Grand Line, Hyokaido.
A vast, frozen island stood on the sea. It belonged to a family of bounty hunters named Accino Family, led by Don Accino, the user of the Hot-Hot Fruit.
He could freely control temperature, shifting from a single degree to ten thousand at will, swimming in magma as if it were water. Anything his body touched melted instantly. He was, without question, an exceptionally dangerous man.
Carlo ended his call with Sakazuki and turned toward the snowy island in the distance. Because of his Hot-Hot Fruit ability, Don Accino preferred to live in a land of ice and snow.
A quick sweep with Observation Haki locked onto his position.
Whoosh!
Carlo appeared before the sleeping Don Accino and pressed his hand against the man's skin.
Accino's eyes snapped open as his body began to glow red. "What—"
Whoosh!
The two men vanished from the castle in an instant.
* * *
"—the hell!"
Accino barely got the words out before realizing he was no longer in his bed. He stood on a barren island under a cold night sky. Carlo immediately pulled back his hand and stepped aside, his palm already burned from that single touch.
Accino's entire body was turning crimson, blazing like a molten sphere.
A towering black shadow loomed before him, blotting out the faint light.
Looking up, Accino's heart went cold. A low, calm voice reached his ears.
"Admiral Akainu of Marine Headquarters."
Accino's face darkened as his mind raced. He hadn't attacked any Marines recently. He hunted pirates, not government men, so there was no reason for them to come after him.
Sakazuki's expression didn't change as he interrupted the man's thoughts. "Don't bother thinking about it. You didn't offend the Marines. Your ability is simply too dangerous."
The red light from Accino's body illuminated the night. The heat would have incinerated any normal man alive, but Sakazuki stood there, unmoved.
Seeing that cold, unblinking face, dread crept up Archino's spine. He stepped back and growled, "That's not enough of a reason."
He slid one foot back, ready to fight.
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed. "Not enough?"
Accino's lips twisted into a grim smile. "You think it is?"
Buzz!
A deep hum filled the air as two blazing red orbs of compressed steam formed in his hands. Each one could immediately vaporize everything within range.
But instead of hurling them forward, he slammed them into the ground.
Boom!
A blinding explosion of steam and dust erupted. Using the blast to propel himself, Accino shot through the fog and toward the sky.
"Damn it! Damn it!" he roared. "Faster! Faster!"
Superheated bursts flared behind him, sending him rocketing through the night like a fiery comet.
Below, Sakazuki's right arm turned into molten magma, thick smoke curling from his body as he watched the fleeing figure.
Carlo appeared beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Whoosh!
Both disappeared.
* * *
High above the clouds, Accino finally dared to glance back. The island below was no more than a black dot.
'They're not chasing…'
As soon as he finished the thought, two figures appeared ahead of him in midair.
Sakazuki's deep, demonic voice rumbled through the wind. "Not enough?"
Accino's eyes widened in horror. He tried to turn around.
Roar!
A deep, bestial sound echoed in the air, followed by a violent impact that crushed him before he could react.
Even with his body of flesh acting as a buffer, the force shattered his bones and twisted his frame. His mind went blank under the overwhelming strike.
Accino's burning figure was slammed downward by the shadow of a tiger wreathed in black smoke, crashing toward the island below.
Sakazuki drew back his magma-covered fist, which quickly reformed into a hand. Carlo activated his ability again.
Whoosh!
The two vanished from the sky.
* * *
On the deserted island, Sakazuki's right hand was coated with Armament Haki.
He reached out to catch the falling Accino, who was still pinned beneath the ghostly tiger's form.
Boom!
The impact left a massive crater in the ground.
At the center of it, Sakazuki stood firm. With one hand, he drove the Devil Fruit extractor into Accino's unconscious body. With the other, he aimed directly at the man's back.
Slash!
A still-beating heart, pulsing wildly under the rush of adrenaline, was torn from Accino's chest and gripped in Sakazuki's hand.
Inside the extractor, a new Devil Fruit slowly took shape.
Sakazuki drew his hand back, kicked the lifeless body aside, and sent it flying in a graceful arc into the sea.
He then looked at the heart in his palm as his magma began to heat it.
Szzz!
The flesh sizzled, cooked in seconds, then stopped beating.
He tossed it deep into the island's jungle.
Handing the Devil Fruit filled extractor to Carlo, he said, "Have you found the users of the Hard-Hard Fruit and the Smelt-Smelt Fruit?"
Carlo put the device away and nodded. "The Hard-Hard Fruit user's been located. He's Bear King, captain of the Trump Pirates. Not long ago, he conquered an island in the East Blue and turned it into his base. He's enslaved the locals and is forcing them to build something he calls the 'King Cannon.' Says he'll use it to rule the world.
"As for the Smelt-Smelt Fruit user, Bill of the Silver Pirates, he's vanished somewhere in the Grand Line. The last confirmed sighting was three months ago. Based on his previous route, he's probably headed for the New World."
Sakazuki gave a slight nod. "Go harvest Bear King next. Then deliver all the recovered Devil Fruits to Punk Hazard. As for the Silver Pirates, tell Demora to keep an eye on Sabaody."
Carlo replied simply, "Understood."
* * *
East Blue, Clockwork Island.
The island's only path upward was a long spiral of stone steps, built for guerrilla defense against pirates. At the top was a massive circular platform where all the townsfolk lived. From afar, the entire island looked like a giant winding gear, giving it its name.
The steps, once meant to protect against pirates, had become chains trapping the residents after Bear King and the Trump Pirates forced their way in with the Hard-Hard Fruit's power. The secret elevator at the center had been seized and locked, cutting off all escape.
Now, the people were forced to build the so-called "King Cannon."
As dawn broke and the first light touched the sea, a faint sound echoed.
Whoosh!
Carlo appeared on the shore of Clockwork Island, fatigue showing on his face. He looked up at the towering structure that reached for the sky.
"Let's end this in one move."
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