Chapter 47: Ice and Fire

"Ah la la."

Aokiji narrowed his eyes as he watched Laki transform into Suzaku form and fly away.

"I can't let you leave so easily. You are the pirates who may cause turmoil in the sea in the future."

Aokiji exhaled a cold breath and was about to take action when his expression suddenly changed.

"If you can do it, just try it, Aokiji!" Ace's entire body erupted in terrifying flames as he laughed. His pupils flashed with an astonishing fire, and his body emitted strange, powerful fluctuations.

"Let's get things started—Mera Mera no Mi: Awakening!" Ace exclaimed excitedly.

Under Aokiji's shocked gaze, the transformation began. The clouds in the sky turned into fiery clouds, emitting intense heat, while the earth spewed flames like purgatory. Rocks, forests, and grass were all ignited with terrifying flames, turning the entire world into a realm of fire.

"Awakened Devil Fruit? So quickly!" Aokiji's expression changed as he spoke in a deep voice. The Mera Mera no Mi had been developed to this extent?!

As he watched the flames spread, transforming more natural elements into fire, Aokiji couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. He couldn't let this completely become Ace's domain.

Most of Aokiji's body turned into ice, exuding an astonishing chill. He exhaled heavily, and a terrifying cold began to spread. Strange fluctuations and Frosty winds emanated from his body as he breathed out this freezing air.

"Vrooooooo!"

The earth began to freeze. Rocks turned into icebergs, exuding a chilling cold. This world was transforming into a realm of ice and snow.

"Frozen Fruit, awaken!"

At that moment, almost half of the uninhabited island had transformed into a world of fire, while the other half turned into a world of ice and snow. The fluctuations continued to spread, and the natural transformation persisted.

Finally, half of the island was a world of fire, while the other half was a world of ice and snow. The terrifying flames and the astonishing freezing air collided violently at the junction of their respective transformations. This was a pure battle of Logia Devil Fruits, seeking dominance without the influence of Haki or any other powers.

"Boom!"

Grand Line, an Uninhabited Island

At this moment, the climate of this uninhabited island is undergoing astonishing changes. On half of the island, the clouds in the sky have transformed from white to terrifying fire clouds, emitting intense heat. Along with a roaring sound, what falls from these clouds is not rain but a terrifying rain of fire. Below, the earth burns like purgatory, with the astonishing temperature distorting the atmosphere, making the entire space seem unreal. This half of the island has become a world of flames.

The other half of the island is the epitome of cold. The earth is frozen, and everything—flowers, grass, jungles, and rocks—is completely covered in ice. Terrifying freezing air fills the atmosphere, and hail falls from the clouds. Icebergs rise from the ground, exuding a chilling cold. This half has become a frozen world.

In the center of the island, the ultimate high temperature and the ultimate cold collide violently. Fire clouds rain down fire, and frozen clouds rain down hail. The earth burns like purgatory and freezes like polar soil. The burning rocks and frozen icebergs explode as the atmosphere emits both intense heat and chilling cold.

At this moment, the deadlock bursts!

"Boom!"

Terrifying fluctuations suddenly erupt. Countless fire clouds and frozen clouds in the sky vaporize instantly. Burning giant rocks and frozen icebergs explode. The earth, burning like purgatory and frozen like polar soil, shatters. This is the collision between the ultimate high temperature and the ultimate coldness—fire and ice. This is the fusion of the Mera-Mera Fruit and the Frozen Fruit, a natural collision of Logia Devil Fruit awakenings.

"Boom!"

The sky rolls back, the earth shatters, and the terrifying fluctuations cause waves of turbulent waves in the sea. The huge waves near the flame world evaporate instantly, sending up terrifying steam that makes the already high-temperature world of flames even more frightening. On the side close to the frozen world, the waves freeze instantly, emitting bursts of cold air that make the frozen world even colder.

"It's so amazing!"

Relying on the cooperation between Nokigao and the ship spirit Merry, the girls retreat to the Merry ship in safe waters before the sea is affected by the awakening of the Mera-Mera Fruit and the Frozen Fruit. They look at the uninhabited island in shock. Half of it is a world of fire, and half is a world of ice.

The sea water on one side is constantly evaporating, filling the air with terrifyingly hot steam that could burn anyone on contact. On the other side, the sea water is instantly frozen, and the terrifying freezing air could turn anyone into an ice sculpture. The uninhabited island is even more terrifying now. In the world of flames, fire clouds in the sky spray fire rain, and the high temperature distorts the atmosphere. In the frozen world, the clouds drop hail, and the cold wind howls, emitting freezing air.

In the center of the island, at the junction of ice and fire, the collision of extreme heat and cold creates terrifying white smoke, making the air chilling. This is where the Logia Devil Fruit awakenings collide. From now on, the climate of this uninhabited island will be completely changed, becoming a permanent half-frozen, half-flaming Ice and Fire Island—a restricted area of life.

"This is the strength of the Admiral of Headquarters, the highest combat power in the world government," Robin murmured, looking at the island that had become a restricted area of life. "With a raise of his hand, he can freeze everything in nature. Even the sea can become a frozen world. Between the islands, frozen passages are constructed. There is only one word to describe such a terrifying power: monster!"

"But Ace won't lose to him...!" Kaya pointed to the Ice and Fire Island, looking at the blazing world of flames facing the frozen world with a confident smile.

"Um."

Robin was startled, then her red lips twitched slightly with joy. She was no longer the Robin who could only break down and run away when facing Aokiji. Now, she was Nico Robin, the historian of the Entei Pirates and Portgas D. Ace. Looking at the flaming world in the distance, which competed with the frozen world without falling behind, Robin's beautiful eyes flashed, and she smiled. This was the confidence Ace gave her, and everyone.

Nami's Thunder Fruit, Vivi's Sand-Sand Fruit, and Laki's Bird Fruit-Phantom Beast Species-Suzaku Form—these are the top Devil Fruits in this sea. Even facing the entire Marine, the Devil Fruits now owned by the Entei Pirates are not inferior at all. Most importantly, Ace is here! With the help of Ace's realm of understanding, even Vivi, who once had no fighting talent, has even greater potential than Crocodile. As long as Ace is here, the Entei Pirates will definitely become the strongest pirate group. Ace will definitely become the king of the world.

Robin looked at the Ice and Fire Island not far away, her beautiful eyes flashing. She resolved to work hard. After Ace comes back, she would let him use his realm of understanding to help her improve. Robin's red lips raised slightly. In addition to wanting to find the real history, she had found a new reason to live. Ace, I also want to provide you with a little help on your way to becoming the king of the world, she thought, her beautiful eyes narrowing as she smiled.

The Center of an Uninhabited Island

Ace's entire body was engulfed in terrifying flames, turning everything he stepped on into a burning purgatory. Meanwhile, Aokiji's form had mostly turned into ice, and he exhaled an ultimate freezing air, freezing the ground beneath his feet.

Ice and fire stood in stark opposition.

"What an amazing man to develop the Mera-Mera Fruit to this extent, Portgas D. Ace," Aokiji remarked. There was no trace of his usual laziness; his expression was solemn, and shock filled his eyes. It was unbelievable that Ace had mastered the Mera-Mera Fruit to this degree. The power of his awakening was comparable to Aokiji's own. And Ace was only seventeen years old, according to the information Aokiji had read.

Aokiji, at forty-five, had spent decades developing his Frozen Fruit abilities to their current level. Even if Ace had started using the Mera-Mera Fruit from birth, it seemed impossible to reach such a level of mastery at such a young age. Truly, a monster! Moreover, Ace possessed Conqueror's Haki, capable of causing real damage. This man's future was undoubtedly above his own.

Aokiji exhaled a cold breath, eyes sharpening. He couldn't allow Portgas D. Ace to grow any further, despite Ace being Garp's adopted grandson. Such talent, growth rate, and strength, combined with Ace's reckless actions since entering the Grand Line, made Aokiji uneasy.

"Do you want to go all out? This is interesting," Ace said, a strange red light flashing in his pupils as he exhaled a breath of burning air.

"Whoosh!" In an instant, both Ace and Aokiji disappeared.

"Fire Fist!"

The moment Aokiji reappeared, a terrifying pillar of flames materialized. The burning earth, fire rain, and high temperatures from the Mera-Mera Fruit's awakening intensified the flames.

"Ice Cube 'Two Thorns Spear'!" Aokiji quickly formed three giant ice spears from the freezing air around him. They collided with the flaming fire pillar, filling the air with the sound of breaking ice and crackling flames.

"Whoosh!" Aokiji disappeared again.

"Fire Ring!" As soon as Aokiji reappeared, the frozen ground beneath him burst into flames.

"Ice Time!" Aokiji crossed his arms, unleashing an astonishing freezing air that clashed with the massive pillar of fire, causing Aokiji to slide on the frozen ground as it cracked beneath his feet.

"Damn it! What happened? My Observation Haki actually failed?!" Aokiji was shocked. His Observation Haki, crucial in battles among the strong, had been outmatched by Ace's. In battles between equally strong opponents, the strength of Observation Haki could determine who took the initiative. Although Armament Haki, Devil Fruit abilities, and other powers ultimately decided the outcome, Observation Haki's strength was highly valued.

His Observation Haki, top-notch among Marines, had lost to Portgas D. Ace. There was only one explanation: Ace had trained his Observation Haki to the point where he could briefly "see" the future.

Aokiji's eyes were filled with shock. Awakened Devil Fruit, Advanced Conqueror's Haki, and even Future Vision—Ace was truly omnipotent at such a young age.

"Kagero!" A terrifying pillar of fire struck again. Aokiji blasted it with frosty energy. He was completely passive and needed to change the situation.

Aokiji leaned down, touching the earth with his right hand. "Boom!" Another pillar of fire swept towards him. "Ice Age!" Aokiji unleashed the full power of his Frozen Fruit, instantly stopping and evaporating the roaring fire pillar. The burning earth began to shake and the fire subsided before the freezing air.

Ace appeared, surrounded by fire rain, as the terrifying freezing air filled the atmosphere. "Great Flame Ring!" Ace unleashed the full power of the Mera-Mera Fruit, creating an endless sea of fire. The weakened fire roared back to life.

"Boom!" Endless freezing air and endless fire collided violently. The atmosphere shattered, and the earth began to shake under the intense collision.

Ace exited his elemental form, his eyes fixed on the white smoke rising from the collision of fire and ice. Aokiji slowly emerged from the smoke, exuding a chilling air.

"As expected of the World Government's highest combat power, Admiral of Headquarters Aokiji. Is this why your Frozen Fruit is known as the strongest field control ability?" Ace looked at his right hand, covered in tiny ice crystals that evaporated instantly with the Mera-Mera Fruit's power. But the constant freezing air made his movements sluggish, requiring energy and concentration to resist.

"Snort!" Ace's eyes flashed, and fire rain and flames enveloped him, quickly restoring his physical strength. The awakened Mera-Mera Fruit allowed for prolonged combat, as Logia abilities transformed nature itself.

"Although your Mera-Mera Fruit has awakened and restrains my freezing energy, I can still slow your movements. Our speed will be the same, Portgas D. Ace," Aokiji said, exhaling a cold breath. Despite his weaker Observation Haki, his Frozen Fruit's field control could limit Ace's speed, reducing the impact of the Observation Haki gap.

"On the same level?" Ace's mouth curved into a confident smile. This was the most enjoyable battle since entering the Grand Line. For the first time, he could fight with all his strength. This was the overlord-level fight of the sea!

A rich purple-black color suddenly flashed in Ace's pupils.

"This is!" Aokiji's expression changed. The next moment, the purple-black color turned into substance and exploded violently.