Chapter 45: Farewell
Fire.
If one word could describe the man, it was this: Fire.
A raging inferno.
...
He stood over six meters tall, his frame towering and well-proportioned, clad in head-to-toe dark attire. A double-breasted jacket with a skull-patterned collar, a mask, goggles, a helmet, gloves—not an inch of skin exposed. Decorations adorned his arms and legs; a longsword hung at his waist.
Two features dominated:
One, a ring of flames encircling the back of his head.
Two, a pair of massive, black-feathered wings sprouting from his back.
...
Was it the fiery halo that earned him the description? Not solely.
The aura he exuded was a raging flame—oppressive, instinctively repulsive, driving all to flee.
...
"Huff… huff…" Cough! Pell vomited blood but still hauled Cobra and Chaka skyward, even concealing them within the clouds. In his falcon form, his vision far surpassed a human's. He not only felt the man's pressure but saw his face clearly.
"N-no… it can't be…" Pell's voice trembled with disbelief. "I've seen that face on a wanted poster. He's an executive of the Beast Pirates. Bounty over one billion berries—[The Fire Fist] King!"
"?!"
The name shocked both Cobra and Chaka. They'd heard of the Beast Pirates—a powerful New World crew recently ascending to the feared "Four Emperors." Though details were scarce, a bounty exceeding a billion spoke volumes of King's terror.
"Tch… can I hold on…?" Pell gritted his teeth, forming a plan. Even the Marines, unprepared, would struggle against a billion-berry pirate. Even if his wounds ripped open, even if it cost his life, he had to get Cobra to safety. A wall of fire? With his Bird-Bird Fruit abilities, he could leap over—
"Huh?!"
Pell's keen eyes caught a movement. He turned. King, on the island, had turned his head. His cold gaze was fixed directly on the three figures in the sky.
That stare—like a terrifying predator sighting prey—sent primal terror through Pell.
"Not good!" Pell twisted, trying to put more distance between them.
In the next instant, King's right arm shifted, skin becoming membranous wing. He swung it toward the distant trio.
Emperor's Sword: Blaze!
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—!
Several flaming projectiles, like machine-gun fire, streaked across the sky.
Pell and Chaka shifted simultaneously, shielding Cobra with their bodies as the flaming rounds struck. Engulfed in fire, the three plummeted toward the sea…
...
"Hmph. Zoan users. A few shots won't kill them. They'll survive." King's voice was ice. "But I can't let that king escape…"
"…"
He spoke as if to an empty room, disregarding the two figures before him—Vergo and Vergil—entirely.
King had the right. As the lead "Disaster" of the Beast Pirates, a veteran under Kaido, he was calm, ruthless, and knew precisely when to act.
"Now—" King's gaze shifted forward, his deep voice rumbling. "It's time to deal with you."
...
The island's situation shifted rapidly. Crocodile and [The Fire Fist] King had fallen from the sky in succession. Using his Ancient Pteranodon form's aerial advantage, King had first shattered Crocodile's boat. In their brief mid-air clash, he'd gained the upper hand, wounding Crocodile before landing.
Now, King stood opposite Vergil, behind Vergo.
"Now—it's time to deal with you."
A simple sentence, but a critical ambiguity. King said "you," not "you all." Meaning, only one of the two before him was "a problem to be solved."
Who?
Vergo already knew—not him.
The oppressive auras of [The Demon] and [The Fire Fist] pressed down simultaneously, like being caught between two violent, twisting storms. Breathing became difficult. He didn't turn. Didn't move. Because Vergo knew: both monsters had locked past him, their focus solely on each other.
He was now the tripwire. The slightest movement from him would ignite the war between Demon and Disaster… and he'd be the first, forgotten casualty.
It wasn't just Vergo who realized this.
Far away, in the North Blue, Donquixote Doflamingo watched through the visual Den Den Mushi Vergo had kept active. The bug's eyes, peeking from Vergo's pocket, captured the towering figure.
"King!" Doflamingo's voice crackled through the receiver, laced with suppressed fury. "He's my man…"
A statement brimming with anger, yet restrained. The reason was simple. As the underworld's [JOKER], Doflamingo worked closely with [Hundred Beast] Kaido. JOKER's ascent required the Beast Pirates' support. Moreover, the Donquixote Family was no match for Kaido's crew. A falling out was unthinkable.
He could only hope King would acknowledge their… partnership.
King's reply froze Doflamingo.
"[JOKER]?" King tilted his head slightly. "I'm also interested in Alabasta's little secret. I believe it could aid Brother Kaido."
"…"
"Fine." Doflamingo paused. "But let my man go first."
"Denied." King's gaze slid past Vergo, locking onto Alvin Vergil. The strange Ancient Armament Haki swirled. That perfect human body was shifting, limbs thickening into something inhuman. King's eyes narrowed. "This world has forbidden zones for ordinary men. Your man stands where he shouldn't. His life… is forfeit to fate."
"King!" Doflamingo snarled. "Do you disregard Kaido's arrangements?"
The response was a colder, harsher rebuke. "The Donquixote Family… don't overestimate your importance."
King's voice was glacial. "I ask you one question: Does the life or death of this subordinate affect your business with Brother Kaido?"
"…"
Doflamingo was silent. He had only one answer: No. Even if Kaido himself executed Vergo, the trade would continue. But he couldn't voice it.
"It's alright, Doffy." Vergo's calm voice cut through. He retrieved the Den Den Mushi, his finger hovering over the disconnect switch. "Since the day we met you, we've believed you would become the King of these seas."
"For that… my life is a small price. Expendable at any time."
Outsiders couldn't comprehend the bonds within the Donquixote Family. But for those inside, understanding was enough.
"…" A long silence from Doflamingo. Then, his voice, steady yet carrying a rare weight: "My apologies, old friend. You've been with me the longest… You've worked hard."
Hearing this, Vergo offered a faint, knowing smile. The same smile he would wear in another future, sliced apart by Law's powers, trapped in the collapsing ruins of Punk Hazard.
"Ah."
A single, soft syllable. It was Vergo's farewell to Doflamingo.
And it was the signal.
The instant the syllable left his lips, Vergil and King moved.
Their fists, sheathed in Haki, tore through the air, converging on Vergo's body before continuing forward to crash into each other's faces.
BOOM—!
KABOOOM!
(End of Chapter)
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