The seas around Banaro Island had completely turned into a blazing furnace.
As the Golden Merry searched desperately for a gap in the relentless barrage of cannon fire, Ace landed steadily on a small, battered boat.
With one hand, he held the barely conscious Teach.
With the other, he pressed down his orange hat against the violent wind.
Under the mix of moonlight and firelight, his back looked both solitary and unshakable.
"Luffy… break through in one push."
"As your brother… I'll burn away everything in your path."
His voice was swallowed by the roaring waves.
He understood the situation better than anyone—
The true core of the encirclement wasn't the fleet.
It was the man standing on the flagship.
Admiral Sakazuki—
A name synonymous with destruction.
Even Ace, confident in his own strength, knew—
He couldn't defeat Akainu in a direct, life-or-death battle.
But if it was to cover his brother's escape—
Then his flames would become a wildfire capable of stalling even a god.
"Flame Jet Propulsion!!"
Fire erupted from his feet.
The small boat became a blazing comet, tearing across the sea.
But instead of escaping—
He charged straight toward the Marine flagship.
On the deck of the Sakazuki—
Akainu stood still, eyes locked onto the incoming fire.
"So you've come to die."
His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
He raised his arm slowly.
The sea around the ship began to boil violently.
Steam rose, swallowing the moonlight.
"Hellhound."
His fist transformed—
Into a massive pillar of molten magma.
It burned through the air itself, hissing as it tore forward—
Carrying overwhelming force.
It collided head-on with Ace.
Ace's pupils shrank.
He could feel the suffocating pressure.
His entire body ignited—
Glowing crimson.
"FIRE FIST—!!"
His punch erupted into a roaring dragon of flames.
Fire and magma clashed violently over the sea.
"BOOOOOOM—!!!"
A shockwave blasted outward, pushing back the ocean itself.
Flames devoured heat.
Magma crushed with sheer mass.
Though magma held the elemental advantage—
Ace's desperate, full-force strike neutralized the attack.
Akainu's eyes darkened slightly.
"So you can block Hellhound… not bad."
"Let's see how you handle this."
He leapt into the air.
His arm expanded—
Like a volcanic eruption forming in the sky.
"GREAT ERUPTION!!"
A colossal magma fist descended—
Like a falling volcano.
Meanwhile—
On the Golden Merry, racing south—
Luffy leaned over the railing.
His eyes reflected the distant battlefield—
Half red, half violet with destruction.
He could feel it—
Ace's power surging.
And Akainu's overwhelming might.
"…No. Ace is fighting that Admiral alone!"
His fingers dug into his palm.
"I'm going back to help him!"
"LUFFY! SNAP OUT OF IT!"
Usopp lunged forward, grabbing him tightly.
"Ace is doing this for us!"
"That's his pride as your brother!"
"If you go back now, you'll just make things worse!"
"And waste the chance he created for us!"
"Nami's right too!"
Nami stepped forward, her voice firm despite the fear in her eyes.
"That level of battle… even with the Golden Merry, we can't survive it!"
"If Akainu locks onto us, we're all dead!"
"Our job is to escape!"
"Only then can Ace fight without worrying about us!"
Luffy clenched his teeth.
His eyes trembled with conflict.
He trusted Ace—
But leaving like this…
If Ace failed to escape—
He would turn back, no matter what.
Just then—
The sea fog ahead split apart.
Two massive warships emerged—
Even larger than standard Marine ships.
Like iron mountains—
They blocked the final escape route.
Ronan stepped forward, spear in hand.
At the enemy bows stood two figures.
One—
A calm, veteran presence.
Marine coat fluttering, cigar clenched between his teeth.
Eyes narrowed, steady and cold.
Vice Admiral Momonga.
The other—
A terrifying killing machine.
His hair spread like spider legs—
Each strand gripping a blade.
Eight arms, nine swords—
A web of death.
Vice Admiral Onigumo.
"…Looks like trouble."
Ronan's spear gleamed with dark golden light.
"Luffy."
His voice cut through everything.
"Ace is holding back a disaster for us."
"If we stop here against mere Vice Admirals—"
"That's the real disgrace."
He lifted his spear.
"If they want a fight—"
"Then we send them to the bottom of the sea."
Luffy slowly raised his head.
The hesitation vanished.
Only resolve remained.
"If Ace believes in us…"
"Then I'll smash everything in our way!!"
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