Blackbeard's Surprise Attack
Battlefield in the Center of the Deserted Island
"Clang--!"
The blazing Fire Fist and the serrated heavy sword covered in Armament Haki collided in mid-air, causing the air to vibrate violently. Flames and black Haki intertwined, entangled, and then disintegrated!
Red gritted his teeth and roared, his muscles bulging, his Right Hand gripping the long sword tightly, his Armament Haki like black armor covering his body, his entire arm seemingly cast in steel!
"Kid! Don't be so arrogant!!"
He slashed horizontally with a fierce motion, the heavy blade drawing a black arc of light!
"Blood Blade - Flow Severing!"
"Whoosh!"
The blade energy exploded along the ground, tearing apart the Scorched Earth like the opening of hell, heading straight for Ace's throat!
Ace took a half step back, simultaneously clenching his right fist, condensing the blazing flames into a blinding point of light, and violently compressing the flames!
"Flame Explosion - Armor Piercing!!"
"Boom--!"
The blazing Fire Fist and the slashing shockwave collided head-on, creating a massive Shockwave. The scorching energy tore through the battle circle, and the blast swept up the surrounding debris!
Red was jolted back several steps, his hands and feet went numb, a look of horror flashed in his eyes, and he almost dropped the hilt of his knife!
"This brat... he actually managed to withstand my slash?!"
Ace flicked his wrist and grinned, "Not bad, a bit better than those weaklings from before."
"Don't you dare look down on me!!" Red roared, his Armament Haki hardening further, his skin gleaming with a metallic sheen. "I'm 'Blood Rage' Red!!"
Red raised his right arm high, his Haki intensifying, and the entire heavy sword turned as black as ink!
"Blood Blade ·Furious Dance!!"
"Shuashua--!"
His figure flashed, unleashing more than ten Haki sword energies around Ace, blocking all escape routes from above, below, left, and right!
Ace's eyes narrowed, his Observation Haki spreading out as he focused intently on capturing every blade strike!
The next moment, flames erupted!
He used his fiery speed to traverse the net of sword energy, disappearing from everyone's sight as if he had vanished!
"Boom--!"
"What?! Where are they?!"
Ace's figure instantly broke through the sword energy net, and he punched Red in the face!
"Bang--!"
Red hastily parried with his knife, but the force of the Impact sent him staggering backward, his feet plunging across the ground!
"It's not over yet!" Ace pressed his attack, unleashing a torrent of flames as he sped along the ground, his fists crackling with fire—
"Flame Explosion - Starburst!!"
"Bang! Bang!!"
Each punch landed precisely on Red's weak points, and cracks began to appear in his Armament Haki armor!
"Cough--!"
Blood trickled from the corner of Red's mouth, he staggered, and his consciousness began to fade!
"Hateful...!"
Ace suddenly withdrew his fist. "Warm-up is over."
He took a sudden step forward, the ground beneath his feet scorched and cracked, the flames on his right arm receded and compressed to a high degree, like a ball of incandescent energy about to explode!
He took a deep breath and his figure flashed instantly, rushing towards Red like a streak of light!
"What?!" Red was shocked, but years of combat experience still made his muscles react instantly, and he roared as he swung his sword to meet the attack—
"Blood Blade - Crushing Fang!!"
He gripped the heavy black sword tightly with both hands, extending his imposing Haki to its limit, and slashed down fiercely!
"Clang!!"
The Fire Fist clashed head-on with the blade, but Red instantly sensed something was wrong—
Ace's fist was no longer a blazing fireball, but a high-energy explosion compressed to its limit like white light!
"Flame Explosion - Ignition!"
"Bang--!"
A dull thud!
It wasn't an explosion, but rather the kind of loud bang where the air is instantly ignited and torn apart!
The moment Red's heavy sword made contact, it was deformed by the high temperature, and his Armament Haki cracked and crumbled!
The moment the Fire Fist touched his chest--
Boom!!
A violent burst of flame erupted from the ignited core, piercing through Red's entire body like a cone-shaped Shockwave!
His body flew backward like a rag doll, smashing through three stone pillars before crashing heavily to the ground, which collapsed into a charred, cracked pit!
"Cough... cough cough... oh, damn it..."
Red coughed up a mouthful of black blood, his whole body almost contorted, smoke billowing from his chest, and his Armament Haki armor already shattered.
He struggled to his feet, only to find that his leg bone was broken and his knife was broken in two, leaving him with no strength to fight any longer!
The murderous glint in his eyes was gone, replaced only by horror.
Ace walked slowly forward, the flames automatically receding from his body. He looked down coldly at Red:
"Fruit."
With trembling hands, Red pulled a black lacquered wooden box from his robes. Blood dripped from his outstretched hand as he offered it, his voice hoarse. "Please... please, spare me..."
Ace took the wooden box, his eyes icy: "The moment you attacked me—"
"A perfectly good deal has turned into... my annihilation mission."
"You... you... you really are a Marine?! Fire Fist Ace?!"
Upon hearing this, Red was utterly horrified. His pupils dilated, and his lips trembled as he roared, "Tesoro... he actually... he actually cooperated with the Navy?!"
Ace didn't respond, but simply turned around and snapped his fingers.
"Boom!!"
Flames instantly erupted all around, burning away all remaining resistance and screams!
A blazing ring of fire rose, like a fiery judgment, scorching away all malice!
The air returned to deathly stillness, with only the charred remains and lingering warmth echoing through the air.
The flames gradually died down, black smoke rose in wisps, and the smell of burning charcoal and gunpowder lingered in the air.
Ace stood alone amidst the devastated ruins, his expression serene.
He looked down at the black wooden box in his hand and gently lifted the lid.
Inside the box lay a strange Devil Fruit—
Its surface is spirally interwoven, resembling a combination of a snail and a pineapple. It is pale purple all over, with several almost imperceptible dark lines flowing across its surface, as if it is slowly "breathing".
It was as if... it itself was alive.
Ace raised an eyebrow, examined it for a moment, then curled his lip and said disdainfully, "This is the fruit Roy is looking for?"
"It looks weird, all purple and awful... not even as good-looking as my Flame-Flame Fruit."
As he spoke, he casually closed the box, stuffed it into his pocket, and turned to walk towards the small boat.
"Buzz--!"
The next second--
A sudden gust of wind rose behind him, Observation Haki instantly sounded like an alarm bell, making his nerves tense up!
"!!!"
Ace's eyes changed, flames erupted beneath his feet, and he flashed dozens of meters away like a fiery afterimage!
"Boom--!"
Almost the instant he left, a massive, pitch-black figure descended from the sky, like a meteorite crashing down!
"Five Claws·Crash!!"
"Click--!"
The ground within a radius of several meters instantly cracked and exploded, sending up a torrent of dust, sand, and rubble. The entire Deserted Island seemed to tremble from this attack!
Ace steadied himself, flames swirling around his shoulders, and stood at the edge of the ruins, his expression more solemn than ever before.
He looked up at the deep, billowing pit and asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"
A moment later--
From within the smoke and dust, a harsh, grating laugh slowly echoed, "Thief—ha ha!!"
A dark, thick hand emerged from the pile of rubble.
With heavy footsteps, a burly, obese black figure slowly rose to his feet, his body surging with indescribable energy.
His hair was disheveled, his mouth was split open revealing broken teeth, and his whole face was filled with greed, excitement, and madness.
"That fruit... that power... I've waited too long!!"
He looked up, his eyes fixed on the wooden box in Ace, his voice echoing like a murmur from the abyss:
That fruit—is mine!
Ace's pupils contracted slightly, and he whispered, "... Are you talking in your sleep?"
Blackbeard's smile instantly turned cold.
"Hand it over, brat."
"You can't stop this thing's fate. It was made for me. Fate has already decided, it—"
"It's the 'Dark-Dark Fruit'!!"
"It belongs to 'Marshall D. Teach'!!"
"Oh? Yours?"
Ace stretched out his Right Hand, and flames transformed into a red dragon that roamed along his arm, while his fist blazed with white-hot light.
He sneered, "If you've got the guts, come and take it."