"Aren't you going to run away, Blackbeard?"
Two months after their last encounter, Portgas D. Ace finally stood face-to-face with Blackbeard's crew again.
His fury was barely restrained.
The heat radiating from his body scorched the surrounding buildings, warping the air itself.
Meanwhile—
Xiao lay lazily on a sun lounger, sunglasses covering his eyes, basking in the sunlight as if this were a seaside vacation. In his hand was a Devil Fruit—a Zoan-type.
This was his latest research subject.
Unlike Logia fruits that embody natural phenomena, or Paramecia fruits that twist laws, Zoan fruits represent a complete integration of biological power—melding animal traits directly into the human body.
Xiao intended to use this system as the foundation for a low-grade version of the Eight-Nine Mystical Arts, while also improving the Light Wings.
After all—
twelve hours of duration was still far too short.
"Ace~ Captain," Xiao sat up and greeted him cheerfully.
"What a coincidence."
Ace's eyes burned.
"Teach," he said, forcing himself to suppress his rage.
"Why did you kill Thatch? Wasn't he your brother?"
This question had haunted him for months.
He couldn't understand it.
How could the warm, cheerful Teach he once knew murder a crewmate over a Devil Fruit?
Xiao set the fruit aside.
Diana immediately stepped forward, took it, and retreated silently.
"It was just a whim."
Xiao rose slowly to his feet.
"I became the strongest… because of this Devil Fruit~"
He raised his right hand.
Every fingertip transformed into thick, swirling black mist, like smoke given life.
"Ace," Xiao said calmly,
"take a good look."
"This is a Devil Fruit so abnormal that even among Logia types, it stands apart."
Behind him—
Endless darkness ignited like black fire, spreading outward and upward, forming a massive cloak that blotted out the heavens.
The black mist twisted into countless tentacle-like shadows that surged into the sky.
In an instant, the once-clear heavens vanished.
Light was devoured.
Banaro Island sank into a pitch-black abyss where even one's own fingers could no longer be seen.
"PU——"
Golden flames erupted from Ace's body, illuminating the darkness.
Bathed in fire, he looked almost divine.
"My body is flame," Ace declared.
"Yours is darkness."
"Let me show you what happens," Xiao said softly, eyes gleaming,
"when darkness is perfected."
His smile was innocent—
like a child who had just discovered a new toy and couldn't wait to test it.
The fusion of the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Munch-Munch Fruit was nearly complete.
Xiao's control was absolute.
He had been waiting for a suitable test subject.
"RUN——!!!"
Priest Shura screamed in terror the moment he saw Xiao's expression.
The remaining residents of Banaro Island—and the Blackbeard Pirates themselves—fled desperately toward the spaceship offshore.
"Paji—!"
Doc Q tripped and slammed face-first into the ground.
"What are you doing? MOVE!"
Burgess yelled while grabbing him.
"The captain's gone mad—if you don't run, you'll get dragged in!"
Van Augur turned back without hesitation. Together, they hoisted Doc Q and bolted.
Stronger, the lazy horse, saw his master being carried and immediately collapsed as well—
clearly unwilling to move unless someone carried him too.
"Get up!"
Burgess kicked him aside without mercy.
Ace watched all of this calmly.
Last time, he had nearly burned Blackbeard's crew to death.
If they could beat him, why would they run?
"What should I call this move…" Xiao murmured, palms turning slightly as the darkness thickened.
"How about—Dark Finale?"
"Who cares what you call it?" Ace snapped.
But the darkness grew heavier.
Denser.
It felt like a mountain pressing down on his chest, crushing his breath.
At this moment, if Ace still couldn't sense the difference in power—
then he'd be a fool.
Without hesitation, he began gathering everything he had.
"Great Flame Ring!"
A spiraling pillar of fire erupted around him, roaring into existence. Fueled by wind, the flames twisted violently, forming a massive fire tornado.
"Ace," Xiao whispered,
"you're trapped in darkness… and I haven't even attacked yet~"
The darkness surged.
Like a tidal wave.
It crashed straight into the fire tornado.
The towering inferno—
was extinguished as easily as a candle in the wind.
Ace desperately pushed his Flame-Flame Fruit, trying to ignite stronger, hotter fire—
but every spark that appeared was smothered instantly.
When the last flame vanished—
The darkness severed his connection to the Flame-Flame Fruit.
His abilities went silent.
Black tendrils wrapped around him, sealing his Haki completely.
Trapped in darkness, Ace felt his strength drain away.
No flame answered his call.
Fatigue flooded his body.
His vision blurred.
Soon, even sensation faded.
He saw nothing but darkness.
He heard nothing.
His voice vanished.
Taste, smell—gone.
One by one, his five senses were swallowed whole.
Ace screamed—
but not even an echo returned.
Despair crept across his face.
Yet—
Images of Thatch…
of laughter aboard the Moby Dick…
of warm days with his brothers—
filled his mind.
He refused to die like this.
No.
Ace forced himself to calm down.
He searched desperately for the Flame-Flame Fruit within himself—
for even the faintest response.
"My flame…"
"Please…"
"Answer me!"
"Let me burn again!"
"Even if this is my last attack—
I'll burn through this darkness with everything I have!!"
Ace pushed beyond his limits.
Beyond his body.
Beyond his soul.
He was ready to offer everything—
just to ignite the flame one last time.
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