Chapter 154: Remnant Flame Prison Cloak
"Confused?" Ace looked at Magellan and Shiryu and said, "That's right. If I don't release it outwardly, you won't notice it until you touch me."
"Then, let me show you in a form you can see — my absolute defense!" As Ace spoke, purple flames erupted from his body. These flames, though not typical in appearance, resembled a burning cloak — like a prison garb forged in flame, draped over Ace's form.
It looked thin, yet was utterly impenetrable.
Compared to the original version — a true 15 million-degree flame cloak belonging to his captain — Ace's 100,000-degree version was incomplete, so he called it the Remnant Flame Prison Cloak.
After the battle in Dressrosa, Ace had become far more skilled at manipulating the purple flame. When he faced Doflamingo and Jack, he could only crudely unleash it. Now, however, he could not only control the temperature but also mold the flame into different shapes.
Though maintaining this form consumed a great deal of stamina, Ace favored the Remnant Flame Prison Cloak for its sheer style. So even at the cost of his energy, he insisted on showing it off.
"The Remnant Flame Prison Cloak — forged from genuine purple flame at 100,000 degrees. Any attack you make will disintegrate into nothing before even touching me!" Ace declared, calm and steady.
"Are you kidding me? Even with Devil Fruit powers, 100,000 degrees is absurd!" Shiryu snapped back. But he rushed forward anyway, swinging his famed blade [Raijin] (Thunderstorm) straight at Ace's neck.
Ace simply raised his head and watched. His eyes, glowing purple, betrayed no intention of defending or dodging.
"You're not even going to dodge?" Shiryu saw Ace just standing there and, feeling provoked, unleashed his strike with added rage.
Crack!
The moment [Raijin] was about to touch Ace, the blade let out an unbearable cracking sound. Shiryu instinctively pulled back and leapt away.
"No way!" He raised [Raijin] and saw a blackened mark along its blade — as if it had been held against an intense flame for hours.
"[Raijin] has been tempered with Armament Haki for decades. Even if thrown into lava, it wouldn't burn so quickly. That strike just now was less than a second long — and it did this?" Shiryu now stared at Ace with caution. He realized the cloak might truly be composed of flame at impossible temperatures.
Magellan's expression also grew grim as he witnessed Shiryu's reaction. He immediately launched another attack — a venomous dragon hurtling toward Ace.
Rumble!
The poison dragon lunged, but just as it neared the Remnant Flame Prison Cloak, it vanished without a sound — just like the earlier Poison Net.
"Impossible... Even at high heat, my poison should evaporate into gas. It shouldn't just vanish," Magellan muttered, shocked.
"That's because you've never witnessed true incineration," Ace replied calmly. "Let me show you the horror of my Remnant Flame Prison Cloak."
Boom!
Ace unleashed the cloak's full heat for a moment. A wave of intense heat burst out from his body. The surrounding floor instantly vaporized, creating a pit over three meters wide. Even the pit's edges crystalized from the heat.
Ace quickly retracted the full power to conserve stamina. The restrained version of the cloak cost less than 10% of his stamina over time, while a full release could drain him in moments.
"Even though it lasted only an instant, you felt the true heat of the purple flames, didn't you?" Ace asked.
"Clang!" In response, Shiryu sheathed his blade and turned around.
"Are you retreating?!" Magellan shouted in disbelief.
Shiryu paused but didn't turn around. "There's a difference between fighting and dying, Magellan. I won't waste my life here."
He continued walking away. "From this moment, I'm no longer Head Jailer of Impel Down."
Ace watched Shiryu leave and let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Good… One less enemy to worry about."
Though 100,000-degree flames were terrifying, they weren't invincible. Some weapons — like Shusui, the famed black blade — or those infused with advanced Armament Haki, could withstand the heat long enough to strike.
Shiryu may not have realized that, but Ace's strength had clearly surpassed his expectations. Not wanting to gamble his future, Shiryu withdrew. After all, he had his own ambitions — and was waiting for that man to arrive at Impel Down to help fulfill them.
"Seems your ally wasn't as loyal as you thought," Ace smirked at Magellan. "So… it's just the two of us again."
"Don't get cocky," Magellan growled. "Even alone, I can handle you — it'll just take longer."
Then Magellan opened his mouth and released a cluster of venomous bubbles.
Poison Gas Bombs!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The orbs exploded around Ace, releasing clouds of toxic tear gas that surrounded him completely.
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