Pirate: I have a Hollow living inside me!

"Storm Kick!"

After shooting Ace down, Daritz looked down at the ship and Deus, who looked horrified on board.

He raised his right leg like a scorpion's tail, and with a flick of his leg, a gust of wind blade slashed straight down.

With a 'sizzling' sound, the ship below was split in two, and a long gash appeared in the sea...

Having done all that, Dalitz stopped paying attention to what was below.

He descended from the sky using Moon Step, one of the Six Styles of Footwork.

He stood at the harbor's seaside location, his nearly three-meter height blocking everyone's path like a city wall!

Daritz's gaze swept over everyone before finally landing on Smoker, his tone commanding: "I'll take over here from now on!"

"..."

Just like the sword strike Rocks had delivered earlier, an eerie silence fell over the arena.

Ace's strength as a Logia-type Devil Fruit user was evident to all; he was able to fight to a draw with a fellow Logia-type Marine captain...

As a result, they were so easily blasted away by this newly appeared navy.

This scene left all the pirates stunned, and a chill ran down their spines...

"A...a Rear Admiral from the Navy Headquarters!?"

"Why would a Rear Admiral from the Navy Headquarters appear in the East China Sea? Shouldn't a naval officer of this rank be on missions in the Grand Line?"

"This is terrible..."

Some pirates identified Daritz by the badge he was wearing.

Rear Admiral (Naval Headquarters)

Anyone with a basic understanding knows what a naval admiral represents.

This is a strong force in the navy, a backbone of the navy.

Every naval admiral is a representative of strength.

Even with just the rank of brigadier general, he possesses the ability to capture pirates with bounties of nearly 100 million Berries.

Furthermore, the Navy Rear Admiral possesses the terrifying strength to pursue pirates with bounties exceeding one hundred million.

Promotion in the navy requires not only personal strength but also the support of meritorious service.

Placing a rear admiral in the East China Sea is an absolute game-changer...

The Buggy Pirates panicked.

Those with weaker wills were already in despair and couldn't even muster the courage to fight again.

Just as a vicious pirate with a high bounty can make a weak navy lose its will to fight, a high-ranking navy can also make a weak pirate lose the will to resist.

Because they both understood the disparity in strength and knew that resistance would only lead to the same outcome.

A rear admiral from the Navy Headquarters is simply beyond their ability to withstand...

Chapter 48 is getting more and more interesting...

"Yes, Major General Daritz!"

Smoker recognized the other person's identity.

Although they had never met, as fellow naval personnel from the Navy Headquarters, it was impossible for him not to recognize them.

Furthermore, a rear admiral at the Navy Headquarters also has the authority to mobilize and command branch bases at certain times.

The moment the enemy arrived, command was no longer in his hands...

"A rear admiral?"

Rocks looked at the unexpected navy with great interest, and habitually counted on his fingers: "Why would a navy of this caliber appear in the East Blue? Are they like that old man Garp, visiting family?"

"Never mind, it's none of my business."

Lockes didn't think about it in detail.

Rear Admiral it is.

It has nothing to do with him.

He's not a wanted criminal.

Lox, on the other hand, was more interested in how things were developing.

How will Buggy and Ace deal with a Marine Rear Admiral who has mastered Haki?

Let's not suffer a crushing defeat here; that would be quite interesting...

"Cough cough..."

Ace climbed up from the crater burning with flames.

Flames flickered across his body, and he coughed a few times, clutching his chest...

That punch just now broke several of his ribs, causing him a serious injury...

"What...did you do to my comrade?"

Ace stared at Daritz with bloodshot eyes, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

His ship broke in two on the sea, but there was no sign of Dios...

Could it be that Diess has already...?

'boom!'

Stimulated by this emotion, Ace's latent power was unleashed.

The power known as Conqueror's Haki erupted from Ace at this moment, sweeping out in a vast wave...

The arena fell silent once again.

Even the wind seemed to have stopped blowing.

'boom! '

Immediately afterwards, a naval soldier seemed to be struck by some invisible force; his head spun, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth...

'Bang bang bang...'

Once there's a first, there's bound to be a second.

Like a domino effect, those who were weak and unable to resist the Conqueror's Haki felt powerless all over.

They collapsed one after another, falling into a coma, like wheat being harvested...

"This is……"

As Ace unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, only a few people in the arena were still able to stand.

"Conqueror's Haki!"

Smoker and Daritz's pupils contracted sharply, their eyes filled with shock and solemnity as they looked at Ace.

The opponent is not only a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, but also a user of Conqueror's Haki.

The fact that both of them exist in one person undoubtedly raises Ace's perceived threat level even higher!

"What's going on in this sea area? Another user of Conqueror's Haki has appeared..."

Bucky opened his mouth wide, his expression quite comical.

He really wanted to curse.

Ever since he encountered that monster, Rocks, he felt that something had changed about this sea...

He encountered two Logia-type Devil Fruit users, which are extremely rare.

A naval rear admiral who shouldn't be in the East China Sea is now standing in front of him, trying to arrest them.

Now, the person who ate the Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit has actually shown the potential to possess Conqueror's Haki...

Is this really the East China Sea he remembers?

Why are monsters appearing one after another?!

"Is the release of the subconscious still beyond our control?"

Rocks wasn't surprised at all that Ace possessed Conqueror's Haki.

As anyone who has watched the anime knows, Ace was already able to unconsciously unleash Conqueror's Haki at the age of ten.

However, Lox discovered...

Ace's Conqueror's Haki was not under his control; it could only be released subconsciously when he was emotionally agitated...

"Without the control over Conqueror's Haki, we can't handle this crisis."

Rocks didn't want to get involved in this battle.

Ace was just a familiar stranger to him, and he wouldn't lend a helping hand just because the other person was a character from the original work.

Our friendship hasn't reached that level yet.

Lox stood leisurely a short distance away, chuckling happily: "This is getting more and more interesting..."

Although Ace is not the chosen one of this world, he is still a force to be reckoned with.

In the current crisis.

The opponent will likely unleash their potential and greatly increase their strength. Even a Marine Rear Admiral who has mastered Haki might not be a match for Ace...

The rubber sun god from the original work is nowhere to be seen, but when his potential is unleashed, he can defeat even the Seven Warlords of the Sea and CP9.

Rocks didn't think Ace lacked the potential.

He's Roger's son, after all.

If we lose, that's fate.

In the future, perhaps Whitebeard will be able to exit the stage in a less tragic way...

This is getting more and more interesting...