"Good grief... this fat pig is roasted so thoroughly he's dripping oil."
Buggy leaned over the crater, clicking his tongue in morbid wonder. "The heat was a bit high, though. A bit overdone for my tastes."
"Captain. The perimeter is secure. The trash has been swept," Sabo said, walking to Ace's side. He glanced at the basin—which looked as if a small star had impacted the earth—and tipped his hat.
Ace nodded. There wasn't a single drop of blood on his red windbreaker. His breathing was as rhythmic as a sleeping tide. Taking down an 85-million-Berry veteran of the New World had been nothing more than a light warm-up.
He ignored the smoking ruin of Truff and turned his gaze toward the far side of the clearing.
There, Leona leaned weakly against the foot of the Primal Kong. The Guardian, a beast that had watched over the island for centuries, was a map of agony. Barbed harpoons were buried deep in its silver fur, and the yellow-green nerve gas had already turned its blood black. The great ape coughed, each heave spraying dark ichor onto the ferns.
The surviving tribespeople knelt in the mud, their sorrowful wails echoing the fading heartbeat of their god.
Leona bit her lip so hard it bled, trying to force her broken arms to move, to pull the steel from the Kong's flesh. But Truff's Haki-reinforced headbutt had shattered her bones; she collapsed back into the dirt, trembling with impotence.
"The battle is over. But the bill is steep," Ace said, his boots crunching over the debris as he approached.
The Kong's glazed eyes flickered, trying to focus on the terrifying aura approaching. A weak, gutteral growl vibrated in its chest as it tried to move a massive, trembling palm to shield Leona.
"Easy, big guy." Ace looked up into the Kong's eyes, his voice flat but not unkind. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be in the pit next to the pig."
Leona tilted her head back, looking at Ace as he blocked out the sun. "Thank you, Ace... for ending Truff." She forced a bitter, pained smile. "But the gas... it's already in the Mountain God's heart. It looks like I won't be making that barbecue for you after all."
"The chef I choose doesn't get to make excuses."
Ace interrupted her. He knelt slowly, extending his right hand. Without warning, a cluster of pure, shimmering crimson-gold flame ignited in his palm.
There was no searing heat. No destructive roar. The moment the Celestial Fire appeared, the scent of chemicals and rot vanished, purified instantly. A majestic, ancient life force swept through the basin like a warm spring breeze.
Carina and Buggy stared from the sidelines, their eyes wide. "What kind of fire is that?" Leona whispered, mesmerized.
Ace didn't explain. He pressed his flaming palm directly onto Leona's blood-soaked, shattered arms.
"Sss—!" The flames wrapped around her like a living shroud.
Leona squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the agony of a burn. But the pain never came. Instead, she felt a surge of vitality so potent it defied medical logic. She felt her bones knitting together, her muscle fibers reweaving themselves into cords of steel, denser and tougher than they had ever been.
In ten seconds, Ace withdrew his hand. The wounds were gone. Not even a scar remained.
"How is this possible...?" Leona clenched her fists, feeling a level of strength that surpassed her peak.
"Don't just sit there," Ace stood up, his eyes turning to the dying Kong and the poisoned natives. "I said this forest belongs to me. And on my territory, even the Grim Reaper needs my permission to take a soul."
Ace spread his arms. A cry like a divine bird pierced the heavens, and two massive, crimson-gold wings unfurled from his back with a violent roar.
"SUZAKU: SAISEI!"
Ace flapped his wings. A rain of crimson sparks fell like slow-motion meteors, landing with pinpoint accuracy on the Kong and every fallen tribesman.
A miracle descended. The moment the sparks touched the Kong, the black poison was vaporized into harmless steam. Deep gashes closed in heartbeats. The heavy harpoons were literally pushed out of its body by the force of new muscle growth, clattering onto the stones.
The natives stood up, touching their unblemished skin and looking at the man with the fiery wings as if he were a god descended from the sun.
"ROOOOOAR!!!"
The Primal Kong surged to its feet, beating its chest with a thunder that shook the entire island. Its fur shone with a new, metallic luster. The giant beast looked down at Ace, then—to the shock of everyone—it dropped to one knee and pressed a massive fist to its chest, bowing its proud head in absolute submission.
The wings retracted into Ace's back. He was just a man again.
The tribal Great Elder approached, supported by his kin. He kowtowed to Ace, then turned to Leona.
"Leona," the Elder's voice trembled. "You have protected us for so long. You locked your youth and your dreams in this forest to be our shield."
"Elder, I—"
"The predator is dead. Our benefactor has given us a new life." The Elder smiled warmly. "The forest is safe. The Mountain God is stronger than ever. You don't need to wear this tribe as your shackles anymore."
He pointed toward Ace.
"Go, child. Follow the sea you've always dreamed of. That man... he is a King worthy of your blade."
The Primal Kong gave Leona a gentle nudge with its finger, a soft huff of encouragement.
Leona looked at her home. She looked at her healthy people and her god. Finally, she looked at the black-haired man waiting for her with his hands in his pockets. He had used the most violent power to crush her enemies, and the most sacred power to set her free.
Leona took a deep breath. She drew the Iron Tusk and the Silver Talon.
She walked to Ace and knelt heavily on one knee. She crossed the two blades—famed steel that had tasted the blood of a thousand beasts—and pressed them solemnly into the earth at his feet.
"I, Leona, worship only two things: the ultimate ingredients, and the absolute strength required to conquer them."
She looked up, her slitted pupils burning with a fanatical, devoted fire.
"Portgas D. Ace. From this day forward, my blades, my craft, and my life... they are yours."
Ace looked down at his new chef, a flash of genuine pride in his eyes. He reached out and pulled her to her feet.
"I don't want your life."
Ace turned toward the reborn basin, his heroic laughter finally erupting, echoing through the prehistoric canopy.
"I just want you to cook the greatest full-course meal this ocean has ever seen for the Eclipse Pirates!"
"Buggy! Sabo! Carina! Tell the tribe... tonight, WE FEAST!"
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