Knowing full well that pursuit was futile, he deliberately raised his voice, his tone dripping with venomous sarcasm:
"Running away in such a pathetic, frantic rush? What a bunch of cowards!
No surprise there—just like Whitebeard, that loser of a father. You've got cowardice running in your veins. A failure's son will always be a failure!"
His cutting words, sharp as blades, echoed across the battlefield, each syllable deliberately crafted to humiliate Whitebeard and wound Ace's pride.
Ahead, Ace, with his keen hearing, caught every word of Akainu's taunt.
His steady retreating footsteps came to an abrupt halt. He stopped dead in his tracks, the air around him growing restless with suppressed agitation.
Luffy, noticing Ace had stopped, quickly halted as well, tugging anxiously at his sleeve.
"Ace, why'd you stop all of a sudden? Don't just stand there! Run! If we don't move, they'll catch up!"
Not far away, Flower Sword Vista, observing the commotion, instantly grasped Akainu's malicious intent and shouted a warning:
"Ace! Don't stop! Keep moving with Luffy!"
"Don't fall for Akainu's provocation! He's deliberately trying to enrage you with insults, to lure you back into a fight. Don't take the bait!"
But at this moment, Ace was deaf to all persuasion.
Since childhood, he had idolized Whitebeard, viewing him as a true father and the supreme faith in his heart. He would never allow anyone to insult him so wantonly.
Akainu's vicious mockery had struck a deep, unforgivable nerve.
Slowly, Ace turned around. Flames surged around him, fury blazing in his eyes as he fixed a cold, piercing glare on the distant Akainu.
"Akainu, take back what you just said—now!"
Akainu's gaze locked onto Ace's halted figure, a glint of triumph flashing in his eyes.
He could no longer suppress the slow, deliberate curl of his lips.
Before the execution, he had made a point of studying Fire Fist Ace's character.
This Fire Fist Ace, seemingly resolute in action, had a core vulnerability: his profound reverence and dependence on Whitebeard.
To him, Whitebeard was no longer just a pirate captain; he was the father who had given him a new life, the reason to live, a faith that no one was permitted to defile.
Every word of his earlier taunt had been precisely aimed at Ace's most sensitive spot, each sentence deliberately belittling Whitebeard's greatness, each syllable a challenge to Ace's dignity.
Now, with Ace stopping and turning back, the roiling fury surrounding him gave a clear answer.
His provocation had succeeded.
Akainu's expression remained cold and arrogant, but his tone softened slightly, taking on a cat-and-mouse playfulness as he drawled:
"Take it back? I will never take back those words!
Your biological father, Gol D. Roger, was indeed an opponent worthy of respect.
He conquered the entire Grand Line, traversed every corner of the sea, and in the end, staking his own life, he personally opened the door to a new era—the Great Pirate Era."
As a Marine, I naturally cannot approve of his identity as a pirate or praise his actions, but it is undeniable that he truly deserves the title 'King of the Pirates' and the awe the world holds for him.
But Whitebeard is different."
Akainu shifted his tone, the contempt in his voice growing even stronger:
"He possesses the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, a power capable of destroying heaven and earth, and holds the title of one of the Four Emperors, yet he lacks the courage to face Roger head-on and fight him in a fair and honorable battle.
Hiding in the shadow of the strong, gathering a group of homeless pirates, and using the banner of family to deceive and swagger around.
Isn't such a person a complete coward, a failure?
His so-called family, in my eyes, is nothing more than offering small favors to win over a group of mediocre little pirates, relying on numbers and noise to put on a show. It's far from greatness.
There are too many foolish people in the world, blinded by his hypocritical reputation, willingly sacrificing themselves for him.
But in my eyes, those people are nothing more than pawns being used, and Whitebeard is nothing but a hypocrite skilled in disguise.
While Roger was alive, he hid behind Roger, too afraid to oppose him.
Even after Roger's death, he could only chase after Roger's shadow, desperately trying to catch up but never surpassing him.
His entire life has been lived under the halo of the King of the Pirates, forever a failure, never even coming close to Roger's little finger.
Everything I've said is the truth. Where have I gone wrong?"
Each word was like a blazing fire, igniting Ace's fury.
His aura instantly turned violent, crimson flames raging along his body, burning fiercer and fiercer.
Without hesitation, he strode toward Akainu, each step scorching the ground beneath him with small, charred marks from the flames surrounding him:
"Shut up! You don't understand a thing!
Old Man gave us—homeless, abandoned by the world—a place to belong, a reason and motivation to live, warmth and protection we'd never known before!
With his own strength, he sheltered each and every one of us, using his shoulders to hold up the sky for us!
This kindness, this generosity, this greatness—it's something someone like you will never understand!
You're not fit to judge Old Man, let alone insult him!"
Akainu's expression remained unchanged, his tone growing even colder:
"Those who abandon the righteous path of the world and become pirates have no value in living honorably.
You pirates gathered under Whitebeard's banner, burning, killing, looting, committing every evil imaginable—you only bring disaster and suffering to this world. There's no need for you to exist on these seas!"
"Shut up!" Ace's rage erupted completely:
"Whitebeard is the great pirate who opened this era, a hero who saved countless people, my savior!
I won't allow you to insult him so recklessly, never!"
As his furious shout echoed, Ace's arm shot up, flames madly gathering and condensing into a Fire Fist, aimed straight at Akainu's face.
Watching the incoming Fire Fist, Akainu curled his lips into a disdainful sneer, the contempt in his eyes growing even more pronounced.
He slowly shook his head, his tone dripping with mockery:
"Whitebeard and all of you who admire him as your Old Man—you're all failures!"
"Even his moves are so feeble!"
Ace's Fire Fist indeed possessed power strong enough to overwhelm ordinary formidable opponents.
If unleashed in the Four Seas or against common Navy soldiers or pirates, this punch would be enough to incinerate the foe instantly, leaving no room for resistance.
But what he faced was Navy Admiral Akainu, a top-tier powerhouse who possessed the Magma-Magma Fruit, inherently countering flames.
To Akainu, Ace's fire was ultimately too weak, too insignificant.