Dark-Dark Fruit: Liberation.
The black mist behind Blackbeard suddenly surged and churned violently.
Like a drunken vagabond vomiting uncontrollably, it began spewing out a chaotic mess of things.
Half-digested chunks of stone, tree trunks, and even fragments of hurricanes and lightning—all manner of strange elements—were expelled in a wild frenzy.
All of it hurled straight toward Ace.
But the moment these things were released, they were instantly dragged into the swirling vortex, devoured by that terrifying maelstrom of mixed energy.
Ace sneered. "You don't seem to have much of a digestive system. Everything you consume only ends up half-digested."
Though he joked, in truth, Ace was already reaching his limit.
Because with all those chaotic elements added to the vortex, its instability had skyrocketed. It could explode at any moment.
He could only grit his teeth and continue holding it together with all his might.
Blackbeard hadn't expected Ace to maintain such control.
He had originally intended to use the Liberation ability of his fruit to frighten Ace into retreating—gaining the upper hand so he could push the core of the vortex toward Ace.
That way, he could rely on his unique body's strong absorption and resistance to survive the inevitable explosion.
But Ace didn't budge an inch. It was as if he'd resolved to die together with him.
Not only did that completely ruin Blackbeard's plan, it also severed the last sliver of hope that either of them could safely withdraw.
Because Blackbeard now realized—with dread—that after adding all that debris, the vortex had become so unstable…
He couldn't control it anymore.
His mind raced, running through every ability he had developed so far.
But to his horror, not a single one could resolve the current crisis.
Then suddenly, the vortex in front of him gave a violent shudder.
A massive explosion began—starting at the core of the vortex and rapidly cascading outward in expanding shockwaves.
"Damn it… I can't believe that bastard Ace actually dares to die!"
In that instant, shock, regret, and despair flooded in, shattering the last of Blackbeard's composure.
In his daze, he noticed something strange—he, the vortex, and Ace were all suddenly enveloped in a translucent bubble.
Inside this bubble, the flow of time slowed to an impossible crawl.
Only their thoughts still moved at normal speed, barely.
Ace's eyes were wide with the same disbelief and confusion mirrored in Blackbeard's own expression.
Then, the two of them saw it—
A large, jade-white hand, flawless like sculpted crystal, reached into the bubble.
The hand extended directly into the heart of the exploding vortex. Its five fingers closed around the violent, raging mass of energy.
With a gentle twist—
The explosion stopped.
The outward-bound shockwaves were abruptly sucked back in.
Not only the explosion's energy—but even the outer edges that hadn't yet detonated, and the remainder of Ace's vortex fireball that had not yet fully merged—were all drawn inward.
In an instant, the entire maelstrom compressed into a sphere no larger than a walnut.
On the surface of this tiny sphere, black and red energy swirled in an intricate and profound pattern, endlessly intertwining.
Just looking at it sent a chill through the soul—an ominous pressure that chilled the heart.
There was no need to guess: the energy contained within that sphere was enough to obliterate the world.
As the sphere stabilized, the strange time-dilation bubble disappeared as well.
Roya casually toyed with the energy sphere in his hand and turned to face Blackbeard, whose face was twisted in terror.
He smiled. "You like power, don't you?"
"You like stealing what belongs to others—no matter the cost, right?"
"Then how about I give you this one-of-a-kind energy sphere? Sound good?"
His voice was gentle, almost casual—but sweat poured down Blackbeard's face.
Too frightened to speak, Blackbeard could only shake his head frantically like a rattle drum.
With a flick of his finger, Roya sent the energy sphere flying—right into Blackbeard's chest.
And in an instant, it vanished without a trace.
Blackbeard gasped in terror, clawing aside the thick hair on his chest, frantically trying to find where the sphere had gone.
His hands scraped and tore at his chest until the skin split open and blood ran freely.
Finally, Blackbeard let out a wail of despair, realizing the horrible truth.
His knees gave out, and he collapsed onto the beach.
Ace frowned, confused. "Vice Commander, wasn't that a little excessive for someone like him?"
Roya smiled calmly. "That energy sphere is extremely unstable. It will automatically drain all the energy from his body just to maintain its equilibrium."
Ace suddenly understood. "Oh! I get it now. If he dares to fight anyone again, it'll trigger the explosion—and he'll be the first to go!"
Roya nodded with a chuckle. "It's not exactly self-destruction, but pretty close. The sphere will devour him from within, turning him into pure energy."
A wide, genuine smile spread across Ace's face. "Now that's the perfect punishment for a traitor—letting him feel what it's like to have overwhelming power he can never use. Truly hitting the mark!"
With that, he gave Blackbeard a mocking kick.
"You've got all that energy nourishing your body now. Maybe you'll live a hundred more years—plenty of time to repent, huh?"
Then Ace turned toward the setting sun, stretched with a big yawn, and let out a long howl of satisfaction.
The heavy weight that had pressed on his heart for so long was finally lifted.
Soon after, Squard and the others arrived, hauling various cuts of meat and ingredients, along with grills, charcoal, and seasonings.
Before long, they had set up an outdoor barbecue on the island.
Ace naturally took on the role of head chef, using precise fire control to perfectly cook a variety of dishes.
Laughter and cheer filled the air as everyone ate heartily.
Nico Robin approached Roya with a drink in hand.
She said softly, "Thank you, Lord Roya, for saving my life."
Roya waved it off lightly. "No need to thank me. It was nothing."
Robin studied his face carefully. Seeing that he truly didn't seem to mind, she frowned slightly in puzzlement.
She said, "The location of Laugh Tale is recorded on four Road Poneglyphs. That record can be read by anyone—it doesn't need me to translate."
Roya laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not interested in you."
"I'm not interested in the so-called ultimate treasure, nor the lost history that the World Government tried to erase. And I care even less about the three Ancient Weapons."
His tone was calm and unwavering—leaving no doubt in his words.
Robin was taken aback. "Then what is it that you do want?"
Roya suddenly stood up, raised his glass toward her, and said with a smile, "That's a good question. If I ever figure it out—I'll let you know."
With a playful wink, he turned and strolled toward the rhythmic waves of the sea.
Bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, his figure appeared almost impossibly free and unburdened.
Robin gazed after him, her heart stirred by his words, her cheeks quietly flushing red.
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