One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

Watching Jake charge toward him, Sakazuki didn't bother dodging.

To him, it was nothing more than a child's throwing tantrum—incapable of causing him even the slightest harm.

However, years of accumulated combat experience had subconsciously activated his Observation Haki.

Sensing the peculiar power contained within the luminous glow enveloping Jake's fist, Sakazuki still chose not to retreat.

In the perception of those with advanced Observation Haki, Devil Fruit abilities mostly emit a distinct energy signature.

Unlike the unified and fixed nature of Haki, Devil Fruit powers produce entirely different sensations depending on their type when activated.

For instance, when Magellan the chief warden of Impel Down, use his Devil Fruit ability, his body becomes shrouded in a deep purple energy.

Under Observation Haki's perception, one can distinctly sense the intense discomfort emanating from that dark purple energy.

The golden radiance swirling around Jake's arm also gave off a unique sensation, but Observation Haki revealed that the power wasn't particularly threatening.

Sakazuki remained standing in place, slightly raising his arm as he threw a punch towards Jake.

The impact sent excruciating pain through Jake's back, as if he'd been run over by a truck.

Yet the moment Sakazuki's strike landed, Jake immediately cast a Healing Prayer on himself, draining what little Holy Light Energy he had left.

Thanks to the Healing Prayer, Jake narrowly avoided losing consciousness from the attack.

Gritting his teeth, he drove his Holy Light-wreathed fist into Sakazuki's abdomen, which felt as hard as forged steel.

Truth be told, upon impact, Jake felt as though the bones in his fist might shatter—such inhuman muscular density was beyond anything he'd encountered.

Fortunately, he hadn't put too much force behind the blow, or the recoil alone would have been devastating.

The attack primarily relied on the knockback effect of his skill rather than raw power.

For Jake, no matter how much strength he put into his strikes, they likely wouldn't inflict any real damage on Sakazuki.

As his vision darkened slightly, Jake noticed Sakazuki's feet lifting barely a centimeter off the ground, prompting a faint smile to cross his face.

Though the duration was fleeting and the knockback minimal, it proved that anyone hit by this technique would be launched, if only slightly.

More importantly, before blacking out, Jake caught a glimpse of the faint surprise flickering across Sakazuki's expression.

After enduring such a one-sided beating, this small consolation finally brought him a sliver of satisfaction.

The next moment, as Jake collapsed face-first into the soft snow, Monet's voice reached his ears.

He knew this was her special way of looking out for him.

Watching Jake lose consciousness before him, Sakazuki's expression carried a trace of amusement.

Turning to the visibly anxious Monet beside him, he reassured her.

"Don't worry, the kid's fine—just exhausted. Take him to rest properly."

With that, Sakazuki turned and strode toward his office.

Along the way, T-Bone sidled up to him mysteriously and asked.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, were you just sent flying by Jake's attack?!"

Hearing T-Bone's words beside him, Sakazuki's already dark face grew even darker.

No one understood T-Bone's character better than Sakazuki himself—his subordinate would never mock him, but was simply asking the question out of genuine curiosity.

However, such inquiries often left superiors feeling embarrassed.

With a resigned look, Sakazuki turned to T-Bone and said.

"Yes, that kid's attack was strange. Though the force wasn't particularly strong, it had an incredibly powerful upward thrust. Even when I used Haki to defend, it didn't seem to make much difference."

Upon hearing this, a look of confusion crossed T-Bone's face as he continued.

"Even with your Armament Haki, you couldn't fully defend against Jake's attack? Are you certain you used your full strength?"

Faced with T-Bone's persistent questioning, Sakazuki grew even more exasperated.

Were it not for his absolute trust in T-Bone's integrity, he truly wouldn't have entertained such question.

"While I didn't go all out in defense, the moment I sensed that upward thrust, I immediately reinforced my body with Armament Haki. Though the force was significantly diminished, I was still sent flying for a brief period. However, that duration can be infinitely shortened through haki and physical techniques."

Hearing this, a genuine smile broke across T-Bone's face as he addressed Sakazuki.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, I once came across a report mentioning a Devil Fruit with abilities similar to Jake's. But I can't vouch for the reliability of the source—it was from quite some time ago."

"Just say it outright. Though Devil Fruits have existed for years, many remain uneaten or undiscovered. Even without records, we'd eventually designate a formal name for Jake's fruit, just like Admiral Sengoku's Daibutsu."

T-Bone nodded and without further ado, produced from his coat a yellowed newspaper.

As he unfolded it, a nasty smell permeated the air between them.

True to his straightforward nature, T-Bone inadvertently scattered most of the dust and mold spores towards Sakazuki during the process—completely oblivious to the vice admiral's darkening expression.

With earnest focus, he pointed to a small column.

"Look here, Vice Admiral Sakazuki. This 1492 newspaper's seventeenth page, middle section under 'Adventurer Tales,' mentions a Devil Fruit resembling Jake's. It reads:"

"'An angelic Devil Fruit—its consumer shall transform into a celestial being to save all who suffer under evil. Its radiance heals the righteous while smiting the wicked. Behold the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Seraphim!"