"Fire Fist" Ace and the "Phoenix" Marco led the charge, landing first under the cover of cannon fire onto the frigid, snow-covered island.
Not long ago, this island had belonged to them.
Their brothers who once guarded this place…
Their blood probably hadn't even been washed away yet.
Their corpses must still be piled up like mountains.
Before dying, were they afraid?
Did they yield to the enemy?
Did they hope—desperately—that we would come avenge them?
Thinking of this filled Ace and Marco with deeper fury.
They poured that rage straight into their Devil Fruit powers.
Wherever they passed, the deep snow melted instantly, carving open a blazing path.
Spotting the pirates of the Blackbeard Pirates, they didn't hesitate for an instant—they charged.
We finally found you.
The Blackbeard Pirates clearly had not expected this surprise attack. They were nearly defenseless.
Facing the furious Whitebeard remnants, fear crawled across their faces and their formation collapsed quickly.
The two sides clashed immediately, plunging into chaotic melee. Formations disintegrated; bodies mixed; enemies and allies tangled together.
Shouts shook the sky, bloodlust filled the air.
Ace first used Fire Gun to shoot through several enemies' chests. Then he leapt high into the air and dove into the enemy ranks, unleashing Flame Commandment without restraint.
Shhh—
A wave of blazing fire consumed a swath of enemies instantly, their screams drowned within the inferno.
Ace felt no pity—only satisfaction.
He knew well that over these past months, the captains and crewmates who had died at the hands of the Blackbeard Pirates had suffered torment and humiliation far worse than what he was inflicting now.
In their final moments…
Did our brothers foresee this day?
All grief and fury condensed into a single thought:
Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.
The entire Whitebeard remnant force seemed to be ignited by Ace's flames. Eyes reddened, drenched in blood, they hurled themselves forward relentlessly.
It had been far too long since they fought a battle that swung in their favor!
Ace thrust out a flaming spear using Sacred Fire: Shiranui, piercing through a whole row of enemies.
Suddenly, through the chaos, he heard a familiar scream.
He whipped his head around—only to see Seventh Division Captain Rakuyō surrounded by enemies, his body pierced through with blades.
His meteor hammer lay discarded nearby—he looked utterly unable to fight back.
"Ace…"
Rakuyō coughed out blood, reaching toward him.
"Help me!"
Ace didn't think—he fired Fire Gun: Bullets, blowing apart the enemies blocking his way and rushed toward Rakuyō.
"Stop!"
Only five steps away, Ace was about to strike down the attackers—when the situation twisted.
Ke-ke-ke…
Rakuyō suddenly gave Ace a bizarre smile. The dying man abruptly straightened, full of strength, and wiped his hand across his face.
Where Rakuyō's face had been, another appeared—a sharply angled woman's face.
Nine furry tails rose from her back.
"Crescent Hunter Catarina Devon!" Ace's expression changed—he realized the trap. Only now did his Observation Haki flare in warning.
He whipped his head around—
Saw nothing.
But the killing intent was real.
Damn it—where's the enemy?!
Whoosh—
Marco dropped from the sky, kicking the air in front of Ace. But it wasn't empty air—he struck an invisible man and his invisible blade.
CLANG—
Haki exploded. Space twisted violently, revealing a man in the uniform of an Impel Down Chief Jailer.
Knocked back several steps by Marco's kick, he held the famous blade Thunderstorm—undeterred.
One failed ambush only meant another chance.
He vanished again, this time suppressing his killing intent completely, slipping away silently.
The battlefield roared with screams and hatred, making Ace's and Marco's Observation Haki blur with noise—they couldn't track him.
And the woman who had taken Rakuyō's form had already changed her face again, vanishing into the crowd.
"One of them is Catarina Devon, user of the Mythical Zoan: Nine-Tailed Fox, able to transform into anyone." Marco swept his gaze around warily. "The other is Shiryu, user of the Clear-Clear Fruit, able to become completely invisible."
Marco had never strayed far from Ace during the battle. Sensing danger immediately, he had intervened at once.
Ace swallowed hard, the brush with death chilling him.
"Blackbeard really did 'hunt' Devil Fruits that perfectly match their vile, treacherous personalities."
"Yeah." Marco nodded. "They never stopped hunting for Devil Fruit users—and never stopped looking for 'reborn fruits.' Every ability they have is carefully selected."
"Ace, stay alert. The enemy could be beside you at any moment. And remember—if I'm gone too long… the one who comes back might not be me."
"I get it," Ace answered, never dismissing any warning Marco gave.
This was battle. And their enemies were the cunning core officers of the Blackbeard Pirates. Neither Ace nor Marco dared lower their guard.
RUMBLE—
A violent tremor shook the island, drawing their attention.
Frowning, they looked up.
A distant snow-covered mountain was trembling.
Two enormous eyes opened upon it—like lanterns scanning the battlefield below.
The mountain seemed to come alive. The snowy ground splitting around its base, two colossal arms of packed snow rose into the air.
"It's Avalo Pizarro, user of the Island-Island Fruit!" Marco, after months of fighting the Blackbeard Pirates, recognized their abilities instantly. "Ace—move!"
Pizarro had fused himself with the entire winter island. His giant arms swept downward—his palms aimed at the ships in the harbor, his arm swing covering friend and foe alike.
Whether it was the howling wind or his own wild laughter, a rough sound rolled across the battlefield.
But before his massive arms could smash down—
—they were struck by savage slashes.
The arms shattered instantly into huge stone-like chunks, crashing down like meteors.
Two dark figures flashed through the stormy sky.
Marco narrowed his eyes, barely identifying them.
"Vista and Jozu—they cut off Pizarro's arms!"
Merged with the island, Pizarro suffered the damage directly. Agony surged through him; he couldn't suppress the scream.
The Island-Island Fruit granted immense power—
—but also multiplied his weaknesses.
Greater reach meant greater vulnerability.
Ace and Marco exchanged a nod—understood one another instantly—and unleashed their attacks at the ground below.
"Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor!"
"Phoenix Brand!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Their combined bombardment worsened Pizarro's injuries. He was forced out of his island-form, collapsing into human shape in a dark corner.
"These… bastards…"
Blood spilled from his mouth; the repeated blows made his vision blur.
He staggered a few steps—
—and suddenly the light above him dimmed.
He looked up.
A man was standing in front of him.
A one-armed man—his missing limb replaced with glittering diamond.
"'Diamond' Jozu…?"
Pizarro instinctively stepped back, but Jozu grabbed the horns on his head.
He yanked Pizarro close. Their breaths mingled as Jozu stared straight into his eyes, unblinking, until Pizarro's scalp tingled in fear.
"Pops once said my Brilliant-Brilliant Fruit was a power that's both strong… and gentle."
Jozu wrapped his arms around Pizarro—diamonds spreading across his skin—and tightened his grip.
"After losing my arm and losing Pops… I thought I'd never get the chance to avenge our brothers."
Pizarro whimpered in agony as the diamond vice closed around him.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Jozu smiled coldly at the "Corrupt King."
"Good. That's exactly what our brothers felt… when you murdered them."
With a crushing sound, Pizarro's spine snapped, his organs rupturing like a grape under a press.
He died in Jozu's arms—broken, twisted, and screaming.
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