·Chapter 9: Meteor
"Flowing Fire—Fire Thorns!"
Under Ace's control, the flames surrounding Vergo suddenly surged inward. The intense fire twisted into sharp spikes—flaming thorns—lunging at Vergo from every direction.
"Full-Body Armament!"
Vergo roared deeply, releasing his Armament Haki to coat his entire body in hardened defense. The flaming thorns pierced toward him but shattered harmlessly against his Haki.
"It's useless," Vergo said confidently, standing tall amidst the inferno. "I told you already. Without Haki, you'll never break through my defense."
"Heh, pretty bold talk... especially for someone trapped in a hell of fire!"
Ace chuckled from within the swirling flames. The fire around him surged like waves, launching a relentless and angle-less barrage against Vergo.
Vergo raised his ghost bamboo staff and brought it to his lips.
"Armament—Air Cannon!"
BOOM!
A burst of compressed air tore a massive hole through the firestorm above. Seizing the opportunity, Vergo used Geppo (Moon Step) to leap toward the opening, attempting to escape the burning inferno.
"Fire Fist!"
Just as Vergo was about to breach the flames, a massive flaming fist descended from the sky, slamming him back into the fiery trap.
His face darkened as he was repeatedly repelled. Time after time, he attempted to break through with brute force, but every attempt was met by Ace's precise and devastating fire fists.
Ace's blazing prison remained unbroken. Vergo's stamina was steadily draining. Trapped in searing heat, his body moisture had almost completely evaporated. If not for his Armament Haki, his skin would've split open long ago. He was close to collapse.
"Armament—Air Cannon: Rapid Fire!"
Vergo inhaled sharply, his chest swelling. Then, with a forceful breath through his ghost bamboo staff—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
A series of air blasts ripped open multiple holes in the flames above. Vergo shot upward using Geppo, heading for one of the openings.
"Fire Fist!"
As expected, another blazing fist came crashing down toward his head.
But this time—
"Geppo!"
Vergo smirked. His body suddenly shifted sideways midair. Kicking off with Geppo, he narrowly dodged the descending fire fist.
"Whip!"
Swinging his ghost bamboo staff powerfully to one side, he straightened his form mid-flight.
"Geppo—Shun!"
With explosive force, Vergo rocketed through another opening in the flame barrier. Finally—after a dazzling display of agility and quick thinking—he escaped Ace's Flame Prison.
"Impressive," Ace said, half of his body emerging from the sea of flames below. He raised a hand and gave Vergo a thumbs-up. "Didn't expect Geppo could be used that way. Learned something new today."
Floating midair, well beyond the flame's reach, Vergo adjusted his sunglasses with a smirk. "Up here, your flames can't touch me anymore." He looked down confidently at Ace. "Now it's my turn."
"Heh, talking about counterattacks already? You're jumping the gun."
Ace raised his finger and pointed upward. "Try blocking that first."
"What—?"
The smile froze on Vergo's face. A sense of dread crept over him as a shadow loomed above.
He looked up—and his eyes widened.
A massive fireball, tens of meters in diameter, was plummeting from the sky. Like a falling meteorite, it screamed toward him.
It was a finishing move Ace had long prepared. Once dubbed Emperor Flame, Ace now deemed that name unworthy. He had renamed it—
Meteor.
Vergo's face turned grim. He instinctively moved to escape using Geppo, but Ace wasn't going to let him.
"Don't even think about running—Flame Ring: Pillar of Fire!"
A towering, hollow pillar of fire burst from the ground and surged into the sky, trapping Vergo inside.
Though Vergo could break through the fiery walls, he knew: if he did, the meteor would slam into him instantly. He was caught.
"Vergo," Ace's voice echoed from below. "This 'Meteor' is a gift I've prepared just for you. Enjoy it."
Realizing there was no escape, Vergo turned his head toward Ace. His expression was calm and deadly. Then, steeling himself, he raised his arms, pouring all his Haki into one final defense.
"Full-Body Armament—Iron!"
BOOOOM!!!
The colossal fireball crashed down, slamming into the island with Vergo at its center. The force of the impact shook the entire island violently, as though it might crumble into the sea.
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"Ha... ha... ha..."
In the scorched clearing, Vergo stood shirtless, breathing heavily. His arms and upper body were charred and blistered, the burned flesh giving off a faint, roasted scent.
"Still alive? Damn, you're tough."
Ace approached slowly, stopping a short distance away. He stared at Vergo's battered figure, nodding in reluctant admiration.
"I figured even that wouldn't be enough to completely take down someone like you."
"Hah... huh...!"
Vergo drew in a deep breath and stood tall. Beneath his cracked sunglasses, his eyes were sharp and focused like a hawk's.
"That was powerful," he admitted. "I haven't taken damage like this since I first awakened Armament Haki."
Raising his ghost bamboo, he pointed it at Ace.
"But now, your fiery battlefield is gone. So—"
BZZT!
As Vergo stepped forward, his Haki surged, coating his body anew. "Kid... now it's time you learned what an adult's anger feels like."
"Geppo—Shun!"
With a blast from his feet, Vergo vanished—appearing in front of Ace in an instant. His ghost bamboo, wrapped in Haki, swung down viciously toward Ace's head.
CRACK!
The staff smashed through Ace's skull—except no blood came out. Instead, Ace's body exploded into flames and vanished.
"A clone of fire..."
Vergo's eye twitched. Before he could search for Ace's true location, a hand shot up from the ground beneath him—
And grabbed his ankle.
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