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Ace's vision fizzles and blurs. He doesn't know anymore whether it's his Devil Fruit, or the panic crushing his lungs, or the seething agony of his burned arm.
He can't . . . feel it the way he's supposed to. It hurts, but it also feels wrong. He holds Luffy with his other arm, pulling him against his chest like he can shield him, somehow. The smell of burnt rubber is acrid.
He can't bear to look down to see how bad Luffy is hurt.
The world is all fog and cold steam. Ace can hear the fighting, but he can't see anything. He doesn't know where his crewmates are. Doesn't even know if any of them are still alive. He's absolutely alone, and he can't protect Luffy.
An orange glow in the fog. Ace's blood runs cold.
Fire sparks along his good arm, but he can't hold it. It smokes and dies
He tries to pull himself backwards, away from the glow. But he doesn't even have the strength to pull himself, let alone himself and Luffy together. A sob tears itself out of his throat, panicked and helpless.
If someone could help. Pops. Marco. Jozu. Izou. Gramps. Anyone. Just to save Luffy, please.
Out of the fog, a figure appears. Looming and grim, a glowing shadow. Ace can feels the heat of Akainu's magma even meters away, radiating off of him. He's like a monster out of a story, his very presence a promise of death.
Ace curls tighter around Luffy, keeping his eyes open and fixed on the admiral approaching them. He's not going to look away.
Which means he sees the exact moment that someone else, shadowed against Akainu's light, bursts though the fog, nearly slips on the muddy ground, and plants himself in front of Ace and Luffy, between them and incoming death. He raises a rifle, aiming it at Akainu, and Ace can see the Haki creeping up his arms.
"Not another step."
Ace knows that voice. It's rougher, laced with pain and tension, but he heard it last only a day or two ago. It doesn't make sense, but that's Corazon.
And Akainu stops.
There's no explanation for how Corazon could be here, much less why he'd face down an admiral for them-- except, there is, isn't there? Ace looks down at Luffy, limp in his arms.
Somehow, his brother is responsible for this. And maybe this doesn't change anything at all. But Corazon seemed like the sort of guy who knows what he's doing. If he's here, it's because he has a plan. And if he has a plan . . .
Maybe Ace can get Luffy out of here.