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In Nami's room, the navigator sat by the window, her chin resting on her hand as she gazed quietly at the rhythm of the waves. The door creaked open, and Vivi stepped inside. After a moment of hesitation, she sat opposite Nami.
"Nami, are you alright?"
Nami turned, a look of mild surprise on her face. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"You say you're fine, but your face tells a different story," Vivi pouted.
Nami paused, then chuckled softly. "Haha, is it that obvious?"
"Nami... you really hate pirates, don't you?" Vivi asked slowly, choosing her words with care.
Nami didn't ask how she knew. She turned back to the window. "Yes. My loved ones were killed by pirates. My hometown was enslaved and oppressed by them for eight years. To me, 'pirate' has always been synonymous with 'monster.'"
Vivi bit her lip. "I understand. But Goku... he had a reason for what he said. Don't be angry with him."
Nami burst out laughing, turning to look at Vivi with genuine amusement. "So that's why you came here? You were worried about us?" She shook her head and placed a hand on Vivi's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm not angry with Goku. I could never be angry with him over something like this."
"But you looked so cold earlier," Vivi countered.
"I just haven't climbed over the hurdle in my heart yet," Nami sighed. "When I say I trust Goku, I mean it. If he says Ace is a good person, I believe him. But believing it in my head and feeling it in my heart are two different things. It's hard to undo ten years of hatred in ten minutes."
Vivi breathed a sigh of relief. She then recounted the story Goku had told her—how Ace had shared his food with a starving village and fought to save Rose from the Blood Wolf Pirates.
Nami nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Then I shouldn't have been so cold. I don't want to make Goku look bad by having a companion who can't tell a hero from a villain."
Just as Nami stood up to go back on deck, the entire ship lurched violently. Nami lost her balance, tumbling into Vivi's arms as a thunderous roar echoed through the wood.
"What was that?!"
The Logia Wall
On the deck, the atmosphere had shifted. The friendly spar had evolved into a clash of titans.
"Hehe, Ace, here I come!" Goku's eyes burned with excitement. He blurred, moving significantly faster than his previous "probing" speed.
Ace's pupils contracted. This kid's speed... it's incredible!
In a flash, Goku appeared behind Ace, his fist whistling through the air as he aimed for the small of Ace's back. But the expected impact never came. Goku's fist passed right through Ace's torso as if he were punching a cloud.
Goku's jaw dropped. He stared at his hand, then at the hole in Ace's back, which was swirling with orange embers and flickering flames. "Ace! What happened to your body?!"
The hole rapidly filled with fire, sealing itself until Ace looked perfectly normal again. He turned and chuckled. "Goku, I'm a Flame-Human. I ate the Mera Mera no Mi. Physical attacks won't work on me."
"Mera Mera no Mi? A Devil Fruit?" Goku tilted his head. "But why can't I hit you?"
"Try it again," Ace challenged, spreading his arms wide. "Attack as much as you want."
Goku didn't need to be told twice. He unleashed a barrage of strikes:
Flying Kicks that passed through Ace's head.
Lunging Punches that vanished into his chest.
Sweeping Leg Kicks that moved through Ace's shins like smoke.
"This is so strange!" Goku shouted, stopping to scratch his head in frustration. "I can't feel anything solid!"
Ace smirked. He had realized that while Goku possessed power and speed that defied logic for his age, he lacked the one thing necessary to harm a Logia-type user: Armament Haki. Without Haki or Sea Prism Stone, Ace was functionally invincible.
"No matter how fast you are, Goku, you can't hurt fire," Ace said teasingly.
Kamehameha vs. Fire Fist
Goku lowered his stance, his expression turning serious. "Since punches don't work, I'll use that move."
He cupped his hands at his side. A spark of brilliant blue light appeared between his palms, rapidly expanding into a concentrated sphere of energy. The air around Goku began to crackle.
Ace's instincts screamed. The playful smirk vanished. He sensed a density of energy in those palms that wasn't physical, but pure, raw power—the kind of energy that might actually be able to affect his elemental form.
"Wait! You two! STOP!" Sanji yelled, his cigarette falling out of his mouth. "You're going to destroy the ship!!"
Neither fighter heard him. They were locked in the moment.
"KAMEHAMEHA!" Goku roared, thrusting his palms forward. A massive blue beam of energy erupted toward Ace.
"FIRE FIST! (Kagerō!)" Ace countered, his entire right arm transforming into a giant pillar of roaring flame.
BOOM!!!
The collision of blue energy and orange fire created a blinding explosion. The Dream Chaser groaned under the pressure, the deck vibrating so hard it felt like the wood might splinter. A thick cloud of black smoke engulfed the ship.
Sanji stood in the haze, coughing, his mind racing. The ship... please tell me the ship is still in one piece!