A Blue Flame

Carmen stood firm, facing the towering figure of the fishman, her usual confidence faltering a little. The heat from her flames simmered in the air, but the pressure the gray-skinned fishman exuded was overwhelming. He looked menacing, and she could feel it in the way he moved—each step deliberate, each motion like the controlled crash of a tidal wave.

"Kuhahaha! Flashy, aren't you? But unlike me, you're no fighter," Kuroobi snarled, baring his sharp teeth. "I am Arlong's finest warrior."

Carmen's usually pink hair glowed amber, flames flickering wildly around her, casting a fierce light. Sweat trickled down her face as her refined elegance gave way to the intensity of her first fight to the death. But she refused to show weakness—not to a prideful brute like him.

"Oh darling, you haven't met flames as flashy as mine," she retorted, though the strain was evident in her voice. She tried to force a smile, but the situation was more dire than she let on. "And never underestimate the resolve of a chef."

Kuroobi roared as he lunged forward, his large, webbed hands extending toward Carmen.

Carmen reacted instinctually, dodging as she conjured flames in both hands, ready to counter.

"Scoppio Fiamma!" She launched a stream of fire toward him, but Kuroobi moved quickly and precisely. He made another palm attack, producing an air pressure that cut through her flames, dispersing them with ease. Before she could react, his other hand grabbed her wrist, his strength overwhelming her.

The grip was like iron, and Carmen winced, feeling her arm crack under the pressure. She could barely maintain the heat around her as her flames sputtered in and out of existence.

"You Logia users think you're invincible because you can turn into your element, Kuhahahaha!" Kuroobi sneered, tightening his hold. But let me show you why even flames can be extinguished."

With a swift, brutal motion, he slammed Carmen to the ground, air pressure rippling from his hand as he channeled his technique.

The air crashed down with immense pressure, dousing Carmen's flames. She gasped as she felt her power wane, her fire momentarily extinguished. Pain shot through her entire body, and for the first time, genuine fear crossed her face.

Kuroobi looked down at her, his eyes cold. "Fire may burn bright, but Haki carves through the stone. You can't win."

Carmen lay on the ground, her flamboyance shattered, her body trembling. Her flames had never been doused so quickly. It wasn't until Usopp put on the sea bracelet, it wasn't until now, that she realized Kuroobi could counter her with ease. But as she glanced up at him, she noticed something she hadn't expected—his fist had an invisible aura of power.

She coughed through the pain in her body.

Kuroobi grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "You East Blue humans are so weak; even a fire logia couldn't save you from my wrath!"

Carmen's mind raced. This was the fifth time she'd felt utterly powerless. The fourth had been when her husband had easily subdued her, and the third when her flames had spiraled out of control, taking the lives of her precious assistants. Her fire—her pride, her power, and her curse—felt dangerously inadequate in the face of true threat. She could feel her usual flamboyance flickering, threatened with demise.

Her gaze fell on the clear bracelet her husband had given her. A part of her wanted to tear it off, to unleash the untamed fire buried inside her. But she held back; her beloved husband and her crew were in this forest, fighting by her side. She couldn't bear the thought of losing someone important again, not this time.

She pushed herself up, wobbling, and gritted her teeth. Flames flickered around her but were wild and unstable, responding to her shaken emotions.

Kuroobi moved in again, quick as a shark in the water. "You should've stayed hidden, weak human."

He charged forward with a devastating attack, his fist again having an air of power around it.

Carmen could barely dodge, her body screaming in protest as she threw herself to the side. The ground where she had been standing exploded from the force of Kuroobi's strike. She floated above the ground, flames flickering weakly around her, and stared at the crater he had just made with his fist.

Her heart pounded in her chest. He was too strong. Her flames weren't enough. She looked at the bracelet again and shook her head.

"No…" Carmen muttered under her breath. "I won't let it end like this." She clenched her fists, forcing herself to stand tall despite the pain. Her flames reignited, fiercer than before but still wild, barely under her control.

Kuroobi looked at her in disgust. "You still want to fight, weak human?"

Carmen wiped the blood from her lip, her injuries healing faster than an injury should, her golden eyes gleaming with defiance. "I'm not done… not by a long shot." She took a deep breath, focusing everything she had into her flames. Her body ached, but she refused to let her flamboyance fade away. Not now. Not in front of her husband. Not in front of the crew.

She extended both arms, the flames around her hands swirling violently as she prepared one final attack. "This is for my husband, crew, the villagers, and every flavor I've yet to taste!"

Kuroobi snarled and charged toward her, fists raised for the final blow.

"INFERNO!" Carmen screamed, her entire body erupting into an intense blaze. The fire roared toward Kuroobi, hotter and more ferocious than anything she had conjured before. The flames turned from amber into bright red.

Kuroobi grunted, using his mysteriously coated arms to shield himself as he barreled through the flames, but the intensity was too much this time. Even his mysterious power couldn't protect himself. The fire seared through his defense, burning his skin despite his mysteriously coated body.

Kuroobi shouted, summoning his will to counter the inferno, but Carmen pressed on, refusing to let him douse her flames again.

Then Carmen saw the vision of a sea of red and fire again. Two large, glowing orbs resembling eyes stared back at her menacingly. She had seen this before, just after eating that foul-tasting fruit, but now the presence felt even more ancient and primordial. The flames turned a bright, unnatural blue as the ominous presence intensified.

Carmen found herself back in the burning forest of Cocoyashi, her flames shifting from amber to an intense, brilliant blue. Two forces clashed—air pressure and fire—each battling for dominance. Her vision blurred as she poured every ounce of strength into fueling the blue flames. The heat was overwhelming, nearly spiraling out of control, but she refused to stop.

With a final scream, Carmen's flames surged forward, breaking Kuroobi's defenses. The fishman howled in pain as the fire engulfed him, burning through his skin and body and evaporating him.

Carmen's body trembled as she dropped to her knees, gasping for air. Her flames slowly died, leaving only smoke and ash in the air. Kuroobi was no longer there; the only thing resembling him was a dust urn slowly falling from where he was before.

"I told you," Carmen muttered between labored breaths, "—never underestimate the resolve of a chef."

Carmen staggered to her feet, barely able to stand, but there was no time to rest—the battle was still raging. Flames licked at her wounds, healing them instantly. She stared in amazement at her skin, restored to its previous smoothness.