"Such an impatient guy," Aeridar said with a grin. "Well, I guess I'll have to show you what a real monster looks like. But don't worry, for certain reasons, I won't kill you."
"Talk all you want about being merciful. You better watch out for yourself!" Ace retorted indignantly as raging flames erupted around him.
"Fire Fist!"
Ace threw a punch, his entire right arm transforming into a giant fist of flame. The fire shot forward, its light soaring toward the sky. The surrounding temperature suddenly skyrocketed, and the ground was scorched black.
"Heh… A Fire Fist, not bad," Aeridar chuckled, throwing a casual punch of his own.
Whoosh!
The air surged violently. A massive, chaotic shockwave formed, plowing a trench in the ground.
Boom!
The shockwave obliterated the giant fist of flame and continued on its path. The scattered, violent air currents swept across the area, forcefully tearing up everything within a radius of dozens of meters.
"Ah! Run!"
"Damn it, a Devil Fruit user is fighting!"
"Get back! You'll die if you get caught in this!"
"Those flames! That's this year's top rookie, Fire Fist Ace!"
"Who the hell is fighting Fire Fist Ace?"
"Oh my God! Golden Ring Aeridar! Why is a big shot like him here?!"
The battle between Aeridar and Ace immediately drew attention, scaring the people on the street into running for their lives. A few brave or foolhardy onlookers stayed behind, but when they recognized Ace and Aeridar, most of them also fled in fear.
Back on the battlefield, Ace's Fire Fist was dispersed by Aeridar's shockwave. The shockwave then engulfed the entire Spade Pirates crew. Everyone was blown away and coughed up blood.
Luckily, the force of the shockwave had been partially nullified by Ace's attack, and Aeridar wasn't fighting with his full power, so the crew was only slightly wounded.
"That bastard!" Ace scrambled to his feet, enraged at the sight of his injured crewmates.
"You guys head back! I'll handle this!" Ace ordered. Without waiting for a reply, he charged toward Aeridar, who was nearly a hundred meters away.
"Cap—" Someone tried to yell but was held back by another crewmate.
"Let's go. This isn't a fight we can get involved in," said a clear-headed crew member. "We'll only worry Captain Ace if we stay here."
Thump!
"Damn it!" a man with a long sword on his back cursed, punching the ground. He then turned and left with the others.
"Kagero!" Ace roared, transforming his limbs into fire and propelling himself forward with a fiery burst.
"Pressure Wall!"
Aeridar held his hand out flat and pushed forward. A powerful force erupted from his palm, impacting the air in front of him and creating a tangible wall of air.
Boom!
The flames slammed into the wall less than a meter away from Aeridar but were held back. After a moment of stalemate, they slowly fizzled out.
"It's not over! Shinka: Shiranui!" Ace yelled, his hands turning into flames that he swung forward.
Swoosh!
Two fiery spears pierced through the damp grassy ground, leaving only their hilts exposed.
"What? Where did he go?" Ace saw his attack pass through the spot where Aeridar had been standing. He had vanished again.
"What kind of ability is this? Is he just really fast, or is it teleportation?" Ace looked around, his face grave.
"Hey, were you looking for me?" a somewhat familiar voice said from behind Ace.
Ace's hair stood on end. He quickly spun around and saw Aeridar just a step away, a friendly smile on his face.
"Hey, take this!" Aeridar said with a light chuckle, stepping forward and punching.
Thud!
"Gah!"
With a muffled sound, Ace took a direct hit. He spit out blood and was sent flying backward.
Crash!
Ace slammed into a wall a dozen meters away, kicking up a cloud of dust. Most of his body was embedded in the wall, which was covered in a web of cracks.
"Cough…" Ace struggled to lift his head and coughed up more blood. He looked at Aeridar in disbelief. "H-how is this possible?"
"It's been a while since you've been beaten, hasn't it, Fire Fist Ace?" Aeridar tilted his head, a playful smile on his face. He felt an inexplicable thrill from beating up Ace.
"Is it Seastone? Or something else?" Ace wiped the blood from his mouth, his face grim as he got up.
"You'll find out what kind of power counters Logia users when you get to the New World," Aeridar said, leaning forward. He vanished with a swoosh, leaving a cracked patch of ground behind.
"So fast!" Ace was shocked. This time, he noticed the way Aeridar moved was different, but he was still incredibly fast. Ace's eyes couldn't track him.
Whack!
A black blur struck Ace's head, snapping his neck to the left and sending his entire body flying sideways.
Crash!
Ace flew dozens of meters into a shop. His head was spinning as if it had been hit by a giant hammer. A ringing sound echoed in his ears.
"This is the gap. The chasm you can't cross between you and me," Aeridar said, standing where Ace had been. He leisurely lowered his raised right leg.
Lying in the shop's rubble, Ace's nose and mouth were bleeding. Blood dripped onto the ground. He struggled for a long time before he could lean against a wall and stand up, but his vision was still blurred.
Tap, tap, tap…
Aeridar walked to the shop entrance and looked at the battered Ace. "Half-assed martial arts. All you rely on is the Flame-Flame Fruit. And you're already in this state after one punch and one kick from me. It's pathetic, Portgas D. Ace."
"Shut… shut up, you monster!" Ace leaned against the wall, meeting Aeridar's gaze with a miserable smile. Then his eyes hardened. "I… I haven't lost yet."
"This is the end, Portgas D. Ace," Aeridar said, his eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms. "You are still a long way from facing this overwhelming power. Let me give you some advice: work on your martial arts and your body."
"Huh?" Ace looked bewildered, not understanding what Aeridar was getting at.