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

Although the Dadan family provided herbal remedies, the subtle damage that reached the bone marrow was something that ordinary medical methods simply couldn't completely eradicate. Once Sabo develops his Haki to an extremely high level, these hidden injuries might become a fatal bottleneck preventing him from breaking through.

"Take off your clothes and turn around." Ace stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow in the sunlight.

"Huh? What?" Although Sabo was puzzled, out of absolute trust in Ace, he obediently took off his tuxedo and turned his back to Ace.

Ace stepped forward, raised his right hand, and a bright red-gold flame instantly enveloped his entire palm.

"Don't move."

Ace spoke calmly, his hand, burning with divine fire, pressing directly onto Sabo's right shoulder.

"hiss--!"

Sabo instinctively gasped, his body tensing instantly, thinking he would be burned by the terrifying heat.

However, the next second, he was stunned.

There was no burning pain as he had expected. The moment the crimson-gold flames touched his body, they transformed into an extremely pure, gentle, and powerful warm current, like a hot spring, seeping directly into the depths of his shoulder blades through his skin pores!

"This is?!"

Sabo froze on the spot.

He could clearly feel the warm current flowing through his body.

Those tiny tears and bone abrasions hidden deep within the gaps in muscle fibers, which he himself usually could hardly detect, were being healed and regenerated at an incredible speed under the influence of this crimson flame!

In just over ten seconds, when Ace withdrew his hand, Sabo felt an unprecedented sense of ease and clarity in his entire right side. The heavy, sluggish feeling that had accompanied him for several years was completely swept away!

"Your flames... can heal?" Sabo turned around, looking at Ace as if he were a monster. He himself was a user of the Flame-Flame Fruit, and knew the properties of fire all too well. Fire could only bring destruction, how could it possibly bring new life?!

"This is the power of the Vermilion Bird."

Ace remained calm and offered no further explanation. He not only healed Sabo's shoulder but also smoothed out several other minor injuries within Sabo's body.

"You are the future first mate of Eclipse."

Ace withdrew his hand.

"What if this hidden injury embarrasses me in the future?"

Ace picked up the large machete beside him and casually slung it over his shoulder.

"We'll stay on this island for the next two months."

Ace's gaze swept across the endless primeval jungle, as if he were looking at an excellent training ground. "There's plenty of food, and no Marine spies. The Eclipse doesn't need to set sail until it has completely integrated its Devil Fruit power with Haki."

"Just to my liking."

Feeling his body fully restored to its peak condition, Sabo gripped the alloy staff tightly, his blue eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit.

……

The next two months were almost a disaster for this isolated, deserted island.

Ace and Sabo stayed here, completely unleashing their power.

During the day, fires and roars constantly erupted from the depths of the jungle.

At night, the cliffs were melted into flowing lava by the crimson divine fire, and the black rocks on the coast were shattered into pieces by the fiery fists.

Those ancient beasts that once inhabited the island were completely reduced to sparring partners, targets, and food supplies for the two.

Sabo's Fire Fist is now capable of destroying large ships head-on.

Ace, meanwhile, was constantly getting used to switching between half-beast form and full-beast form.

Once the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire, advanced physique, and domineering aura are combined, every punch, wing flap, and slash he makes can melt the cliff into flowing lava.

Until the day when the two of them had almost completely destroyed the island's ecosystem.

On the deck of the Eclipse ship on the coast.

"After two months of closed testing, the integration of physical skills, Haki, and Devil Fruit abilities has been fully completed."

Ace donned a brand-new dark red trench coat and stood at the bow of the ship. His tall figure appeared even more imposing and abyssal in the sea breeze, and the oppressive aura emanating from his every move was more restrained than it had been two months ago, yet even more suffocating.

"It's time to set off, Sabo. Let's weigh anchor."

Ace looked at Sabo, who was standing at the helm, and calmly gave the order.

"Understood, Captain."

Sabo adjusted his top hat and turned to walk toward the anchor.

"Understood, Captain."

The heavy steel anchor was slowly pulled up, and the pure black mainsail roared to full size in the sea breeze.

Like a long-dormant black beast, the Eclipse finally tore through the thick fog of the southwestern sea, leaving the ravaged, nameless island far behind.

Ace stood at the bow of the ship, calmly gazing at the faint outline of the town that appeared on the horizon.

"First stop, Orange Town."

Chapter 12: The Conqueror's Haki Clears the Field, the Comedy Cast Takes Place

East China Sea, Orange Town.

This once bustling port town is now shrouded in choking smoke and deathly silence.

In the town square, a group of pirates dressed in outlandish circus costumes were looting and plundering, their revelry echoing through the ruins.

"Captain Bucky, the town's vault has been completely emptied!"

A pirate henchman riding a unicycle reported loudly.

In the center of the square, a man with a conspicuous red nose and wearing a heavy captain's coat sat on a magnificent chair, tossing a few gold coins in his hand.

"here you go!"

Bucky the Clown grinned, flipping gold coins between his fingers.

"Move everything of value onto my ship! Hurry up, don't give the navy a chance to react!"

"Yes, Captain Bucky!"

The pirates immediately cheered.

Bucky was about to give the next order when he suddenly stopped.

"Tap...tap..."

A series of steady footsteps came from the ruined streets at the edge of the square.

The voice was neither hurried nor slow.

But every step he took felt like stepping on the hearts of everyone in the square.

Bucky's smile slowly faded.

He's managed to survive in Donghai for so long, and it's not just because of his red nose and luck.

His experience of encountering real monsters on the Grand Line gave him a far more acute intuition for danger than that of ordinary East Blue pirates.

He turned his head sharply and looked at the end of the street.

Amidst the billowing smoke, two tall figures emerged.

The man walking in front was wearing a dark red trench coat and was about 2.5 meters tall. His tall stature was unlike that of someone who would appear in the East China Sea.

His broad, sturdy shoulders beneath the trench coat caused nearby pirates to instinctively take a half-step back with every step he took.

He ignored the henchmen and fixed his gaze directly on Bucky.

Beside him stood a blond young man dressed in a dark blue tuxedo, holding a long alloy staff.

Sabo.

He was also over 2.4 meters tall, his top hat was pulled low, and he had a gentle smile on his face, but the long cane in his hand made it impossible for anyone to mistake him for an ordinary noble young master.

"Who goes there?!"

Cabaji, the strategist of the Buggy Pirates, drew his longsword and shouted sharply:

"How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Buggy Pirates!"

The animal trainer, Mochi, patted the giant lion Liki, whose size was comparable to a house, next to him.

Leakey growled, his sharp fangs gleaming coldly in the smoke.

"shot!"

Kabaji raised his sword and pointed it.

"Shoot those two reckless bastards like hornets in a haystack!"

Dozens of musketeers around immediately raised their flintlock muskets, their dark muzzles aimed at Ace and Sabo.

Surrounded by dozens of people, Ace neither drew his sword nor stopped.

He simply raised his gaze and swept it across the square.

The next moment, the air seemed to sink.

There was no strong wind.

There was no explosion.

But the pirates who were holding guns seemed to have their throats grabbed at the same time, and their movements froze on the spot.

An invisible pressure descended upon Ace.

After two years of honing his skills, he can now precisely control the release and application of his Conqueror's Haki.

The oppressive force did not affect the civilians hiding in the distance, but only the pirates in the square.

"thump!"

The first pirate rolled his eyes and collapsed.

Then came the second, and the third.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Those pirate henchmen who were just laughing and looting didn't even have time to scream before they foamed at the mouth and collapsed unconscious on the ground.