"Ace... your plan is too dangerous!" Luffy looked at his gravely wounded older brother, his eyes filled with worry.
The Black Tornado's attacks grew fiercer by the moment, and the life on Starting Island was visibly fading away. The once-lush forest had become a barren, yellow wasteland, the clear streams had run dry, and even the air reeked of death.
The World Tree Seed's green glow flickered precariously under the Void Clone's relentless assault. If it was destroyed as the Life Node, all their efforts to establish the Sealing Array would come to nothing.
"We have no choice, Luffy," Ace said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth and looking firmly at his younger brother. "In our current state, we can't stop this clone. Only by completely merging our powers will we have any chance of winning."
"But merging the essence of our lives... that means..." Luffy's voice trembled.
"It means we might never be able to separate again," Ace said with a gentle smile. "But so what? We're brothers, aren't we? No matter what happens, we have to stay together."
Luffy fell silent for a moment, then flashed that familiar, brilliant grin. "Hehe, you've got a point! Since we're brothers, we should fight together to the very end!"
The brothers exchanged smiles, as though they had returned to the days when they trained together at Dadan's Hideout. Back then, they often argued and fought, but whenever they faced an outside enemy, they always fought back-to-back. That unspoken understanding between their hearts was something no power could destroy.
"Remember the promise we made as kids?" Ace held out his fist.
"Of course!" Without hesitation, Luffy bumped his fist against Ace's. "No matter what, we'll always be the strongest brothers!"
The instant their fists met, an invisible power began