Portgas D. Ace moved quickly across the ground, releasing a burst of speed, a trail of fire blazing behind him as he surged forward. He and his classmates had been given a week to train and prepare for the upcoming sports festival. The event was emphasized as crucial, and Ace was told he had to be at the top of his game. While the other students focused on developing signature moves, Ace didn't need to do that—he already had plenty, each one as flashy and destructive as the last. Instead, he was working on everything, pushing himself to the limit. He needed to make a breakthrough, something that would allow him to face and defeat foes much stronger than himself.
Using the flames from his body, Ace propelled himself forward, moving faster than the eye could track. The dark-haired young man tore across the training ground, a blur of heat and light cutting through the air like a fireball. He grinned; eyes fixed on his target—an indestructible training dummy standing in the center of the field. When he reached it, he slapped his hand down on the dummy's shoulder, flames erupting around it as his fingers ignited. Pressing up against the dummy he pushed himself into a front flip, his mobility impressive as he laned it with a practiced excellence. As he laned his fingers pointed towards the targets as he fired a series of hard hitting and small fire bullets from his fingertips. the bullets burned down the targets, cutting through the illusionary targets with ease. His grin widened as he watched the air glow with the aftermath of his attacks, but he wasn't done yet. Without hesitation, he surged forward again, weaving through a narrow side street on the training course.
As Ace moved, his mind raced. He always thought of new ways to apply his power. This time, a new idea struck him. He looked up at the walls enclosing the side street and smiled to himself. Planting his feet on the ground, Ace allowed his legs to transform into fire, using the resulting boost to launch himself upward. His legs were pure flames as he soared effortlessly to the top of the wall, landing lightly on the roof. With his feet and legs reforming into their solid state, Ace allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. His ability to switch between tangible and intangible states had become so instinctive that he no longer even thought about it. He was in full control of his power, mastering it bit by bit, and it gave him a sense of pride. But he knew that mastery was a journey, not a destination. As soon as he thought he'd reached his peak, he'd be in trouble. Someone stronger would appear—someone faster, more ruthless—and they'd knock him down. He couldn't let that happen.
Ace wasn't sure how, but there were these memories from a different life, one that was very different then his current one. He could remember defeats, running into strong foes who were stronger than him. He knew that somehow in this world that there were stronger people out there. If he stopped working then they would catch up to him, or he would never catch up to them if he was behind them at that moment. To be the best, to be able to protect what mattered complacency was the enemy, and he wouldn't let it take over his way of life ever.
He had also somehow figured out that his flames weren't a quirk like those of his classmates, but for now, he allowed everyone to assume they were. It made things easier. What mattered wasn't what people thought about his power—what mattered was how he used it. He needed to push his flames to their absolute limit. They had to burn hotter, strike faster, and hit harder. If he improved his fundamentals—his speed, strength, and precision—everything else would follow. His powers would grow stronger alongside his body, his technique sharpening with every repetition.
Determined, Ace reran the course. This time, he focused entirely on beating his own speed, throwing everything into each movement. Flames erupted beneath his feet, propelling him forward with even more force than before. Each step carried him closer to his goal as he zipped across the training ground in a blur of fire and motion. He wasn't content with his current limits—he wanted to surpass them.
Once he finished the course, Ace entered the simulation room, a place where he could fight against virtual enemies without risking harm. The room was a rarity for first-year students, but Mirio had put in a good word for him, and his recent battle with the villain had proven that he was more than capable of handling it. The virtual environment mimicked the street he had just run through, but now it was populated with enemies—thugs, faceless and generic, but useful for practice. Ace didn't rely on his flames right away. Instead, he studied the thugs' movements, measuring their reach and timing his attacks. When the first thug lunged at him, Ace sidestepped, delivering a precise gut punch followed by an uppercut that sent his opponent crashing into the pavement. A grin split his face as he moved on to the next two attackers, dodging their strikes with ease before countering with quick, powerful blows. He fought thug after thug, focusing entirely on his hand-to-hand combat. Ace knew that mastering the fundamentals of physical combat was key—once he had that down, his powers would become even more formidable.
After five hours of relentless fighting, Ace upped the difficulty. Now he faced enemies with quirks, each one more challenging than the last. He found the experience thrilling. The quirks added an extra layer of complexity to the battles, pushing him to adapt and innovate on the fly. For thirty-six hours straight, Ace fought through wave after wave of enemies, testing his abilities in combat simulations and time trials. He pushed himself to the brink, never slowing down, never stopping. A normal person would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago, but for Ace, it was exhilarating. He thrived on the intensity, his body and flames only growing stronger the more he pushed them.
When Ace finally emerged from the chamber, he had a wide grin on his face. The experience had been exactly what he needed—an outlet for the pent-up tension in his body and mind. He'd fought for nearly two days straight, using every second of the time he was allotted. The chamber's time limit was set at two days under the assumption that no one would be reckless enough to use the full span. Most students would have taken breaks, used only a portion of the time. But not Portgas D. Ace. Son of Gol D. Roger, adopted grandson of Monkey D. Garp, son of Whitebeard, and brother to Monkey D. Luffy and Sabo. For him, this was just fun. It was exactly the kind of challenge he needed to release the tension he hadn't even realized was there.
Ace was already thinking about his next session in the chamber. He couldn't wait to push himself even further, to test his limits again and again. This was his element—where he could truly go wild.
As Ace came out he knew he woudln't have more time in the chamber before the sporting festival. He felt ready for it though. He did notice four people waiting for him as he walked out into the hall. They were Sen Kaibara, Reiko Yanagi, Neito Monoma, and of course Itsuka Kendo. He smiled as he looked at his fellow Class 1-B students. As he smiled, in a great mood at that moment.
"Okay, hey guys how can I help you?" he asked as he was planning on getting some sleep before figuring out some way to train differently the next day. They still had a handful of days before the sports festival after all.
As Ace stepped out of the simulation chamber, the realization hit him that his time in there was done—he wouldn't get another shot before the sports festival. But he felt ready, more than ready. He stretched, flames still crackling faintly around his body from the hours of intense training, and as he relaxed, his eyes landed on four familiar figures waiting for him in the hall: Sen Kaibara, Reiko Yanagi, Neito Monoma, and Itsuka Kendo—his fellow Class 1-B students.
Ace grinned as he saw them, his mood lifted by the sight of his classmates.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Ace asked, his grin widening. He was clearly in high spirits, though he was also thinking ahead—he planned to catch some much-needed sleep and figure out a new training approach for the next day. They still had a few days left before the festival, after all.
Sen Kaibara crossed his arms, his laid-back demeanor intact. "We just wanted to check up on you," he said, his voice steady but with a hint of amusement. "You've been in there for a while. Heard you've been pushing yourself pretty hard."
Reiko Yanagi, as usual, spoke quietly, her tone soft but eerie. "Your aura feels... tired," she said, her ghostly presence adding an otherworldly calm to the group dynamic. "Don't overdo it."
Ace chuckled at her concern, appreciating the subtle way Reiko always looked out for people without making a big deal about it.
Neito Monoma, on the other hand, was smirking, arms crossed with his usual arrogant flair. "Well, of course, he's overdoing it. What else can you expect from someone in our class, huh?" Monoma leaned closer, his voice dripping with mock superiority. "Class 1-A would crumble under the pressure Ace is putting on himself. But us? We're built differently."
Itsuka Kendo sighed and gave Monoma a gentle whack on the shoulder, her expression apologetic but amused. "Ignore him, Ace. We know you're working hard. Just don't forget to rest, alright? The sports festival isn't just about power, it's about stamina and strategy too." Her tone was warm, like a reliable big sister watching out for her team.
Ace chuckled again, nodding at Kendo. "Thanks, Kendo. Don't worry, I've got a plan. A few hours of rest, and I'll be good to go. Still a lot of time before the festival, right?"
Kendo smiled back, satisfied that Ace was listening. "Good. Just don't push yourself too far. We want you at your best when the festival starts."
Monoma, still grinning, added, "And don't forget, Class 1-B is counting on you to show them all who's really on top."
Ace smirked at the jab, feeling the competitive energy that made Class 1-B stand out. "No worries, Monoma. I'll bring the heat."
"Hey Ace, we were wondering tomorrow noon, would you be up for training with us? I figure we could use your help to make sure we are ready to show those idiots in 1-A that we got. That they can't underestimate us at all," Monoma suggested as the others had found him for that exact reason to talk him into helping them prepare for the sports exams so they could come out victorious against their rival class.
Ace paused, raising an eyebrow as he turned to face Neito Monoma. Monoma's suggestion wasn't unexpected—Class 1-B had always been eager to prove themselves, especially against the students of 1-A. Still, the thought of helping them sharpen their skills made Ace's competitive side flare up. He crossed his arms, a small flame flickering at his fingertips as he considered the offer.
Monoma's smirk grew wider as he added, "Come on, Ace. We know you've got some tricks up your sleeve. Imagine the look on their faces when we blow them out of the water."
Sen Kaibara, leaning casually against the wall, chimed in, "It'd be good to spar with someone who's pushing themselves as hard as you are. We're all in this together, and we could use your firepower to make sure we're at the top of our game."
Reiko nodded quietly beside Sen, her ghostly calm demeanor ever-present. "Our class has potential. But potential is nothing without practice," she said in her soft, haunting voice. "Your flames will test us in ways we can't simulate on our own."
Kendo, always the mediator, stepped forward, giving Ace a warm smile. "Monoma's not wrong. We need to be ready for anything, and training with you would really help us prepare. What do you say? You in?"
Ace let out a thoughtful hum, running a hand through his dark hair. He liked training solo, but sparring with his classmates wasn't a bad idea, especially with the sports festival looming. Plus, he'd get to see how much stronger the others had gotten—and show them what he could do too.
"Alright," Ace said, a smirk of his own forming. "Tomorrow noon works. I'll join you guys. But don't think I'm going to take it easy just because we're on the same team. If we're gonna take down 1-A, we've all gotta be at our best."
Monoma grinned triumphantly, clearly pleased with Ace's response. "Perfect! They won't know what hit them."
Kendo gave a nod, her eyes gleaming with determination. "Thanks, Ace. Let's show them what Class 1-B is made of."
With that, the group broke up, each of them already mentally preparing for tomorrow's training. As Ace walked away, he felt the fire inside him burn a little brighter.
