"Something's wrong with these guys!" Sabo shouted during a lull in the battle. "Their bodies aren't entirely solid!"
Sure enough, whenever the Death Messengers suffered fatal damage, their bodies temporarily turned into purple mist before reforming. This regenerative ability made conventional attacks ineffective.
"Focus on Rune Energy!" Luffy reminded everyone, demonstrating his newly mastered technique as each punch precisely tore through the dimensional defenses the enemies depended on.
In the heat of battle, Ace suddenly dropped to his knees on the deck in pain, clutching the wound on his chest. The scar that had begun to heal abruptly split open, and Purple Patterns spread uncontrollably from the wound, covering his upper body.
"Ace!" Luffy cried anxiously, trying to approach his brother.
"Don't come any closer!" Ace gritted his teeth against the surging energy within him. "I can control it... I have to control it!"
He struggled to his feet, trembling all over. Just as the Death Messengers prepared to seize the opportunity and attack, Ace suddenly raised his head, purple light flashing in his eyes. His flames abruptly changed color, shifting from orange-red to a profound violet.
"Purgatory—Rune Judgment!"
Ace thrust both hands forward, unleashing a massive pillar of purple fire that struck one of the enemy ships head-on. When the flames touched the black vessel, there was no explosion, no burning. The ship simply disintegrated at a visible speed, as though it had been utterly annihilated by a force beyond the laws of physics.
That astonishing attack briefly silenced the battlefield. Even Void Shadow wore an expression of shock.
"How is this possible... two Pattern Bearers?" Void Shadow's voice wavered for the first time. "The Five Elders only mentioned Straw Hat..."
Just as the Death Messengers regrouped and prepared to launch a fiercer assault, a colossal warship suddenly appeared