"Pops…"
A figure carrying a dark silhouette on his back sprinted across the battlefield, weaving desperately through the relentless attacks of the surrounding Marines. Anxiety pounded in his chest with every step.
Please do not get hurt. If you cannot win, then run.
For the first time in his life, someone who had never retreated from a fight wished with all his heart that his Pops would choose to escape.
Boom!
A massive lava fist erupted forward, spraying molten magma across the air.
"Netherworld!!!"
"…!"
The figure on the ground abruptly leapt backward, then unleashed a vast wave of roaring flames toward the descending magma.
"Mirror Flame!!!"
Rumble!
The lava fist smashed into the ground, magma exploding outward as the surrounding terrain melted into a blazing hellscape.
Boom!
Yet because of the earlier interception, one specific area remained untouched, spared from the molten devastation.
"Am I… surrounded by lava?"
Ace frowned, staring at the bubbling crimson ground stretching both in front of and behind him. Escape was impossible unless he took to the air.
But flying would make him a perfect target, and the bastard chasing him excelled at long range attacks.
If he were alone, it would not matter.
But he was not.
"Hoo… hoo… hoo…"
The person on Ace's back was Luffy, completely unconscious. He slept deeply, snot bubbles inflating and deflating as he snored, looking utterly defenseless.
Because Luffy had exceeded the limits of his transformation, his body had shut down to recover. To wake him, he would need massive amounts of food and heat.
"Ace, son of Pirate King Roger. With me here, you are not escaping."
Gurgle… gurgle…
Across the lava field, a figure wreathed in molten rock stepped forward slowly, his presence alone raising the temperature of the battlefield.
Marine Admiral Akainu Sakazuki.
"I can offer you a deal," Akainu said coldly.
"This execution was meant to serve as a warning to the world, but it has already devolved into chaos. Your death no longer matters."
His gaze shifted to Luffy on Ace's back, lips curling.
"Hand over Straw Hat Luffy now, and I will spare your life."
"Never!"
Ace rejected the offer without hesitation. His right arm ignited as he hurled himself forward.
"Fire Fist!!!"
Orange-red flames erupted violently, expanding into a blazing inferno that engulfed the area where Akainu stood.
Boom!!!
"You pirates of the so-called Four Emperors really are infuriating."
From within the raging flames, Akainu's voice emerged, cold and contemptuous.
"Do you think this is negotiation?"
Whoosh…
The flames abruptly twisted inward, spiraling into Akainu's magma body as though they were being devoured.
"It is a clearly inferior Devil Fruit ability, yet you believe it can threaten me?"
Akainu's eyes burned as he sneered.
"That arrogance comes from your captain. Whitebeard is a delusional fool who never understood his own limits. And because of that, he raised a crew of equally blind and self-important fools."
"…!"
Not far away, the figure who had used the Fire Fist as a feint to escape suddenly came to a halt.
Akainu's voice continued, sharp and merciless.
"What Four Emperors? He was nothing more than a loser who could not compete with the former Pirate King, Roger."
"You are not allowed to insult Pops!!!"
Ace roared as he turned back, launching another blazing punch that swallowed Akainu in flames.
Rumble… rumble…
Yet no matter how fiercely the fire burned, it could not harm Akainu in the slightest.
Instead, his body only grew hotter.
Fire could never overcome magma.
"Heh. Fire Fist Ace, your rage-fueled attacks only prove that I am right."
Akainu stared at Ace with open disdain.
"Among the current Four Emperors, Whitebeard is a relic of a lost era. Defeated by Roger, unworthy of the throne, left to compete with juniors for scraps of power."
"What Pops? That is just a comforting lie shared by abandoned wolf cubs."
"And in the end, that old fool died here because of a few flattering words."
"You…"
The flames no longer burned only around Ace.
They ignited within his chest.
"This is slander against Pops!!!"
Ace nearly charged forward in a blind fury, but the thunderous snores on his back pulled him back from the brink.
"Akainu, I know exactly what you are doing," Ace said, forcibly calming himself.
"I will not disobey Pops' orders again. I am leaving."
"And he was even stabbed by a foolish traitor…"
"…Hm?"
Akainu paused, genuine surprise flashing across his face.
He stared at Ace's retreating back, suspicion creeping into his expression.
This did not match the intelligence reports.
This was supposed to be a reckless man who could never tolerate insults toward Whitebeard.
Yet now he was running.
"Heh. Fine then," Akainu sneered.
"Run. Run as fast as you can."
"The so-called son of Pirate King Roger is nothing but a coward. Maybe you are not Roger's son at all. Maybe your mother…"
Before he could finish, a suffocating killing intent filled the battlefield.
Bang!!!!
A thunderous explosion echoed as the sky ignited in crimson light.
"Akainu!!!"
A furious roar shook the air behind him.
"You insulted Pops, and now you dare insult my mother!!!"
"Hmph. Finally took the bait."
Akainu turned around.
A blazing Fire Fist descended from the sky and slammed directly into his face.
Thud!
The punch, burning with orange-red flames mixed with deep crimson magma, smashed Akainu straight into the ground.
Bang!
The Marine Admiral was driven deep into the earth, forming a massive flaming crater.
Gurgle… gurgle…
Moments later, boiling magma erupted violently from the pit, turning the battlefield into a volcanic disaster.
Boom!
Molten rock surged outward, engulfing both Pirates and Marines alike.
Ace had already thrown Luffy to Jinbe, abandoning all hesitation.
Standing barefoot upon molten ground, ignoring the magma burning into his flesh, his expression was deathly calm as he advanced toward Akainu.
"My mother gave me life."
"Pops gave my life meaning."
"My nakama gave me a family."
"You insulted everything I cherish."
Ace's voice was cold, unwavering.
"Today, you and I will decide who stands above the other."
"And who lives."
"And who dies."
---