Chapter 7: There Is No Weak Force in Nature!
"Ow! That hurts!"
Ace steadied himself, glancing at his red and swollen right arm. With a wry smile, he muttered, "I really need to learn Haki soon..."
"Armament Style – Air Cannon!"
Boom!
An invisible force tore through the air, brushing past Ace's ear before exploding behind him. The shockwave was more intense than a standard cannonball.
"So that's how Armament Haki can be used... What terrifying power!" Ace turned his head to glance at the smoldering crater, still shaken. "His Moonwalk is too fast, and those long-range attacks are just as dangerous. On top of that, he can coat his strikes with strong Haki. My Sky Flame has no advantage in aerial combat…"
His eyes narrowed.
"...I need to change the battlefield. Time to test that move."
Whoosh!
Vergo closed in swiftly using Moonwalk, thrusting the bamboo staff in his hand in a rapid flurry, trailing afterimages through the air.
"Whip Technique – Tenfold Strike!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Vergo's bamboo staff struck like bullets, aiming straight for Ace's vital points.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa!"
Ace twisted his body like flowing noodles, narrowly avoiding the barrage. He then quickly retreated, but Vergo continued his relentless pursuit, closing the gap with each Moonwalk step.
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Meanwhile, on a nearby island where the Spade Pirates were stationed…
"Huh? Wasn't that Captain Ace who just flew by?"
"You drunk or what? Captain Ace isn't a bird. How could he be flying?"
"Haha, you're right. I probably imagined it. Come on, let's keep drinking. Mr. Gambi brought back a Sea King today—dozens of meters long! Looks delicious!"
Despite their captain flying overhead in battle, the Spade Pirates—true to the pirate world's thick-skinned nature—shrugged it off without a second thought…
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Bang! Bang! Bang!
In mid-air, Ace and Vergo clashed fiercely, moving at high speed. Gradually, Ace lured Vergo away from the warship and over to a remote, uninhabited island where he had been training in recent days.
Boom!
Landing firmly, Ace skidded to a stop. Vergo touched down soon after.
"You're not going to run?" Vergo asked coldly, his expression unreadable.
"Fire Bomb!"
Ace responded with action. He hurled a blazing orb straight at Vergo.
"It's useless," Vergo said flatly, not even bothering to dodge. "Without Haki, you can't even scratch me."
Boom!
The fire bomb detonated, flames engulfing Vergo entirely. But as the smoke cleared after several seconds, he stood unscathed—clothes perfectly intact.
"Tch. Not even your clothes got scorched?"
Ace frowned. He knew the attack wouldn't land, but still, seeing it have zero effect was disheartening.
"Young man," Vergo said slowly, "I'll give you one last chance. Join the Donquixote Family—or die."
Ace smirked, another fire bomb forming in his palm.
"You've been undercover in the Navy so long you forgot what it means to be a pirate, Vergo."
He raised the bomb defiantly.
"To sail the seas chasing your dreams freely—that's what being a pirate is!"
"...Free, huh?" Vergo murmured. Then, stepping forward, he added, "A Logia fruit user like you is a rare asset. A shame, really."
"Fire Bomb!"
Ace hurled another blazing orb.
Bang!
Vergo casually swatted it aside with his bamboo staff.
"Shave!"
Vergo vanished in a blur, reappearing before Ace in a heartbeat. His bamboo stick struck Ace hard in the abdomen.
Bang!
Ace flew backward from the impact. But even while airborne, he lobbed another fire bomb toward Vergo.
"I told you—" Vergo batted the fireball away. "These petty tricks are useless against me."
He walked forward slowly, his body steadily becoming coated in invisible Armament Haki.
Each of his steps felt heavier, and a powerful pressure emanated from him, sending waves of dread toward Ace.
"Tch… If he hits me again, it won't just hurt—it'll crush me."
Ace took a deep breath, then grinned.
"Good thing I haven't used up everything I buried on this island."
He raised both palms, flames igniting around his hands.
"Tsunagami!"
BOOM!
As Ace unleashed his technique, fire surged outward, igniting hidden caches of explosives scattered across the island. The air filled with the pungent scent of gasoline, sulfur, and other chemicals. The sky above turned orange-red as the island became a sea of fire.
"...Hmm?"
Vergo paused, frowning. "Sulfur... gasoline... gas... So that's it. He prepped this place in advance?"
He looked around the burning island.
"No wonder he led the battle here. He set the stage beforehand… a battlefield perfectly suited to his powers. Smart."
As a naval officer, even one working undercover, Vergo was no stranger to Devil Fruit knowledge. Among the three types—Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia—the natural-type Logia was widely regarded as the strongest.
But why?
Was it just because Logia users could become intangible and avoid physical harm?
No.
To true powerhouses, the true strength of a Logia lies in integration with nature itself. When the environment matches a user's ability, their power multiplies exponentially. Terrain, weather, atmosphere—every element becomes an ally.
Ace believed this deeply.
There were no "weak" Logia powers—only unprepared users.
The power of nature is never weak—only feared.
And now, Ace had turned the very island into a firestorm of his making.
In this inferno, he was the emperor.
> In the right environment… a Logia becomes invincible!
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