One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

In Front of Dock No. 1, Galley-La Company

Ace stood over the motionless Blueno, his eyes blazing with a violent and regal purple-black aura.

"Do you know him?" Ace asked softly, the intensity in his eyes nearly tangible.

Kaku and Kalifa trembled, quickly averting their eyes, unable to meet Ace's gaze. Their entire bodies shook uncontrollably, like ants facing a beast. It was a primal fear, a deep tremor from their very souls—the fear of the powerless before a king.

"Crunch!"

"No, this can't be happening!"

Rob Lucci's body quivered, his teeth clenched so tightly that blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. The wildness that came with his Zoan Leopard form was gone, replaced by pure, unadulterated fear. His once-proud posture was now hunched, as if bowing before Ace, the mighty king. He couldn't resist, couldn't suppress the overwhelming terror. In front of Ace, he was reduced to nothing more than a frightened weakling.

Rob Lucci, the strongest in CP9 for 800 years, was trembling before a newbie pirate? The thought alone was maddening.

Lucci struggled to stand tall again, to straighten his bent body, but the oppressive aura only grew stronger. His bones groaned under the pressure, his vision blurred, and his mind began to slip.

"He... he's just the tavern owner. We... we don't know him well," Kalifa stammered, her voice trembling.

The moment she spoke, the crushing pressure lifted, and Kalifa gasped for air, her forehead drenched in cold sweat. She greedily inhaled, relief washing over her, though her eyes still reflected deep-seated fear.

What kind of monster is this? How could someone wield such power? Just by locking eyes, they had been utterly paralyzed, their ability to fight stripped away, leaving their fates entirely in Ace's hands.

Kalifa couldn't help but glance at Kaku and Lucci—especially Lucci, who was known as the most ruthless and powerful weapon in CP9's history. And yet, here he was, completely unable to resist Ace's gaze.

Kalifa's fear deepened as she saw Kaku and Lucci trembling, nearly fainting from the intensity of it all.

"Oh? You don't know him? What about you?" Ace asked Kaku calmly.

"No... I don't know him!" Kaku mumbled, head bowed, his voice quaking with fear.

The oppressive aura vanished instantly, but Kaku's eyes held no relief, only a deep, unsettling fear and resentment. He, a proud member of CP9, had crumbled before Ace's aura.

Kaku collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Though the pressure was gone, his dignity as a strong man had been shattered. He had submitted to Ace, his pride crushed beyond repair.

Ace then turned to Rob Lucci, his voice laced with quiet menace, "And you? Do you know him? This CP9 agent?"

Lucci's entire body shook, his teeth grinding audibly as he fought to remain conscious. It wasn't so much that he was resisting, but rather that Ace was toying with him, keeping him on the edge of unconsciousness. The once-proud Lucci, who had always believed in the survival of the fittest, now found himself in the role of the weak, his heart filled not with anger but with bitter resentment.

"Lucci!" Kalifa and Kaku shouted, knowing that if Lucci lost control here, their three years of undercover work would be ruined.

"I... I'm not familiar with him," Lucci said through gritted teeth, using ventriloquism to make his pigeon speak.

The oppressive aura lifted once more, but Lucci's legs shook violently as he fought to remain standing. His cold eyes reflected nothing but humiliation and unwillingness. To admit that he was weak in front of Ace was a fate worse than death.

Ace smiled lightly, "Then it seems we have a misunderstanding. It looks like no one here is familiar with this CP9 agent."

Turning to Iceburg, Ace continued, "Destroying them mentally is far more satisfying than doing so physically. Their fate was sealed the moment they attacked Robin. But Rob Lucci? He's not worth my time. When the moment comes, he'll perish along with Enies Lobby. Consider it a mercy from a king."

Iceburg looked around, noticing the eerie silence among the boatmen. Kaku, Kalifa, and Lucci all wore expressions of unprecedented fear and submission.

"What did you do?" Iceburg demanded, disbelief evident in his eyes. The five foremen of the Galley-La Company were the bedrock of stability in Water 7. No pirate, no matter how strong, had ever caused them trouble. Yet here they were, cowed under Ace's gaze.

The mention of CP9 gnawed at Iceburg's mind. Did this secret organization truly exist, and had it infiltrated Water 7?

His eyes fell on Blueno's lifeless form, and a dark realization settled over him. The World Government had always coveted the Pluton blueprints he held. But up until now, they had only sent officials to negotiate.

Had he been too careless? Was the World Government desperate enough to dispatch CP9? And what's more—Kalifa, Kaku, Lucci! Ace's behavior practically confirmed their involvement, but Iceburg couldn't bring himself to believe it. He recalled countless moments spent with them, struggling to reconcile those memories with the cold reality.

"Hey! What's CP9? Blueno is just a tavern owner, a friend of ours!" Barry, struggling under the weight of Ace's Conqueror's Haki, glared at him. "Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa! Why are you saying you don't know him?!"

Barry's outburst was met with silence. Kaku and Kalifa avoided his gaze, while Lucci clenched his fists and remained quiet.

Ace's laughter cut through the tension, "Uncle, it seems you still have some men with a backbone around here."

Ace's words were like a dagger to Kaku and Lucci, who had already surrendered to his oppressive aura, powerless to resist.

"Out of respect for your integrity, I'll show you the truth," Ace said with a smile.

Robin stepped forward, producing a video recording from a video Den Den Mushi affected by Ace's observation Haki. The video played, showing Blueno's defeat and his admission of being CP9, as well as his desperate attempt to use the World Government's authority to save himself.

Barry wanted to say more, but he was immediately stopped by Iceberg.

"So, it's really CP9!"

Iceberg's expression darkened further.

"Nojiko," Ace called calmly.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out, and a flower of blood bloomed on Blueno's head. The last breath of life faded rapidly, and then disappeared entirely.

Kaku and Kalifa stared at Blueno, who was killed on the spot, in disbelief. Rob Lucci's pupils contracted sharply.

Barry, who still hadn't fully grasped that Blueno was a government agent, tried to rush forward, but Iceberg held him back tightly.

"His strength is lacking, but his ability is quite interesting," Ace commented.

Ace slightly opened his right hand, and Raki placed an apple in it. A mysterious energy immediately enveloped the apple.

"Grrrrr!"

To the astonishment of Rob Lucci, Kaku, and Kalifa, the apple quickly transformed into a mysterious fruit with strange patterns.

Ace's lips curled into a slight smile as he looked at the Devil Fruit in his hand.

"The Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit, a space-based ability that is quite rare among Devil Fruits. It was wasted on Blueno," he said.

Ace handed the fruit to Nojiko. "Nojiko, eat it. The Door-Door Fruit suits you well."

The potential of this Devil Fruit was very high and perfect for Nojiko's sniping skills. In Ace's view, its potential was even higher than the Warp-Warp Fruit that Van Augur would consume in the future. That was why he had not let Nojiko eat any other Devil Fruit.

Without hesitation, Nojiko took the fruit, peeled it, and ate it in one bite.

"Ugh!" She covered her mouth, her face paling, but her eyes sparkled with delight. Ace, as always, had been thinking about the perfect Devil Fruit for her.

"Whoosh!"

Nojiko extended her hand and waved it. "Click!" An air door opened at her will.

"The Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit," she murmured, her red lips curling upward. It was indeed a perfect match for her sniping abilities.

Rob Lucci, Kalifa, and Kaku were completely stunned. Even Rob Lucci's eyes were filled with fear.

A monster! They couldn't believe that Blueno's Devil Fruit power had been seized so easily. What kind of ability was this? Who was the man in front of them?!

Rob Lucci's face turned pale. Ace sensed the emotions of Rob Lucci, Kalifa, and Kaku through his Observation Haki, but he remained unmoved. There was no need to hide the ability to hunt Devil Fruits. Once Vivi's Sand-Sand Fruit appeared in front of Aokiji, the ability to hunt Devil Fruits was no longer a secret. The Marine could easily deduce this, especially with the likes of Sengoku, known as "The Resourceful General," and the great strategist Tsuru, the brain of the Marine.

Besides, there was no point in hiding anything. Even Blackbeard, in the original story, dared to openly hunt Devil Fruits. Was Ace to have less courage than Blackbeard?

A king does as he pleases; only the weak act covertly.

"Uncle Iceberg, please hand over this corpse to the World Government," Ace said with a light smile, his eyes flashing a domineering black-purple.

"And be sure to tell the World Government that this is my warning to them."

Ace's smile faded, and the terrifying black-purple in his eyes suddenly became tangible, bursting out.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the clouds in the sky rolled back violently, and countless black and purple lightning bolts danced crazily in the atmosphere. The ground cracked open with terrifying force.

The sky trembled, and the earth shook.

This was the wrath of a king!

"This… this is…" Kaku and Kalifa's faces were filled with terror as they watched the violent black and purple lightning flashing in the sky. They felt that if they touched that lightning, even with their Iron Body technique, they would be instantly killed.

What frightened them even more was the realization that Portgas D. Ace knew they were CP9 agents, had killed Blueno, a CP9 member, and was using Blueno's body to warn the World Government.

He was clearly using them as messengers.

Portgas D. Ace… this madman! He was warning the World Government! Warning the entity that commanded more than 170 member countries and dominated the entire world.

A madman!

Kalifa and Kaku's eyes were filled with horror.

Rob Lucci remained silent, his face grim as he watched the black and purple lightning raging in the atmosphere. His body trembled uncontrollably. Was this the power that had suppressed him so utterly before? He had already bowed to this power from its aura alone, and now seeing the black and purple lightning filled him with a deep, soul-crushing fear.

Before the man in front of him, he had no power to resist.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, the roaring black and purple lightning in the sky vanished.

"Everything that happened here must be reported to the World Government exactly as it occurred, Uncle Iceberg," Ace said, a hint of a confident smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"You have an understanding beyond imagination; you publicly warn the World Government, use it as a stepping stone, and aim for the highest throne!"

"Your Conqueror's Haki has advanced!"

A line of text slowly appeared in his mind, and Ace's smile grew even more confident.

The World Government? It was just another stepping stone.

"I will," Iceberg replied after a moment of silence, nodding.

He glanced unconsciously at Robin.

Nico Robin was actually aboard the ship of such a dangerous person.

"Your eyes seem to have been on me for quite a while," Robin observed, sensing something with her Observation Haki.

"Nico Robin, I've always wanted to meet you. I still have a wanted poster of you hanging in my office," Iceberg said gravely.

"Would you like me to sign it for you?" Robin smiled.

"No, I really want to know—are you still researching that dangerous thing?" Iceberg suddenly asked, looking intently at Robin.

"Dangerous thing?" Robin frowned, then understood.

Iceberg likely knew something about ancient texts.

"What I am studying is not dangerous at all," Robin replied, looking at Ace with a smile. With Ace here, history was no longer a forbidden subject.

Iceberg was momentarily at a loss for words.

"It seems this place isn't suitable for repairing our ship, Uncle Iceberg. We'll be on our way now," Ace said with a smile.

Iceberg watched silently as Ace and his crew left. Kalifa and Kaku looked on with complicated expressions. Rob Lucci clenched his fists tightly, his face showing no emotion.