Pirates Robbing Pirates
Unnamed Deserted Island - Central Trading Ground
Under the scorching sun, the open space was filled with gun barrels, and the atmosphere seemed frozen.
Just as Red frowned, weighing the options in his mind—
The weary-looking boy sitting on the box spoke again lazily, "Hey you guys... if it's a deal, it's a deal, why are you pointing so many guns at me?"
His tone was irritated, as if he had been interrupted from his afternoon nap.
"Hurry up and take the fruit, you can take the money. Wouldn't it be better to end this sooner?"
He sat there, swinging his legs, his hat brim obscuring his eyes, completely ignoring the dozens of guns around him.
This attitude was like a light kick, instantly extinguishing the patience of everyone present.
"You little brat... what kind of tone is that?!"
In the crowd, a hot-tempered Pirate could no longer contain himself. He broke out of the group, his flintlock pistol pointed straight at him.
"How dare you talk to us like that?! We're Pirates!!"
Ace slowly raised his head, the smile fading from his face like a mist.
His gaze fell on that person, and his eyes instantly changed from languid to icy cold.
"Pirates?" he repeated softly, as if chewing on the word.
The Pirate's heart tightened instantly, his hair stood on end, and he felt as if he were being stared at by some enormous beast. Every drop of blood in his body was warning him—don't move, don't make a sound, don't provoke him anymore.
But seeing so many brothers staring at him from behind, he gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and roared:
"You little brat, calling your mom..."
"Bang!!"
The gunshot shattered the silence, the bullet leaving the barrel and aimed straight at Ace's forehead!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
The sound of the bullet piercing the skull was crisper than I had imagined.
"Got it!" The moment the irritable Pirate pulled the trigger, it was as if he could already see 3 billion Beli beckoning to him.
But the next moment, everyone was shocked!
But when the lead-gray bullet tip pierced through Ace's forehead, it brought not brains and blood, but a cluster of bluish-green flames.
Ace's skull remained pierced through, the skin around the bullet hole curled up like charred paper, but instead of stark white bone, flames surged within the laceration.
A bullet that should have been fatal now seemed to pierce through a human-shaped torch.
Ace slowly stood up, looked down at the Pirate who still held his gun, and said coldly, "That's why I said..."
"Pirates, really..."
"That's disgusting."
"Boom!!"
His arm instantly burst into scorching flames, and the next second, the Pirate who had just fired was blasted several meters away, his body spinning in the air before crashing heavily into the rock wall, turning into charred, roasted Barbecue!
Smoke and dust rose, and the shockwave dispersed the surrounding sand and dust.
The entire open space was completely silent.
Red's expression changed drastically, and he roared angrily, "This kid is a fire user!!"
"Is it Paramecia? Or Logia?!"
"Kill him!!"
Gunshots, shouts, and cries of terror erupted instantly as dozens of flintlock muskets opened fire simultaneously, raining bullets down on Ace like a storm!
Ace ignored the ordinary bullets, pressed down on the brim of his hat to create a flame shape, and all the bullets passed right through his fiery body.
Red's pupils contracted. "Something's wrong... This guy's flames... are Logia!!"
Ace stood in the middle of the sea of fire, and with a light stomp of his left foot, scorch marks appeared on the ground around him.
He slowly removed his orange hat, flames swirling down from his shoulders, rising and swirling from his fingertips, intensely bright and dazzling.
"I originally..."
He whispered, his voice echoing in the firelight and reverberating in the Pirates ' hearts, "They really are just here to deliver goods."
His tone was calm, yet it suppressed a thunderous rage.
"But you..." He looked up, his eyes devoid of warmth, the firelight reflecting a murderous intent capable of scorching mountains and boiling seas, "... you insist that I take action."
"Then none of you should leave!"
Boom!!
He stomped his foot heavily, and flames erupted from the ground, tearing apart the surrounding soil and rocks. Scorched marks spread like a spider web, boulders cracked, and sand and soil burned!
"Attack him!! Quick!! Use weapons imbued with Haki!! Don't let him get close!!"
"Fire Fist... Could it be that rumored... Navy's --?"
"Never mind who he is! Kill him!!"
Several elite officers brandished longswords and axes laced with Armament Haki Hide and charged forward to encircle and annihilate the enemy, while the remaining dozen or so men opened fire wildly, attempting to suppress the attack with firepower.
But--
It's useless.
The bullets were either deflected by the high-temperature, distorted airflow the instant they approached Ace's body, or they passed directly through his flames and hit nothing!
"Are you kidding me...? This guy... doesn't get hit by bullets?!"
"I clearly hit him in the chest!! Ahhh!!"
"Use Seastone Bullets!!"
"You wish! We're not that extravagant!"
A Pirate screamed in terror, and the next second his body was flung away by a flaming whip, crashing into a row of rock pillars and breaking them!
Several officers, wielding longswords covered in Armament Haki, launched a surprise attack on Ace.
"Don't move!!"
"Kill!!"
Ace nimbly glided forward, his Observation Haki spreading out like a spider web, instantly sensing the attack trajectories of everyone.
His eyes sharpened, flames erupted beneath his feet, and his figure flashed like a fiery serpent, instantly circling behind the enemy!
"What?! Where did he go?!"
"Back..."
"Flame Dragon Spin!"
A fiery spinning kick swept out!
"Thump!!"
"Click-clack!!"
The three officers, along with their weapons imbued with Armament Haki, were swept away. As they landed and tumbled, their bodies were scorched by flames, and their skin burst open!
"Ughhh!!"
Ace's figure slowly emerged from the flames, the surroundings resembling a fiery Throne he had trodden upon, with dust floating and burning in the intense heat.
He stretched out his hand, and a cluster of greenish-orange flames danced at his fingertips.
"Fire Pistol - Wild Dance!"
Boom!
Dozens of high-speed fire arrows shot out from his palms, streaking across the Battlefield like meteors and accurately striking several Pirates who were attempting to launch a sneak attack!
Someone had a fire in their shoulder, howling and rolling on the ground;
Some people's weapons exploded, and their faces were charred black;
Some people were even pierced directly by the flaming arrows and collapsed to the ground!
The sea of fire raged, Scorched Earth cracked.
The heatwave rolled in like a tsunami, the air smelled of burning sand and gravel, and charred wreckage and the howling Pirates lay on the ground covered the entire battle area.
"Captain Red!! We are no match for him!!"
"This is terrifying!! This isn't a trade... it's a wipeout!!"
Some of the cowards began to flee, but the area was already surrounded by a barrier of flames, completely blocking their escape route!
"None of you are leaving."
Ace slowly walked forward, his eyes calm but devoid of any warmth.
"Thump!!"
The next second, the earth exploded!
A violent shockwave suddenly erupted from the depths of the sea of fire!
Molten rocks flew in all directions, and sand and dust surged like ink waves!
A figure enveloped in blood and exuding Haki leaped into the center of the battle like a raging beast unleashed!
"Bang!!"
The moment he landed, he created a circular crater several meters deep in the ground!
Ace raised an eyebrow, his gaze finally freezing for a moment.
Blood Rage - Red.
Standing nearly three meters tall, his muscles were as bulging as iron cables. He wore a tattered cloak, and beneath his skin, faint black veins of Haki flowed. His entire right arm was as if forged from black iron, and in his hand he held a jet-black heavy sword covered in Armament Haki —the blade was broad, with interlocking serrations, as if it had been forged from magma!
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulged on his forehead, his cheeks were covered in burn marks, but a ferocious, bloody smile stretched across his lips.
"You think these pieces of trash are all I have?"
His voice was deep and hoarse, and even his breath smelled of gunpowder.
"I am Red, but—"
"The man who survived the massacre in the New World, standing on the heads of five Pirate ships!!"
He took a step forward, and the earth trembled violently!
"The bounty of 628 million Beli was earned through blood, swords, and by tearing the entire sea route apart, hacking it up bit by bit!!"
"You... also want to challenge this height?"
He raised his sword, and the Haki on the blade condensed into scales, resembling an iron dragon.
"Stop playing with fire with those small fry."
Ace lowered his eyelids and slowly extended his Right Hand, flames gathering in his palm.
"Understood."
His tone was no longer playful, but... solemn.
"Then--"
"Bring it on!"
Flames spread from his shoulders to his back, like a suit of fire armor, and a cluster of bluish-orange flames rose up like dragon horns, his aura began to surge!