"Ah, Luffy…"
Ace smiled as he looked at the familiar figure of his younger brother. "You really haven't changed a bit."
His voice was full of warmth and nostalgia, but he quickly shook his head.
"But now's not the time for a family reunion," Ace added, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "You go on ahead. I'll hold them off here. I'll catch up later. Go!"
Luffy looked at him, grinned brightly, and nodded without hesitation.
"Alright, everyone, back to the ship!" he shouted at his crew.
He didn't pause to question whether Ace could win or not. That kind of doubt never even crossed his mind.
To Luffy, his brother never lied—and if Ace said he wouldn't die, then he simply wouldn't.
As flames and smoke surged high into the sky, swallowing the scene in chaos, Ace's figure was soon obscured. Smoker tried to regain visibility, but by the time the smoke cleared, Ace had vanished.
Ace had already broken free from Smoker's pursuit and began heading in the direction Luffy had gone.
Just as he landed on a nearby rooftop, a dark presence emerged behind him.
"Portgas D. Ace... Are you looking for your brother?"
A cold, deep voice echoed.
Ace's instincts kicked in immediately. He leapt several meters to the side, flames flaring at his fists.
Though he wasn't one of the strongest in the world yet, as the former captain of the Spade Pirates and now the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace was no ordinary pirate. Being approached so silently and so suddenly gave him chills.
But when he turned and finally got a good look at the person behind him, his tension eased.
"Hi there, I'm Ace," he said with a friendly grin. "You must be one of Luffy's crewmates. I'm his brother."
Leo, standing calmly with his long coat swaying in the wind, smiled in return.
"Ahaha, sorry about that. I was just testing your reflexes," Leo said, a bit sheepishly. "You passed, of course."
He had expected a warm-hearted person, but Ace was still more composed than he imagined.
Although cheerful and relaxed on the surface—just like Luffy—there was something more refined about Ace. A sense of maturity born from experience.
Ace chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me."
"My reckless brother must have given you a lot of trouble," he added, a little sheepishly.
Leo was about to say something, but Ace's gentle and sincere expression stopped him. His lips parted, but the words caught in his throat.
If you knew... would you still chase after him?
But he stopped himself and smiled instead.
"Forget it. It's nothing important," Leo said, shaking his head. "Actually, I've got something for you."
"A gift?" Ace blinked in surprise, then smiled again. "Well, thank you. I'll accept it without hesitation."
Leo nodded. "Can I borrow your dagger?"
Ace looked down at the blade strapped to his waist. He unhooked it and handed it over respectfully, both hands forward.
"Sure. Here you go."
Leo accepted it with a bright smile. He gripped the dagger in one hand, and with the other, pulled out his wand—long, dark, and faintly glowing.
He examined the dagger for a moment, weighing it thoughtfully, then focused.
Suddenly, a rush of pure magical energy surged from Leo's body like a storm unleashed.
"Material Reconstruction: Flame Crystal!"
A dazzling light burst from the tip of Leo's wand as he tapped the dagger's blade.
The air in the pub, where the two stood, instantly shifted.
The temperature plummeted to a freezing chill—then in the blink of an eye, it spiked upward, becoming scorching hot. The space around them boiled with conflicting energies, wrapping around Leo and Ace in a shimmering haze.
Within seconds, the dagger's steel blade began to change—its surface glowing, twisting—until it hardened into a translucent red crystal with swirling flame patterns faintly visible within.
Then, as if time rewound, the blade settled back into its original form… though its very essence had changed completely.
Outside, an eerie pressure blanketed the entire city of Nahana.
The villagers on the streets stopped walking, each one looking to the sky in confusion or awe.
A deep, suffocating pressure filled the air—so heavy it almost made people cough blood. It was as though a disaster had descended.
But just as quickly, that oppressive force shifted—becoming light, like the gentle breath of dawn.
Two auras—one of death, one of life—intertwined perfectly in the sky above Nahana, creating a sense of strange, eternal harmony.
"Hey! Everyone, look! Why does the sky look like it's on fire!?" Usopp's voice rang out in the distance.
Nami and the others had just regrouped, looking for Luffy again, when they stopped and stared at the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Nami stepped back instinctively and stood beside Vivi.
"Vivi… is this normal in Alabasta?" she asked, eyes wide.
Vivi shook her head in disbelief.
"No. This... this has never happened before," she said, staring up in awe.
She had lived here her entire life, but this phenomenon—the burning sky, the crushing pressure followed by vibrant renewal—was completely foreign to her.
It felt like the end of the world and the birth of a new one happening at the same time.
Back in the bar, Leo wasn't finished.
"Creation: Eternal Flame," he whispered.
A soft, flickering flame appeared in midair—glowing orange and gold. It hovered gently above the dagger like a spirit awaiting command.
"Additional Flame Magic Pattern."
The flame dropped into the blade, searing glowing runes into the crystal surface.
If you looked closely, the runes weren't just decorations—they were living. They pulsed, danced, moved, like real fire trapped in solid form.
Leo handed the dagger back to Ace, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"That should do it," he said with a grin. "Give it a try."
Ace accepted the dagger with reverence.
The moment he gripped it, a surge of warmth rushed through his body. It wasn't just physical warmth—it was a resonance. The flame within him recognized the magic inside the weapon. It felt like a missing piece of his soul had returned.
With instinct rather than thought, Ace raised the blade and slashed upward toward the sky.
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion of fire erupted from the blade, shooting flames high into the air. The inferno pierced the clouds above, dyeing the sky in orange and gold.
The intense heat made everyone in Nahana sweat immediately. Even the city's limited water resources began to evaporate at a visible rate.
Leo quickly responded. He raised his wand again and summoned a wave of cold air, which shot upward and clashed with the fire. The result was a sudden stormcloud forming overhead.
Thunder rumbled.
Then—rain. A heavy downpour drenched the city, cooling the streets and easing the burning sensation in the air.
Ace stood there, still holding the dagger, stunned by the power he had just unleashed.
He grinned brightly, like a child discovering a new toy.
"That was amazing!" he shouted. "I can feel it... the flame in this thing is alive!"
Leo nodded. "It is. That dagger now holds three layers of powerful magic. It's partially conscious. If you're in danger, the flame might protect you on its own."
Then his expression darkened slightly.
If only you don't throw yourself at death this time...
Even if Ace couldn't defeat Blackbeard outright, this time… he wouldn't die so easily.
Not with that flame in his hand.
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