One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

"Haa! Haa!" 

Momonga knelt on one knee, drenched in cold sweat, his gaze locked in disbelief on the distant figure radiating conqueror haki. 

Incredible! 

Though Conqueror's Haki is a rare power, one said to be possessed by only one in millions, to see it wipe out almost the entire force of ten thousand Naval Headquarters elites, leaving only a handful conscious, and knock out all ten Rear Admirals, was beyond belief. 

Even he, a Vice Admiral, couldn't withstand it.

On this sea, only one man had ever been capable of such overwhelming dominance! 

A Conqueror's Haki even stronger than the Four Emperors, even more commanding than Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world. 

The man known as the most Haki-infused being in these waters... 

The Red-Haired Emperor, Shanks!

Could Portgas D. Ace's Conqueror's Haki truly rival the red-haired Shanks?!

Impossible!

Momonga's eyes widened in horror. Shanks was the youngest of the Four Emperors, and his rapid ascent had left the strongest figures in the world stunned. And yet, Portgas D. Ace, a man who had only been at sea for less than a year, already possessed a Haki comparable to that of the Four Emperors?!

This man... how much stronger would he become in the future?!

"Damn it!" 

If Momonga was shaken, Onigumo was nearly paralyzed with shock and anger. Having just taken a direct hit from the Thunder Fruit, his body trembled, dripping with cold sweat, barely able to stand. His mind was clouded by confusion and frustration. 

When was the last time he had felt this powerless? 

The only times he had experienced this kind of helplessness were when facing the Four Emperors, who ruled the seas like gods.

Was Portgas D. Ace already on the level of the New World's Four Emperors?

Hearing Ace so confidently name Akainu, he wanted to lash out in fury, but even the fiercely loyal Onigumo, a staunch follower of Akainu's absolute justice, couldn't bring himself to deny it. Only Sakazuki (Akainu) had the strength to face a man like this.

"This is bad..." 

The usual smile had vanished from Yamakaji's face, replaced with a serious expression as he drew his katana, his body wrapped in Haki to withstand Ace's Conqueror's Haki. The thought of facing Ace in this dire situation felt grim.

Executing a Buster Call wasn't supposed to end like this, in a fight for survival.

"Buster Call..."

Robin's eyes were fixed on the scene, her expression somber as she observed the once-devastating Buster Call brought to a halt by the sheer presence of the Entei Pirates. This was the same Buster Call that had annihilated her home, Ohara, from existence, a nightmare etched into her soul. 

But now, facing Ace and the power of his crew, even the Buster Call seemed insignificant.

With just his Conqueror's Haki, Ace had rendered the attack useless.

The five Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters... they wouldn't even require Ace's intervention. Nami, Raki, Vivi, Kaya, and Nojiko were more than capable of handling them. 

Robin's heart swelled with pride. The Entei Pirates were truly formidable.

Around her neck, the lucky charm Ace had given her glowed, as if sensing her resolve. In Robin's eyes, her Haki began to deepen, the dark aura growing more pronounced. The shadow of her past was fading away.

Ace noticed the change in Robin and smiled. Her inner demons had been conquered, and her future Haki potential was limitless.

Ace turned his gaze back to the warship ahead, narrowing his eyes at the figures of Gion and the Chaton, who had managed to withstand his Conqueror's Haki, albeit barely.

Admiral candidates, Gion and the Chaton? 

He hadn't expected two Admiral candidates to be part of this Buster Call.

"!!..."

As Ace's attention shifted toward them, Gion and the Chaton felt a crushing pressure bearing down on them. Even with their bodies enveloped in Haki, it was impossible to fully withstand the sheer force of Ace's presence.

"Hey, this is no joke..." 

Chaton focused all his Armament Haki into his fists, his usually playful face now grim. 

Only a handful of people in the world could exude such terrifying pressure—those at the very top of the sea's hierarchy.

The Four Emperors.

Only the Four Emperors could emit a presence this overwhelming.

"Entei Pirate, Portgas D. Ace! I am Naval Headquarters Vice Admiral Momousagi!" 

Gion gritted her teeth and called out.

"Hm?"

Ace's gaze landed on her, a flicker of red flashing through his eyes.

"What's wrong, Momousagi, one of the Admiral candidates? Are you not going to carry out the Buster Call?" Ace's voice dripped with amusement.

"Facing the fifth emperor of the sea, the Buster Call has already failed." 

Gion's voice was strained but firm, her eyes filled with reluctant acceptance.

The Fifth Emperor!

At her words, the eyes of Momonga, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Chaton all widened in shock. Clearly, something had occurred on the seas that they were unaware of—secrets so tightly held that even senior Vice Admirals weren't privy to them.

Yet despite their surprise, none of them could argue with the title she had just used.

Only someone like the Fifth Emperor could reduce a Buster Call to such an embarrassing state.

"Oh? Are you here to surrender?" Ace said with a teasing smile.

"No, not surrender... negotiation!" 

Gion's voice was firm, her tone serious.

"Negotiation? Do you think you're in a position to negotiate with me?" 

Ace laughed, his Haki surging again, filling the atmosphere with violent black and purple lightning, crackling through the air like a storm.

The sea trembled under the weight of his power.

"Damn it! Fight him to the death!" 

Onigumo forced himself to stand, his body shaking from the effects of the Thunder Fruit. His eyes burned red with fury. Even if he had to sacrifice himself, Ace had to pay a price.

Yamakaji and the Momonga also readied themselves, their Haki flaring up.

Life or death, there was no turning back now.

"What a domineering man... Stop with the unnecessary actions, Gion. Just give it your all," Chaton said, his usual smug expression replaced with somber resolve.

His Haki flared, and in that instant, his life force was fully unleashed.

"Wait! Hold on! For Vice Admiral Garp's sake, I beg you!" Gion cried out, no longer caring about her pride.

She wasn't afraid of death—but she couldn't stand the thought of losing everyone here. Five Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters, and two Admiral candidates, herself and Chaton. If they all fell here...

Gion couldn't imagine what would become of the seas after such a loss. What would happen to justice itself?

"Vice Admiral Garp?!"

Chaton, Momonga, Onigumo, and Yamakaji's eyes all widened in shock.

Ace wasn't surprised that Gion knew about his connection to Garp. After all, Garp's bond with the Vice Admirals of Naval Headquarters, especially with the Chief of Staff, was well known. They treated Gion like family.

"So, you're using the old man's name to negotiate, huh?"

Ace gave a mocking smile, amused. 

"Are you begging me to spare you, Momousagi? You think if you beg, I'll just let you go?"

Ace's grin was filled with cruel amusement. Gion bit her lip, staring back at him. This was the power dynamic of an emperor, mocking the weak.

"Gion! Don't beg him! How can we bow to a pirate!" Onigumo growled, eyes bloodshot with rage.

"Shut up, Onigumo!" Gion snapped, her eyes also red with frustration. "Can your personal pride compare to the survival of justice?!"

Her words were sharp. As an Admiral candidate, second only to the top leaders of the Marines, Gion didn't feel shame in this situation.

However, the loss of five Vice Admirals and 10,000 naval elites in one battle? That was a catastrophe the Marines couldn't afford, especially when the Four Emperors still roamed free.

"I beg you, Fifth Emperor of the sea, for the sake of Vice Admiral Garp... put your pride aside."

She bit her lip hard as she pleaded, her voice thick with frustration. 

Chaton, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Momonga looked visibly pained but forced themselves to endure the humiliation for the sake of their justice.

"Hahaha!"

Ace could feel the tension in the air, the emotional conflict raging in Gion and the others. His laughter rang out, loud and confident.

"To command five Vice Admirals of the Naval Headquarters to bow before the Supreme King."

Their unwilling submission, the five of them pleading—Ace could feel his Conqueror's Haki surging, strengthened by their forced humility.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The black and purple lightning crackling around Ace intensified, growing fiercer as it roared across the sky.

Gion and the others stared, eyes wide. Why did it feel like Ace's Haki was growing even stronger? Was he feeding off their humiliation to enhance his Conqueror's Haki?

The thought made their hearts sink.

"Alright then, since you've begged, I'll give you a chance," Ace said with a smirk.

"Thank you for your mercy," Gion forced herself to say, head bowed, suppressing her rage.

"You five will take one of my attacks. Whether you live or die is up to you."

Ace's voice was laced with challenge, his Haki palpable.

He would give them mercy, for the sake of the old man, Garp. But it was also his right as an emperor to demonstrate his dominance. Letting them face his attack was an act of grace, yet it was also a test of his overwhelming power.

"Fine! We'll take it!" Gion's voice was determined, her grip on her sword, Jinpira, tightening. The air around her crackled with energy.

Surely, the five of them together could withstand a single blow, right?

"Damn it! Does he think so little of us?!" Onigumo growled, his anger boiling over.

"Don't be reckless, Onigumo! Do you want to waste the chance Vice Admiral Gion fought for?" Momonga warned gravely.

Neither Chaton nor Yamakaji spoke, but they both unleashed their Armament Haki to its limit.

"Moonwalk!"

In unison, Gion and the others leaped away from the warship, distancing themselves from the naval soldiers they were protecting.

"Hahaha..."

Ace's laughter echoed as he watched them prepare.

He raised his right hand, gripping the air.

"Boom!"

Under the astonished gaze of the Vice Admirals, the violent black and purple lightning swirling in the atmosphere converged onto Ace's fist, wrapping around it like a dark, pulsating aura.

The water beneath Ace's feet shattered as it struggled to withstand the sheer power being channeled through his body while ignoring Raki.

"Conqueror's Haki—Infusion!"

Chaton's forehead dripped with cold sweat. This was the kind of power only those who stood at the pinnacle of the sea could wield—the power of an emperor.

"Be careful! We're facing the strength of an emperor!" Gion warned, her voice tense with dread.

Ace's fist was raised high, and as he brought it down, the entire world seemed to tremble.

Every muscle in his body surged with raw, unstoppable power. His physical strength, fused with his Haki, became something terrifyingly real, solid and overwhelming.

"Boom!"

Ace's right fist exploded forward, sending a devastating shockwave hurtling toward Gion and her team, encased in a black and purple storm of Haki.

"Block it!"

Gion's eyes narrowed as she braced herself, pushing her abilities to their limit. Her swordsmanship, her Haki, her strength—all of it concentrated into a desperate defense.

The others roared in unison, pouring every ounce of power they had into resisting the blow.

"Boom!"

The shockwave crashed into them with the force of a tidal wave.

"Crack!"

Bones shattered. Blood sprayed through the air.

Gion, Chaton, Onigumo, Yamakaji, and Momonga—all of them, two Admiral candidates and three veteran Vice Admirals—were utterly overpowered by the single strike. Their combined strength collapsed under the weight of Ace's Conqueror's Haki-infused attack.

This was the power of a true emperor of the sea.

Without the strength of an Admiral, there was no surviving a full-force strike from a Four Emperors-level opponent.

"Boom!"

Gion hit the water, blood streaming from her wounds. But despite her injuries, she wasn't relieved. There was no joy in survival. Instead, there was only an eerie calm. 

The seed had been sown—what would grow from it, only time would tell.