Flame Emperor: Pierce
The sky in the center of Hachinosu has been torn apart by flames and black mud.
The heavens and earth are collapsing, and the earth is wailing.
Twin Dragons, woven from fire and mud, coiled and roared, the clash of light and darkness seemingly plunging the world into the prelude to destruction.
"Thief--hahaha!!"
Teach stood in the churning black swamp, his laughter like a hellish roar.
His muscles bulged like magma, and his veins flowed not with blood, but with viscous Swamp energy.
Having entered "Pumping State," the power within him was nearing its berserk edge.
The fusion of rubber and Swamp energy granted his body monstrous elasticity and absorption capabilities, even allowing him to deflect flames and absorb Impacts.
His arms stretched out for dozens of meters, his fists swirling with mud and Armament Haki.
"--Smash it!!"
With a single punch, the air roared and cracked, and the island's surface was instantly ripped apart!
The Swamp strata, like a living thing, devoured everything in its path along the force of its fist, with seawater evaporating and rocks turning into slag.
"Teach--!"
Amidst the sea of fire, a furious roar exploded!
Ace's figure burst through the steam and flames, his entire body engulfed in platinum-gold fire.
The Heat-Heat Fruit Ring shone even brighter, forcibly pushing the temperature limit of the Flame-Flame Fruit to an even higher level.
That heat far surpassed the realm of ordinary flames—it was a pure burst of energy.
"That's not fire... it's the sun!"
The remnants of Blackbeard's Regiment in the distance screamed in terror, their eyes almost blinded by the stabs.
Ace took a step forward, and the air beneath his feet instantly ignited, leaving a red-gold trail.
He swung his fist violently, unleashing a raging inferno that shook the entire Battlefield!
"Flame Emperor Sunfall!!"
"Boom!!"
Flames fell to the ground like meteors, colliding and exploding with the black mud.
The Shockwave swept across an area of several kilometers, causing waves to surge back and the center of the entire Hachinosu to collapse.
The clash of forces between the two sides made the entire island throb like a beating heart.
Flames transformed into Dragon Claws, tearing apart the black mud; the mud then turned into snakes, devouring the raging flames.
The two almost became elements themselves, their punches landing with raw force, their energy clashing—each strike carrying the aura of the apocalypse.
The Blackbeard Alliance's henchmen had nowhere to escape.
Anyone who got too close was either vaporized into charcoal by the flames or swallowed by black mud, leaving only wails and white mist to dissipate in the explosion.
The entire Hachinosu had become a graveyard, with only Teach and Ace still fighting each other in the center.
"Thief--hahaha!!"
Teach's laughter was chaotic and manic; his skin was scorched and cracked from the high temperature, and black mud rolled around, trying to repair itself.
"Not bad, Ace! That's more like a man!"
He was about to exert more force when he suddenly froze.
In that instant, the familiar energy fluctuations in the distance disappeared one after another in my Observation Haki perception.
Lafitte – silence.
Van Augur, Doc Q -- Aura waning.
Jesus Burgess... the aura of that island giant has been completely extinguished.
"What?!"
Teach's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart skipped a beat.
The flow of the black mud became slightly erratic at this moment, and his breathing became disordered for the first time.
"How is this possible?! They... they all lost?!"
It was an unbelievable shock.
Jesus Burgess was his right-hand man, Van Augur and Doc Q were his confidants, but now, they were all defeated.
Amidst the raging flames and churning black mud, a thunderous roar erupted, "--How dare you be distracted!!"
Flames soared into the sky, Ace's figure emerged in the blazing light, like Flame King descending with the sun.
He clasped his hands together, his fingers trembling slightly, and platinum flames spun and compressed rapidly between his palms!
The air collapsed layer by layer, sonic booms exploded continuously, and the Flame Line condensed into a point of aurora in the palm of the hand!
The platinum flames gathered into a single point in Ace's palm, so dazzling that they seemed to pierce the sky.
" --Flame Fury - Penetrate!!"
"Bang--!"
A blinding light tore through the night sky, and blazing rays shot out at a speed comparable to a torrent of light!
Teach's pupils constricted sharply, almost before he could react.
The Flame Line has penetrated the black mud barrier and pierced through his chest!
"Well--!"
The intense Flame Line instantly pierced his heart, and the Swamp energy within his body evaporated and exploded under the high temperature, causing him to plummet to the ground like a meteor!
"Boom--!"
The trail of Flame Line left a platinum arc that connected the sky and the earth.
Ace's eyes burned with rage, and he clenched his Right Hand, causing the flames to focus once more.
The deep, harsh voice sounded like a judgment.
"--burst!"
"Boom--!"
A deafening roar, as if the earth were collapsing, erupted from the ground!
The entire Hachinosu was lifted up, and a pillar of platinum flame tore through the ground and shot straight into the sky!
At that moment, the sky and earth changed color, and the waves surged back into a wall hundreds of meters high.
A mushroom cloud slowly bloomed on the horizon, flames bloomed like flowers, and light engulfed the entire island!
The Shockwave spread at the speed of sound, capsizing ships at sea along with the wave crests, and the scorching heat could be felt tens of kilometers away.
"Teach--!"
"Boss--!"
The remaining members of the Blackbeard Alliance knelt on the ground in despair, their eyes fixed on the blazing light.
Their cries were swallowed by the flames, and no one answered.
In the center of Hachinosu, only a burning abyss remains.
Ace landed steadily, flames spreading from his shoulder and turning into swirling embers.
His chest heaved rapidly, and even with each breath, he could still smell the metallic scent of flames scorching the air.
Not far away, Luffy, Zoro, and Kuina also finished their battles and gathered together on the broken rocky ground.
The three of them immediately saw the huge crater blasted out by "Flame Fury Pierce"—hundreds of meters in diameter, with the rock layers reduced to ashes, yet white-gold flames still burning underground.
Ace stared at the deep pit, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand and chuckled softly, "I've wanted to beat him up for a long time... I finally got to enjoy it this time."
Luffy patted Ace on the shoulder. "Haha-- Ace, that move was so cool!!"
The group relaxed briefly, as mournful cries echoed through the desolate air of Hachinosu.
In the distance, the remaining minions of the Blackbeard Alliance knelt on the ground, still crying out the name of "Teach!!"
The afterglow of the flames illuminated their trembling faces, a testament to true despair.
Luffy scratched his head. "Did that guy get burned to ashes?"
Ace was silent for a moment, then looked up at the deep pit, the firelight flickering in his eyes.
Even for him... it's impossible for him to get up easily after that.
The words had barely left his mouth--
"Bang--"
A low, muffled tremor came from the earth.
Then, there was a second sound.
"Bang... bang..."
The pace was slow, yet it carried a strange regularity.
Zoro frowned slightly. "What's that sound?"
Kuina narrowed her eyes, her hand subtly resting on the hilt of her sword. "It doesn't seem like an earthquake... more like—"
Ace's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart skipped a beat at the same instant.
The sound seemed to match the rhythm of his heartbeat.
"... The sound of drums?" Luffy looked up in confusion.
"Bang--Bang--Bang--!"
The sound grew clearer and the rhythm more intense, seemingly coming from underground, yet also seemingly echoing simultaneously within their chests.
Ace's expression gradually turned serious, and the rock beneath his feet began to tremble slightly.
From the depths of that pit, an intense, suffocating black energy was slowly rising—like the awakening of some ancient life.
High in the sky, a figure silently observes this scene.
His gaze pierced through the billowing smoke and dust, and a slow, enigmatic smile played on his lips.
"Yo--"
--Deep within Hachinosu, the heartbeat continues.
"Bang... bang... bang bang--!"