension surrounding Shirahoshi glowed brilliantly. 

In that moment, the power of Poseidon, hidden deep within Shirahoshi, was fully awakened. 

And then... 

 "...Are you here... to fulfil the promise...?" 

A voice, ancient and distant, resonated from Shirahoshi's body. 

"Ace-sama, w-what is this?" Shirahoshi stammered, her eyes wide with fear. This voice—it wasn't hers. 

"The mermaid princess… from 800 years ago?" Ace murmured, his expression thoughtful. 

"But the will of the past has no bearing here," he said firmly. "Even if there was a promise, it's irrelevant now. The only promise that matters is the one between me, Portgas D. Ace, and this era Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi. " 

Ace's words carried unshakable will. His eyes gleamed with an intense purple-black hue as his Conqueror's Haki erupted outward. 

 "Boom!!!" 

In an instant, Ace's Conqueror's Haki fused seamlessly with Realm of Comprehension—a feat reminiscent of Luffy's mastery of Nika's advanced abilities. 

Just as Luffy had integrated Conqueror's and Armament Haki into his awakened rubber body, Ace was now merging his Conqueror Haki with his Realm of Comprehension. 

 "Pop!" 

The glowing bear-paw bubble around Shirahoshi—crafted from the Paw-Paw Fruit's abilities—began to shine brilliantly. 

Something intangible was expelled from Shirahoshi's body, accompanied by a faint, sorrowful sigh. 

Whatever will had lingered within her dissolved into the atmosphere, vanishing without a trace. 

Ace watched quietly, his expression calm. 

As he had said, no matter what agreements or legacies existed between Joyboy and the mermaid princess of 800 years ago, those were of no concern to him. 

Ace cared only for Shirahoshi—this generation's mermaid princess—and her wishes. 

The past was the past. 

Joyboy and the mermaid princess of a bygone era? What did they have to do with him ? 

The Shirahoshi of today was the only mermaid princess that mattered. 

The Nika of this generation was none other than his younger brother, Luffy! 

"Ace-sama..." 

Tears welled in Shirahoshi's eyes as she gazed at Ace. 

"I… I've fully mastered this power!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement. 

At that moment, a deafening roar echoed across the ocean. 

Countless Sea Kings began to gather, converging from all corners of the sea.