The calamity King looked down at Queen who was retreating, cursing under his breath.
However, Ace was also just getting into the battle and had not faced a tough opponent like this in a while. Since entering the New World, the Four Emperors, Youta, and Yamato had put him under a lot of pressure, and he was eager to break through in battle.
"Flame Commandment - Fire Mirror."
The blazing flames erupted in an instant, causing King to frown. As a member of a special species that possesses its own flame power, his resistance to fire is not weak, but even with strong resistance, it cannot compete with the specialized power of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
Furthermore, with the help of Youta, Ace has developed real flying abilities using the force of the flames, even surpassing King’s flight speed. Therefore, even in air combat, King struggles to avoid Ace's attacks.
When Youta first met Ace, Ace could use flames to propel himself across long distances from the ship to the island, but this method of flight was limited to straight-line movements, making him prone to falling if he tried to fly parallel.
Youta advised Ace to modify his hands to act as flame propulsion units, similar to Iron Man, allowing him to maintain balance in flight.
With a loud boom, a flash of fire streaked across the sky, and the flames on King's back blazed fiercely. Ace's attack seemed to have little effect on him.
Then, the flames behind King flickered, and his speed increased dramatically. The wings, wrapped in Armament Haki, struck Ace violently.
King's attacks included additional fire damage, which meant little to Ace. Only Armament Haki could affect Ace, which somewhat weakened King's attacks.
Nevertheless, as a top-tier member of the second echelon who could stand toe-to-toe with a Four Emperor, King's Haki and physique were still far superior to Ace.
However, factoring in Ace's Devil Fruit ability, the outcome of this battle was uncertain.
The two fought in the sky for several more hours. King realized it would be difficult to conclude the battle quickly, and with his two teammates already retreating, continuing the fight would lead to his exhaustion. His fighting spirit began to wane.
At the same time, Ace discovered the secret behind King’s flames. "I see... When the flames burn fiercely, his defence increases, and when they diminish or go out, his speed increases."
"Is this guy a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user?"
Ace's assumption was incorrect. The flames behind King were from his species' abilities, not his Devil Fruit, but this didn't stop Ace from adjusting his combat style based on King's flames.
Realizing his retreat, and with his abilities being seen through, King endured several strong attacks and could no longer handle them. "This guy seems to have figured out my combat style, and Lord Yamato, along with that thief who defeated Maria, have their hands free. This battle is unwinnable and meaningless now, so I should retreat!"
With that in mind, the flames behind King went out suddenly, and just as Ace was on alert, he saw King transform into a shadow and become a black speck on the horizon.
"This guy... just ran away." Ace watched as King disappeared, looking disappointed. "I was just getting ready for a battle lasting several days and nights."
Ace descended from the sky and surveyed the area. Despite the battle taking place in the sky, the powerful moves had wreaked havoc on the entire town.
"Damn it, now I'm going bankrupt!" Ace's face fell. Although he often eats without paying and sneaks away, he still feels obligated to compensate the local residents for any significant damage caused by his battle.
However, the Spade Pirates are not the kind of pirates who rob and plunder. Their income mainly comes from preying on other pirate challengers, so their finances are not very robust.
Moreover, being a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, Ace's battles tend to be grand, and he's not sure if his funds will be enough to cover the damages.
"Don't worry, I've already compensated for the damages," a distant voice called out. It was Youta and Yamato approaching. "Remember, I collected a lot from Kaido's treasure vault? Half of it went to the pirate crew's budget."
Pirate crews typically have rules where half of the crew's treasure is shared, but the Spade Pirates are more like an adventuring group than a typical pirate crew. So these rules are not strictly enforced.
The treasure Youta obtained from the Beasts Pirates was technically his to decide whether to share or not, but he didn’t want to create conflict within the Spade Pirates. Moreover, if it weren’t for Ace and Yamato's training, he wouldn't have entered the Beasts Pirates' treasure vault so easily.
After hearing Youta, Ace's expression improved slightly. Although he's not stingy, it is nice to avoid any complaints from his vice-captain.
Managing the crew is far from Ace's forte, as his personality and management style can be overwhelming, even for a group of around 20 pirates. Therefore, Dues handles the crew’s day-to-day matters.
Dues is practical and reliable, but he often finds Ace’s casual thinking exasperating and can’t help nagging him constantly, which gives Ace a headache.
After this battle, the Spade Pirates no longer stayed on the island. The residents had been frightened, and whenever Ace and his crew walked the streets, the people fled.
"Is our next step to seek out the Red-Haired Pirates?"
On the Spade Pirates' deck, Ace, Dues, Yamato, and Youta discussed the next move.
Youta stroked his chin and said, "Going to the Red-Haired Pirates is indeed a good idea... you might even learn Conqueror's Haki infusion from Shanks."
"Conqueror's Haki infusion? Can Conqueror's Haki be used like Armament Haki?" Ace asked in surprise.
"For that, you can ask Yamato," Youta nodded towards Yamato. "His father, Kaido, is a master of Conqueror's Haki infusion."
Yamato nodded in agreement. "That's right, my old man's Conqueror's Haki infusi
on is his strongest technique, far surpassing Armament Haki in power."
