Johnny's mechanical arm spewed its last shower of sparks, and as the Saw-Tooth Fruit blade sliced past Darius Flint's hair and into the ground, the crisp crack of the flagstones splitting nearly pierced his eardrums.
The hairs on the back of Darius's neck stood on end. He could smell the acrid scent of burning metal mixed with the blood seeping from his forehead, congealing into a rusty tang at his nostrils. It was the smell of death brushing past.
He instinctively curled up and rolled, his knees aching as they knocked against the waterlogged planks, but his pupils contracted sharply the moment he touched something scalding hot.
It was a kerosene lamp that had tumbled from an overturned fish basket. The lamp oil was snaking like a serpent through the gaps in the planks, licking at the wood splinters by his feet. Flames flickered up, casting an orange-red glow across the cuff of his tracksuit.
"System!" Darius muttered in his mind, sweat dripping from his chin. "Now!"
[Detected: Saw-Tooth Fruit characteristics]
[Mechanized body capable of infinite cutting, weakness at joint seams]
[Fusion Progress: 42%]
[Remaining Time: 47 seconds]
The words burst in Darius's mind like fireworks.
He remembered the black liquid seeping from Johnny's mechanical arm joint earlier. That wasn't ordinary oil, but a flaw in the Devil Fruit's manifestation.
Using the momentum of his roll, Darius pressed against Johnny's left side. His right hand clutched the cuff of his protective suit. This special fabric, once designed to resist acid and corrosion in his previous life, now served as the perfect friction tool.
The moment his fingertips touched the joint seam, he nearly laughed out loud. Black oil still oozed faintly from the crack, the metal surface hot from overheating. With a sharp rub, the protective suit screeched against metal.
Johnny howled, his mechanical arm vibrating violently.
[Joint Damage: 21%]
[Fusion Progress: 58%]
"Does it hurt?" Darius gasped, his sweat-plastered fringe sticking to his face. "When you chopped down those fishermen, they hurt this much too."
Johnny's left hand clamped on the back of Darius's neck. Though the mechanical arm faltered, his human strength remained. Knuckles dug into Darius's bones, pain searing through him. But Darius used that force to press tighter against the joint. A crisp sound of metal fatigue followed, like ice splintering before it breaks.
"You little bastard…" Johnny spat in his face, his teeth gnashing.
"Going to what?" Darius grinned through bloodstained teeth. "The system says your joints are your weakness, do you believe it?"
The screech of friction grew harsher. Johnny's pupils shrank, and spiderweb cracks spread across his mechanical joint.
Seizing the chance, Darius rolled away, slamming against a barrel of salted fish. The pungent smell made him cough. When he lifted his eyes, he saw Nami.
She clutched a ship's anchor with trembling hands, knuckles pale as bone. Behind her, flames devoured a half-burnt house, firelight dancing across her face. She didn't speak, but her expression was clear. She was waiting, ready to strike the moment Johnny revealed his weakness.
[Remaining Time: 12 seconds]
[Fusion Progress: 73%]
Darius wiped the blood from his face and forced himself upright. His knee bled through torn fabric, yet his stance shifted with purpose. At his waist, tucked under his tracksuit, the broken brick he had grabbed earlier pressed cold against his side.
"Time to send you on your way," he whispered, eyes narrowing on the crack spreading wider in Johnny's arm.
The old pirate faltered. His blade scraped into a dock pillar as he stumbled, sparks showering the planks.
"Throw!" Darius roared, voice cutting through the sea breeze.
Nami finally released the anchor. The iron mass hurtled forward, chain clattering, striking Johnny's boot. His balance broke, his body lurching.
Now.
Darius's body coiled like a bowstring. His spin unleashed a gale, his kick striking directly at the fractured joint.
The crack exploded under his strike.
[Joint Damage: 91%]
[Fusion Progress: 89%]
Johnny's roar twisted into a screech. The Saw-Tooth Fruit blades shattered, embedding themselves into a nearby fish stall. His mechanical arm flared with black fire, gears spinning in reverse as the Devil Fruit's unstable energy raged out of control.
[Alert: Saw-Tooth Fruit potential burst detected]
[Target entering Mechanical Beastification state]
[Attack Range +200%]
[Pain Perception -80%]
Johnny's body convulsed. His remaining hand seized the chain, dragging Nami closer. She stumbled forward, face pale, hair brushing the bloodstained planks.
"Nami!" Darius roared, his heart pounding like a war drum.
The Saw-Tooth blade angled at her back, its metallic gleam catching her wide eyes.
Blood streamed down Darius's wounded arm as he tightened his fist. His stance shifted into the military boxing form ingrained into his body from his past life. Every muscle screamed in pain, but his mind was calm.
[Remaining Time: 30 seconds]
[Defeat the target to obtain the Saw-Tooth Fruit ability]
He charged into the storm of blades, every ounce of strength surging into one final strike.