Trapped between a wolf and a tiger – Bege was caught in an impossible situation.
He could sense that both CP0 agents possessed immense strength, especially the Vice-Commander blocking his path, who radiated an intense, palpable threat.
The sounds of pursuit – swift movement through the forest – grew closer. Bege's expression darkened further. His body rapidly began to expand as the terrifying, savage aura of his Demon Beast state flooded outwards, wisps of crimson energy swirling around him. Simultaneously, a castle gate opened on his chest, and streams of shadows poured out.
Instantly, the CP0 Vice-Commander moved. Knowing full well about Bege's Shadow Amalgamation technique, he couldn't allow Bege to successfully absorb the shadows. In a single step that crossed more than ten meters, he appeared directly before Bege, unleashing a punch with his full power. Bege's eyes widened in alarm; he quickly coated both hands in Armament Haki and crossed them defensively before him.
The Vice-Commander's fist slammed into Bege's guard. Like a cannonball, Bege was blasted backward once again, hurtling over a hundred meters. The CP0 agent immediately gave chase, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Bege crashed through tree after tree, tumbling violently across the ground. He managed to stomp his foot down, shattering the earth to absorb some of the impact, but still rolled several more times. Finally, he plunged the Fire Cloud Sword deep into the soil, sliding another ten meters before skidding to a halt. By then, the CP0 Vice-Commander had already arrived before him.
Face contorted in a savage snarl, Bege exploded upwards. Flames surged along the Fire Cloud Sword as he roared, unleashing a devastating slash – a terrifying, blood-red Flame Dragon surged forth.
The CP0 Vice-Commander's expression shifted slightly. Coating both hands in a deep, profound black Armament Haki, he met the attack head-on. His hands transformed into large, slender dragon claws, clamping down onto the Flame Dragon's head – one claw on the upper jaw, one on the lower – as if intending to rip the fiery construct apart.
The blood-red Flame Dragon pushed the CP0 agent back several dozen meters, carving a path of destruction, before detonating with tremendous force. The explosion formed a small mushroom cloud, obliterating a hundred-meter radius of the forest and sending fiery shockwaves rolling even further.
The CP0 Vice-Commander emerged from the wreckage, the mask covering his face shattered, revealing the stern features of a middle-aged man. His dragon claws bore fresh burn marks, but the wounds healed almost instantly before Bege's eyes.
This revealed the CP0 Vice-Commander as a Devil Fruit user – specifically, the possessor of an Ancient Zoan: the Carcharodontosaurus Fruit! His rapid healing indicated a level of mastery far surpassing that of Mad Tiger Simon.
During that brief exchange, Bege had acted swiftly. As the Vice-Commander launched his initial attack, Bege had used his control to pull the escaping shadows onto the surface of his own body, preventing them from dispersing.
Now, he rapidly absorbed all of them into his system. With a low growl, his body swelled rapidly, the blood-red aura around him growing exponentially thicker and more violent. His eyes turned completely bloodshot, darting around erratically. Absorbing so many shadows at once was pushing him to the brink of losing control.
The sounds of pursuit intensified as Kizaru, Akainu, and the others finally arrived, surrounding Bege completely.
"Capone Bege! This time, your death is certain!" the braided-hair Vice Admiral crowed triumphantly.
Bege's bloodshot eyes scanned his opponents: one CP0 Vice-Commander likely nearing Admiral-level strength, four other Vice Admiral-level combatants (the CP0 elite agent plus the three Marine VAs), and two top-tier Logia users. It was, by all appearances, an inescapable deathtrap.
Akainu smoldered, thick black smoke rising from his body as magma bubbled forth, clearly impatient to finish Bege off.
Bege's body underwent another transformation. His skin took on the grey-white, incredibly tough appearance of castle walls – his Castle Skin ability fully manifested. Gates opened across his form, revealing his crewmates standing ready within. They manned cannons, with larger artillery pieces positioned beside them.
Bege took one last, deep drag from his cigar, then slowly exhaled a plume of smoke before dropping the butt. His eyes hardened with grim resolve.
"Open fire!"
Instantly, cannonballs flew out – but not aimed at the enemies. They targeted the ground directly around Bege. Upon impact, the shells exploded, releasing dense clouds of thick fog that rapidly enveloped Bege's position. The barrage continued relentlessly, quickly blanketing the entire area in a disorienting whiteout.
The moment the fog appeared, the CP0 Vice-Commander and the others knew Bege was attempting an escape. They charged directly into the smoke screen without hesitation.
However, after only a few steps inside, their feet began to sink, as if trapped in thick mud, making it incredibly difficult to move forward, let alone pull their feet free. They found themselves sinking deeper into the ground.
"Careful, everyone! There's something strange about this fog!" the braided-hair Vice Admiral yelled out a warning.
In truth, not all the shells had contained smoke. Bege had mixed in Swamp Cloud Shells – projectiles filled with Skypiea's Swamp Cloud – designed specifically to impede pursuit.
"Petty tricks!" Akainu scoffed with disdain. Terrifying heat erupted from his body as he unleashed his magma, instantly evaporating the Swamp Cloud trapping his feet. He punched forward, a massive magma fist blasting a path through the fog as he charged towards Bege's last known position.
But Bege had already made his move. The moment the Vice-Commander charged into the fog, Bege had crouched low, then exploded upwards with every ounce of strength he possessed, shattering the ground beneath him. Using Geppo, he launched himself skyward like a rocket, instantly ascending dozens of meters before angling towards the distant sea at maximum speed. He was betting on those few seconds of delay caused by the fog and swamp clouds.
"You're not getting away!"
A furious roar echoed from below. The CP0 Vice-Commander shot into the air immediately after Bege. Transforming fully into his Carcharodontosaurus hybrid form – a terrifying visage of razor-sharp teeth and thick scales, radiating explosive power – his speed now surpassed Bege's.
The two figures raced through the air, while behind them, other figures (Akainu, Kizaru, the VAs, the other CP0 agent) took to the skies in pursuit.
After barely ten seconds, the CP0 Vice-Commander caught up to Bege. With a snarl, he drew back his fist, coating the dragon claw in dense black Armament Haki, then punched forward with enough force to create a deafening sonic boom.
The punch slammed squarely into Bege's back. Bege felt as if he'd been struck by a falling mountain; the force threatened to shatter every bone in his body. His own Armament Haki defense disintegrated instantly, followed by his reinforced Castle Skin cracking and shattering under the overwhelming impact. Like a meteor, he was blasted through the air, hurtling towards the distant forest below.
BOOOOM! He crashed into the forest with devastating force, obliterating trees across a hundred-meter radius and sending debris flying outwards.
In the newly formed crater, Bege painfully pushed himself to his feet, doubling over as he vomited blood. A few stray shadows escaped his mouth with the effort. Beneath him, miraculously, was a layer of soft, fluffy cloud – Skypiea's unique Cotton Candy Cloud, which he had deployed from his castle-body at the last possible second to cushion the landing.
Despite the cloud, the Vice-Commander's punch had severely injured him, leaving his Castle Skin defense in ruins. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Bege glared back at the rapidly approaching CP0 agent. An intense, primal desire to survive surged through him, banishing any thought of lingering.
"Hahahahaha! Thanks for the boost!" Bege suddenly roared with laughter, then burst forward again, pushing his speed to the absolute limit as he dashed towards the sea.
In truth, that last punch was a gamble Bege had intentionally taken. Knowing he couldn't outrun the Vice-Commander indefinitely, he had deliberately allowed himself to be hit, betting that the sheer force of the blow would propel him significantly closer to the coast and freedom. It was an enormous risk, but fortunately for him, Lady Luck was on his side. The Vice-Commander's powerful strike had indeed sent him flying almost to the island's edge.
Two more powerful leaps brought Bege to the sandy beach. He launched himself into the air one last time. A sleek flying ship shot out rapidly from within his castle-body. His waiting crewmates inside immediately powered up the vessel, and it soared into the sky, making a swift getaway.