Pirate: I, Ace, am the King of Eclipse!

Under Zephyr's solemn gaze, Ace's tall and imposing body began to undergo an astonishing transformation.

Two enormous wings, formed entirely from solid crimson-gold flames, suddenly unfurled from his back. With each flap, the surrounding air was violently distorted by the terrifying heat. Fine, indestructible crimson-gold scales rapidly covered his arms and long legs, as if he were draped in an ancient divine armor.

Zoan type, Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Suzaku form!

The moment Ace completed his half-beast transformation, the hard rock beneath his feet could not withstand the terrifying heat and melted into scalding dark red magma.

"Unusual flames, and this oppressive feeling..."

Zefa clenched his remaining left hand tightly, and an unprecedented solemnity appeared on his weathered face. "It is indeed a mythical beast species. No wonder it dared to resist my Black Arm."

"This is my power, old man."

Ace didn't waste any more words, and his broad, crimson-gold wings suddenly flapped behind him.

"boom!"

Only a deep, melted crater remained in place. Ace's figure transformed into a streak of crimson-gold lightning that tore through the sky, instantly appearing directly above Zephyr.

"Divine Fire - Vermilion Bird Seal!"

Ace raised his right leg high, and a heavy canopy covered with flowing Haki and crimson gold divine fire pressed down, putting all the power of his half-beast form onto this leg, and smashed it down fiercely towards Zephyr's head!

"Don't be so arrogant, newbie!"

Zephyr roared, making no attempt to dodge. He channeled all his energy and Armament Haki into his remaining left arm, and met the fiery kick that resembled a falling meteor with a thunderous punch!

"Black Wrist - Shatter!"

"Boom!"

The fist and leg locked tightly in mid-air.

This collision was far more devastating than any of the previous ones.

The pitch-black aura and crimson-gold divine fire surged between the two, creating visible and destructive sparks. Ace's divine fire, capable of melting steel, frantically devoured the Armament Haki barrier on Zeff's fist; while Zeff's extremely heavy black wrists firmly withstood this monstrous force capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

The earth crumbled inch by inch under the clash between the two, and the remaining fortress walls collapsed one after another like fragile biscuits.

"Strength and speed have doubled!"

Zefa gritted his teeth, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He could clearly feel the pressure on his left arm increasing exponentially, and the eerie heat was even trying to penetrate his proud Armament Haki defense and burn his bones.

In the instant of the stalemate, Zephyr's gaze suddenly turned fierce. He slammed his left arm down, deflecting the force of Ace's downward slash, and then his massive body slammed forward, delivering a powerful and heavy shoulder strike to Ace's chest.

"boom!"

Ace was knocked back several steps, the crimson-gold scales on his chest shattering inch by inch, and his bones made a muffled sound.

But in the very next breath, a flame of rebirth spontaneously ignited in his chest. The broken ribs and damaged organs healed completely in less than a second.

"This unreasonable resilience." Zephyr gasped for breath, a deep sense of dread in his eyes.

"The domineering aura of the old era was indeed profound."

Ace landed back on the ground, looking at the former Marine Admiral: "But time waits for no one. You've lost an arm, and your physical abilities are declining severely. How long can you last in this level of high-intensity combat?"

"As long as I live, I will never allow you pirates to run rampant at sea!"

Zephyr let out a roar and once again launched himself forward on the Shave skill.

He knew that he could never win a war of attrition against a mythical beast. His only chance of winning was to concentrate all his domineering aura on one point and completely shatter the opponent's defenses and internal organs!

"Black Wrist - Finishing Blow!"

Zephyr's left arm swelled up, and the jet-black Armament Haki even faintly shimmered with a dark red sheen. He poured all his life's combat experience and killing intent into this unreserved punch.

Faced with the veteran's desperate, all-or-nothing attack, Ace did not dodge.

His eyes were calm as still water. The energy within his body roared like an engine, and the crimson-gold divine fire no longer spewed outwards, but was forcibly restrained on his right fist, perfectly intertwined and extremely compressed with that layer of dark, flowing domineering energy.

Since the opponent had used his strongest Armament Haki, he would use his high-level Ryuo, which was enough to shatter everything, to completely defeat him head-on!

"Divine Fire - Collapse Star!"

Two figures, one large and one small, clashed in the center of the devastated fortress.

"Boom!"

The moment the two fists made contact, it felt as if a slight earthquake had occurred throughout the entire Steel Kingdom.

A blinding white light engulfed the two men, followed by a massive mushroom cloud that shot into the sky. The violent shockwave created a hurricane that swept across the battlefield, crushing all the rubble and wreckage of tanks within a radius of several hundred meters into dust.

The eye of the storm.

Zefa's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

His prized black wrist defense was instantly penetrated by a sharp and solid domineering aura upon contact! That stream of icy energy, mixed with extreme heat, bypassed his Armament Haki armor and began to frantically destroy his bones and muscles from the inside.

"Click"

A chilling sound of bones cracking rang out.

Zephyr's arm was twisted outward by the shock, and that indestructible black aura finally shattered completely under this overwhelming double destructive force!

Zefa coughed up a mouthful of blood, his tall and burly body flying out of control, tumbling dozens of meters across the hard rocky ground before crashing heavily into a surviving steel bunker.

The bunker collapsed with a roar, burying this legend of the old era completely.

The dust and smoke gradually dissipated.

Ace stood still, the flames on his right fist gradually dying out.

He was shirtless, his muscles covered with bruises and scars of all sizes, but they were quickly fading under the nourishment of the divine fire. He exhaled a long breath of scorching white air, and the crimson-gold wings on his back retracted into his body, restoring him to human form.

He gazed silently at the ruins that buried Zefa.

For a long time, no further movement came from the ruins. This veteran, who had lost his right arm and whose physical strength was declining, finally fell to the fist of the monster of the new era.

"This is a worthy opponent."

Ace withdrew his gaze. In this life-or-death struggle, his understanding of the internal destruction of Haki had finally become completely solidified.

The battle between the main generals has already been decided.

Ace turned to look at the other side of the high ground.

There, the continuous sounds of explosions, slashes, and cannon fire still echoed violently. The remaining crew members of the Eclipse Pirates were locked in a fierce battle with the Navy's vice admirals and officers.

Ace walked toward the area where fighting was still taking place.

Chapter 45 Sabo VS Flying Squirrel

"Clang!"

The katana and the alloy staff collided violently in mid-air, exploding into a long string of blinding sparks.

On the other side of the battlefield, the battle between Sabo and Vice Admiral Momonga had reached a fever pitch. The surrounding ground was shattered by sword energy and flames, and no ordinary soldier dared to approach the area.

"boom!"

Sabo waved his left hand, and a ball of orange-red flame swept out along the ground, attempting to block the flying squirrel's retreat.

"How naive, pirate!"

Vice Admiral Momonga let out a cold shout, his legs stomping the ground repeatedly in a very short time. Navy Six Styles: Shave!

His figure instantly transformed into a blur, easily dodging the flames and appearing directly in Sabo's blind spot. The katana in his hand, covered in jet-black Armament Haki, whistled through the air as it aimed straight for the back of Sabo's neck.

Sabo's eyes narrowed, his Observation Haki catching the blade's trajectory at the last second. He ducked sharply, the katana grazing his top hat and severing several strands of golden hair.

In the instant he dodged the fatal blow, Sabo used his waist to generate power, and his long staff lashed out like a venomous snake towards the flying squirrel's ribs.

"Iron block!"

The flying squirrel neither dodged nor evaded, its muscles instantly tensing like iron. The long staff struck his ribs with a dull thud like hitting a thick steel plate. Far from causing any real damage, the immense recoil caused Sabo's wrist to go slightly numb.

"The combination of the Six Styles and the Overbearing Aura is indeed flawless."

Using the recoil, Sabo quickly retreated to create distance, his chest rising and falling slightly, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

This was the first time he had encountered a truly top-tier swordsman since he ate the Flame-Flame Fruit.

The flying squirrel's movements were incredibly fast, and its katana, wrapped in a high density of Armament Haki, could easily cleave through his elemental defenses. If he had been even a fraction of a second slower, his shoulder would have been severed.

"He does have some skill,"

The flying squirrel gripped the swords with both hands, the blades pointing diagonally at the ground, its eyes sharp as an eagle's. "But you're still far from being able to challenge a vice admiral of the Marine Headquarters just by relying on a Logia-type Devil Fruit you recently ate!"

Before he could finish speaking, the flying squirrel suddenly swung its knives with both hands.

"Half-Moon Flying Pavilion!"

A massive sword aura, several meters long and dark blue in color, swept across the ground, cleaving rocks and abandoned chariots in two, and slashed towards Sabo with overwhelming force.

Faced with this unavoidable slash, Sabo took a deep breath and slammed the alloy staff in his hand into the soil beside him.

He raised his hands, his index and middle fingers together, and his ring and little fingers bent. Dark Armament Haki instantly covered his palms and forearms, and with a low shout, orange-red flames spiraled up his dragon claws.

"Flame Dragon - Twin Jaws!"

Instead of retreating, Sabo advanced, facing the massive sword energy head-on, his hands transforming into enormous dragon claw phantoms as he fiercely grabbed at it.

"Crack!"

A piercing tearing sound rang out on the battlefield.

Armament Haki-infused claws, wreathed in flames, gripped the tip of the sword aura tightly. Sabo's feet were pushed backward several meters across the ground, his boots leaving charred marks on the rocks. He gritted his teeth, his arm muscles bulging, and with his ten fingers, he tore the sword aura in half, shattering it into countless points of light!

"You crushed my flying slash with your bare hands?"

The flying squirrel was clearly taken aback for a moment, but as a veteran who had experienced countless battles, he did not hesitate at all. Under the cover of sword energy, he had already charged forward to Sabo.

"Die!"

He raised his katana high, the Armament Haki on the blade so intense that it made the surrounding air feel heavy.

Just as the blade was about to fall, Sabo's mind entered a state of unprecedented clarity.

Suddenly, the image of Ace explaining the advanced use of Armament Haki on the deck yesterday flashed through his mind.

"Don't let your domineering aura remain rigidly on the surface of your skin like a block of iron. Instead, consciously guide it outwards to form a flowing, entwined effect."

"flow……"

As Sabo watched the flying squirrel unleash its deadly strike, he stared intently at the thick layer of black on the blade.