Siren's heart pounded in her chest and the air on the island was thick with tension. The stormy ocean crashing against the shore as the trio stood ready for what was to come.

Marco's fiery wings extended slightly, his eyes scanning the horizon. Ace stood by his side, a confident smirk on his face, while Siren, though determined, seemed more subdued than usual, her sharp green eyes flashing with both focus and concern. She had been feeling... off lately, but she couldn't quite explain it. The heaviness in her chest, the fatigue that crept up on her unexpectedly -something wasn't right.

"We're in this together," Marco said, his voice steady, but there was a hint of unease behind it. "Don't forget that."

Siren nodded, though her mind wandered. There was something whispering at the edge of her consciousness, a faint warning that she couldn't place.

Ace, ever the optimist, grinned. "Right. We've got this." He clapped Marco on the back, before turning to Siren. "We've got you. Don't worry."

Siren gave a small, uncertain smile, but the unease didn't leave her. She was strong. She had always been strong. But today... something felt wrong.

Their enemies appeared in the distance-Blackbeard, his cruel laugh cutting through the air, and Charlotte Smoothie, her towering figure casting a shadow over the battlefield. Siren stared in unpleasant surprise. She felt the pressure of their presence before the first move was even made. Teach's dark, manipulative energy clashed with the natural flow of the island, and Smoothie-she felt the weight of her strength like a suffocating blanket.

"You're too late," Teach sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You've walked into my trap."

Smoothie wasted no time, her massive cleaver swinging through the air, sending a gust of force that cracked the ground beneath them. Siren barely managed to dodge, her feet shifting quickly as she moved to the side, the strain on her body more apparent than ever. She felt her powers surge, but it was different this time. Something about the attack... It drained her. Not just her energy, but her very essence. As though her life force was slipping away, being pulled somewhere she couldn't see.

Ace ignited in flames, his fiery body charging forward with reckless abandon. "Get ready, Marco!" he yelled.

Marco shot forward, wings flaring wide to counter the incoming assault from Smoothie, who swung her cleaver with inhuman speed. Siren wasn't far behind, blades drawn, each one a perfect extension of her own strength and fury.

But with every strike, Siren felt weaker. Her body didn't move as it should-her strikes lacked the usual precision, her senses dulling with each passing moment. And that nagging feeling, the sense of something-someone-inside her, pressing against her, trying to get her attention, only intensified.

"She's... draining us," Siren whispered, her voice strained as she struggled to keep her balance.

"Focus!" Marco shouted, his voice urgent. "We have to push through!"

But Siren couldn't focus. Every hit she landed on Smoothie seemed to drain her more, leaving her gasping for breath. Her abdomen throbbed in a way she couldn't explain, and her mind raced with confusion and concern. She didn't know why, but something inside her felt different. Something important.

Smoothie's cleaver crashed down again, forcing Siren to dive backward, narrowly avoiding the blow. She was exhausted, barely managing to keep up with Marco and Ace. But it was more than physical fatigue. It was like her body was fighting against her, resisting something she couldn't understand.

"I can't-" Siren gasped, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. Her hands shook as she clutched at her stomach, her energy slipping away.

"Stay with us!" Ace called out, but his eyes were full of worry. He, too, was feeling the pressure of Smoothie's relentless assault. They couldn't let up. Not now.

Siren's vision blurred for a moment. She felt... drained. But then it happened-Smoothie's massive hand grabbed her by the waist, squeezing with a terrifying strength. Siren cried out as the life force was pulled from her, her very soul being drained into the crushing grip of the woman before her. She struggled, but the weight of Smoothie's power was too much.

The world seemed to close in around her, and just as she felt her ribs almost break, something inside her reacted. A surge of protection, as if her body itself was fighting to keep whatever was inside her safe. Her breath hitched, and the pressure in her abdomen became unbearable. That strange, unfamiliar feeling surged once more, more intense than ever before.

Why was it only now that she noticed? Her thoughts were chaotic, but the realization hit her like a tidal wave.

"I-" Siren gasped, barely able to form the words. "I'm-"

Her vision spun, and the world around her blurred. She didn't know what was happening, but the energy-her energy-was no longer hers. It was being pulled into the thing she had been protecting all this time.

The moment was fleeting. Everything happened in a blur. Marco and Ace fought valiantly, their flames and strength working together, but they were too late. Smoothie's grip tightened around Siren, lifting her off the ground as if she were weightless.

"No!" Marco yelled, fury and desperation filling his voice.

Siren felt the last of her strength fading. Her body, though powerful, was no match for Smoothie's life-draining grip. But as her vision faded, she saw Ace's horrified expression-his eyes full of fear and regret.

Siren's heart broke as she whispered, barely able to breathe, "I'm sorry."

Her world went black.

...

Ace:

When Smoothie's massive hand closed around Siren's body, lifting her off the ground with terrifying ease, Ace's world shattered. He saw the fear in her eyes, her lips parting in a pained gasp, but it was the terror that struck him most-the grief, the regret, as though she were already preparing to say goodbye.

Siren's breath hitched, her green eyes locking with Marco's before they flicked to Ace.

"I-" She managed to whisper, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry..."

The world seemed to stop.

Ace's heart plummeted to his stomach, his mind screaming in helpless fury.No. Not like this. Not her.

"Siren!" Marco shouted, his voice raw, his hands trembling as he tried to move toward her, but Smoothie's hold was like iron. Ace could barely process Marco's voice over the overwhelming surge of anger and fear crashing over him.

"Let her go!"Ace roared, flames erupting wildly around him.

His fury blurred his judgment. His heart raced, fueled by blind desperation. His body moved on its own, seeking vengeance, seeking to tear Smoothie apart. He was no longer thinking of strategy, of their plan. All that mattered was reaching Siren, saving her from the crushing grip of their enemy. The world narrowed into a singular, burning focus: her.

With a growl, Ace barreled toward Smoothie, his fists encased in fire, aiming for her colossal form. He was reckless-too reckless.

"Ace, stop!" Marco's voice was desperate, but it was too late.

Siren's eyes flickered from unconsiousness and filled with sorrow as she watched Ace charge, oblivious to his own dangerous rage. And in that instant, Ace made his mistake.

Smoothie, seeing the attack coming, twisted, using Siren as a shield. Ace's fist collided with the massive cleaver Smoothie swung to block his path. The impact reverberated, but it wasn't Ace who took the brunt of it. The cleaver sliced cleanly through the air, catching Ace off guard as he slammed into it, his flames barely protecting him.

The pain was immediate. But worse was the realization that Siren was still within Smoothie's grasp. His reckless assault hadn't freed her. Instead, it had allowed Smoothie to tighten her grip.

Ace collapsed, barely able to get up. His heart was sinking. His flames sputtered out, his entire body paralyzed by his failure. He hadn't saved her.

"No... NO!" Ace's voice cracked, raw and broken as he scrambled to his feet, but his body betrayed him. His energy was spent.

Siren's screams now echoed in his mind, though her lips never moved.

She had been taken from him.

But it wasn't just her. Marco's expression was filled with horror.

"Ace, no!" Marco called out again, rushing forward to try to help. His wings flared, but it was too late. He couldn't stop it. Marco's flames flared in fury, the desperate need to save his family, his partners, overwhelming him. But the more he pushed forward, the more the weight of the battle wore on him. His body was giving out. The blows he took were beginning to show on him-bruises, cuts, exhaustion.

And then it happened.

As Marco tried to break through Smoothie's defenses to get to Ace and Siren, a cruel, sharp pain erupted in his chest. He had barely noticed the massive weight of Teach's fist enhanced with Armament haki coming from the side, aimed directly for his heart. It hit with devastating force, sending Marco crashing into the ground, the searing pain lancing through his body like molten steel. His flames flickered, dimming, as his wings dragged through the dirt.

The world around him was a blur. His body screamed in agony, but it was the emotional pain that tore through him with each passing moment. They have underestimated them and overestimated themselves.

"Siren... Ace..."

His breath came in ragged gasps, each one painful as if the air itself was an enemy. His chest felt as if it were caving in. What had he done wrong? Why had he failed?

His wings, which had been his strength, now felt like weights. His body, once strong, now seemed like a shattered, fragile thing.

But it wasn't the pain of the physical injury that broke him-it was the soul-deep feeling of loss. He had failed. He had let them both down. And he was helpless to stop it. Siren was gone. Ace... Ace was slipping through his fingers.

The world seemed to fold in on itself, and Marco could feel his soul tearing apart, piece by piece.

The wind howled, and the ocean surged violently as if nature itself felt the anguish that tore through Marco's heart.

Siren was lost to him, to them, to everything they had fought for. She had been taken-her life was slipping from their grasp-and in that moment, Marco was broken, torn between his fear, his anger, and his inability to act.

Ace was already lost. And Marco... Marco was alone. Or at least, he felt that way. Through the searing pain, through the despair, Marco's heart burned with a single, desperate thought.

He couldn't give up. Not now. Not ever.

But his body-his very soul-knew the truth. There was nothing left for him to hold onto. In the darkest of his mind, he wanted to give up, he wanted to die.

...