Chapter 9: Unlock it now!

Unnamed Island, on the rock wall. ...

"Your insight is astounding! The Mera Mera no Mi resonates with your profound comprehension!"

Ace gazed at the fiery orb in his grasp, the words materializing in his consciousness, bringing clarity to his heart. ...

Just as the Gomu Gomu no Mi, which Luffy consumed, morphing into the Mythical Zoan type, Sun God Nika. ....

The Five Elders once proclaimed that the World Government has scoured the ages for its trace. ...

Yet, this devil fruit, as if sentient, eluded the World Government's grasp. ...

Choosing Luffy as its bearer.

Similarly, this blaze-blessed fruit selected its own path, entrusting a Neptunian to deliver it unto him. ...

During a prior angling venture, Ace sensed an unspoken allure. It was the Mera Mera no Mi's call.

Ace harbored uncertainties before. The original tale offered scant details of his acquisition of the inferno fruit. ...

Ace retained only the memory of its discovery on an isle post-departure to the seas. ... The exact locale, shrouded in mystery.

A veritable search for a needle in the oceanic expanse. ...

Without the inferno fruit, the Itto Kaso, his epiphany to transcend this realm's power, would remain dormant. ...

Now, all uncertainties dissolve. He secured the inferno fruit a decade prior to his counterpart in the original narrative. ...

The Itto Kaso, birthed from defiance of the celestial, now beckons the era of its revelation. ...

Unwavering, Ace stripped the Mera Mera no Mi and indulged in its essence. ...

"Crunch!" "..."

A grimace crossed Ace's visage. The fruit's notoriety for bitterness, well-earned. ...

"Wha-?!!!"

At the instant Ace's teeth sank into the inferno fruit, Garp's awareness sharpened, his gaze snapping to Ace upon the rocky facade. ...

"Oi! Ace! What's that in your mouth?!!!"

Beholding the ravaged Mera Mera no Mi in Ace's clutch, Garp's astonishment surged, propelling him to Ace's side, seizing him forthwith. ...

"whoosh-"

In a flicker, flames sheathed Ace's form. To phrase it aptly, Ace's very being melded with the blaze! ...

"Yowch! That's blistering!"

Caught off guard, Garp's palms scorched, prompting a swift release of Ace's hands, accompanied by a boisterous huff. ...

Amidst the encircling inferno, Ace felt naught but warmth. For with the fruit's consumption, he was reborn as a man of flames. ...

"Your perception is unparalleled, aligning flawlessly with the Mera Mera no Mi's full potential!"

The revelation in his mind led Ace to an epiphany. ...

The so-called mastery of devil fruits lies in harnessing their innate powers. ...

The devil fruit's essence requires no cultivation. ...

To partake of the Mera Mera no Mi is to embody the flame. Your vigor is the vigor of fire. ...

Take Sabo, who later partook of the Mera Mera no Mi in Dressrosa, manifesting its fiery might forthwith.

Yet, to wield the fruit's prowess at will, to tap into its utmost depths, demands relentless dedication. ...

But with my unparalleled insight, such endeavors are rendered needless. ...

As one's physicality ascends, so too does the Mera Mera no Mi's force, wielded in full by my hand. ...

For Ace, enhancing his vitality is trivial. ...

Endowed with the Combat Turtle Breathing Technique and consummate absorption. ...

Given time, even surpassing Kaido's titanic form is within reach. ...

Ace anticipates, with bated breath, the formidable might of the Mera Mera no Mi, united with the Itto Kaso, in times to come. ...

Ace's anticipation swelled at the thought of the Mera Mera no Mi's formidable power, synergized with the Itto Kaso. ...

"A Devil Fruit? Or a treasured natural fruit?

By all appearances, it must be the Mera Mera no Mi, ranking high even among the Logia fruits!"

Garp, ever perceptive, discerned Ace's transformation and swiftly deduced the nature of the Devil Fruit consumed. ...

"Boy, where did you stumble upon this devilish fruit?!" Garp inquired with urgency.

"Plucked it from the innards of that Neptunian," Ace revealed without reservation, gesturing towards the dormant leviathan beside him. ...

Upon inspection, Garp lapsed into contemplation.

A distinct indentation adorned the Neptunian's belly, mirroring the Mera Mera no Mi's silhouette in Ace's possession. ...

The Devil Fruit, a maritime marvel, stands as a scarce and coveted Logia type.

Was it the formidable Mera Mera no Mi, one of the mightiest Logia fruits, now claimed by Ace in such a serendipitous manner?! ...

The Mera Mera no Mi, a fruit that commands respect even within the Navy's ranks. ...

In comparison to Kuzan's Hie Hie no Mi, the Mera Mera no Mi holds its ground. ...

Whoever partakes of it harbors the potential to ascend to an admiral's stature.

...

With Ace's prodigious aptitude,

Garp, after a moment's silence, erupted into hearty laughter. ...

"What a splendid prospect for a future admiral!" ...

A shiver coursed through Ace at the sight of Garp's mirthful grin. .....