One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

On the rocky shore of the unnamed island...

"The Mera-Mera Fruit has been drawn to your astonishing potential!" echoed in Ace's mind as he stared at the strange fruit in his hand. He felt a sudden sense of clarity.

Just like the Nika form of the Hito Hito no Mi that Luffy had eaten, a fruit that the World Government had sought for countless years, but which seemed to have a will of its own, avoiding their grasp—until it chose Luffy.

This Mera-Mera Fruit had similarly chosen Ace, delivered to him by a Sea King. The mysterious pull he'd felt earlier while fishing now made sense: it was the Mera-Mera Fruit calling to him.

Ace had been worried before, as the details of how he originally obtained the Mera-Mera Fruit were vague. He only remembered from the original story that he found it on an island after going to sea, but the exact location was a mystery—a true needle in a haystack.

Without the Mera-Mera Fruit, the powerful Hiken (Fire Fist) technique he envisioned with the addition of Flame Sword Burial might have never come to fruition. But now, that concern is gone. He had acquired the fruit a full ten years earlier than in the original story.

The time to unlock its power had come!

Without hesitation, Ace peeled back the skin of the fruit and took a bite.

Crunch!

"..."

Ace's face twisted slightly in disgust. The taste lived up to its horrible reputation.

"Hey! Ace! What are you eating?!" Garp suddenly snapped back to reality, noticing Ace on the rocky outcrop. His eyes widened when he saw the half-eaten fruit in Ace's hand.

In a flash, Garp rushed over, grabbing Ace and yanking him down.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, flames erupted from Ace's body—or rather, his body itself had become flames! 

"Ow, that's hot!" Garp yelped, pulling his hands away as the intense heat scorched his skin. He quickly let go, blowing on his hands to cool them down.

Ace, however, felt no heat or pain from the flames that now danced around him. The moment he ate the Mera-Mera Fruit, he had transformed into a "Flame Human."

"A heaven-defying comprehension! You can already unleash the full power of the Mera-Mera Fruit!" echoed the mysterious voice in his mind again.

Ace paused to reflect on the words. The concept of "developing" a Devil Fruit was, in essence, learning to harness and refine its abilities over time. However, the power itself already existed within the fruit—it didn't need to be "created." 

For example, Sabo, who ate the Mera-Mera Fruit later in Dressrosa, could immediately tap into its immense strength. However, to fully master the fruit's abilities and use them instinctively required continuous training.

But Ace was different. His extraordinary understanding allowed him to bypass that process. He could immediately tap into the fruit's full potential.

As Ace's physical strength increased, so would the power of the Mera-Mera Fruit. This was no problem for Ace, who had mastered techniques like the Combat Turtle Breathing method and could absorb energy efficiently. 

With enough time, even reaching or surpassing Kaido's monstrous physique seemed possible. Ace looked forward to the day when he could combine the power of the Mera-Mera Fruit with his sword technique, Hiken, to create something truly terrifying!

"A Devil Fruit... and not just any Devil Fruit, but a Logia-type! This... it must be the Mera-Mera Fruit, one of the rarest and most powerful!" Garp exclaimed, finally processing what was happening.

"Where did you find that Devil Fruit?!" Garp demanded, his voice tinged with urgency.

Ace pointed to the unconscious Sea King lying nearby. "I found it inside that Sea King's stomach."

Garp inspected the Sea King closely and, sure enough, there was a concave mark on its belly that matched the shape of the fruit.

For a moment, Garp stood in stunned silence. The Mera-Mera Fruit, a rare and powerful Logia-type, had been eaten by Ace under such extraordinary circumstances.

Even in the Marines, few Devil Fruits could rival the Mera-Mera Fruit. It was on par with, if not superior to, some of the most powerful abilities, like Kuzan's Ice-Ice Fruit. The person who wielded this fruit had the potential to become an Admiral, at the very least.

And with Ace's incredible talent, the possibilities were endless.

Garp remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly burst into loud, hearty laughter. 

"A future Admiral, indeed!"

Ace, however, shuddered at the sight of Garp's grin, feeling a sense of impending doom.