One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! For more chapters, visit my [patreon.com/LazySeeker] Thank you!)

100 stones = +1 Chapter

----

Above the blue sea, the Going Merry was sailing.

"Our next destination is just ahead!" Nami announced excitedly, pointing toward the island that had appeared on the horizon.

Ace gazed at the island, his pupils flashing scarlet as his Observation Haki spread out from his body. After a few moments, his eyes returned to their normal color.

"Ace, is there something wrong with that island?" Kaya asked, concerned after watching him use Observation Haki.

"Is it because of those strange pirate ships we passed by earlier?" Nami added, curious.

As they approached the island, the crew had noticed several peculiar pirate ships, whose crews were shouting in distress about the lack of navigators or captains while battling the wind and waves.

Ace smiled warmly at the girls, reassuring them. "No, it's not that. Don't worry."

Despite his calm exterior, Ace's gaze lingered on the island with deep contemplation. The island itself wasn't the issue—what concerned him was who was nearby.

Ever since they'd entered this sea area, Ace's Observation Haki had picked up something unusual: an icy trail across the ocean wide enough for a bicycle to ride on. There was only one person capable of such a feat—Aokiji, the Navy Admiral with the power of the Ice-Ice Fruit.

Ace realized Aokiji was likely tracking them, much like in the original timeline. Just as Aokiji had pursued Robin after the Alabasta incident, it seemed he had now turned his attention to the Entei Pirates. However, Ace found no trace of Aokiji on Long Ring Long Land, so it seemed the Admiral had decided to wait for them on an uninhabited island ahead, just as he had done in the original events leading up to Water 7.

With Ace's reassurance, Kaya and Nami exchanged glances and decided to drop the matter. Despite sensing that something was different about Ace, they weren't worried. If anything, Ace seemed more energized than usual, even excited.

Yes, Ace was excited—his spirit was brimming with anticipation. Aokiji was undeniably a powerhouse, one of the top-tier combatants in the world. Ever since setting sail, Ace had fought powerful foes like Crocodile and Enel, but neither of them had truly tested him to his limits.

His Combat Turtle Breathing Technique hadn't been fully activated in a long time, and now, Ace was eagerly looking forward to a real fight with a top-level opponent. 

After his experiences on Sky Island, Ace's Haki had strengthened significantly, and his mastery of the awakened Mera-Mera Fruit had grown. He felt confident that he could go toe-to-toe with an Admiral now.

Yes, after his growth and honing on Sky Island, Ace now possessed combat power on par with an Admiral, placing him among the most elite fighters in the world!

As they drew closer to the island, Raki's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Look at all that land—so much bigger than anything we had on the White Sea."

Conis, though not as visibly thrilled, was equally fascinated. The vast lands of the Blue Sea, full of unknowns, stirred excitement in her heart.

"Drop anchor!" Kaya and Tashigi called out in unison, tossing the anchor overboard with a splash.

"Ace, aren't you coming with us?" Kaya asked, noticing he hadn't moved.

"I'll stay on the ship this time," Ace said, giving her a reassuring smile. "You all go explore. I'll keep an eye on things and make sure the island's magnetic signature gets recorded."

There wasn't much on Long Ring Long Land that could pique Ace's interest. More importantly, he wanted to mentally prepare for the inevitable battle with Aokiji.

Kaya hesitated for a moment, but then recalled what Nojiko had once told her—sometimes, men need their space.

"All right," she said with a sweet smile. "We'll check out the island."

"Go ahead," Ace replied with a grin.

The girls exchanged glances, with Nami taking the lead. "Let's go, everyone!"

Even though they sensed something was different about Ace, they knew if he had anything important to share, he would tell them. Their trust in him was absolute.

As the girls disembarked and ventured onto the island, Ace settled down on the deck, his eyes flickering with the occasional flash of purple-black energy. He was readying himself for the battle ahead.

Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, a massive pirate ship several times larger than an ordinary vessel was watching the going merry.

A cunning man with slicked-back hair, a red nose, and narrow, fox-like eyes grinned mischievously. "Heh, heh, heh! Looks like we've found more prey. Our crew will be expanding soon!"

This man was none other than Foxy, the captain of the Foxy Pirates. He was notorious for his love of the cruel Davy Back Fight and his Slow-Slow Fruit powers.

One of his crewmates, a masked woman with a sultry voice, pointed at the going merry's flag. "Hey, boss, do you see that pirate flag?"

Foxy squinted at the flag fluttering on the going merry's mast. It depicted a skull wreathed in flames—a terrifyingly powerful symbol.

Cold sweat began to form on Foxy's forehead. "That flag… it belongs to the Entei Pirates. Portgas D. Ace… the one with the 150 million bounty…"

Hamburg, a member of Foxy's crew, stifled a laugh. "Heh, if we challenge a pirate of that level, we'll get wiped out for sure."

But Foxy, despite his nervousness, tried to put on a brave face. "Rules are rules! As long as he's a pirate, he has to respect the Davy Back Fight. If he doesn't, he'll be the laughing stock of the entire sea!"

As he spoke, his forehead was drenched in sweat.

Hamburg grinned slyly. "So… what are we going to do, boss?"

Foxy gritted his teeth. "We're going through with it!"

Just imagining the possibility of adding a pirate as powerful as Ace to his crew was enough to make Foxy giddy with excitement.

However, before they could make their move, a sudden explosion of purple-black lightning erupted around the going merry, crackling and roaring through the air with terrifying force.

Foxy and his crew were instantly overwhelmed by the sheer power of Ace's Conqueror's Haki.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" One by one, they dropped unconscious, their eyes rolling back as they fell.

In an instant, the entire Foxy Pirates crew had been wiped out—rendered helpless by Ace's overwhelming presence.

The dark purple in Ace's eyes slowly faded, and the black and purple lightning crackling around the ship gradually disappeared. The Foxy Pirates, who had been hovering nearby, had unknowingly been detected by Ace's Observation Haki.

He had no time to waste on small fry or playing pirate games with them. Not even interested in a confrontation, Ace had swept them away with his Conqueror's Haki.

With the disturbance behind him clear, Ace calmly closed his eyes, waiting for the girls to return.

As dusk settled, painting the sky with hues of red, Nami led the group of women back from Long Chain Island to the Merry.

"Ace!" they called out, spotting him standing at the bow with a warm smile.

Nami, Kaya, Vivi, and Nojiko's faces lit up with joy as they ran toward him. Robin allowed a slight smile to escape as she walked more gracefully in Ace's direction. Tashigi, her face flushed, gripped the hilt of Shigure tighter, as if to steel herself, before hurrying toward Ace with her head down. Conis and Raki exchanged glances, their cheeks similarly tinged pink, before they, too, ran to him.

"Welcome back, my lovely crew," Ace began, but before he could finish, Nami and Kaya had tackled him playfully to the ground with giggles.

"Hey!" Nojiko and Vivi laughed as they followed, piling on top of Ace.

"I-I..." Tashigi stammered, frozen in place.

Conis and Raki, their hearts racing, weren't sure whether they should join in.

Robin, watching from a distance, smiled wider and crossed her arms. She activated her power, and three extra hands made of petals gently nudged Tashigi, Conis, and Raki forward.

"Ah!" Caught off guard, the three women shrieked, stumbling onto Ace as well.

When Raki and Conis opened their eyes, Ace's smiling face was inches from theirs. His warmth radiated, and their faces flushed even deeper. Tashigi, meanwhile, had completely passed out, her eyes spinning in dazed confusion.

Ace, still grinning, gave a thumbs-up to Robin, who was now laughing quietly behind them. "Well done."

Robin's smile grew even more.

Once the playfulness settled, Raki prepared a delicious dinner.

"Mmm, it's amazing having Raki on board!" Kaya's cheeks were puffed with food as she spoke adorably.

The other girls chimed in their agreement. Ever since Raki had joined, the quality of the meals had improved dramatically.

"Hahaha! Of course, Raki's our top chef," Ace said with a grin, slurping down a bowl of her signature pumpkin noodles.

As expected, Raki's culinary talents were unparalleled, and with the added knowledge from the Sky Island adventure, her food had become unbeatable.

"There's plenty more. Don't rush," Raki said with a laugh, clearly pleased by their praise.

As they ate, the girls shared their experiences from Long Chain Island.

"The plants and animals there are incredibly long! It's almost magical. We even rescued a man who had been walking on stilts for ten years! He got left behind by his village, which kept moving," Nami recounted, laughing. "Luckily, his horse Shelly was still waiting for him."

Ace listened with a smile while savoring Raki's cooking and sipping on the cold beer Kaya had poured him. He leaned back, exhaling contentedly.

"This is the life," he said, fully enjoying the moment.

The girls exchanged glances and smiled at his happiness.

"By the way, Ace, the log is set to record by tomorrow. We'll be ready to head for the next island," Nami mentioned toward the end of dinner.

"Good. We'll rest tonight and set sail in the morning," Ace said, standing up and stretching.

The girls smiled and agreed.

——

Later that evening, after a relaxing bath, Ace felt completely refreshed and focused. Aokiji, huh? he thought to himself, smirking slightly as he splashed hot water over his face. He was eagerly anticipating their upcoming confrontation.

The next morning, the Merry raised anchor and sailed for their next destination. Raki served chilled drinks and desserts on deck, and the crew happily indulged in her culinary creations, each bite earning her more praise.

"Ace, there's an island ahead!" Vivi called out from the crow's nest. "Do you want to land or head straight for the next one?"

"Let's land," Ace decided, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "We could use some supplies."

Nojiko, steering the ship, nodded with a smile.

After docking, Ace and the girls ventured onto the island.

"It looks deserted," Nojiko observed.

"Yeah, not much here in terms of supplies either," Vivi added after a quick survey.

"There's a light ahead. Maybe there's something useful over there," Nami suggested, pointing toward a glowing spot deeper in the forest. She ran ahead, and the others quickly followed.

As Ace stepped forward, his eyes briefly glinted with a red hue before returning to normal.

Robin, walking at the rear of the group, raised an eyebrow, her lips forming a knowing smile.

As they emerged from the dense forest, the sight that greeted them was unexpected—a tall figure stood in the clearing ahead. He was dressed in a white suit vest over a dark blue shirt, and a green eye mask covered his face. 

"Is he... sleeping?" Nami whispered, her Observation Haki sensing something strange.

"Ace, come take a look. There's something odd about this guy," Kaya called out.

Ace stepped out of the forest, Robin following close behind.

When Ace saw the figure, he smiled. Robin's reaction, however, was immediate—her eyes widened in shock, and her expression hardened.

"Robin?" The girls noticed her shift and tensed up.

Nojiko pulled out her pistol and aimed. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Arara... no need to point such a dangerous thing at me, miss," the man said lazily, removing his eye mask. "It's been a while, Nico Robin."

Robin's face went pale.

"Who is he, Robin?" Nami asked, her guard up.

Before Robin could answer, Ace took her hand gently, leading her forward. "That's Aokiji, an Admiral of the Marines," Ace explained, his voice calm but focused.

"The Marines' highest-ranking officers?!" the girls gasped.

"Ah, so you've heard of me," Aokiji said with a lazy smile. "Portgas D. Ace... looks like you're living up to your name." A glint of seriousness flashed in his eyes as he studied Ace.