Chapter 10: Cremation with One Knife
Click!
A charred hand suddenly shot up from the scorched earth, grabbing tightly onto Vergo's ankle. Flames ignited around it, and a familiar voice echoed from the inferno.
> "This is my last resort, Vergo. If this doesn't work… I'll have no choice but to escape."
Boom boom boom!
The ground trembled violently, as if something monstrous was about to erupt beneath them.
"Full-body Armament — Steel Form!"
Vergo, sensing the danger and realizing he couldn't dodge in time, unleashed the strongest Armament Haki of his life. Simultaneously, he activated his most advanced Tekkai technique — Steel Form — to brace himself for impact.
Even Vergo, hardened by countless battles, could feel the dread surging from below.
"One Blade Cremation!"
With Ace's roar, an eruption of flames burst upward from the ground beneath Vergo's feet like a volcanic explosion. But these weren't ordinary flames — they coalesced into the shape of a giant blade.
It was as if a flaming sword hundreds of meters long had thrust upward from the earth and detonated in a blinding blaze.
BOOM!!!
The explosion's force was so immense that it split the island in two. One half crumbled and sank into the sea — and Vergo, caught in the blast, was swallowed along with it.
---
Ace stood at the edge of the surviving half of the island, watching the sea churn into whirlpools where the land had collapsed.
> "Phew…" he exhaled, exhausted. "Dealing with a man at a vice admiral's level really isn't easy… If I hadn't prepared the terrain in advance, I might not have won."
Though he couldn't confirm Vergo's death, Ace was certain he had landed a devastating blow. But in the world of pirates, especially someone as tenacious as Vergo — who wasn't even a Devil Fruit user — survival was always possible.
Despite Vergo's current rank of rear admiral, his strength already matched that of an elite Headquarters Vice Admiral.
> "The battlefield worked in my favor this time," Ace muttered. "All that preparation with flammable materials paid off."
If not for the environment he'd deliberately shaped while training with the Shao Shao no Mi, this battle might've ended with Ace retreating. After all, it had barely been a month since he'd eaten the fruit. He still wasn't familiar with its full capabilities — and more importantly, he hadn't learned how to use Haki yet.
In a battle of this level, not using Haki was practically suicide.
> "I need to accelerate my Haki training," Ace said with a wry grin. Then he added, "Still... I'm pretty strong already."
He smiled, basking in the sunlight as the thick smoke above cleared and warmth washed over his fatigued body. Somehow, the light felt rejuvenating.
> "It's warm..."
---
"Captain!"
"Captain Ace!"
The Spade Pirates' ship had arrived. One by one, his crewmates leapt from the ship and rushed toward him.
> "Why are you guys here?" Ace asked, surprised, as he stood up.
> "We saw the smoke and figured a big fight was happening," Gambi said. "So we rushed over. Looks like you won, Captain."
> "Yeah," Ace nodded with a chuckle. "It was a tough one, but I managed."
> "By the way, when we got close, we spotted a navy warship nearby," Gambi added, his expression turning serious. "Judging by its specs, it's not a Vice Admiral-class ship. Should we sink it?"
The rest of the crew cracked their knuckles, clearly eager for action.
> "No need," Ace said, adjusting his hat and hopping aboard their ship. Then he turned to his crew and shouted:
> "Men, set sail — we're running for our lives!"
> "Ohhh!!!"
> "Hahaha, retreat!"
In a chorus of laughter and cheers, the Spade Pirates' ship turned and sped away, vanishing into the horizon.
---
After the ship disappeared, a figure struggled up from the ocean — battered and burned. It was Vergo.
His condition was dire. His body was scorched, covered in burns, and below the knee, his left leg was gone, the stump charred black.
Panting, Vergo pulled a pink-sunglass-themed Den Den Mushi from his pocket and dialed.
> "Vergo, what's going on?" came Doflamingo's familiar voice.
> "Dover... I failed," Vergo said after a pause. He looked down at the remains of his leg. "I lost... to the kid with the Shao Shao no Mi. Completely defeated."
There was a long silence on the other end. Then, laughter.
> "Fufufufu... Vergo, a man like you losing to some brat? That's hilarious."
> "Want me to handle it for you?" Doflamingo teased.
> "No. Failure isn't shameful. But if I needed you to clean up my mess... that would be," Vergo replied seriously. "That boy's strong, and he'll only get stronger. But next time... I'll take his head and earn that vice admiral title myself."
> "Fufufu... What are you saying?" Doflamingo laughed. "We're family, Vergo. Go finish what you started. No matter who he is — take his head!"
> "I will. Thank you, Dover."
Vergo ended the call and slipped the Den Den Mushi back into his pocket.
He hadn't told Doflamingo about his lost leg. He couldn't. The shame of losing face in Dover's eyes would be worse than death.
> "Portgas D. Ace…"
Vergo stared out across the sea, in the direction Ace had fled.
> "Next time, even if I die... I won't lose again."
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