Second, the terrifying speed displayed by this Marine before him was so shockingly fast that Ace simply couldn't react in time.
In the midst of his astonishment, he saw Lancelot raise his thick, powerful leg high, then unleash a swift and forceful whip kick like a bolt of lightning, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound as it viciously lashed toward Ace.
At this point, evasion was clearly out of the question.
With no other choice, Ace hastily crossed his arms in front of his chest, summoning all his strength to try and withstand Lancelot's thunderous strike.
Crack…
With a crisp sound, an overwhelming force erupted! Ace was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, brutally struck by the powerful whip kick.
BOOM!
The airborne Ace ultimately crashed heavily into a towering tree not far away.
Instantly, wood splinters flew, dust billowed, and flames scattered everywhere. Soon, the entire tree burst into flames, creating a truly shocking spectacle.
As for Ace himself, he had exploded into a mass of fire.
But then, something astonishing happened—the flames seemed to come alive, rapidly converging and shrinking.
Moments later, Ace's figure reappeared before everyone.
However, although Ace appeared unharmed due to his Logia intangibility, his slightly trembling arms told the whole story.
Clearly, he had suffered considerably from that earlier blow.
Now, Ace narrowed his eyes, revealing a mix of gravity and wariness.
He was far from foolish; in fact, he was quite intelligent. Especially in combat, he possessed sharp instincts and judgment.
After enduring just one attack from Lancelot, he immediately grasped the disparity in their strength.
Whether in speed or power, he was far inferior to this Marine before him.
If he continued engaging in close-quarters combat, he would likely be defeated in no time.
Thus, the wisest choice now was to rely on long-range attacks.
Of course, while attacking, he also had to ensure the other couldn't get close. Otherwise, he would still be overpowered.
Fortunately, long-range attacks happened to be his area of expertise.
Thinking this, Ace took a deep breath, quietly channeling the energy within his body, preparing to launch a long-range counterattack...
"Fire Fist!"
With a furious roar from Ace, his aura surged dramatically.
In an instant, Ace transformed his arm into a massive, intensely burning flame of extreme heat.
Then, with a sudden burst of force, he extended the flame-engulfed arm rapidly forward.
In the blink of an eye, a gigantic fist formed of scorching flames materialized before Lancelot, hurtling toward him with overwhelming momentum.
This technique was not only incredibly fast, making it nearly impossible to react to, but it also covered a wide area, capable of striking multiple targets simultaneously.
Most terrifying of all was its devastating impact, as if it could obliterate any obstacle in its path.
This was one of Ace's most reliable and frequently used signature moves.
Once, on the open sea ten miles away, Ace had effortlessly sunk five heavily fortified ships with this single technique alone.
Thus, one could see just how astonishing and fearsome the power of the "Fire Fist" truly was.
However, faced with such a ferocious and relentless assault, Lancelot remained exceptionally calm and composed.
Unhurriedly, he extended his right hand forward, and an immensely dense, black Armament Haki surged forth from his palm like a tidal wave.
What happened next was truly astounding—the originally formless Armament Haki began to gradually take shape, morphing into a massive and solid shield.
The shield was pitch black, gleaming with a cold metallic luster, appearing utterly indestructible.
It positioned itself in front of Lancelot, completely shielding him from harm.
It is worth noting that Lancelot's inspiration for this defensive method came from Vice Admiral Kong Ming (from the One Piece special).
In Kong Ming's hands, Armament Haki was not merely a tool to enhance one's defense; it could also be further evolved into a longsword for offense.
If it could be shaped into a longsword, then naturally, it could also take on various other forms.
It was precisely this realization that sparked Lancelot's ingenuity, leading him to create this unique Armament Haki Greatshield.
His mastery of Armament Haki was more than sufficient to execute this technique.
"BOOM..."
With an ear-splitting roar, Ace's fiery fist, akin to a volcanic eruption, came crashing down!
It had to be admitted that the power of this Fire Fist was truly terrifying.
When it struck the greatshield formed by Lancelot's Armament Haki, although it failed to shatter the sturdy defense, the raging flames surged past the shield like a bursting dam.
In that instant, Lancelot felt the scorching high temperature.
Such intense heat, even for someone as powerful as Lancelot, sent a shiver of alarm through him.
His eyebrows involuntarily twitched slightly as he thought to himself: If not for his formidable strength and near-perverse physical resilience, few would be able to survive such astonishing temperatures.
At this very moment, an indescribable rage surged within Lancelot's heart.
He had been misled by the "online chatter" of his past life, by those who claimed the Mera Mera no Mi was useless and even dogs wouldn't spare it a glance.
This had caused people to greatly underestimate the terror of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
If those people were standing here now, witnessing the power of this Fire Fist with their own eyes, they would surely shut their mouths.
Look at those raging flames that swept past both sides of the giant shield—they did not stop there.
They continued their rampage, and wherever they passed, whether it was lush green trees, iron-hard rocks, or solid ground, nothing could withstand the devastation of this violent force.
In the blink of an eye, two bottomless trenches appeared on the ground, like wounds torn open in the earth, a shocking sight to behold.
When everything returned to calm...
Around Lancelot, apart from the spot where he stood, there was not a single patch of ground left intact. It was as if divine punishment had just struck...
Lancelot retracted the giant shield formed by his Armament Haki, and when he looked at Ace again, he couldn't help but murmur.
"Alright! I admit I underestimated you."
"Well then... I'm getting serious now."
Hiss...
Meanwhile, Ace, seeing how easily Lancelot had withstood even the Fire Fist, drew a sharp breath.
His eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
He even began to doubt his own existence!
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