Chapter 44: The Flare-Flare Fruit
Marine Headquarters - Roy's Quarters - Night
The night was quiet, and the warm lights of the house gave the living room a cozy, peaceful feeling.
Belle-mère sat in the center of the room, reading a storybook to Luffy and Nami, who were snuggled up against her, their eyes wide. Nojiko sat on the sofa, quietly knitting a sweater, a soft smile on her face.
Law had been picked up by Rosinante, who wanted to show him around Marineford and spend some time with him.
On the roof, the night wind was cool. Ace was lying on his back, hands behind his head, staring up at the stars, his expression complicated.
"FWOOSH!"
Roy appeared next to him, lying down in the same pose. "What's wrong, brat? You look miserable. That's not like you."
Ace pouted, turning his head away, his ears a little red.
Roy, smiling like a sly fox, ruffled his hair. "What, did Law's performance get to you?"
Ace was quiet for a moment before he finally mumbled, "Devil Fruits are so cool... You just eat one, and you're instantly strong. He's already stronger than I am after years of training."
His voice was full of frustration and a deep longing.
Roy just chuckled and flicked Ace on the forehead. "Idiot."
"Ow!" Ace glared at him, but there was no real anger in it.
Roy looked up at the night sky, his voice suddenly serious. "Devil Fruits aren't all good, Ace. A user can never swim again. They're helpless in the sea, and they're completely vulnerable to Seastone."
He turned, his gaze deep and steady. "But Haki... Haki is the only true power in this world."
Ace was silent, but his eyes were still conflicted. "But..."
Roy smiled, his tone shifting. "That said... if you can master a Devil Fruit to its absolute limit, it can make you unbelievably strong."
He held up a hand to the stars. "Take Law's Op-Op Fruit. If he truly masters it, he could perform the 'Perennial Youth Operation'—granting someone eternal life."
"Or Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit. One punch can shatter an entire island."
Ace's eyes went wide. "Shatter an island?! Eternal life?! For real?!"
"Mhm," Roy said, "but that's a long way off. Potential is nothing without the hard work to develop it. And I, for one, hope he never has to use that 'eternal life' ability."
Ace stared at the sky, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. He turned to Roy. "Roy, I... I can get stronger, right? With my own power?"
Roy looked at him, the wind rustling his hair. "Of course. I believe in you. And I'll be watching over you."
They lay in comfortable silence for a while.
"Ace," Roy said, his voice casual.
"Yeah?" Ace mumbled, still looking at the stars.
Roy grinned, that familiar, taunting smile on his face. "You want to eat a Devil Fruit?"
"Kaff-koff-koff!"
Ace choked on his own spit, sitting bolt upright, his eyes wide with shock. "What did you say?!"
Roy, still smiling, slowly held out his hand.
Resting in his palm was an orange-red fruit, covered in swirling flame patterns, glowing faintly in the moonlight.
"Wh-what... is that...?" Ace's throat was dry.
"Logia-type. The Mera Mera no Mi (Flare-Flare Fruit)," Roy said, his voice calm and deep. "Eat it, and you will gain the power to control fire."
Ace's hand was shaking.
He was a Marine. He was Roy's protégé. He knew exactly what a Devil Fruit meant, especially a Logia—a "walking natural disaster."
Most Vice Admirals would go their whole lives without even seeing one, and here, Roy was just... handing it to him.
Ace's hand trembled as he reached out, then paused, his eyes full of disbelief.
"Can I... really?"
Roy just smiled and gently placed the fruit in Ace's hand.
In that moment, Ace's mind flashed—Luffy's goofy laugh, Belle-mère's kindness, Zephyr's roaring, and Roy's constant, steady presence.
He looked down at the fruit, the flame-like patterns seeming to pulse in his palm, illuminating his trembling fingers.
"This is... the power to protect them."
"Thank you, Roy," he whispered, his eyes shining with a gratitude deeper than words. "I won't let you down!"
Roy ruffled his hair. "Eat up. We're counting on you now."
Ace grinned, his old confidence returning, and opened his mouth—
Just as he bit down, Roy turned away, pulled out a Den Den Mushi (camera version), and hit 'record,' a wicked grin on his face. Heh heh... gotta commemorate his first bite...
Ace, oblivious, bit down hard.
"BLEEEAGH!!!"
The taste... it was like rotten fish boiled in old socks.
Ace's face twisted, veins popping on his forehead, his eyes instantly watering. "What... what is this hell-food?!"
Roy was shaking, trying to hold in his laughter. "Hahaha... oh, man... I forgot to mention... Devil Fruits are the single most disgusting-tasting things on the planet!"
"You bastard!! You knew!" Ace gagged, his eyes still watering.
Roy was now openly howling, rolling on the roof. "Of course I knew! But the look on your face was too good to miss!"
"I'll... I'll get you back for this!" Ace choked, but he grimly forced down the rest of the fruit.
"Oh, by the way," Roy added, wiping a tear from his eye, "you only had to eat the first bite~"
Ace was about to scream at him when—
FWOOM!
A wave of intense heat exploded from his chest, surging through his limbs. He stared, stunned, as a bright, beautiful flame suddenly erupted in his palm, illuminating the rooftop.
Roy put the Den Den Mushi away, his expression warm.
"Welcome... to the world of fire, Ace."
(Meanwhile, on the Donquixote Family's "throne"...)
Doflamingo sat on his chair, his fingers drumming on the armrest, his eyes ice-cold.
Bellamy was kneeling in the center of the hall, beaten and bloody.
"Fufufu..." Doflamingo's low, dangerous laugh echoed in the room.
"Bellamy..." He stood, looking down at the man. "What face... do you have, coming back here alive?"
Bellamy trembled. "D-Doflamingo-sama! I..." He tried to explain, but his mind flashed back to what the Marine had said...
"...sacrificial pawns..."
Bellamy's face went white. "It... it was true..."
But Doflamingo was out of patience.
"Trash."
His fingers twitched, and his invisible strings wrapped around Bellamy's neck.
"No... Doffy... I..."
"Shhick!"
Blood sprayed. Bellamy's head rolled across the floor, his eyes wide with the realization of his betrayal.
Doflamingo sat back down, his face a mask of cold fury.
"Roy..." he hissed, his voice full of repressed rage.
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