Chapter 35
The day was a pretty normal day for the whitebeard pirates, they were sailing, solid interesting island and stopped to explore, so they explored and explored and explored until the sun started setting, then they set up a party-ish-cookout-thing on the beach, and now Marco and Ace were sparring a bit to entertain everyone as Thatch and a few other Whitebeard pirates cooked up some barbecue.
“Come on kid.” Marco suddenly spoke up, his blue fire Phoenix wings disappearing as he lands on the ground a couple feet away from Ace. “I can tell you’re holding back, show me what you’re truly made of.”
“Don’t do it, Marco!” Masked Deuce’s Voice pierced through the laughter and banter, his eyes glued to the sparring duo. “You’ll get your ass handed to you faster than you can say 'Whitebeard'!”
Marco chuckled, folding his arms. “Oh, come on, Ace. Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little competition from your big brother?”
Ace made a frustrated noise, his eyes going from Marco to Masked Deuce, to Whitebeard, who was watching them from a distance with a knowing smile. He knew that if he didn’t do it, he’d never hear the end of it. So, he took a deep breath and nodded. “Fine, I’ll go all out. But if I win, no one says shit about it again, got it?”
With that he took off his hat, and threw it Masked Deuce, who caught it with ease. “My well wishes and hopes and prayers go out to you, Marco. You’re about to get the ass whooping of your life!” Masked Deuce taunted with a smirk.
Marco’s grin grew wider, and he cracked his knuckles. “Let’s do this, Ace. Don’t hold back, I won’t!”
And with that, it was like a flip with switch in Ace’s entire being, he took a deep breath and let it out as he rolled his neck to pop it, and he was off, lunging at Marco with break neck speed. Marco, not one to be caught off guard, met him halfway, his fists blazing with blue fire as he threw a flurry of punches, aiming to overwhelm Ace with his sheer power and speed.
But as soon as he got into range Ace ducked, no, he didn’t just duck he did the fucking split… ‘this motherfucker did the split!’, before turning his body in an unnatural, ‘bone breaking’ angle, to push himself through Marco‘s legs, then his body upward to wrap his legs around his waist, and fling Marco across the beach, which is the sheer force of his legs.
And Marco will deny to his dying breath like he squashed like a bird when this happened.
Marco crashed into the sand, a plume of dust and debris flying into the air. The other pirates watched in shocked silence, their laughter dying down to gasps of amazement. Even the usually stoic Jozu had his mouth hanging open.
Ace, who was holding himself up with one hand in a handstand from how he literally threw Marco with his legs, bent backwards, his hand never leaving the ground until his feet met the ground, and he straightened himself up again, and he was grinning like a madman.
Ace stretched his arms over his head, and frankly stretched and some poses that should’ve snapped his fucking arms, but it didn’t. “Oh, that felt good. Popped my back when I did that backend flip. Thanks, Marco!” He winked.
Marco, lying on his back, groaned. “What?… what the actual fuck was that?…” He coughed out sand, trying to push himself up with his elbows. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at Ace.
“My own personal fighting style!” Ace said proudly, flexing his arm and slapping his bicep.
Marco coughed again, sitting up with a grimace. “And what style is that? The 'I-can-break-the-laws-of-physics-just-because' style?”
Ace just chuckled, stretching his arms backwards and a way that was not physically possible, before lacing his fingers and stretching them over his head as he walks over to Marco. “Let’s just say it’s a mix of everything Garp what sign me, Sabo, and Luffy up for growing up to keep three hyperactive kids busy and out of trouble. So dance, breakdancing, jujutsu, muya thai, jubo, taw kwon do, gymnastics, karate, kung fu, Soryu-style martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, capoeira martial arts, Cross country, and track.” He said cheerfully, “Me, Sabo, and Luffy are triple Black belts in jujutsu, muya thai, jubo, taw kwon do, karate, kung fu, Soryu-style martial arts, and capoeira martial arts.”
Marco just looked at Ace, his eyes wide. “What the fuck, man? That’s not a style, that’s a goddamn smorgasbord of chaos!”
“Oh, that’s not all.” Ace’s gren grew almost predatory. “Ol gramps even taught us how to use Galaxy Impact, Meteor Fist, and Meteor Fist Shower! The old man always said if we were gonna end up pirates, he was gonna make sure none of us got captured or killed by the marines without giving them a run for their money!”
Marco, finally standing up, dusted himself off and narrowed his eyes. “So, you’re saying you can use those moves? Because I’d like to see it to believe it, kid. Those are some powerful moves, and not just anyone can pull them off!”
“Sure,” Ace said casually, lacing his fingers behind his head as he walked towards the ocean, far away from the Moby Dick and the other pirate ships, a mischievous glint in his eye as he took a deep breath. His hands dropped to his side and he shook them out like he was loosening up before a game of catch. “Galaxy impact.” He murmured.
Then without hesitation he pulled his fist back, and the area around him, literally exploded with a geysers amounts of power, the power was so intense that it show, it showed suns being made stars exploding, universe is being made universe is exploding, planets and stars colliding with each other, galaxies and galaxies creating, dying, crashing into each other and he threw the punch forward, and the ocean in front of them was pushed back for miles. The sound was deafening, like a thousand meteor showers all happening at once, the ground shook like it was the end of the world.
Marco's eyes went wide, his heart pounding as he watched the display of power. The sheer scale of the attack was staggering, the ocean parted like the red sea and a giant crater was left in its wake, steam rising from the water as it settled back in. The power was so intense that it even caused the sky to momentarily darken as if the very fabric of reality had been distorted.
"H-holy shit..." Marco murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. The other pirates had all stopped what they were doing, staring at the scene in a mix of awe and fear.
Ace turned to look at him with a cocky grin. "Impressed?"
Marco swallowed hard, his eyes not leaving the crater. "I'd say that's more than impressive, kid. That's... terrifying."
“I know, right! Gramps started teaching me, Sabo, and Luffy how to do that on my 10th birthday. So, Luffy would’ve been 5 when he started learning. He said it was to make sure we could protect ourselves from the world we chose to live in. And let’s be real, it’s pretty badass too!” Ace said, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and his tone and demeanor of an excited young adult that was practically still a teenager because he’s barely 20-years-old, and not a guy who just destroyed a chunk of the ocean with a fucking punch.
Marco took a step back, his mind racing. He knew that Ace had the power to manipulate fire, thanks to the Mera Mera no Mi, but he had no idea the depths of his strength and the moves he had learned from Garp. It was clear that Ace had not just inherited his power from the fruit; he had honed it with the techniques passed down from Ace’s legendary grandfather.
Ace turned his attention to whitebeard, a broad smile stretching his face. “Yo, Pops, I know it wasn’t as good as Gramps but, gramps said you and him used to spar all the time and you could take these punches, how much longer do you think until I get to his level?” He yelled running over to Whitebeard like an excited kid who just learned a new trick.
Whitebeard chuckled, his massive frame shaking with mirth. “You still have a ways to go, Ace, but I see the potential in you. Keep pushing yourself, and you’ll get there one day.” He ruffled Ace’s hair, which only made the young pirate grin wider.
The other pirates slowly returned to their tasks, whispering among themselves about what they had just witnessed. Some were clearly in awe, while others had looks of respect mixed with fear. Thatch couldn’t help but smirk as he flipped a piece of meat on the grill. “Looks like our little Ace is more than just a pretty face and a hot temper, huh?”
Ace, not one to be embarrassed easily, just laughed it off and walked back over to the group, flexing his arms. “So, who’s next? I’ve got plenty more where that came from!” His eyes scanned the pirates, looking for someone to step up.
“No thanks!” All of the former spade pirates, turned whitebeard pirates, called out almost in unison. They knew Ace’s potential and didn’t want to face that kind of power unless it was absolutely necessary.
Jozu, one of the more stoic members of the crew, spoke up, his deep voice cutting through the air. “Ace, maybe you should save some of that energy for when we actually need it. We wouldn’t want to scare away any potential treasures with your theatrics!”
Ace’s grin never wavered. “Oh come on, Jozu, you know I can control it!” He shot a wink at the diamond-skinned pirate, who rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but chuckle.
The atmosphere around the campfire lightened as the pirates continued with their celebrations, sharing stories and laughter, while keeping a respectful distance from the young powerhouse that was Ace. As the night grew darker, the stars above twinkled like distant jewels scattered across the velvet sky. The crackling fire cast flickering shadows on their faces, and the smell of roasting meat and spices filled the air, mingling with the salty ocean breeze.