"Captain, this is your latest bounty, 240 million Beli. No one in the first half of the Grand Line has a higher bounty than you." As the first member of the Spade Pirates, Deuce was naturally happy to see the crew grow stronger.
"Boss Diu is right, Captain. You're a true pirate now. I wonder if the Navy will send their top admiral Admiral capture us," the Swordsman Kong Hai said with a shrug.
"You guys are getting a bit too cocky. With our current strength, it's really too much of a stretch to go up against Marine Admiral." The seemingly calm Miharu analyzed calmly, "It would be more like it if the opponent was Shichibukai- level."
"Meow meow meow!" Kodatz excitedly echoed.
"You guys." Ace pressed down on his cowboy hat and shook his head, saying, "I'm still not strong enough. I need to become stronger."
"Captain, aren't you being a little too hasty? You've only been at sea for six months, and it's already quite remarkable that you've achieved this much." Barry looked at Ace with some concern.
"No, I must make my name resound throughout the sea, so that the world will remember the name [Portgas]." Ace lit a flame with his finger, lifted the brim of his hat, and looked out at the boundless sea.
Everyone fell silent for a moment. In fact, they could all see that their captain had a reason to become stronger.
Seeing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Ace said with a smile, "Besides, although there is indeed no pirate with a higher bounty than me among those who set sail this year, it doesn't mean there haven't been any before."
"Captain, the person you're talking about must be that one, Roy, who had a bounty of 300 million Beli before even entering the Grand Line, and eventually became the Nightmare Roy of the Shichibukai," Barry's twin brother, Ceba, said with longing in his voice.
The others quickly realized that Nightmare Roy was a legend among the pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, and no one was unaware of his name.
"Yeah, that guy set sail at 16 and by 17 he already had a bounty of 300 million, becoming a top-tier pirate on par with the Shichibukai. If it weren't for my promise to some idiot to set sail at 17, I'm afraid I would have set sail a year earlier too." A gentle smile appeared on Ace's lips, as if he was thinking of his idiot brother.
"Indeed, I have encountered many pirates from the North Blue. They all worship Roy like a god. For those of us who are not from the North Blue, it is really hard to understand their crazy ideas." Kong Hai's face was serious. He really didn't want to deal with those lunatics.
"I'm determined to become the Pirate Kings, how could I let that guy steal the spotlight? Since he chose to become Shichibukai, I'll make a name for myself and wait for the World Government to invite me to become Shichibukai, then I'll ruthlessly reject them, hahaha." Ace seemed to be imagining the World Government's amusing expressions after being rejected, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hehe, refusing to become Shichibukai? I must say, Captain, your idea is absolutely brilliant."
"That's right, Captain, you're going to be the Pirate Kings, how can you let a mere Shichibukai tie your hands and feet?"
Although the Spade Pirates don't have many members, they all share a common trait: they have unwavering faith in their captain and firmly believe that Ace will become the new Pirate Kings.
"The ship... Captain, look over there!" Suddenly, Barry pointed to the sky in surprise, looking utterly horrified.
"What? Could it be that Isuzu is chasing after us again?" Ace muttered helplessly as he looked up at the sky. "Wait, could that black dot be... a ship?"
A tiny black dot appeared high in the sky, slowly descending, seemingly able to reflect a blinding light.
"That's right, it is indeed a ship, and it's the legendary... Golden Ship!" As a sniper, Miharu was the first to spot the black dot.
"Golden Ship..." Everyone's faces were blank, their minds blank, unable to imagine how many Beli a ship made of gold could be exchanged for.
Gold undoubtedly holds a fatal attraction for pirates. Pirates are adventurers who seek treasures on the high seas, and for some, the significance of the treasure itself even exceeds its monetary value.
"What? Golden Ship flying in the sky!" Ace's eyes burned as he looked up at the sky. "Could the legend really exist, that ethereal miracle of the Sky Island!"
"Sky Island? Captain, you mean..." Some crew members belatedly realized what was happening.
"Yes, I did hear such a legend in Mock Town, but I always thought it was nonsense." Deuce was excited. He was born into a wealthy family and never cared much about money. He had only gone to sea with Ace because he was pursuing travel and adventure, so he naturally couldn't refuse such a dreamlike journey.
"Everyone, let's move forward quickly! Maybe we can find the secret to the Sky Island on this Golden Ship!" Ace pressed down on his cowboy hat, his whole body bursting into flames, burning as fiercely as his burning heart.
"No, no! Captain, don't go over there! The flag on that ship is the symbol of Nightmare Roy Shichibukai disappeared two years ago!" Miharu cried out in horror after seeing the flag hanging on the bow of the Golden Ship.
Although they had previously boasted that they could deal with the Shichibukai in the next step, the combat power levels among the Shichibukai are completely different. Someone like Roy, who has defeated two Shichibukai and has real combat achievements, is definitely one of the top-tier Shichibukai, and is also the person they least want to face.
"What? It's Nightmare Roy disappeared for two years! That makes sense. He must have gone to Sky Island during those two years, which is why there was no news of him." Ace was not afraid at all, but instead analyzed with great interest.
Seeing Ace's state, the others knew something was wrong, and sure enough, they soon heard Ace continue speaking.
"Besides, I've been wanting to challenge him for a long time. He's one of the two people I've most wanted to challenge since I set sail. Just thinking about it is exciting, hahaha." Ace couldn't help but laugh.
"Captain, it's too early to face an enemy like this. Although you are Logia Devil Fruit User, Nightmare Roy has a history of defeating Logia users. He's a ruthless figure who built his Shichibukai title by stepping over Crocodile the Sand's corpse." In most people's eyes, Crocodile the Sand should have been killed by Roy.
"Yes, Captain, don't be impulsive. This is still the same fighting strength that guy had two years ago. A man like him couldn't possibly have not improved in the last two years," Deuce also advised.
"Meow meow meow!" Kodatz clung tightly to Ace's leg, preventing him from moving.
"Hehe, isn't this even better? Only by defeating such a powerful opponent can I find the meaning of my existence!"