"Flame Claw!!!
"Hallowed Glacier Slash!!!"
Located in a corner of the main sea area of the Kingdom of Heaven.
A training ground that is isolated from the outside and prohibited for outsiders to enter.
One red and one white, two figures with amazing momentum, fiercely clash there.
Boom!!
With a tremendous explosion, flames soared into the sky while icy mist surged wildly.
A scorching, razor-sharp claw collided violently with a frost-covered spiked club that was swung at lightning speed.
The impact sent shockwaves ripping through the air, scattering rubble and debris.
The sea churned with relentless waves.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The next moment, the two figures fought again.
It was extremely fierce, and neither of them gave in.
Suddenly, Yamato swung the pitch-black spiked club against Ace's fist, which was wrapped in Armament Haki.
Bang!
Yamato was forced backward but immediately opened her mouth.
"Namuji Glacier Fang!!!"
A freezing beam shot out, aiming to freeze her opponent solid.
"Fire Fist!!!"
Flames erupted, forming a massive fire fist.
The scorching heat distorted the air as it shot forward, colliding head-on with the incoming ice beam.
Boom!
As time passed, the two continued to clash fiercely, their battle showing no sign of ending.
Although Yamato, being slightly stronger, held the upper hand, she was unable to completely overwhelm Ace.
The battle had reached a stalemate.
Boom!
As the sun set, realizing that neither could secure victory, both figures, breathing heavily, stopped fighting simultaneously, showing no intention of continuing.
"Huff..."
The young man had a red body and stripes all over his body, his bulging muscles extremely strong, like a human-shaped cheetah, and he exuded raging flames.
It was Ace the Spade in the Human-Beast Form.
Opposite him, there was Yamato, who had horns on her head, ferocious teeth, and ice all over her body.
She had also entered the Human-Beast Form and was surrounded by white mist. Compared to three years ago, both had grown significantly stronger.
"Ace, not bad..."
While leaning on her mace, Yamato's eyes gleamed as she looked directly at Ace with a smile.
"Not only has your Armament Haki improved, but even your mastery of Conqueror's Haki entanglement has become more refined!"
She secretly marveled; Ace's talent was truly astounding.
Though he wasn't as monstrous as Luke, he was still exceptional.
One year ago, after two years of grueling training under Luke and the zombie kings, with relentless and selfless guidance, Ace's strength had skyrocketed.
He had surpassed formidable cadres like Gin and stormed into the ranks of the Eight Stars, shocking many.
At that time, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Yamato, could still suppress the other party steadily.
But now, even though she had not remained stagnant and had grown stronger herself, she was even stepping into the realm of true monsters. Even someone as formidable as Shiryu might not be her match.
Yet, Ace was still improving at an astonishing rate and was catching up to her.
"I should be the one saying that, Yamato..."
Ace, still in his beast-human form, grinned fiercely, his fighting spirit surging.
His sharp eyes locked onto Yamato, then he said in a deep voice.
"I thought I could finally erase my past defeat, but it seems I'm still a bit short... Looks like I'm not the only one who's improved; you haven't been slacking off either!"
When he first arrived on Hachinosu Island, he was instantly defeated by Yamato.
Unwilling to accept defeat, he trained relentlessly, humbling himself to seek guidance from Luke.
A year ago, after finally grasping Conqueror's Haki entanglement, his strength soared.
Confident in his progress and to fulfill the agreement with Luke, he didn't challenge the relatively weaker Wyper or Rob Lucci among the Four Heavenly Kings.
Instead, he directly challenged Yamato to wipe away his past humiliation.
Unfortunately, he lost.
And he lost convincingly.
Thus, he remained with the Netherworld Pirate, but he never stopped training.
His goal was to surpass the one he saw as his lifelong rival, Yamato.
Yet, he had to admit, Yamato truly lived up to being the daughter of Kaido, the Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air.
As he grew, so did she.
Even now, she still held a slight edge over him.
"But don't get too comfortable. In at most a year, no, in just six months, I'll surpass you, Yamato!"
Ace clenched his fists while declaring loudly.
In truth, over the past three years, everything he had witnessed in the Netherworld Pirate changed his perspective.
He realized that this pirate crew was entirely different from any other.
Most shockingly, the Kingdom of Heaven ruled by the Netherworld Pirate did not grow through oppression or slavery.
Instead, it thrived.
When he saw the people living in peace and prosperity, genuinely happy and grateful, when he saw them worship their leader, Obask Luke, not out of fear but out of admiration, he was deeply shaken.
He could hardly believe it; a pirate, someone who should be despised and feared, was loved and respected by the people.
Comparing this to his own father, the Gol D. Roger. One was a king who ruled over the seas, the other a conqueror who shaped an era.
One triggered the Great Pirate Era, bringing chaos and suffering to the innocent, condemned by the world.
The other built a peaceful and prosperous kingdom and was adored by his people.
At that moment, Ace was completely won over by Luke's charisma.
And when he returned from missions, the people treated him like a hero. They showered him with care, warmth, and even gifts despite him being a pirate.
Children made him handmade greeting cards.
Young women boldly embraced and kissed him.
He was accepted.
He was acknowledged.
For the first time, Ace, the son of the devil, finds the meaning of his existence.
Perhaps that was why he chose to challenge Yamato instead of Lucci or Wyper.
Deep down, he had already accepted the Netherworld Pirate.
If he had truly wanted to leave, he would have chosen an easier opponent.
"Forget it! Keep dreaming! I will never lose to you!"
Despite acknowledging Ace's talent, Yamato had her own pride.
She was older than him; how could she accept being surpassed?
So, she resolved to train even harder.
And that was exactly Luke's true intention from the start.
By pitting them against each other, he ensured they would push their limits and grow even stronger at faster speed.