One Piece: Starting at the War of the Best

"Dad, what should we do? Do we step in or not?"

The sudden explosion of battle between Katie and Akainu left Marco and the others, who had been preparing to assist, at a complete loss.

"No need," Whitebeard replied calmly. "If that kid really wanted to escape, she wouldn't have chosen to duel Akainu. Just watch quietly—I've got a feeling things are about to get interesting."

Now, Whitebeard was finally seeing Katie clearly. Bold to the extreme, yet with a mind sharp and calculating.

Each of her moves looked risky, even reckless, yet they all led to success. Once or twice could be called luck, but repeated success could no longer be explained away so simply. Without a doubt, this young woman was still hiding a power she hadn't revealed. And it was that power giving her the courage to face Akainu head-on.

"Dad, you should go back inside and treat your wounds," Marco urged.

Compared to the fight between Katie and Akainu, Marco was more concerned about Whitebeard's condition. The wound on his chest—inflicted by Akainu—was grave. No one knew Whitebeard's physical state better than Marco.

Although Whitebeard looked fine on the surface, Marco knew the pain must be excruciating.

"What? You think I'm old now? This little scratch won't kill me, you idiot," Whitebeard replied with a grin, refusing Marco's concern.

Though uneasy, Marco had no choice but to let it go. A strong sense of crisis welled up inside him. Too many powerful foes had shown up in this war already. Whitebeard had said that the end of this war would usher in a new era. As members of the world's strongest pirate crew, they would undoubtedly become the targets of countless challengers. And yet, Whitebeard's health was deteriorating by the day.

Marco made a firm decision: once this war was over, he would train harder than ever—to grow stronger. They couldn't leave everything to Whitebeard anymore. As his "sons," it was time for them to step forward and shield him from the storm.

Unlike Marco, Ace was now completely absorbed by the battle in the sky.

Because they shared similar abilities, Ace understood better than anyone the pressure Katie was facing.

Back when he fought Aokiji, Ace had already felt the terrifying aura that Akainu radiated. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Ace knew full well that with his current level of control over the Flame-Flame Fruit, he would lose if he faced Akainu.

The world believed that the Magma-Magma Fruit was superior to the Flame-Flame Fruit—even Ace had thought so before he met Whitebeard.

But Whitebeard had once told him:

"Fire, as the purest and most primitive form of energy, represents one of the fundamental laws of the world. It holds unfathomable power. If developed to a certain extent, it can overcome magma… even ignite it."

Ace had never reached that level Whitebeard described. As he watched the figure fighting in the sky, he couldn't help but wonder—Katie, can you reach it?

"Cough! Cough!"

Katie gasped for breath, the searing pain wracking her body made him acutely aware of the vast gap between himself and Akainu.

Even with peak master-level control over her Devil Fruit, he still couldn't fully withstand Akainu's attacks. Every blow Akainu unleashed carried the force of a volcanic eruption.

Unlike fire, magma had a tangible, solid form. Its destructive power far surpassed that of flame. Moreover, Akainu's mastery over Armament Haki was clearly superior.

With such explosive Devil Fruit ability combined with overwhelming Armament Haki, every collision caused Katie's wrists to throb with intense pain.

"A mere flame dares to challenge me?"

Having gained the upper hand, Akainu sneered, mocking Katie. He wasn't just trying to provoke her—he wanted to agitate Katie's pride and prevent her from retreating.

They weren't far from Whitebeard. If Katie truly wanted to escape, Akainu wasn't confident he could stop her. Katie's speed had already left a strong impression. Using reverse psychology to anchor her here was the only method Akainu could think of.

"Heh..."

Katie gave a dismissive chuckle, ignoring the taunt entirely.

Little did Akainu know—Katie never had any intention of fleeing. After completing her previous mission, she now possessed immense wealth and could instantly upgrade her strength to an entirely new level.

"System," Katie said in her mind, "Spend 10 skill points to upgrade Armament Haki. Spend 10 to upgrade Observation Haki. Spend 10 to upgrade physical combat techniques."

After a pause, she added:

"Spend 10 skill points to upgrade Devil Fruit ability. Use 3 million exchange points to learn the skill: Heavenly Fire Triple Mystic Transformation!"

As Katie finished speaking, the invisible shackles that had bound her power shattered one after another. In that moment, he stepped into a brand-new realm—the world of the truly strong!

"Mere flames?" Katie said, locking eyes with Akainu. "Akainu, your ignorance is almost pitiful."

"Let me show you how these 'mere flames' can destroy that pathetic magma you're so proud of!"

Katie's declaration echoed across the battlefield. Yet, no one mocked her arrogance—instead, thoughtful expressions filled their faces. Everyone wanted to see what new impossibility Katie would conquer next.

"Great Flame Ring!"

Centered around Katie, rings of fire burst into existence and rapidly expanded. In just moments, hundreds of meters around her were engulfed in flames, radiating a blistering heat beyond imagination.

"Fire, come to me!"

With a loud shout—while most still looked on in confusion—a sudden voice rang out:

"Look! What is that?!"

Everyone turned in the direction the voice pointed—only to witness an utterly unbelievable scene.

On the ruins of the battlefield, all the flames burning across the land suddenly rose into the air, converging toward Katie in the sky. The sight wasn't just spectacular—it was downright grand and awe-inspiring.

On this battlefield, everything was in short supply—except fire. Within a radius of several kilometers, every flicker of flame surged toward Katie like worshipers on a pilgrimage. All one could see was fire—nothing but fire. In that moment, Katie truly looked like a fire god descending from the heavens to command all flames.

Watching coldly from the side, Akainu made no move to stop it. Though the scene looked impressive, he didn't believe the resulting power would pose any real threat. To him, it was all just empty spectacle.

Akainu had decided to defeat Katie at the very moment he believed himself strongest—only then could the Navy restore its lost dignity.

When the final trace of flame fused into the mass above, a second sun appeared in the sky—a colossal fireball over a hundred meters in diameter, eclipsing even the real sun in brilliance. Steam rose endlessly from the sea as the terrifying heat began to evaporate the ocean itself.

"Is that... Flame Emperor?"

The scene might be unfamiliar to others, but Marco recognized it instantly—he had seen Ace unleash it multiple times.

"No... it's not the same," Marco said, shaking his head. "I don't know what he's doing exactly, but I can feel it—this isn't the Flame Emperor."