One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

Sabaody Archipelago, inside the human trafficking auction house.

"Someone actually harmed a Celestial Dragon!"

"Run! The Marine Admiral is on his way!"

In the stands, countless wealthy businessmen stared in horror at the unconscious Saint Charlos. Fear gripped the entire auction hall.

"Wait, look, that person is—!"

Inside the auction house, several pirates spotted Ace and stared in disbelief, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.

"No way... that's him! The captain of the Entei Pirates, with a combined bounty of over three billion beli..."

"The fifth emperor of the sea, with a bounty of 1.18 billion beli..."

"Portgas D. Ace!" one pirate captain shouted angrily.

"Tch, so he's the one who's been overshadowing the rest of our generation of pirates? He's only been out at sea for less than a year, and they're already calling him the fifth emperor of the sea?"

Although the pirate captain's forehead was drenched in cold sweat, his eyes still held a look of defiance.

In the first half of the Grand Line, seven magnetic routes lead to the final island. Each one records a unique magnetic field, guiding pirates through different paths, but all eventually converge at the last island.

Sabaody Archipelago serves as a key junction in the first half of the Grand Line. Pirates destined for the New World must stop here to get their ships coated, dive into the depths of the ocean, pass through Fish-Man Island, and emerge into the second half of the Grand Line—the New World.

Every year, countless new pirates set sail. After surviving the brutal challenges of the first half of the Grand Line, they arrive at Sabaody Archipelago.

A pirate's bounty is the clearest measure of their threat and strength, and those who reach Sabaody with a bounty exceeding 100 million beli are called "Supernovas."

Each "Supernova" that reaches the Archipelago becomes the center of attention. 

Though being a Supernova makes pirates a prime target for the Marines, the attention only drives them further. After all, they all dream of the ultimate treasure—One Piece!

The allure of One Piece promises unimaginable wealth, fame, and power, all things that pirates crave.

But this time, every pirate in Sabaody Archipelago had their spotlight stolen by one man.

The one known as the Fifth Emperor of the Sea—"Flame Emperor" Portgas D. Ace!

While the pirates of this generation are still fighting for the title of Supernova, Ace has already joined the ranks of the New World's Four Emperors—those who rule the second half of the Grand Line like kings.

Under Ace's command in the Entei Pirates, only one crew member lacks a bounty exceeding 100 million beli. The other seven crew members boast bounties over 100 million, with three surpassing 300 million!

Ace himself carries a bounty of 1.18 billion beli!

Though the Entei Pirates number only nine members, their total bounty exceeds a staggering three billion beli!

No pirate group currently at Sabaody can compare to the Entei Pirates in terms of both fame and power.

All eyes, all glory, have been captured by Ace and his crew. The fearsome reputation of the Entei Pirates strikes terror into most of the pirates present. But among them, there are a few with high bounties who feel deeply dissatisfied.

"Why?!" they muttered bitterly.

"Wasn't it just because he attacked Enies Lobby and killed Marine Vice Admiral?"

These pirates, the so-called best of their generation, hadn't even crossed paths with Marine Commodores or Rear Admirals yet.

"He's strong, sure, but he's no stronger than we are. If he can kill Vice Admirals, does that really make him worthy of being the Fifth Emperor?"

These pirates, who had only sailed the first half of the Grand Line, had no idea of the vast gap in strength between Marine commanders from the central branches and the Marine Headquarters.

The real elite forces, those above Rear Admiral rank, never appear in the first half of the Grand Line. They're all stationed in the New World.

Blinded by their ambition, these pirates, who had never truly experienced the higher echelons of power, began to see Ace's head as a stepping stone.

After all, it's common practice for ambitious Supernovas to target one of the Four Emperors upon entering the New World. Killing one of them guarantees instant fame and recognition.

But over the years, the Four Emperors have remained unchallenged, reigning like sovereigns in the New World.

Nevertheless, the sight of the Fifth Emperor, the Flame Emperor, ignites greed among the ambitious.

"If we take him down, we'll be famous!"

"He's the youngest of the emperors and definitely easier to defeat than the others!"

One pirate captain, with a bounty exceeding 100 million beli, gripped his sword tightly, his eyes burning with determination.

"Come on! If we kill the Flame Emperor, we'll make headlines across the world!" 

Another Supernova captain, also with a bounty exceeding 100 million beli, had transformed into his hybrid Zoan form, baring his fangs.

"If we all attack at once, maybe even the Flame Emperor can't hold out against us."

A third captain, deep in thought, spoke in a low voice.

Despite their desire for glory, they weren't complete fools. Facing someone the Marines called the Fifth Emperor, they knew safety lay in numbers.

"If we share the fame, it'll still be more than enough!"

The pirate captains exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. The chance to kill the Flame Emperor and achieve greatness was right before them.

"Let's go! Kill the Flame Emperor before the Marine Admiral arrives!"

The Zoan-transformed captain roared angrily as he charged down towards Ace in the stands.

"Tch, Zoans really lose their brains after transforming," muttered one of the pirate captains.

But the rest nodded in unison of the plan. They would kill the Flame Emperor, secure their fame, and then escape before the Marine Admiral showed up!

"We've got your head, Flame Emperor!"

With that cry, nearly ten notorious pirates, infamous across the first half of the Grand Line, all launched their assault on Ace, under the watchful eyes of the world.

"They're the Supernovas of this generation!"

"And there are even some notorious pirates with bounties exceeding 200 million beli!"

"Are they really going to take on Emperor Yan?!"

In the auction hall, several pirates who dared not act looked in awe at the captains charging toward Ace, exclaiming one after another.

Ace, however, didn't even bother to open his eyes.

Suddenly, a loud crack filled the air.

'Crack!'

Accompanied by a terrifying flash of lightning, the sound echoed across the sky.

'Boom!'

"Argh!" came the sudden screams.

To the shock of many around the world, these notorious pirates—who had survived countless ordeals in the first half of the Grand Line and reached Sabaody Archipelago as the top contenders of this generation—were instantly reduced to charred corpses, utterly powerless to resist the violent lightning.

'Whoosh!'

"Is this the caliber of people who think they can challenge our captain?" said Nami as she gracefully landed beside Ace, holding her Clima-Tact with a smug smile on her face.

"It's her! The navigator of the Entei Pirates, the Thieving Cat Nami, with a bounty of 500 million beli and the powers of the Thunder Fruit!" a pirate shouted in terror.

——

Cocoyasi Village

"Nami!"

"It's Nami! She's become so powerful! Those pirates have bounties far higher than Arlong ever did!"

"Nami's name is now known throughout the world!" 

"Let's toast to that!"

The villagers laughed and cheered, filled with pride.

——

"Supernovas… defeated in a single strike? They couldn't even put up a fight?"

The pirates present felt chills as they watched the once-fearsome pirates reduced to nothing more than charred remains.

"The difference… it's impossible. How could the gap between us be so vast?!"

Several high-bounty pirate captains muttered in disbelief, collapsing to the ground.

The Flame Emperor hadn't even lifted a finger. His navigator had single-handedly destroyed some of the top pirates of their generation with one blow.

Is the sea truly this vast?

"I… I don't want to be a pirate anymore! If the monsters of the New World are all like this...!" wailed one of the captains, emotionally broken, as he scrambled toward the auction house's exit along with the terrified businessmen.

"What a strong young lady," remarked Issho, his brow furrowed.

With his keen Observation Haki, he could sense that such an attack was on par with his own abilities.

"The Thunder Fruit… Logia-type, no less. It hasn't appeared in the seas for a long time. Its power is truly remarkable," Rayleigh mused with a slight smile.

Based on what Shakky had told him and seeing the sheer force behind that casual attack, Rayleigh was almost certain—this girl had awakened her Devil Fruit powers. And that would put her on a level comparable to an Admiral.

Rayleigh's curiosity deepened as he looked at Nami. In this world, anyone with Admiral-level combat prowess would be a force to be reckoned with—one who could tip the balance of an entire war.

And the Thunder Fruit? Among all Devil Fruits, it was one of the most formidable.

——

"Vivi," Ace called calmly, his eyes on the pirates and businessmen trying to flee.

A gust of wind and sand filled the air as Vivi appeared beside Ace, her right hand touching the ground.

"Erosion of Rebirth!"

The power of the Sand-Sand Fruit was unleashed in an instant.

'Boom!'

The ground, walls, and buildings all around began to dry up and crumble. The moisture in the air was instantly absorbed by Vivi's ability, turning everything into sand.

In the blink of an eye, the once-mighty auction house that had stood for years in Sabaody Archipelago, infamous for human trafficking, collapsed into a pile of sand under the astonished gaze of viewers around the world.

All those who had tried to escape—pirates, wealthy businessmen—were now nothing but eerie sand sculptures, frozen in terror.

"She's one of the Entei Pirates' combatants! With a bounty of 350 million beli, the user of the Sand-Sand Fruit, the 'Desert Princess' Vivi!" cried a pirate captain buried up to his head in the sand.

"Please! Spare me! Don't kill me!" a terrified businessman pleaded before his face, too, was swallowed by the sand.

"If you disturb my captain, I'll bury you," Vivi declared confidently, her proud expression unwavering.

At her words, every pirate and businessman still struggling immediately fell silent.

——

"Is this the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit, taken from Crocodile?" Rayleigh wondered aloud as he surveyed the transformed environment. The ability to turn solid rock and buildings into sand on such a massive scale—was she close to awakening the devil fruit's full potential?

Although the Sand-Sand Fruit was not as inherently powerful as the Thunder Fruit, once awakened, it would make Vivi nearly unstoppable—almost on the level of an Admiral. And if she had also mastered Haki, then her strength was even greater.

Rayleigh marveled at the realization. No wonder the world government considered the Entei Pirates a group worthy of standing alongside the Four Emperors, even though they had yet to reach the New World.

Each core member of the crew had the potential to rival the Red-Haired Pirates.

Issho's expression grew more serious as well.

——

Alabasta

"Princess Vivi!" shouted Chaka, Pell, and Igaram, overwhelmed with emotion as they saw her on screen.

"Vivi, you've truly grown strong," King Cobra whispered, tears welling in his eyes.

——

"Are you insane?!" roared Saint Sharlia, buried in the sand, her voice filled with rage and panic. "Attacking us Celestial Dragons is a capital crime!"

The sand shifted around her as she felt the moisture being drained from her body, leaving her weak and gasping for breath.

"You… you're…" gasped Saint Rosward, looking at Ace with a mix of shock and anger. 

"In the Holy Land of Mariejois, a man dared to release his Conqueror's Haki…It's you!"

Rosward, now trapped in the sand, gritted his teeth as he recalled the moment Ace defied the Celestial Dragons, causing a scandal that even the world government couldn't suppress.

"What do you plan to do, pariah?!"

Ace's lips curled into a slight smirk as he raised his hand.

With a hum, the sand formed a high platform—an unmistakable resemblance to the execution scaffold of Loguetown, the place where Gol D. Roger was executed.

——

"Public Execution Time!" Ace's voice rang out, Haki-infused, making his declaration to the entire world.

And his targets were none other than the three Celestial Dragons!