The setting was once again the lonely island beside Loguetown.
No by now, it had earned a name of its own: Crimson War Island.
Maybe it was because of Ezra's battle with Katakuri, or perhaps because of those haunting crimson eyes that burned like twin suns. Either way, the island had become famous across the seas.
And today… it would see its end.
A sharp click echoed as polished leather shoes struck the cracked ground.
The familiar figure stepped onto the island once more.
Ezra lifted his gaze, meeting the cold, dangerous eyes of the man before him Douglas Bullet, the so-called "Heir of the Devil."
A monster said to rival even the legendary Rayleigh in his youth.
Ezra's lips curved slightly. For the first time in a while, his blood stirred with excitement.
"Come then," he said softly, his tone calm but laced with a deadly edge. "Try to defeat me, Bullet."
The moment the words left his mouth, Bullet could no longer suppress his thrill for battle.
With an explosive stomp, the ground beneath him shattered. Dust and rock burst outward as his massive form blurred forward his speed defying his size.
His fists, wrapped in gleaming Armament Haki, swung toward Ezra like meteors.
Ezra's brow rose slightly. He could feel the sheer density of power packed into those blows. This wasn't ordinary Haki it was refined, overflowing, almost fluid.
Bullet had reached the point where his Armament Haki flowed like a living sea around him.
Still, Ezra didn't move. He simply stood there, watching the oncoming attack with a detached calm.
Bullet's eyes narrowed. "What, not even going to dodge?"
Then came the impact.
BOOM!
To Bullet's astonishment, his fists stopped cold. Ezra had caught them barehanded.
Their eyes met. In the crimson depths of Ezra's gaze danced mockery and quiet amusement.
"You think I need to dodge punches like these?"
Bullet gritted his teeth. The meaning was clear. Ezra wasn't underestimating him he was dismissing him entirely.
No matter how he struggled, Bullet couldn't break free from that grip. Those slender fingers might as well have been the chains of a god, locking his strength in place.
In desperation, Bullet coated his head in Armament Haki and swung it forward like a hammer.
Ezra's eyes flashed. He released Bullet's fists just as the man leaned back to strike, then pivoted sharply.
His right leg whipped upward
CRACK!
The kick slammed into Bullet's jaw with brutal precision. The world spun. Pain surged through his skull like lightning.
Before he could recover, Ezra's body twisted again. A follow-up side kick smashed into Bullet's midsection, launching him like a human cannonball across the battlefield.
He tore through the air, crashing toward the distant cliffs.
Still airborne, Bullet forced his dazed eyes open. His instincts screamed danger.
He covered himself in Armament Haki just before the impact
BOOOOOOM!
The cliffs exploded on contact, rock and dust billowing high into the sky. Bullet's body embedded deep into the mountain wall.
Ezra wasn't done.
He vanished in a flash Shunpo!
In the next instant, he appeared before Bullet, palm glowing with blue-white flame.
His voice rang out, cold and commanding:
"O Lord who reigns, mask of flesh and blood, wings of all creation
Name thyself among humanity!
Walls of truth and restraint, dream of sin unawakened, stand firm!
Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"
A blinding surge of azure fire roared forth, the heat warping the air as it struck like divine judgment.
Bullet's pupils shrank. His Observation Haki screamed at him this was death approaching!
"Devil Form!" he bellowed.
Dark violet energy surged across his body, fusing with his Haki. His muscles swelled, his aura thickened with demonic power the unmistakable mark of the Heir of the Devil.
And then impact.
BOOOOOM!
The azure inferno engulfed him. The world vanished into searing light and deafening sound.
Bullet howled as the flames tore through his defense. Each cell in his body screamed as if burning from the inside out.
By the time the explosion faded, several peaks behind him had been blown apart.
Bullet fell limply from the shattered cliff, slamming into the ground below.
His chest heaved, each breath ragged and wet. He looked down and froze.
The Armament layer protecting his torso had been completely obliterated. His abdomen was a mess of charred flesh and blood. Through the gaping hole, he could see daylight shining behind him.
"Ha… ha… even in this form…" he coughed, his voice raw, "I couldn't stop it…"
Ezra landed lightly in front of him, his crimson gaze cold and unreadable.
"Douglas Bullet," he said quietly. "Your vitality is impressive… but even a devil can bleed."
Bullet let out a rough laugh, one that quickly turned into a groan.
He slammed a trembling hand to the ground. Stone and soil surged upward, wrapping around his abdomen to seal the wound temporarily.
The pain dulled just enough for him to breathe again.
He looked up, his grin twisted but defiant. "Five minutes," he rasped. "That's all I need."
Ezra's lips curved slightly, his voice calm and deadly as his spiritual energy began to rise again.
"Then let's make those five minutes count."
The wind howled between them. Flames danced across the ruined island. The sky split open above Crimson War Island, as two monsters prepared to clash once more.
The world would remember this day
the day Ezra D. Vale fought the Heir of the Devil and turned the sea itself crimson.
_______________________
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