Vice Admiral Doberman pulled up another holographic projection showing a 3D layout of the Divine Kingdom's defenses.
"We'll have at most a twenty-minute window before their surveillance systems recover."
"That's enough time to secure key positions, though the primary location remains Ron's laboratory!"
Vice Admiral Strawberry leaned against the bulkhead with crossed arms, his gaze sweeping over the other officers.
"Remember the primary objective: destroy Ron's laboratory, then seize the Devil Fruits, especially those of Admiral-level."
BEEP-BEEP.
Suddenly, an encrypted command from Fleet Admiral Akainu lit up simultaneously on all officers' communication devices:
[COMMAND]: Target is 80 nautical miles away. Assume Condition Red.
Waves crashed against the hull, churning up white foam.
The special task force, disguised as merchant ships, headed toward the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
Unbeknownst to the pirates reveling within the arena, a Marine strike was closing in.
Further away, the main fleet lurked at the edge of the storm zone, poised to launch a full-scale assault once the task force succeeded.
"Let the pirates revel in their moment of triumph a little longer," Momonga said, gripping his sword as he stepped out of the cabin, gazing at the faint outline of the Floating Islands in the distance.
"By the time they realize it, the handcuffs will already be on their wrists."
...
On a small island somewhere.
Ace's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, plowing two deep furrows in the gravel beneath his feet.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain.
The successive explosions from behind struck his chest like heavy hammers, each blast making his breath catch.
He knew Jozu was fighting for his life against a Yonko.
"Jozu..." Ace muttered through gritted teeth, his black bangs soaked with sweat and sticking to his tense forehead.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind: Turn back now and fight? Stand alongside Jozu? Or... escape and inform Pops?
"What a joke!" Ace punched the tree beside him.
Flames uncontrollably burst from between his fingers, instantly reducing the entire tree to charcoal.
"How can I always rely on Pops to save us..."
Just as he was torn by inner conflict, the sky suddenly darkened.
A pair of black wings blotted out the moonlight, and King's icy voice came from above.
"Found you, Fire Fist Ace."
Ace looked up sharply, his pupils contracting.
He saw King holding Queen with one hand and Jack with the other, hurling them down like cannonballs!
"Catch!" King's roar exploded through the night sky.
"Damn it!"
Ace instinctively leaped backward, but he was still too slow.
Queen's modified mechanical arm was already whistling toward his face, while Jack's heavy fist blocked his escape route.
Their attacks coordinated perfectly, clearly aiming to cripple him in one move.
"Flame Ring: Pillar of Fire!"
Ace crossed his arms in haste, a blazing ring of fire erupting from him to create a defensive wall.
BOOM!
Flames collided with the mechanical arm, spraying blinding sparks.
But Jack's fist broke through the fire wall, slamming hard into Ace's shoulder.
"Gah!"
Ace grunted, his body flying uncontrollably backward, crashing through three large trees before he barely stabilized himself.
Kneeling on one knee, a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, but the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even fiercer.
"Not bad for a brat Whitebeard took a liking to." Queen adjusted his sunglasses, his mechanical arm creaking as it transformed.
"Muhahaha! But today marks your end here."
Jack had already completed his transformation into Mammoth Form, his massive trunk whipping up fierce winds.
"Enough talk! Let's finish this quickly! Kaido-san is waiting for us!"
Ace slowly rose to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. His body began to elementalize, raging flames swirling around him.
"Think you can take me down?"
He grinned wildly. "Then come and try!"
Before the words faded, his figure had already transformed into a streak of fire shooting skyward.
King's pupils contracted as he urgently flapped his wings in pursuit.
"Don't let him escape!"
But escape wasn't Ace's immediate goal.
He suddenly reversed direction mid-air, hands gathering brilliant flames above his head.
"Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor!"
A massive fireball over a hundred meters in diameter lit up the entire night sky like a second sun, crashing down mercilessly toward the Calamities!
"This madman!"
Queen's mechanical arm frantically transformed, forming a huge energy shield.
"Is he trying to take us all down with him?!"
Jack roared, using his trunk to hurl massive boulders, while King unleashed the full power of his Pteranodon flames.
KA-BOOM!
The moment the three forces collided with the Flame Emperor, the entire forest was flattened by the explosion's shockwave!
As the dust settled, Ace's figure had already vanished into the smoke.
King furiously tore through the thick cloud before him. "Damn it! He got away!"
...
Several kilometers away on the coast.
Ace staggered out from the treeline, his face as pale as paper.
The massive attack had drained a significant portion of his stamina.
"I must... hurry back... to find Ron!"
Ace gazed toward the direction of Jozu's battle, his heart heavy. "Jozu... you must hold on..."
Just as Ace prepared to ignite his flames to fly, a sharp whistling sound suddenly came from behind!
SWISH!
King's jet-black wings tore through the night, swooping down with a fierce wind.
Ace hastily sidestepped but was still slashed across the waist by the sharp, Armament Haki-coated wing blades.
"Flame Gun!"
Ace countered through the pain, dozens of flame bullets shooting from his fingertips.
But King's combat experience was far superior.
With a simple retraction of his wings, he easily dodged while his right leg, clad in Armament Haki, viciously kicked toward Ace's face.
WHACK!
Ace crossed his arms to block, but the force of the Ancient Zoan kick sent him flying backward.
Before he could steady himself, the ground suddenly shook violently—Jack had arrived, his massive black trunk sweeping toward Ace like a battering ram!
"Fire Fist!"
Ace hastily threw a punch, flames colliding with the trunk in a deafening explosion.
However, this rushed attack couldn't fully counter Jack's brute force.
Ace was sent flying again, his back slamming hard against a cliff wall, sending rock fragments flying.
"Cough!" A mouthful of blood sprayed from Ace's lips.
Struggling to rise, he saw Queen's modified Mechanical Arm transforming into a cannon barrel, blinding energy gathering at its tip.
"Black Coffee!"
A dazzling laser beam instantly pierced through Ace's shoulder!
"Damn it!!"
Ace's expression twisted in pain.
His Logia body couldn't disperse the attack due to Queen's technological prowess and Haki usage.
The wound sizzled, cauterized instantly but agonizing.
"So this is the Fire Fist," King sneered, diving down with his wings fully spread. "Flashy, but fragile."
"Pteranodon: Imperial Deep Pride Stake!"
He pulled back his head, his beak coated in Armament Haki, aiming to spear Ace through the heart.
"Before absolute power, your fire is nothing but a candle in the wind!"
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