Bege's flying ship surged forward, pushing its speed to the absolute limit as it raced out over the open sea. At the same time, the CP0 Vice-Commander burst out from the island, flying in pursuit at extreme velocity, rapidly closing the distance. His speed continued to build, impossibly, until he caught up to the fleeing vessel.
"Capone Bege, you can't escape!" the CP0 Vice-Commander roared. He drew back his fist, veins bulging on his arm, and threw a devastating punch aimed at shattering the ship entirely.
Moria suddenly appeared at the ship's stern. Having absorbed all the shadows he possessed, his body was swollen to twice its normal size, the immense weight causing the small ship to list precariously. Facing the CP0 agent's furious blow, he showed no fear, roaring defiantly as he unleashed his own most powerful punch.
The two vastly different-sized fists collided with devastating force. CRACK! The ship's deck splintered instantly under the impact. Moria was driven back, shadows erupting violently from his mouth with the strain, each heavy step cracking the deck further and shaking the entire vessel violently.
Yet, incredibly, the CP0 Vice-Commander was also knocked backward by the sheer power of Moria's blow. By sacrificing speed, Moria had amplified his strength to its absolute limit, managing to meet the Vice-Commander's strongest punch head-on and even slightly overpower him in that single exchange.
The CP0 agent tumbled back several dozen meters through the air before swiftly halting his momentum. The scales covering his entire arm had burst open, revealing raw, bleeding flesh beneath. Agonizing pain, like his arm was being torn apart, shot through him. His face turned utterly grim. Gritting his teeth, he charged towards the flying ship once more.
"Beast King!" Bege roared, ignoring the searing pain wracking his own body as he desperately unleashed his strongest sword technique. A tyrannical, blood-red wave of flaming sword energy blasted towards the oncoming CP0 agent.
The Vice-Commander coated his hands in deep black Armament Haki again and met the attack with brute force, punching directly into the blood-red flame aura. The sword energy exploded violently upon impact. The resulting shockwave threw the CP0 agent back over a hundred meters, sending him plummeting downwards. He quickly used Geppo to regain altitude, his hands now mangled and bleeding.
The flying ship, caught in the blast, was battered by the shockwave and the storm of fiery sword energy. Its hull cracked and splintered, but miraculously, it held together, continuing its desperate flight at full speed.
Just then, golden points of light materialized again in the sky – Kizaru's light mirrors. Refracting between them at impossible speeds, Kizaru appeared high above the fleeing ship. He unleashed Yasakani Sacred Jewel once more, showering the vessel in a blinding, inescapable rain of countless light bullets.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The ship exploded spectacularly under the relentless barrage, disintegrating into fragments. Bege, Moria, and the others aboard were sent falling from hundreds of meters towards the unforgiving sea below.
Bege's face was a mask of grim determination. Using Geppo frantically, he zipped through the air, grabbing Moria and the other crew members who had been ejected, swiftly pulling them into the safety of his internal castle-body. Then, pushing himself beyond his limits, he used Geppo again, fleeing desperately further out over the ocean.
Kizaru gave chase from behind, firing streams of laser beams. Bege dodged frantically, weaving through the deadly light, but still took several hits.
The CP0 Vice-Commander also pursued at top speed. Every time he drew close, Bege fired cannonballs and giant crossbow bolts from gates opening on his body, forcing the agent to evade or block, momentarily halting his advance.
This deadly game of cat and mouse continued, you chase, I flee, stretching across tens of thousands of meters of open ocean. Eventually, Kizaru fell behind. Lacking the sheer stamina and perhaps the refined Rokushiki mastery required for such a prolonged aerial pursuit, he realized he might not even have the energy left to return to the island if he continued. He could only watch, frustrated, as Bege and the CP0 Vice-Commander disappeared into the vast distance.
"I don't believe your weapons are endless!" the CP0 Vice-Commander snarled, growing increasingly infuriated by the constant barrage of projectiles intercepting him, allowing Bege to gain precious meters each time.
He surged forward again, closing the distance. "Capone Bege, you cannot escape!"
Bege spat blood, a savage grin twisting his lips despite the agony. "Even if I can't escape," he snarled back, "taking you down with me will be worth it!" Driven by an intense will to survive, he pushed himself harder, frantically pumping his legs through the air with Geppo.
Roaring with absolute fury, the CP0 Vice-Commander burst forward with explosive speed. Another dense volley of cannonballs and arrows flew towards him. Gritting his teeth, the CP0 agent didn't dodge this time. He powered straight through the barrage, letting the projectiles explode against his Haki-coated body. He burst through the smoke and debris and slammed a powerful kick directly into Bege's back.
Bege vomited a massive spray of blood, his body plummeting uncontrollably from the sky towards the sea below.
"Let's see you survive this!" the CP0 Vice-Commander laughed cruelly, hovering above. As a Devil Fruit user, Bege falling into the sea should mean certain death or capture, his powers nullified.
But once again, he had miscalculated. The moment Bege hit the water's surface, a white cannonball fired from his body exploded on contact, instantly creating a large, fluffy cushion of Cotton Candy Cloud, five or six meters high. Bege landed heavily upon it. The cloud was forced mostly underwater by the impact but immediately bounced back to the surface. Bege lay sprawled in the center of the cloud, coughing violently, each spasm bringing up more blood.
"Hahahahaha! Still not dead!" Bege roared with defiant laughter, looking up at the stunned CP0 agent. Without hesitation, he summoned another small flying ship from his castle-body. He quickly scrambled aboard. The large Breath Dial at the stern immediately roared to life, expelling a powerful gale that pushed the ship forward, sending it skimming across the sea surface at high speed.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH! DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL!" the CP0 Vice-Commander shrieked, incandescent with rage. He dove down like an arrow, streaking towards the escaping ship. After barely thirty seconds, he caught up again, landing directly in front of Bege. He reached out and clamped one massive dragon claw directly onto Bege's head, immense strength threatening to crush his skull. Bege's bones creaked audibly under the pressure. His bloodshot eyes glared fiercely up at the CP0 agent.
The Vice-Commander looked down at him, laughing triumphantly. "This time, you really can't escape!"
Without warning, giant arrows shot out from the castle gate on Bege's chest at point-blank range. At this distance, the CP0 agent had no room to dodge.
However, relying on his powerful Observation Haki, the Vice-Commander had anticipated this. He chose not to retreat, instead coating his entire body in deep black Armament Haki, intending to tank the arrows and finally finish Bege off.
Ding! Ding! Clang! The heavy arrows slammed against the CP0 agent's Haki-coated body but failed to penetrate his defense.
Just as a smug grin began to spread across the Vice-Commander's face, he suddenly felt a wave of profound weakness wash over him, the sensation rapidly intensifying.
He looked down in shock. One of the arrows hadn't just impacted harmlessly; it had exploded upon contact, releasing a wide, white net that had instantly wrapped around his legs.
In that instant, he understood. The white net wasn't ordinary rope – it was Seastone! As a Devil Fruit user, being ensnared by a Seastone net immediately began draining his strength.
Seizing the opportunity, Bege lashed out with a powerful kick, sending the weakened CP0 agent flying backward, crashing into the ship's small cabin. But Bege himself was too injured to immediately press the advantage, doubling over as he vomited another large mouthful of blood.
He lifted his head, looking at the struggling, weakened CP0 Vice-Commander, and let out a ragged, pained laugh that shook his body, causing more blood to spill from his lips. "Looks like you'll die first!"
The CP0 Vice-Commander stumbled out of the wreckage of the cabin, staggering every few steps. Despite the Seastone's draining effect, through sheer, agonizing effort, he somehow managed to tear the Seastone net from his legs.
Bege immediately charged, slashing with the Fire Cloud Sword. The Vice-Commander dodged clumsily but was caught by Bege's follow-up slash, leaving another grievous wound on his body.
BOOM! Bege thrust his sword forward, impaling the CP0 agent, the flames licking at his body. Grinning savagely, Bege kicked him again, sending him flying from the bow of the ship to the stern. Bege moved in for the kill—
Suddenly, the CP0 Vice-Commander's aura exploded outwards with renewed force. Bege stared, eyes wide with disbelief – the Vice-Commander, though bleeding profusely from the stomach wound and trembling violently, had somehow completely overcome the Seastone's effects! With a fierce glare and a low roar, he threw a punch that sent Bege staggering back again.
"Damn it!" Bege cursed, struggling to stay upright, panting heavily. He was filled with bitter regret – that had been the perfect chance to finish the CP0 agent.
"Godfather! Someone's chasing us from behind!" a crewmate inside Bege yelled urgently.
"You're finished!" the CP0 Vice-Commander snarled, drawing himself up despite his battered state, his terrifying aura flaring menacingly.
"Go!" Bege glanced back, spotting a black dot rapidly approaching in the distant sky. He roared the command. His remaining crewmates ran towards him, and he quickly pulled them back into his castle.
"Don't think you're leaving!" The CP0 Vice-Commander charged again. But immediately, more arrows and cannonballs erupted from Bege's body. The Vice-Commander's face contorted in alarm; he rapidly retreated, terrified of being hit by Seastone again in his currently weakened state. A second encounter could indeed prove fatal.
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