Chapter 40: One Hundred Thousand Meters High, Breaking Through the Limit
"If we temporarily abandon the flying capability and just let it sail across the sea, can we speed up the completion of the ship?" Ace asked after thinking for a while.
Ace still liked the flying ark Maxim that Enel had built in the original storyline, but there was no proper shipyard on Skypiea, let alone any skilled shipwrights. The design and construction of Maxim had been overseen by Enel himself, but Ace didn't think the self-proclaimed god had any real talent in that area. If the prototype could at least float and sail on the Blue Sea, Enel could pilot it down, and they could find skilled shipwrights to finish building the vessel properly.
"Sailing?" Enel glanced at Ace and responded flatly, "When I designed this ship, I never intended it to sail on the sea. Maxim doesn't have any seafaring capabilities."
"..." Ace couldn't help but facepalm. But thinking about it again, it made sense—Enel had always claimed to be a god, and a ship flying through the sky fit perfectly with his god-complex.
"Then modify it so it can sail," Ace said seriously. "Otherwise, once we descend to the Blue Sea, it'll be a floating target if it can't land on water."
Enel thought for a moment and replied, "If we're talking about modifications, it'll take more time."
"Speed it up as much as you can. Only add the basic functions. We just need a prototype for now. After reaching the Blue Sea, we'll find skilled shipwrights to properly retrofit it."
"Alright," Enel nodded. "As the loser, I don't have a reason to refuse. I'll do my best to complete the modifications within a year."
"Enel, failure isn't the end," Ace said with a warm smile. "If you can face failure and grow from it, you'll only get stronger."
"I'm a man who aims to be a 'king.' If one setback is enough to ruin me, then you might want to reconsider making me your crewmate."
"Do you accept failure?" Enel was quiet for a moment, then sat up and looked at Ace. "Don't worry. Since your goal is to become the 'King' of the world, I'll make sure I'm worthy of being in the crew of a future king. And if you fall behind, I won't hesitate to kick you off and become the king myself."
"Captain Ace, don't let me surpass you!" Enel said with a smirk.
"That's not going to happen." Ace stood tall, looked up toward the endless sky, and clenched his fist. "I'll find powerful, like-minded comrades. Together—with you—we'll become the freest people in the world. Pirate King!"
"Yahaha!" Enel laughed loudly. "I'm actually looking forward to following you on your journey to conquer the world, Captain Ace!"
"Believe me. You won't be disappointed," Ace replied confidently.
And so, Enel—the self-proclaimed god of Skypiea—was convinced by Ace's vision and joined the Spade Pirates. However, as the construction of the flying ship Maxim still needed Enel's oversight, he would not be sailing with Ace immediately.
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The next day, Ace stood at the bow of a small golden flying craft, visibly excited. He originally thought he'd have to wait until Maxim was completed a year later to experience real flight. But Enel had already built a small prototype—a golden flying boat—as a surprise.
"Captain Ace, we're ready! I'm powering it up now!" Enel called out from the control cabin.
"Go ahead. Let's fly." Ace sat down casually at the bow. "No need to worry about me. I'll just stay here."
"Alright then." Enel shrugged, then activated his Rumble-Rumble Fruit powers, injecting electricity into the propulsion system.
"100 Million Volts—Discharge!"
BOOM!
With a surge of lightning, the golden flying craft began to vibrate, slowly lifting off and soaring into the sky—heading straight toward the sun.
Three hours later, they had reached an altitude of 50,000 meters above Skypiea. Sitting at the front, basking in sunlight, Ace began to feel something stir inside his body.
Feeling the heat building within him, Ace's expression lit up with excitement. He turned to Enel and shouted, "It's not enough! Enel, go higher!"
Though Enel was confused, he still followed Ace's command and increased altitude.
Another half hour passed, and they climbed another 10,000 meters. The sensation inside Ace's body grew stronger.
"Still not enough! Keep going!"
Seventy thousand... eighty thousand...
The craft continued its climb, until it finally reached 90,000 meters above Skypiea—an altitude of 100,000 meters above sea level.
At that height, Ace suddenly stood up at the bow and opened his arms toward the blazing sun. His entire body ignited, wrapped in roaring flames.
At that moment—100,000 meters above sea level—he felt it.
Bang!
Bang-bang!
Bang-bang-bang!
Powerful heartbeats erupted within him. With each beat, the temperature of his body rose. Then—
BOOM!
With a deafening internal roar, something deep within Ace shattered. The elemental fire within him finally broke the 10,000°C limit. And the temperature continued to rise.
The hottest part was his heart. After crossing that threshold, Ace felt as if his blood had turned to fire.
"So this is what they call a Devil Fruit Awakening?" Ace muttered, feeling the intense core flame within him. "If awakening's this straightforward, it's almost too easy."
"Captain Ace! At this rate, the ship's going to melt from your heat!" Enel suddenly shouted.
"Oh—!" Snapped out of his trance, Ace quickly pulled back his flames. Looking apologetic, he said, "Sorry, I got a little carried away."
"It's fine." Enel waved it off, still puzzled. He could tell something had changed about Ace, but he wasn't sure what. He gave up thinking about it and asked, "Captain Ace, should we keep going higher?"
Now that the inner shackles were broken, there was no more need to climb further. What mattered was knowing that his temperature ceiling had lifted—everything else could be tested gradually.
"No. Let's hover here for an hour," Ace replied, sitting again on the bow, soaking in the sun's rays.
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