The giant bird, enraged by its miss, wheeled around in the sky, its shadow sweeping back over the bay. Deuce scrambled backward, his body screaming in protest, and slammed hard against the hull of the giant shipwreck.
The monster shrieked, diving again. The roar of the wind was deafening. Deuce, already drained by hunger and despair, knew he didn't have the strength to dodge this time. In the next second, he would be nothing more than a stain on the sand.
His short, failed life flashed before his eyes. He finally understood. The ransacked ships, the feeling of being watched... there was another predator on this island. His accusations, his paranoia—it was all a misunderstanding. Tears of regret streamed from his eyes, mixing with the grime on his face. It was too late.
Lying helpless on the ground, Deuce closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
A primal roar ripped through the air. Deuce's eyes snapped open to see Ace, like a god of vengeance descending from the heavens. He held one of the giant's broken swords, a weapon far too large for any normal man, and swung it in a devastating arc. The sheer force of the blow whistled through the air as it connected with the bird's head. There was a sickening crunch, and the monster collapsed, skidding across the sand.
From the other side, Jerry let out a battle cry of his own. Using every ounce of his new, system-enhanced strength, he charged forward with the other half of the giant sword, ramming it with all his might into the creature's soft underbelly.
The bird shrieked in agony and convulsed, its beak flying open. A torrent of treasure chests, splintered wood, and other garbage spewed out onto the beach.
"It really was you!" Deuce whispered, staring at the monster that had been tormenting him.
The pain only made the creature angrier. It flapped its massive wings, preparing to strike again. But Ace stood his ground, planting the tip of the giant sword in the sand. He looked up, his expression fearless, his gaze locking with the monster's. He was a king standing against a storm, unyielding and absolute.
Suddenly, the air grew thick and heavy. An invisible, crushing pressure washed over the bay—a wave of pure, indomitable will. It wasn't just a feeling; it was a force that pressed down on the giant bird from all sides. The creature's legs began to tremble. It let out a low, whimpering cry, its rage instantly replaced by primal terror, and fled into the sky.
That's... Conqueror's Haki? Jerry thought, watching the bird disappear. My Haki can maybe startle a toddler. His just brought a monster to its knees. We're not playing the same game.
As the pressure faded, the clear sky returned.
"We've all had it rough," Ace said softly, his back still to Deuce. "You weren't wrong to be wary. But our story doesn't end here."
"He's right," Jerry said, walking over and extending a hand to Deuce. "C'mon. Up you get."
Deuce stared at Jerry's outstretched hand, then at Ace's defiant back. He grasped the hand and slowly pulled himself to his feet, about to speak—
GROOOOWWWWL.
An impossibly loud rumble echoed across the bay. Ace's defiant posture vanished. He swayed on his feet and collapsed onto the sand, his body finally giving out. He had been running on fumes, and the tank was now empty.
Jerry's situation wasn't much better, but his enhanced physique gave him a slight edge. Seeing Deuce rush to Ace's side, he turned his attention to the pile of junk the bird had spat out and began dragging a few of the smaller chests over.
"Let's see if there's anything to eat in here."
Deuce, spurred into action, pried one open. His eyes widened. Nestled inside on a bed of rotting velvet was a single, strange fruit, slightly larger than his palm. Its orange skin was composed of dozens of swirling patterns, making it look like a collection of tiny, sculpted flames.
It was clearly no ordinary fruit, but at this point, Deuce didn't care. For a man starving to death, anything that looked remotely edible was a miracle. "Maybe... maybe if we eat this, we can keep going," he said, holding it out.
Jerry's eyes blinked. He recognized it instantly. The Flame-Flame Fruit. Here? They say these things taste so bad even a dog wouldn't touch them... but I'm so hungry I'd consider eating the dog right now.
A noble, if pointless, argument immediately broke out. Deuce insisted Ace and Jerry eat it as thanks for saving him. Ace argued that Deuce, who had eaten less, needed it more.
"Alright, that's enough," Jerry interrupted, ending the debate. "We split it three ways. End of story."
Ace, never one to hesitate, took his piece and bit into it without a second thought. "Well," he mumbled through a full mouth, "it's not poisonous... but it tastes awful."
Jerry watched him chew, a look of disgust on his face. He decided to get it over with, swallowing his piece in one quick gulp before his taste buds could register the horror.
Deuce stuffed his portion into his mouth. As the foul taste hit him, his eyes filled with tears, but not from the flavor.
"I'm... I'm so sorry," he choked out, crying and chewing at the same time. "That moment... when I was about to die... all I could think was how I'd given up, how I'd doubted you... So, I want to fight. To the very last minute. I want to escape this island with you guys. And then... then I'll achieve my dream!"
"The past is the past," Jerry said, comforting him. "We don't blame you." In his heart, he knew that if he hadn't known who Ace was, he'd have been just as wary.
Deuce swallowed the last of the fruit pulp and bowed deeply. "No. I was wrong. Please, allow me to apologize properly! Let me help you build the ship!"
"Haha, then let's get back to it!" Ace declared, his signature, heart-warming smile returning.
As he said it, a strange warmth seemed to fill the air. The setting sun suddenly felt hotter than it had at mid-day.
"Whoa!! Ace, you're on fire!!!" Deuce screamed, his eyes wide with terror.
"Huh?" Ace looked down and saw flames flickering to life all over his arms and shoulders.
"AHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" he shrieked, dropping and rolling frantically in the sand. Deuce rushed to help, scooping up handfuls of sand and throwing them at Ace, but the flames didn't even flicker.
"Hahahahahaha!" Jerry couldn't help it. He was bent over, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. The scene was pure chaos: Ace screaming and rolling like a living torch, and Deuce panicking and flinging sand everywhere.
"JERRY! STOP LAUGHING AND HELP ME PUT HIM OUT!" Deuce yelled.
"Haha... I know you're anxious," Jerry gasped, trying to regain his composure, "but don't be! This is a Devil Fruit ability. The fire won't burn him."
"A Devil... Fruit?" Deuce asked, confused.
"Whoa, ahhh! It's hot! So hot... so... huh? It's not hot?" Ace stopped rolling. He patted his flaming arms, a look of profound confusion on his face. It wasn't hot at all. He got up, pointed a finger at a splintered plank a few meters away, and concentrated.
FWOOSH!
A jet of red flame shot from his fingertip, blasting the plank to smithereens. As it did, the flames on his body receded, vanishing completely. There wasn't a single scorch mark on his skin or his clothes.
Deuce stared, dumbfounded. "Seriously? What we just ate...?"
"That's probably it," Jerry nodded.
Ace's mind was racing. "My brother... he ate a Devil Fruit too. It seems my ability is... fire." A grin spread across his face as flames once again danced along his arms. He stared at them, mesmerized. "Heh. Flame," he whispered excitedly. "A power way better for fighting than rubber."
Staring in amazement, Deuce realized he'd also eaten the fruit. Could he do it too? He held out his right hand, pointing each finger and concentrating so hard a vein bulged on his forehead. He produced nothing but a faint puff of air.
Jerry watched the sad display and nodded as if confirming a scientific theory. "Just as I thought. The Devil Fruit's power only goes to the one who takes the first bite." He looked at Ace, who was now joyfully shooting small fireballs into the sky. "It seems Ace got lucky."
Of course, it had to be Ace, Jerry thought with a smile.
Jerry knew what that fruit was, but with the system and his Ocean Blessing. He opts to skip it and gave it to the one who was destined to eat it.