The makeshift raft beneath my feet groaned as Pearl hauled himself upright, his massive frame swaying with the motion of the waves.
Blood trickled from where my Hamon Ghost Cutter had found its mark, staining the crude wooden planks a dark crimson. But instead of the simple rage I'd expected, something far more dangerous flickered in his eye.
Something that made my Mantra scream warnings.
'This is bad.'
I'd seen that look before, on the faces of men who'd snapped completely.
"RRRAAAAAHHHAAAHHA!!!"
Pearl's breathing came in ragged gasps, his chest heaving as he threw his head back and unleashed a roar that seemed to shake the very air around us.
The sound was primal, animalistic, nothing like the boastful declarations he'd been making moments before.
"AAAHH!! P-P-PAIN! FI-FI-FIRE! FI-FIRE! BURN EVERYTHING!!!" His voice cracked with fury, spittle flying from his lips. "FIRE! FIRE!"
"What's happening to him?" Luffy asked, staring at the writhing figure.
"Nothing good," I replied as my instincts kicked in before conscious thought could catch up. The air itself seemed to shimmer around Pearl's shield-covered body, and I caught the faintest whiff of something acrid and chemical.
Without hesitation, I lunged forward, grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest, and hurled him behind me with enough force to send him tumbling across the raft.
"O-Oi! What are you—" Luffy's protest died in his throat as I channeled Hamon energy into my cloak and hat, the golden energy crackling across the fabric just as Pearl's transformation began.
"FIREEE!!!!!"
KABOOM!!!!
The first wave of flames erupted from his shields like a living thing, blue-white tongues of fire that spread outward in concentric circles.
The heat hit me like a physical blow, even through the Hamon-enhanced cloak. But the flames were just the beginning.
Hidden mechanisms within Pearl's armor whirred to life, and suddenly the air was filled with the sharp crack of gunfire as bullets began spraying from concealed ports in his shields.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
The sound was deafening, a staccato rhythm that mixed with the roar of flames and Pearl's continued screaming.
But even that wasn't the end of it. Crystalline orbs of fire began launching from his body, each one trailing flames as they arced through the air like miniature comets.
The makeshift raft transformed into a hellscape in seconds. The smell of burning wood and oil filled my nostrils, acrid and choking. The planks beneath my feet began to smolder, then catch fire properly, flames licking up from the gaps between boards.
The heat was intense enough that I could feel it through my boots, through my clothes, through the very air I breathed.
'What kind of armor is this?'
I wondered, watching in grim fascination as Pearl's shields continued to belch forth their deadly payload.
'There has to be some kind of internal mechanism, something that can channel and direct fire like this.'
Behind me, Luffy had finally picked himself up, his eyes wide with shock.
"What the hell was that?!" he shouted, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by genuine alarm.
I didn't bother answering. My attention was fixed on Pearl, who no longer looked like the somewhat comical figure he'd been moments before.
The flames wreathing his body had turned him into something out of a nightmare—a demon of fire and metal, his shield-covered form seeming to pulse with malevolent energy.
The blue flames dancing across his armor cast eerie shadows across his face, making his expression seem even more twisted and rage-filled.
"Look at me now!" Pearl roared, his voice carrying easily over the crackling of flames. "How dare you hurt me like that! How DARE you do something so unforgivable!"
The Hamon energy in my cloak and hat wavered under the assault of heat and flame. While they could deflect bullets and bladed weapons, they weren't designed to handle this kind of sustained thermal attack.
'Another thing to add to the list, I see.'
I had to constantly channel more Hamon into them, feeling the golden power flow through my body and into the fabric, pushing the flames away from my skin.
Pearl's eyes locked onto mine, and I saw murder in them. Pure, undiluted killing intent that made my Mantra pulse with warning signals.
He was beyond reason now, beyond any thought except destroying the person who had dared to wound him.
He positioned his arm back, the motion deliberate and threatening, with his arm twisting like they were a snake.
The shield covering his fist began to glow brighter, the flames around it intensifying until they were almost white-hot. I could feel the heat from here, could see the air itself beginning to distort around his raised fist.
My Mantra screamed at me to move, the precognitive warning hitting me like a physical blow. Without conscious thought, I grabbed Luffy again and threw us both to the side, rolling across the burning planks just as Pearl's attack unleashed itself.
"PEARL FIRE SHOW!" he bellowed, swinging his fist forward with devastating force.
KABOOM!
The pillar of flame that erupted from his fist was like nothing I'd ever seen. It was pure destruction given form, a concentrated wave of fire that shot across the raft with the force and heat of a volcano's breath.
The beam was thick as a man's torso, blindingly bright, and hot enough that I could feel it searing the air even from twenty feet away.
WHRROOOOSH!
The flame wave traveled far beyond the confines of our makeshift battleground, reaching all the way to the restaurant Baratie itself.
I watched in horror as several of the cooks who had been watching our battle suddenly found themselves engulfed in flames, their screams of pain and terror mixing with the ongoing chaos.
'This is bad,' I thought grimly, helping Luffy to his feet while keeping my eyes on Pearl. 'If anyone takes a direct hit from that attack, they won't just be injured—they'll be cooked alive.'
The implications hit me like a cold wave despite the surrounding heat. Pearl wasn't dangerous because of his armor or strength— he was a walking weapon, and he was completely out of control.
Sanji, who had been watching our battle with growing concern, suddenly sprang into action. I saw him tense, saw the way his muscles coiled like springs, and knew what he was about to do even before he moved.
"That bastard!" Sanji snarled, cigarette dangling from his lips as he launched himself forward in a powerful leap. "Stop burning our restaurant!!"
His leg was already in motion, ready to deliver one of his devastating kicks directly to Pearl's exposed head.
But Pearl had no intention of defending himself.
Instead, he was already drawing his fist back again, that same malevolent glow beginning to build around his shield. His eyes were fixed on Sanji with predatory intensity, and I realized with growing horror what he was planning.
'Shit!'
He was going to counter-attack. Before Sanji's kick could land, he was going to unleash another flaming fist at point-blank range.
'If that attack hits Sanji directly, he'll be incinerated instantly.'
The thought galvanized me into action. Without hesitation, I drew my custom flintlock and took aim at Pearl's moving fist.
Pearl's fist reached the apex of its swing and began to stretch. "PEARL FIRE SHOW!" he roared again, the flames already beginning to build around his shield.
'Now.'
BANG!
I squeezed the trigger, feeling the familiar kick of the pistol against my palm.
The bullet flew true, striking Pearl's shield-covered fist just as it was about to unleash its deadly payload. The impact wasn't enough to damage the shield, but it was enough to throw off his aim at the crucial moment.
WHRROOSH!!!
The bullet hit its target, and Pearl's fist was knocked upward, redirecting his attack skyward instead of forward. The pillar of flame erupted harmlessly into the air, missing Sanji by mere inches as the cook stopped his kick mid-motion.
I saw the look on Sanji's face as he landed—shock, recognition, and a grudging gratitude that he was too proud to voice. But his eyes met mine for just a moment, and I saw the understanding there. He knew I'd just saved his life.
'How can these guys be so reckless?' I wondered, shaking my head in disbelief. 'They charge into battle like it's some kind of game, like they're immortal.'
But there was no time for philosophical musings. Pearl was already recovering from the deflected attack, his rage, if anything, intensified by my interference.
The flames around his body seemed to pulse with renewed fury, and I could see him preparing for another assault.
Pearl might not be the strongest opponent I'd ever faced, but his armor and that fire-spewing mechanism made him incredibly dangerous.
That flaming fist attack of his wasn't just spewing fire—it had the power and impact of a bazooka round. No matter how tough you were, no matter how much experience you had dealing with fire, if you took an attack like that head-on, you'd be roasted alive.
I couldn't let him run wild like this. Before he could ready another one of his devastating attacks, I raised my pistol again and fired three shots in rapid succession.
BANG BANG BANG!!!
I'd infused the bullets with Hamon energy, the golden power crackling along their surfaces as they flew toward their target.
The moment Pearl saw me aiming at him, his expression shifted from rage to something approaching panic.
"I won't let you!" he screamed, spreading his arms wide and intensifying the flames around his body. "PEARL FLAME PACKAGE!"
The fire erupting from his armor increased significantly, the intense heat and chaotic flames creating a wall of destruction that burned my Hamon-infused bullets before they could reach their target. I watched in frustration as the rubber rounds simply melted in the air, their energy dissipating harmlessly.
Sanji, who had been preparing for another attack, was forced to step back as the wave of heat washed over him. Even from my position, I could feel the searing air trying to singe my eyebrows.
But Pearl wasn't content to simply defend. Even as the flames continued to pour from his armor, he was already cocking his arm back again, preparing for another flaming fist.
The pattern was becoming clear—he would defend with his flame barrier, then immediately counter-attack with his devastating fire wave.
'I can't take him down immediately with conventional attacks,' I realized. 'I need to try something different.'
The Gryffindor sword hummed as I channeled Hamon into the weapon, feeling the golden energy flow through the metal and make it sing with power.
Without hesitation, I plunged the sword into the makeshift raft beneath my feet. The blade bit deep into the wood, and I released a controlled burst of Hamon energy through the weapon and into the structure of the raft itself.
The effect was immediate and dramatic. From the point where I'd stabbed the sword, a sharp wave of Hamon energy spread outward in two directions, cutting through the wood like it was made of paper.
SLASH!!
The entire makeshift raft began to split apart, the cut running in a perfect line that would separate my section from Pearl's.
"PEARL FIRE SHOW!" he roared, unleashing his devastating fire wave.
But because of my timing, the section of raft he was standing on was already separating from mine.
The force of his own attack, combined with the recoil from his flame-spewing mechanism, acted like a rocket engine. His section of the raft was launched backward across the water, carried by the momentum of his own flames.
The fire wave barely reached me, the edge of the flame passing harmlessly through the air, blowing my cloak. I watched with grim satisfaction as Pearl and his section of the raft went flying backward, carried by the force of his own attack.
The people watching our battle—the cooks from Baratie, the remaining pirates, even Luffy—stared in amazement at what they'd just witnessed. I could hear their murmured comments, their expressions of shock and awe.
"AMAAAAZING!!"
"Did you see that swordsmanship?" one of them whispered.
"He cut through that entire raft in one strike!"
"No wonder Dracule Mihawk wanted to challenge him earlier!"
I couldn't help but cringe at the misunderstanding.
What I'd just done wasn't really a sword technique at all—it was a Hamon technique, using the sword as a focus and conduit for the energy. But I supposed from their perspective, it looked like some kind of incredible feat of swordsmanship.
The flames on the remaining section of the raft were beginning to spread, threatening to engulf the entire area. I turned to the watching cooks and called out, "Stop the fire from spreading to the restaurant! Use whatever you have—water, sand, anything!"
They immediately sprang into action, rushing to contain the blaze before it could reach Baratie itself. But I had no time to supervise their efforts.
Pearl was already recovering from his unexpected surfing, and I could see him preparing for another attack.
Without hesitation, I stepped off the burning raft and onto the surface of the water itself.
The Hamon energy flowing through my body allowed me to walk on water as easily as solid ground, my feet finding purchase on the liquid surface through the manipulation of the repelling property of Hamon.
The gasps of amazement from the watching crowd were audible even over the sound of crackling flames. I suppose that for people who had never seen Devil Fruit before, the sight of someone walking on water would be pretty shocking.
I began to run across the water's surface, pursuing Pearl's makeshift raft as it continued to drift away from the restaurant.
Pearl saw me approaching and immediately opened fire with the guns built into his armor.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!!
The bullets came fast and furious, their paths clearly visible as they traced through the air toward me.
I weaved between the shots, my Mantra giving me just enough warning to dodge each bullet as it was fired. The ones I couldn't dodge, I deflected with my cloak and sword.
When I got close enough, Pearl switched tactics. "PEARL FIRE SHOW!" he roared, unleashing another one of his devastating fire waves.
But I was ready for it this time. My Mantra had given me enough warning to predict the attack, and I dodged to the side just as the pillar of flame erupted from his fist.
The heat was still intense enough to singe my cloak, but I was far enough away that it couldn't do any real damage.
With my sword still charged with Hamon energy, I slashed at the water itself. The blade cut through the liquid as if it were solid, and the Hamon cutting wave traveled across the surface, heading directly for Pearl's raft.
The wave hit the makeshift structure with devastating force, cutting through the wood in a clean line. The raft began to split apart, the inertia from Pearl's previous flaming attack causing the pieces to separate and drift apart.
Pearl found himself standing on a rapidly splitting platform, the water rising around his feet as his section of the raft began to sink.
But just before he could fall into the sea, he used another flaming spear strike to propel himself sideways, landing on a different piece of wreckage.
'Damn,' I thought, clicking my tongue in frustration. 'He's more agile than I gave him credit for.'
Pearl had managed to reach the main wreckage of the Krieg pirates' ship, a much larger and more stable platform than the makeshift raft.
He stood on the deck, his flame-wreathed form silhouetted against the burning debris, and I realized that my plan to drown him had failed.
"You can't drown me now!" he taunted, his voice carrying easily across the water. "I'm safe here!"
I raised my pistol and fired at him, but he was ready for it. The bullet flew true, but at the last second, he twisted his body and avoided the shot. Immediately, he intensified the heat coming from his armor, creating a thermal barrier that would deflect any follow-up shots.
He cursed at me, his voice filled with rage and hatred. "You wanted to throw me in the water, didn't you? Well, too bad! I'm not going down that easily!"
The accusation was accurate, of course. I had been trying to get him into the water, where his fire-based abilities would be severely hampered.
But now that he was on the main wreckage, that strategy was no longer viable.
Pearl opened fire again with his armor's guns, but this time he added a new twist. He made a boxing stance, his fists raised in a classic fighting pose, and began making rapid, short jabs at the air.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!!
Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh!
"FLAME PEARL EXHIBITION!" he shouted, and with each punch, a compressed ball of fire shot from his fist shields toward me.
'Eh? Ki Blasts?!'
I watched in fascination as the technique unfolded. It was like watching someone throw ki blasts, but these weren't energy attacks—they were actual fire, compressed and shaped into projectile form.
Pearl was using the fire-spewing mechanism in his fist shields in combination with a punching technique to create a rapid-fire barrage of flame bullets.
The combination of conventional gunfire and these flame projectiles created a deadly crossfire that made it impossible for me to get close. Every time I tried to advance, I was met with a wall of bullets and fire that forced me to retreat.
'I need to change tactics,' I realized. 'I can't get close with this kind of suppressing fire.'
Ting! Tang Tang Tang!!
I began using the repelling ability of Hamon more aggressively, channeling the energy through my sword as I moved my arm rapidly, deflecting and redirecting the projectiles and fireballs as they came at me.
But defense alone wouldn't win this fight. While dodging and defending, I raised my pistol and fired multiple shots—not at Pearl himself, but at the wreckage he was standing on.
Hamon Bolt―Crush!
The bullets were charged with Hamon energy, and they struck the damaged wood with enough force to annihilate it.
CRAACK!!!
The section of wreckage Pearl was standing on began to crack and break apart. He jumped just in time to avoid falling into the water, using another Pearl Fire Show to propel himself to a different part of the wreckage.
As he landed, he turned to face me with a mixture of anger and fear in his eyes. "You can't keep trying to drown me forever!" he shouted. "I'll burn you alive before you get the chance!"
I met his gaze steadily, my voice calm and cold as I replied, "There's no need to drown you. I'll end this farce now."
It was the truth. I'd seen most of Pearl's tricks by now, understood the capabilities and limitations of his armor.
I could take him down easily if I used one of my hidden cards—my Stand, for instance, or some of the more exotic abilities I'd acquired through my exchanges.
But that would be inadvisable, given that Don Krieg was still there, and I don't think he will go down easily.
The best path forward was to defeat Pearl using only the abilities I'd already shown, which meant I would have to take some risks. But risks were better than revealing all my cards while the battle is not over yet.
Pearl's expression shifted as he processed my words. He was half angry, half scared—angry at my apparent dismissal of his abilities, but scared because some part of him recognized that I was telling the truth.
"You bastard!" he snarled, opening fire with both his guns and his Flame Pearl Exhibition technique. "I'll show you what happens when you underestimate Pearl the Iron Wall!"
The barrage was intense, but I'd been expecting it. I kept blocking and dodging while running toward him, using my Mantra to predict the trajectories of his attacks.
The Hamon energy flowing through my sword allowed me to deflect even the flame projectiles, the golden power disrupting their coherence and causing them to dissipate harmlessly.
'So, it should be possible!'
When I got close enough, Pearl swung his fist in a wide arc, preparing to launch another Pearl Fire Show at point-blank range. The attack would be devastating if it connected, but I'd been anticipating this moment.
WHRROOSH!!!
I dodged the fire wave at the last possible second, feeling the heat singe my cloak as it passed mere inches from my body. But I'd timed it perfectly—Pearl was already preparing his follow-up attack, his other fist cocked back and ready to fire.
'This is it,' I thought, raising my sword and channeling every ounce of Hamon energy I could muster into the blade. 'Time to end this.'
/A sneak attack using the flying war mace/
But just as I was about to deliver the finishing blow, my Mantra screamed a warning.
From the corner of my eye, I saw something massive and metallic flying through the air toward me—Don Krieg's enormous war mace, spinning end over end as it hurtled toward my position.
'Damn it!'
The timing was perfect, the power behind the throw was enormous, and the decisiveness of the attack was exactly what you'd expect from a man called "Foul Play" Krieg.
He'd been waiting for this exact moment, when I was committed to my attack on Pearl, when I wouldn't be able to dodge or defend properly.
'That bastard,' I thought grimly. 'He waited until the perfect moment to launch his sneak attack.'
I had maybe a second to decide what to do.
Should I abort my attack on Pearl and try to block the war mace with my hand, accepting the damage but maintaining my position? Should I take the initial damage from Pearl's Pearl Fire Show and try to redirect the mace toward him, hoping it would work? Or should I reveal one of my other cards, the abilities I'd been keeping hidden?
The war mace was already too close for me to dodge completely, and Pearl's attack was flying toward me, a textbook pincer attack. I could feel the heat from his fist shield, could see the flames starting to coalesce into another devastating fire wave.
'What do I do?' I wondered hesitantly. 'What's the best choice here?'
But before I could make a decision, Luffy appeared in the path of the flying war mace. His rubber body stretched and twisted as he intercepted the massive weapon, sending it flying away.
"Your opponent is me!" Luffy declared, his voice carrying clearly across the water as he engaged with the war mace.
With nothing to stop me now, I focused all my attention on Pearl. The flames from his Pearl Fire Show were already on me, the deadly fire wave forming and preparing to incinerate me.
But I was ready. I met his fire with my own attack—a Hamon-charged slash using the Gryffindor sword.
'Hamon—Severing Tide!'
SLAAASH!!
The blade cut through the air with incredible speed, the golden energy crackling along its edge as it made contact with fire, creating a cutting wave that traveled through the flames themselves.
The Hamon cutting wave traveled through the burning oil and superheated air of Pearl's attack, the golden energy disrupting the flames and dividing a path of destruction that reached all the way to Pearl himself.
The cutting wave reached Pearl and kept most of its momentum, creating a huge gash that ran from his arm to his chest and back, forming a perfect cross-shaped wound.
The attack cut through his armor, through his flesh, through everything that made him the fearsome "Iron Wall."
Pearl's eyes widened in shock as he was losing consciousness, his flames beginning to flicker and die as the mechanism was damaged. Blood seeped through the gaps in his armor, and his legs gave out beneath him.
"Impossible," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of dying flames. "I'm supposed to be invincible. I'm the Iron Wall. I'm..."
But his words trailed off as he collapsed, his massive form crashing to the deck of the wrecked ship. The flames around his body guttered and died, leaving only smoke and the smell of burned metal.
…
A/N: Yeah, this Pearl is more buffed up than his original counterpart.
I know Oda-sensei introduced him as some kind of walking gag, but when I look at his armor—other than its funny appearance—my mind can't stop wondering about what I can do with it.
Anyway, Thank you all for reading!! Hope you enjoyed this one!
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