Chapter 6: Vergo
"Haha!"
Ace soared through the sky, laughter echoing above the clouds. This was exhilarating! He had only theorized it before—unsure whether it would truly work. But now, as he actually flew, excitement rushed through his veins.
High in the air, Ace manipulated flames around his legs, using elemental propulsion to control both speed and direction with ease. What surprised him most was how minimal the physical exertion was—at his current stamina level, he could maintain this flight for an entire day without issue.
"Flying feels incredible!"
Suspended thousands of meters above ground, Ace breathed in the thinner air and basked in the view. The wind whipped past him as he hovered effortlessly.
"Hehe, I didn't expect this to work so well! My flying speed is practically comparable to a fighter jet... With this mobility, unless I'm up against a handful of top-tier enemies, I should be able to escape almost any dangerous encounter—even if I can't win outright."
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.
"Huh? A Navy warship?"
Ace frowned as he spotted a Marine vessel speeding toward a small island—his crew's temporary base.
"Is this a coincidence… or are they after me?"
Descending quickly from high altitude, Ace stopped midair a few hundred meters in front of the warship.
On the ship's bow stood a man clad in a plaid coat, with sharp sideburns shaped like lightning bolts and a pair of sunglasses. He glanced upward, sensing the presence overhead.
Ace's heart sank slightly when he recognized him.
"Ghost Bamboo Vergo…!"
If memory served, Vergo was a top officer of the Donquixote Family—an undercover agent who had infiltrated the Marines. Two years after the Marineford War, he would become one of the Navy's elite Vice Admirals. But even now, he was already a formidable force—his mastery of Armament Haki was exceptional, and his use of the Six Powers (Rokushiki) made him a dangerous adversary.
"The original timeline said Vergo had already mastered Armament Haki when he was young... If his Haki is anywhere near its future level, this fight won't be easy." Ace thought, calculating his options.
"Portgas D. Ace, rookie pirate with a bounty of 55 million Berries, correct?" Vergo asked, calmly looking up at Ace.
At this point in the timeline, Ace had only recently set out to sea, having entered the Grand Line not long ago. He hadn't made waves yet—hence the relatively low bounty.
"That's me," Ace replied casually. He hovered at eye level, keeping his distance from the warship. "Nice to meet you."
Vergo remained expressionless. "I'm just a little short of earning promotion to Vice Admiral. Your capture will give me the final merit I need. You're quite fortunate."
As an undercover agent for the Donquixote Family, Vergo's quickest path to power was through the Navy ranks. Smart and ambitious, he joined the Marines and rose rapidly, capturing pirates to rack up merit. Of course, nearly all his captures had been enemies of the Donquixote Family.
Now ranked as a Rear Admiral, Vergo had the strength for a Vice Admiral's position—but not yet the military achievement to justify it. Capturing someone like Ace, whose bounty would likely skyrocket after consuming the Mera Mera no Mi, would be the final push.
"This is our first meeting. I'm Vergo. You may call me Mr. Vergo," he said, lifting the bamboo stick in his hand. With a kick of his feet, he launched into the sky and hurtled toward Ace like a missile. "Portgas D. Ace—thank you for your 'service.' In return, I'll take your head without mercy!"
Buzz—!
Vergo's arm turned pitch-black with Haki, as did his bamboo staff. He swung at Ace with a vicious strike, aimed to incapacitate instantly.
"Whoosh!"
Ace reacted swiftly—he thrust out his palm, and a powerful jet of flame blasted from it, sending his body backward and evading Vergo's strike.
"Tsk tsk… how rude, Mr. Vergo," Ace smirked, stabilizing mid-air.
Then his tone darkened as he added, "Or should I say—former 'Red Heart' of the Donquixote Family, Ghost Bamboo Vergo?"
Ace had originally planned to avoid provoking the Donquixote Family too early—he had even let Diamante and the others go. But if Doflamingo was already sending people after him, then there was no point in restraint.
Vergo's face finally shifted from his usual stoic demeanor. His expression darkened, and a cold killing intent began to radiate from his body.
"Hmph—!"
Without speaking, Vergo raised the bamboo to his lips and blew into it. The staff swelled like a balloon, completely defying common sense.
"Armament — Air Bombs!"
Dark-colored projectiles infused with Armament Haki exploded from the tip of the bamboo, howling through the air toward Ace.
"Flame Bullet!"
Ace extended his hands, fingers forming a gun-like shape. Condensed flames fired out like bullets, colliding with the air bombs mid-air.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each impact created intense shockwaves, the collisions resounding like small explosions across the sky.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, Vergo shot forward again, using Moonwalk (Geppō) to close the distance. His bamboo staff, now wrapped in a whip-like extension of Armament Haki, lashed toward Ace.
"Ghost Bamboo — Whip!"
Ace countered immediately.
"Mirror Fire Wall!"
He raised his arm and unleashed a torrent of flames, forming a fiery wall to block the incoming strike.
Boom!
But the blow shattered the wall of flame. Vergo's reinforced staff struck Ace directly in the arm, sending him flying backward from the impact.
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