One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

"Dark Ranger, Issho!"

As they looked upon the middle-aged, blind man standing calmly on the deck of the massive ship descending through the sky gate, cold sweat formed on Hina and Smoker's foreheads. This was a terrifying, formidable figure—an unknown on the seas until he appeared during the Flame Emperor incident. Known for wielding Gravity Ability. He had even teamed up with 'Pluton' Rayleigh and 'The Flame - Thunder Cat Burglar' Nami to counter the Headquarters Admiral, Kizaru. By exploiting his unique ability, he had effectively neutralized Kizaru's Sparkling Fruit powers.

Issho's strength wasn't limited to his fruit power; he had also fought Aokiji, then an Admiral of Headquarters, holding his ground without a hint of disadvantage. His Observation Haki was perfected to the ultimate degree, allowing him to glimpse brief moments into the future—a rare and chilling mastery that placed him among the elite. When the Five Elders triggered a Buster Call, he used his Gravity Fruit to halt the onslaught of cannonballs mid-air, leaving hundreds of shells suspended above Sabaody Archipelago.

With his mastery over Devil Fruits, Haki, and swordsmanship, Issho embodied the peak of combat power on the sea. In fact, even the formidable three-element Admirals of Headquarters would struggle to overpower him in battle. Alongside Kuzan, who had recently joined Flame Emperor's forces, Issho was one of four extraordinary fighters under Flame Emperor, each possessing world-shaking strength. As the captain of the Entei Pirates' second division, Issho held a bounty of 1.8 billion beli—a testament to his might.

With two of these four titans now present, Hina and Smoker could only imagine the impact this gathering would have. If Kuzan and Issho were to unite their powers, even a lone Emperor of the Sea might be forced to retreat. Watching these two powerful figures from afar, Smoker and Hina felt a sharp chill of helplessness.

"This ship is impressive, Issho-san," Kuzan remarked, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He felt a sense of respect for the second division's captain. Issho's compassion had been on full display during the Flame Emperor incident; when the Buster Call was unleashed, Issho risked his own safety, using his Devil Fruit powers to stop the barrage and protect the people of Sabaody Archipelago. This act reminded Kuzan of Ohara, where he had failed to prevent the massacre. But Issho, with Ace's support, had succeeded in shielding civilians—a justice Kuzan understood deeply. Perhaps this was why a man with such principles had chosen to follow Ace; only under Ace's command could ideals like his be truly realized.

"The Captain built it for me," Issho replied, a soft smile emerging. Amazon Lily's skilled shipwrights, under Ace's direction, had crafted exclusive ships for each division, aided by the resources of the Realm of Comprehension.

At that moment, Issho raised his head, extending his Devil Fruit ability. Another massive ship, ethereal as it emerged from the sky gate, descended through the air.

With the power of the Gravity Fruit, the ship floated down gracefully, settling onto the sea's surface with hardly a ripple. Kuzan's eyes widened at the sight. This vessel, with a shimmering, ice-crystal hull and a majestic bird's head carved into the bow, bore the Entei Pirates' fearsome flag on its main sail.

On the sail beneath the main mast, a large "1" was inscribed.

"Well, Kuzan, what do you think? Do you like it?" Ace's laughter came through the den-den mushi, echoing warmly.

This vessel was a custom-built warship, crafted exclusively for Kuzan by Ace and the shipwrights of Nine Snakes.

"No need for thanks, Kuzan." Ace's voice, though simple, held a weight of understanding.

Kuzan's lips moved slightly, but he offered no words of gratitude, only a slight smile. Gratitude was unnecessary between them. From the moment Kuzan had left the Marines and pledged his loyalty to the Entei Pirates, he had surrendered his life, his ideals, and his loyalty to Ace.

Ace continued, "Good. If you like it, bring Zephyr and Ain aboard and let Marine handle the rest."

"Understood," Kuzan replied.

Following Kuzan's instruction, Issho used his devil fruit ability to lift the frozen forms of Zephyr and Ain, releasing them from gravity's hold. The two ice sculptures rose slowly into the sky, disappearing through the air gate with a soft "click" as the portal sealed shut.

"The power of the Door-Door Fruit...what terrifying capabilities," Hina muttered, staring at the empty space where the portal had been, her wide eyes reflecting a mixture of disbelief and fear. The Marines were already unable to pinpoint the Entei Pirates' fleet precisely. Ace's ship was under the protection of Nami, whose mastery of the Thunder Fruit granted her Observation Haki an extensive range of perception.

With such an adept navigator, the Marines had no hope of deploying reconnaissance within her Observation Haki's reach. Unlike the other Four Emperors, Ace didn't merely ignore enemy vessels; he would go as far as to teach the Marines a lesson, leaving their ships in ruins. His unpredictability made him all the more dangerous. At times, he was cold and calculating; at others, he was mad and terrifying.

Reports indicated that the Entei Pirates were moving toward the Calm Belt, far from the Marines' current location. But now, with Ace's Door-Door Fruit opening portals for long-distance teleportation, an assault on Marineford was no longer a distant threat. If Ace wanted to attack Naval Headquarters, he could appear at Marineford with a single air gate.

Disbelief, fear, and even dread gripped Hina as she realized just how formidable an enemy they faced.

"All right, next stop: Dressrosa." Ace's voice sounded again through the transponder. "Issho, relay the mission details to Kuzan."

"Understood, Captain." Issho nodded.

"By the way, Captain," Kuzan interjected, "I have intel on Marine movements I'd like to report."

"Huh? What's the matter?" Ace's voice came through the den-den mushi.

"After I left, Akainu took up the role of Fleet Admiral, leaving one of the three Admiral positions at Naval Headquarters vacant. However, none of the current candidates truly have the strength required for an Admiral of Headquarters.

So, the World Government initiated a global recruitment drive, though the initial results were far from ideal…" Kuzan's words didn't surprise Ace.

In the original story, the World Government launched a worldwide conscription after the Summit War, as the Marines had no suitable successor for the Admiral of Headquarters. During that recruitment, Issho and Green Bull emerged as Admirals of Headquarters.

Now, Issho has become the captain of Ace's second division. At best, Green Bull could fill one Admiral position, but there's still no ideal candidate for the remaining vacancy.

After all, individuals with the power level necessary to become Admirals are rare; they don't grow on trees. Even in clashes between the Four Emperors' pirate groups, such powerful forces can sway the entire battle.

With Kuzan's departure, this leaves another vacancy in the Admiral ranks—something intolerable for both Naval Headquarters and the World Government.

"After I left, the World Government supplied Naval Headquarters with a Devil Fruit," Kuzan continued.

"Oh? A Devil Fruit?" Ace raised his eyebrows at the news.

"Yes, and not just any Devil Fruit. It's a rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit: the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Naga," Kuzan explained, his tone serious. "It's been given to Chaton, who they hope to promote as the next Admiral after world conscription."

"I see. It seems the World Government has quite a few rare Devil Fruits up its sleeve. Giving such a precious Mythical Zoan to an admiral candidate, however, suggests they're getting desperate," Ace chuckled.

The Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Naga, is based on a legendary monster in japan. It grants the user the ability to transform into a legendary Naga—a divine, snake-like being from mythology 

But Chaton alone doesn't have the strength to become the next Admiral of Headquarters. If he's to reach that level in a short time, the Devil Fruit's powerful abilities might be his only path.

The Mythical Zoan fruits aren't weak. With complete mastery and awakening, Chaton could at least attain the strength of an Admiral candidate.

Additionally, Chaton himself already has the strength of an Admiral candidate, so with the power of the rare Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, it wouldn't be hard for him to reach the threshold of an Admiral.

However, the World Government likely doesn't have many such valuable Devil Fruits of the Mythical Zoan type. Take the Valley of the Gods incident, for example: even the Knights of God—a group made up entirely of elite Celestial Dragons and one of the true pillars of the World Government—had to go through a hunting competition to secure the Paw-Paw Fruit and the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.

Although the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Naga isn't as potent as the Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon model that Kaido ate, it is still an extremely powerful Devil Fruit.

The fact that this power wasn't given to the Knights of God but to an Admiral candidate suggests that the World Government truly lacks a suitable candidate for the Admiral of Headquarters position.

After all, Chaton doesn't possess Conqueror's Haki, nor does he have Kuzan's Iron Fist, inherited from Garp. Even with this Devil Fruit, his experience may not match that of others like Kuzan. As things stand, this year's Naval Headquarters Admirals seem a bit weaker than their predecessors.

Kuzan's information laid out the current high-level combat power of Naval Headquarters: Fleet Admiral Akainu, and the Admirals—Kizaru, Green Bull, and Chaton.

"Marine's combat power is dwindling. We don't need to worry about them. Our ultimate target is the World Government," Ace said with a laugh.

Since Kuzan left and joined Ace's crew, Marine's strength no longer posed a real threat to the Entei Pirates' fleet. Now, their true opponent was the World Government.

"Understood," Issho and Kuzan chuckled, acknowledging their captain. This was the man they followed, a leader before whom Naval Headquarters no longer stood a chance.

"Let's get moving, Kuzan-san. Dressrosa has become a pirate kingdom under Doflamingo, one of the Shichibukai. We need to clear him out. Then, we'll destroy Kaido's smile factory for artificial Devil Fruits there. And finally, we'll kill Doflamingo and eliminate the Donquixote family completely. The powers of the String-String Fruit and Childlike Fruit are what we need."

With determination, Issho looked at Kuzan and said, "We're launching our crusade against the Four Emperors, Kaido!"

"Understood," Kuzan replied with a nod.

Destroying Doflamingo's pirate stronghold, Dressrosa, didn't require Ace's direct involvement. Ace was now a man above the Four Emperors. For him to personally take down a Shichibukai would be beneath his status.

Issho and Kuzan, two of the crew's top commanders, were dispatched, making the Donquixote family little more than lambs for the slaughter. Kuzan alone could defeat Doflamingo, but Ace wanted to make a statement to the world—a display of what it meant to be the strongest pirate crew.

Smoker and Hina, watching from afar, could only stare in frustration as Kuzan and Issho's ship disappeared into the horizon. Their abilities weren't strong enough to eavesdrop on Ace's plans, leaving them to wait anxiously for Marine's rescue, as their den-den mushis were rendered useless in Kuzan's freezing air.

——

Amazon Lily

"It's quite amusing that Chaton actually became an Admiral, don't you think, Gion?" Ace asked with a grin, glancing at the tall woman by his side.

——