Chapter 46: Falling to the Bottom of the Sea!
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Crocus stared at Ace, speechless for a long time. Kaya and Nami were both gazing at Ace in awe, their faces flushed. Nojiko pressed her lips together, while Tashigi hesitated, her expression conflicted, but in the end, she said nothing.
"As expected from a man who wields the power of Conqueror's Haki," Crocus thought, memories of someone he once knew flashing through his mind. This was the bearing of a king.
"Alright, calm down, Laboon!"
Ace strode to the front of the deck, his eyes sharpening as he focused.
Boom!
A wave of Conqueror's Haki surged from him, controlled precisely so that Laboon wouldn't be knocked out, just soothed. Under the powerful influence of Ace's Haki, the giant whale, who had been ramming the Red Line relentlessly, gradually calmed and floated upward.
Woooo!
Laboon gave a sorrowful cry, gazing at the Red Line, its head bearing fresh scars.
"Such mastery of Conqueror's Haki..." Crocus muttered in awe.
"Hey, Laboon! You've been waiting all this time for that crew to return, right?" Ace shouted, looking at the giant whale.
Woooo?
Laboon turned its eyes toward Ace.
"Then..."
Ace's lips curled into a grin. With a mighty leap, purple-black lightning flashed around his eyes, growing more intense with each passing second.
Crack!
The sky above exploded with black and purple lightning, forming a terrifying storm of energy. It radiated from Ace, causing the sky to churn and the sea to boil. Unlike when he first faced Laboon and held back to avoid harming it, this time Ace unleashed his Conqueror's Haki in full force.
With a thought, the wild lightning encased Ace's right fist like a living entity. The atmosphere around his fist cracked and shattered under the intensity of the power.
"This... this is...!" Crocus gasped in horror, eyes wide.
Boom!
Ace's fist slammed into the sea, several meters away from Laboon. The force exploded on impact, creating a massive crater on the ocean's surface. The resulting shockwave sent Laboon tumbling across the sea like a small island tossed by the wind.
"Aaaaah!" Nami screamed as the Going Merry rocked violently. The waves churned, and the ship was tossed about, but thanks to Nojiko's expert steering, the Merry remained undamaged amid the chaos.
"Hit the bottom of the sea! Blue Hole!" Ace said, smirking slightly as he admired his handiwork.
——
"Are you trying to kill us?!" Nami shouted furiously as Ace returned to the ship.
"Calm down! I made sure the ship wouldn't capsize. Besides, with Nojiko here, you had nothing to worry about," Ace laughed, his words not entirely reassuring.
"I thought I was going to die! Get ready for a fight, Ace!" Nami jumped on Ace's back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Ace..." Kaya rushed over, trying to break up the playful scuffle.
"Wow, Ace is incredibly strong..." Nojiko murmured, watching in disbelief. The scene made her realize that when Ace defeated Arlong, he hadn't even used a tenth—no, not even a percent—of his true strength. The raw power he just displayed was more destructive than an entire battleship!
Tashigi, too, was left stunned. Until now, she had always believed that Colonel Smoker was the strongest person alive. But this... this was beyond her imagination. Could a human even possess such power?
——
Ace, now having subdued Nami, stood by the others. Nami blushed slightly, casting him a quick glance before retreating to Nojiko's side, embarrassed by the laughter that followed her.
On the other hand, Crocus stared at Ace in disbelief, as though seeing a ghost. "That move... that was... Conqueror's Haki—Entanglement?!" His voice trembled in shock. There was no mistaking it—he recognized the power immediately. It had been many years, but on Roger's ship, more than one person had mastered this terrifying technique. Conqueror's Haki—Entanglement was a power that very few in the New World could wield, a power that transcended the sea itself.
"Well, you are the doctor of the Roger Pirates, so it's no surprise you would recognize it," Ace responded, unfazed.
"How... how old are you?" Crocus asked, his voice shaking.
"Seventeen," Ace replied calmly.
Crocus fell silent. Seventeen... Roger, Rayleigh, and even Whitebeard—they were much older when they mastered Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement. Even for the most talented individuals, reaching such a level required decades of experience and training. Yet here stood Ace, at only seventeen, wielding that same power with ease. It defied reason.
Then, suddenly, a realization hit Crocus. "That technique... wasn't that Garp's signature move?!" His eyes widened with disbelief. He had seen it many times before, when Garp relentlessly chased after the Roger Pirates.
"Yes, I learned it from the old man," Ace answered matter-of-factly.
Crocus was left speechless—a pirate who had mastered one of Marine hero Garp's most formidable techniques? This young man was truly something else.
——
At that moment, Laboon, who had been tossed far away, slowly swam back toward the ship, looking at Ace with a newfound respect.
"Hey, Laboon! Pretty impressive, right?" Ace called out, grinning.
Woooo…
Laboon's eyes filled with apprehension, remembering how it had been thrown about by the shockwave.
"You've taken quite a beating," Ace remarked. "Tell you what: I'm going to conquer the Grand Line and become the King of the World. When I come back, after you've fully recovered, I'll let you take my punch again. Deal?"
Ace didn't mention Brook or the truth about his devil fruit, the Yomi Yomi no Mi. Revealing such an abstract truth wouldn't help Laboon—it might even push it to further despair. Laboon needed hope, not impossible dreams.
Woooo…
Laboon's eyes welled up with tears. Time seemed to roll back to over forty years ago, when it was just a young whale meeting the Rumbar Pirates for the first time.
"So, how about it, Laboon?" Ace laughed.
Woooo!
Laboon let out a cry of agreement, its enormous body rising proudly from the sea.
"Then, it's settled. This mark will seal our promise!" Ace jumped up with a giant brush, painting the Entei Pirate symbol on Laboon's scarred forehead.
"That's perfect," Ace said with satisfaction, admiring his work. The pirate symbol, combined with Laboon's massive, battle-worn head, exuded a powerful, commanding presence.
"Now, if you keep ramming into the Red Line, that mark will be destroyed. So take care of yourself, Laboon, and wait for my return," Ace said gently, smiling.
Woooo!
Laboon cried out again, this time with renewed hope. Crocus wiped away tears, finally seeing that Laboon had something to look forward to again. Nami, Kaya, and Nojiko all smiled, proud of their captain.
Tashigi's expression, however, remained complex.
——
For the next ten days, Kaya, under the tutelage of Crocus, rapidly improved her medical skills. Thanks to her extraordinary talent and Crocus' guidance, her progress was astounding. Occasionally, Crocus could be heard exclaiming in disbelief at how quickly she grasped the concepts.
Meanwhile, Ace spent his days riding Laboon, challenging massive waves and honing his abilities.
On the ninth day, while practicing, Ace's Observation Haki picked up on two sneaky figures nearby.
"Hm?" His eyes lit up, especially at the sight of one of them—a beautiful figure with light blue hair...