Myth Descends

At the bottom of the crater, smoke and dust filled the air.

"I've learned my lesson from this."

"Now, it's time to change tactics."

Following this low declaration, the surging blood energy within Ace erupted like a dormant volcano. His dark red trench coat snapped in the scorching airflow, and the black slim-fit shirt he wore was instantly incinerated by the high temperature radiating from his body.

Crimson-gold flames soared into the sky, illuminating the gloomy fortress heights as if it were broad daylight.

Under Zephyr's solemn gaze, Ace's sturdy, towering frame began to undergo a startling transformation.

Two massive wings, formed entirely of solid crimson-gold flames, burst forth from his back. As the wings flapped, the surrounding air distorted violently from the intense heat. Fine, hard crimson-gold scales rapidly covered his arms and legs, as if he were donning an ancient suit of armor.

Zoan: Tori Tori no Mi, Mythical Type: Vermilion Bird Form!

The moment the partial transformation was complete, the hard rock beneath Ace's feet could not withstand the heat and melted directly into molten, dark red magma.

"Different colored flames, and this kind of pressure..."

Zephyr clenched his remaining left hand tightly, a look of unprecedented gravity appearing on his weathered face. "A Mythical Type, indeed. No wonder you dared to take my Black Arm head-on."

Ace said nothing more, his broad crimson-gold wings beating once with force.

"BOOM!"

Leaving only a melted crater behind, Ace's figure turned into a flash of crimson-gold light that tore through the air, appearing directly above Zephyr in an instant.

"Divine Fire: Vermilion Bird Seal!"

Ace raised his right leg high, delivering a heavy downward strike coated in flowing Haki and Vermilion Bird Divine Fire. With enough kinetic energy to split a mountain, it crashed down toward Zephyr's head!

"Don't get too arrogant, rookie!"

Zephyr roared, having no intention of dodging. He poured all his blood energy and Armament Haki into his only remaining arm, meeting the flaming leg—which fell like a meteor—with a punch that soared toward the sky!

"Black Arm: Smash!"

"THUD!"

Fist and leg locked together in mid-air.

This collision was far more dangerous than any that had come before.

Pitch-black Haki and crimson-gold Divine Fire sparked visibly between them. Ace's Divine Fire, capable of melting steel, burned crazily against the barrier of Armament Haki on Zephyr's fist, while Zephyr's heavy Black Arm held firm against this mountain-shattering, monstrous strength.

The earth crumbled inch by inch under their clash, and the surrounding fortress walls collapsed one after another like fragile biscuits.

"Your strength and speed... they've actually increased this much!"

Zephyr gritted his teeth, beads of sweat seeping from his forehead. He could clearly feel the pressure on his left arm mounting; that strange, high-temperature heat was even attempting to pierce through his prideful Armament Haki defense to scorch his bones.

In the moment of stalemate, Zephyr's eyes sharpened. He dropped his left arm suddenly to deflect the force of Ace's strike, then slammed his massive frame forward, landing a fierce iron-mountain bash against Ace's chest.

"BANG!"

Ace was knocked back several steps, the crimson-gold scales on his chest shattering inch by inch as his bones emitted a dull thud.

But in the very next breath, a cluster of Nirvana Fire ignited automatically on his chest. His broken ribs and damaged internal organs healed as good as new in the blink of an eye.

"This kind of unreasonable recovery..."

Zephyr panted heavily, his gaze growing increasingly heavy.

"The Haki of the old era is indeed profound."

Ace landed steadily on the ground, looking directly at the former Marine Admiral. "But time waits for no man. You've lost an arm, and your stamina is slipping. How much longer can you hold up under this level of high-intensity exchange?"

"As long as I draw breath, I will never allow you pirates to run wild on these seas!"

Zephyr let out a roar and exploded forward once more, stepping on Soru.

He knew he could never win a war of attrition against a Mythical Type. His only chance of victory was to concentrate all his Haki into a single point and shatter the opponent's defenses and internal organs completely!

"Black Arm: Absolute Kill!"

Zephyr's left arm swelled in size, the layer of pitch-black Armament Haki even faintly shimmering with a dark red luster. He poured his entire life's worth of combat experience and killing intent into this strike, holding nothing back.

Facing the desperate, all-or-nothing blow from the veteran, Ace did not dodge.

His eyes were as calm as water. The blood energy within him roared like an engine; the crimson-gold Divine Fire no longer sprayed outward, but was forcibly restrained onto his right fist, weaving and compressing with that layer of pitch-black, flowing Haki.

Since his opponent had brought out his strongest Armament Haki, he would use high-level Ryou and Vermilion Bird Divine Fire to crush it head-on!

"Divine Fire: Star Breaker!"

One large figure and one small figure met in the center of the devastated fortress for their final, direct collision.

"RUMBLE!"

The moment their fists made contact, the entire Steel Country seemed to suffer a minor earthquake.

A blinding white light swallowed them both, followed by a massive mushroom cloud soaring into the sky. The violent shockwave swept out like a hurricane, grinding the rubble and tank wreckage within hundreds of meters into fine powder.

At the center of the storm.

Zephyr's eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief.

His prideful Black Arm defense had been pierced through in the instant of contact by a sharp, concentrated Haki. That Ryou, mixed with high-temperature heat, bypassed the Armament Haki armor on his skin and began to destroy his bones and muscles from the inside out.

"Snap."

A bone-chilling sound of fracturing bone rang out.

Zephyr's left arm bent at a distorted angle; that layer of impenetrable Armament Haki had finally shattered under the force of this dual destruction!

Zephyr spat out a massive mouthful of blood, his tall, burly frame sent flying back like a kite with a broken string. He tumbled across the hard, rocky ground for dozens of meters before slamming heavily into a remaining steel bunker.

The bunker collapsed with a roar, burying the one-armed veteran beneath the ruins.

The dust filling the sky gradually settled.

Ace stood where he was, the flames on his right fist slowly extinguishing.

His upper body was bare, his muscles covered in bruises and wounds of varying sizes, yet all were rapidly fading under the nourishment of his divine fire. He exhaled a long, scorching white mist, and the crimson-gold wings on his back retracted into his body, returning him to his human form.

He watched the pile of rubble burying Zephyr in silence.

A long time passed, but no sound of a counterattack came from the ruins.

Ace waved his hand, and crimson-gold flames swept the debris aside, revealing Zephyr's blood-stained figure.

The veteran, who had already lost his right arm and suffered from declining physical strength, lay amidst the rubble. His chest still rose and fell, but his eyes were tightly shut, and he had completely lost consciousness. His only remaining left arm hung limply at his side, the pitch-black Armament Haki long since dissipated.

This battle had reached its end.

"A worthy opponent."

Ace withdrew his gaze. In this head-on slaughter, his comprehension of internal destruction through Haki had finally solidified.

The commander's battlefield had been decided.

Ace tilted his head slightly, looking toward the other side of the highland.

There, the continuous sounds of explosions, slashes, and artillery fire still echoed. The rest of the Eclipse Pirates were locked in a bitter struggle against the Marine Vice Admirals and officers.

Ace took a step forward, carrying the heat that had yet to fully fade, and walked toward the war-torn zone.