Chapter 46: News of Tesoro
Marine Headquarters Training Ground - One Week Later - Afternoon
The blistering sun beat down on the sand, the air shimmering with heat.
Ace stood in the center of the field, his jacket tossed aside. His upper body was slick with sweat, but the real show was the blue flames dancing on his arms. After a week of intensive, focused training, Ace could not only precisely control the temperature of his fire, but he had also changed its very color.
"It's not going to be like last time," Ace grinned, the flames on his fist tightening into a thin, skin-tight layer.
Opposite him, Law stood calmly, hands in his pockets, his gaze like ice. His "ROOM" was already active, a faint, misty dome shimmering around him. He was holding a standard-issue Marine katana, but he held it with a dangerous pressure.
The field was surrounded by recruits, and even Drake had stopped his own training to watch. A duel between these two young prodigies was a rare event.
"Ready?" Ace's smile widened as the blue flames roared to life.
Law didn't answer. He simply dipped his chin, his right hand moving to the hilt of his sword as his "ROOM" silently expanded.
"Fire Gun: Custom!"
FWOOSH-FWOOSH-FWOOSH!
Ace was the first to move, aiming his fingers like pistols. A dozen small, star-like bullets of fire shot from his fingertips! Each one was compressed to the size of a marble but burned at 3,000 degrees, their density far greater than his old attacks.
Law's eyes narrowed.
"Shambles."
In an instant, he swapped places with a large rock at the edge of the field. The fire bullets missed, slamming into the sand and instantly melting it into dark red, glassy crystals. The air sizzled.
The recruits gasped.
"His fire... that's not just playing with flames anymore!"
"He melted the sand into glass?!"
Law didn't wait. He used "Shambles" again, reappearing at Ace's side, his blade flashing.
"Scalpel!"
Ace's Observation Haki flared. He twisted his body, and the blade passed harmlessly, inches from his face. He immediately countered, his legs igniting as he launched himself into the air.
"Flame-Leg: Pierce!"
A burning kick, radiating intense heat, shot toward Law!
"CLANG!"
Law gritted his teeth, his sword blocking the kick, but the force of it cracked the sand beneath him, and a wave of heat traveled up the blade. He held his ground and activated his power again, swapping with a piece of rubble to appear right behind Ace.
"Injection Shot!"
The blade lunged at Ace's back, but this time—
FWOOSH!
Ace anticipated it, his body turning into pure flame. The blade passed through the fire, and Ace re-formed in the air above him, his feet erupting in blue jets. He had integrated his fire with the Rokushiki (Six Powers).
"Flame Soru!"
In a blur, Ace closed the distance, his fist, wreathed in blue-white fire, aimed straight at Law's face. The air crackled from the heat.
Law's reaction was just as fast. At the last possible second, he yelled, "Shambles!"
Their positions swapped. Ace's punch hit empty air, but he immediately spun, transitioning the punch into a flaming elbow strike.
Law was forced into a desperate block, his katana glowing red-hot as Haki and fire collided with a deafening screech.
The temperature... it's even higher! Law thought, shocked.
The recruits were going wild.
"They're too fast! I can't even see their movements!"
"That blue flame... that's gotta be over 2,500 degrees, right?!"
Drake just watched, his fists clenched. This level of combat was already far beyond that of a standard Marine officer.
The battle raged for twenty minutes. Finally, Ace saw an opening as Law's stamina began to wane. He fired a "Flame-Press: Point Shot," a compressed beam that broke through Law's "ROOM." As Law staggered, Ace used "Flame Soru" to close the distance.
"Fire Fist!"
His right fist punched out, and the compressed blue flame exploded, seeming to ignite the very air!
"BOOM!!!"
Law was sent flying, smashing into the training field's outer wall in a cloud of dust and debris.
For two seconds, there was silence. Then, the recruits erupted in cheers.
"Ace won!"
"That was insane! Are those two really kids?!"
Law was on one knee, a light scorch mark on his chest, but his eyes were colder than ever.
Ace ran over, holding out a hand to help him up. "You okay?"
Law stared at him for a second, then took his hand and stood.
"You're strong," he said. His voice was cold, but the animosity was gone.
Ace just grinned. "Heh. If I hadn't had a two-year head start on Haki, I don't think I could've won."
Law snorted. "Once I learn Haki... it won't be this easy for you."
"Hahaha, I'll be waiting!"
On the sidelines, Zephyr and Roy watched the two boys walk off.
"Those two brats..." Zephyr had a rare, satisfied smile on his face. "The future is looking bright."
Roy nodded, his gaze full of pride. "Ace's compression is improving; he can hold a high-temp state for over thirty seconds. And Law's control of his 'ROOM' is getting more precise... his stamina is still his weak point, though. He needs more basic training."
He grinned. "Once they both master Armament and Observation Haki... some of our Commodore-level officers are going to be in for a real shock."
"Bwahahaha!" Zephyr laughed. "That's what I'm talking about! The old bones of the Navy need new blood to carry the future! I've been waiting for this!"
Just then, the Den Den Mushi in Roy's pocket rang. Buru-buru-buru...
It was an Intelligence-model, complete with glasses and a professional tone. "Rear Admiral Roy, please report to the Intelligence Division immediately. We have an urgent update."
Marine Intelligence Division
The office was dim, the blinds half-closed. A large map of the North Blue was on the wall, marked with a dozen red dots.
Vice Admiral Tsuru stood in front of it, holding a file. "Come in."
Roy entered, noting the serious atmosphere.
"It's about your target—Gild Tesoro," Tsuru said, handing him an encrypted file. "We've found his recent movements."
Roy opened it. The photo showed a young man with arrogant eyes, his face twisted with an unsettling energy. On his neck, the faint, branded scar of a Celestial Dragon's slave collar was still visible.
"He escaped from Mary Geoise two years ago?" Roy mused. "Must have been during the Fisher Tiger incident."
"Correct," Tsuru said. "He was a slave. He has an abnormal hatred for nobles, but his obsession with money is even greater."
She pointed to a red dot on the map. "His last known location was the Cremia Transit Port—a gray zone frequented by nobles, smugglers, and black-market dealers."
Roy closed the file. "I'll go myself."
Tsuru frowned. "Now? You know the North Blue is crawling with Doflamingo's spies."
Roy just smiled. "Don't worry, Tsuru-san. A 'little flamingo'... isn't something I'm worried about."
Tsuru stared at him for a second, then let out a small, dry laugh. "'Little flamingo'... That's... surprisingly fitting."
On his way back from Intelligence, Roy was walking when he suddenly stopped.
He pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket—Ace's Vivre Card. The edges were curling and twitching, a sign of emotional distress.
"Hah... what did he get into now?" Roy sighed, and his figure fwooshed out of existence.
Training Ground - Science Division Test Area
"Quickly, quickly! Give us another high-temperature blast!"
"Maintain the plasma-state blue flame! We need to get a reading on the particle data!"
At the edge of the training field, Ace was completely surrounded by a team of Marine scientists, all of them pointing various instruments at him.
He was bright red, yelling, "I'm not a lab rat!!!"
"But you're the youngest Logia user in Marine history, and you can control plasma! Your scientific value is immeasurable!" one of the scientists shouted back, ecstatically scribbling on a clipboard.
Not far away, hidden in the shadows, Law watched the scene, and for the first time, a small, barely perceptible smirk touched his lips.
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