Looking at Akainu, Ashveil felt a strange emotion stir within him. The usually unshakable Admiral now appeared powerless and desperate.
Perhaps it was because Akainu's own Magma Fruit ability was being outclassed by Ashveil's Flames, flames that burned hotter and shone brighter than his own. The realization had struck Akainu deeply.
The Admiral of the Marines would never have imagined that one day, he would meet his end because of the very element he prided himself on mastering… and that the one to kill him would be the pirate he despised above all others.
This must be retribution.
Without hesitation, Ashveil raised his hand.
From his flames, a colossal dragon emerged, its entire form blazing with unbearable heat. The surrounding air warped, space itself seemed to shimmer, and even the atmosphere burned beneath its presence. With a deafening roar, the dragon lunged straight for Akainu's heart.
Boom!
The blow landed before Akainu could react. His body, already weakened, had no chance to move away. His eyes widened, and within them was reflected the terrifying fire dragon bearing down on him. For the first time in his life, fear completely consumed him.
Before he could raise a defense, the dragon's fangs pierced through his chest.
A wretched scream tore from his throat as the flames engulfed him, searing through his heart and devouring him whole. The pain was like nothing he had ever inflicted on others. At last, Akainu understood the torment suffered by the countless pirates and Marines he had burned alive.
He clawed desperately at the ground, trying to anchor himself to something, but his strength failed him. In less than a minute, his body was nothing but ash. The magma that once made him invincible bubbled and hissed uselessly before dissolving into flame.
The proud, ruthless Admiral Sakazuki—Akainu—was gone.
Hovering above the battlefield, Ashveil gazed down at the remains without a flicker of emotion.
"This is the death you deserved, Akainu," he said coldly. His voice carried no triumph, only inevitability. "You wasted too much of my time. Truly troublesome." He stifled a yawn and turned away.
With slow, deliberate steps, Ashveil walked toward Bartholomew Kuma, the massive figure who stood frozen in place, stunned beyond belief.
Inside Kuma's chest, emotions churned violently. The man he had just watched kill an Admiral was still so young, yet his flames were more powerful than Sakazuki's magma.
Could Vegapunk have perfected cyborg modification to this level? No… this isn't technology. This is real power.
What unsettled Kuma even more was Ashveil's composure. He had just killed an Admiral of the Marines, one of the pillars of world order, yet his face was calm, almost bored. If Ashveil was merely human, then his willpower and mental strength were terrifying beyond imagination.
High above, in the floating newsroom of the World Economic Journal, silence hung heavy. The photographers, their fingers trembling, could no longer keep the shutters clicking.
Ruth's slender hands quivered as she clutched her camera. Her lips parted, disbelief flooding her expression.
"Ashveil… Ashveil actually killed Admiral Sakazuki?!"
The middle-aged chief was equally stunned, his jaw slack.
"And not just killed… he completely overwhelmed him! He used his flames to crush Akainu without leaving even a corpse behind!"
The journalists exchanged fearful glances.
"This is beyond terrifying. A rookie pirate has slain an Admiral of Marineford…"
"This is the kind of news that will shake the entire world."
"If we deliver this to President Morgans, we'll be rewarded beyond measure!"
Excitement replaced their fear as they scrambled to prepare their report, but their eyes still carried the disbelief of men who had just witnessed the impossible.
Meanwhile, Ashveil finally stood before Kuma.
"I wasted a little time," he said casually, his eyes sharp but his tone calm. "I hope you don't mind, Revolutionary Kuma."
Kuma's eyes widened behind his glasses. His identity… exposed? Impossible. His infiltration had always been flawless.
"How do you know who I am?" he asked cautiously, a glint of light flashing across his lenses.
Ashveil lifted his hands lightly.
"No need for alarm. I'm only the captain of Whitebeard's Zero Division," he said with a faint smile. "But our goals align. We both seek the downfall of the Celestial Dragons."
Kuma's brow furrowed. His voice was steady, but suspicion lingered.
"And why should I believe you?"
Caution was natural. The man before him had just slain an Admiral as if it were nothing. His abilities were still not fully understood, and his potential was even harder to measure.
Ashveil's smile deepened.
"That's simple. The Celestial Dragon beaten earlier should still be here on Sabaody, right? For vermin like them, wouldn't killing them be the best proof?"
The words were spoken lazily, but the weight they carried made Kuma's heart pound.
"What did you just say…? Kill a Celestial Dragon?" Kuma's voice was heavy with disbelief.
The young man before him was more revolutionary than the Revolutionary Army itself. Even Dragon had never taken such a direct step. To kill a Celestial Dragon was an act on par with killing an Admiral, perhaps worse.
It meant total war with the World Government. Not just the Marines, but the mysterious force that had ruled the world for eight hundred years would descend upon the one who dared.
"That's right," Ashveil said calmly, his eyes unyielding. "Only by killing a Celestial Dragon will I show where I stand. And once I do, you'll understand that I'm serious."
His calm, almost indifferent tone contrasted violently with the audacity of his words.
Kuma stared at him, stunned. This man… he's far bolder than even Dragon himself.
"You just follow me and witness it, Kuma," Ashveil continued with a faint grin. "Once I prove my stance, I'll ask you to take me to Kuraigana Island."
Kuma's breath caught.
"Kuraigana Island?" He narrowed his eyes. "That island is where Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman, resides…"
"That's right," Ashveil replied simply. "The war to come will require more than just strength. I'll need to secure Mihawk's blade."
Kuma fell silent, his mind racing. Mihawk was known for his aloof pride. To win him over was nearly impossible, yet the young man before him spoke with certainty.
At last, a faint smile curved Kuma's lips.
"Very well. I'll help you. Let us see if the Whitebeard Pirates can truly stand against that monster, the Marines."
He looked at Ashveil, who walked ahead casually, hands in his pockets, his gait relaxed as if nothing extraordinary had just occurred.
For a man who was about to lose his humanity to Vegapunk's modifications, meeting Ashveil now, before that fate arrived, felt almost like a blessing.
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