The Fall of the Bandit King! Ace

Off the coast of the Kingdom of Goa, a city known as the most beautiful country in the East Blue, rows of large, luxuriously decorated ships floated quietly on the sea.

Further out on the sea, a smaller and more unassuming boat was floating.

A man with an excessively tall stature, whose face was obscured by a cloak, stood on the ship's railing, gazing at the ships in the distance.

"So,"

Although he was extremely robust, his voice was remarkably gentle, like a spring breeze. "The King and all the nobles abandoned the people of the city and fled to the sea on their own?"

"The Golden Lion's reckless actions have put the entire East Blue on edge."

Beside the man stood Dorrag, much shorter than him and practically a dwarf in comparison, also draped in a Dragon to conceal his figure. He said gravely, "But it's rare to see the nobles of this country completely abandoning their people like this in the entire East Blue."

His words carried a hint of sarcasm, "Truly worthy of being the most beautiful country in the East Blue, a model of isolation systems praised even by the Celestial Dragons."

In this country, the class system is fully manifested.

The poor were driven out of the city and struggled to survive in the slums in the mountains outside the city.

Commoners live in the lower towns of the city and are strictly forbidden from traveling to the High Town where nobles reside.

In the center of High Town stands the royal palace, surrounded by high walls.

Strict hierarchy.

However, upon hearing Dragon's mention of the Dragon Celestial Dragons, the tall man fell silent.

Dragon noticed his companion's odd behavior. He realized he had done something foolish, opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

He could only sigh softly.

Finally, the tall man spoke up, "Mr. Dragon, shall we stay here for the time being?"

"..."

Dragon hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "We have no idea where the Golden Lion is right now, so theoretically it doesn't matter where we wait."

"So, is there anything special about this island for Mr. Dragon?"

"Getting to the bottom of things doesn't make anyone happy, Bear."

Dragon sighed. "But, well, there are people here who are very important to me."

Realizing that Ian and his group's next destination was the Kingdom of Goa, he came over immediately and also notified his companions to gather there.

Is that so?

The man named Bartholomew Bear nodded slightly. Despite being called a tyrant, he possessed the gentlest heart in the world and did not ask any further questions.

At almost the same moment, in the Foosha Village tavern.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

The proprietress, Makino, behind the bar was holding her breath. The two men were not saying a word, but she felt an immense pressure.

Behind the three sitting at the bar, the members of the Red-Haired Pirates and Ian's companions, who were gathered around the tables inside the tavern, had also tacitly stopped eating and drinking.

The two groups, who were already sitting separately, suddenly became extremely tense.

Beckman silently picked up the gun.

Yamato's hand also touched Kenjiro Two on his back.

Next, only one command is needed.

"Oden was very popular when he sailed with Captain Roger."

Red-Haired seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere, continuing to reminisce about the past, "He lacked common sense, was quite chauvinistic, willful and stubborn, dull and naive, but he wasn't a bad person. He was always sincere to his friends, and we all liked him."

Ian listened quietly until Red-Haired finished his recollection, then calmly said, "Is that so? But in our eyes, he was just a powerful but foolish enemy."

"To be honest, we should thank him; otherwise, taking over Wano Country wouldn't have been so easy."

"..."

Red-Haired didn't say anything, but simply drank another glass of wine in silence.

The tavern was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone was afraid to even breathe.

Only Hawk Eyes remained unfazed, continuing to drink glass after glass without uttering a word.

But, coincidentally, at this time...

Bang!

The tavern door was kicked open.

A man swaggered in, wearing a long brown overcoat, a sword at his waist, a lazy and arrogant smile on his face, his eyelids drooping, looking down at the people in the tavern.

However, he was instantly startled.

Inside the tavern, two groups of people sat clearly separated, both turning to look at him.

The way these guys look at you is terrifying!

But he quickly resumed his cold laugh.

I'm a man with a bounty of eight million Beli!

They're just a bunch of pirates.

"I need a boat."

The man with an eight million Beli crossed his arms and said indifferently, "I heard there's a gang of pirates here. Give me your ship."

Sieg was also somewhat irritated.

He was a mountain bandit who never went near the sea.

But that Golden Lion Shiki is terrifying.

Even the noble lords in the city had fled to the sea for refuge, so Sieg thought he might as well go to sea too.

It is no longer safe to stay on the island.

However, there is a necessary prerequisite for going to sea.

He needs a boat.

How can you talk about going to sea without a boat?

As it happened, he heard that there was a group of pirates in Foosha Village, so he came to rob a ship.

Pirate ships must be much better than the ordinary fishing boats in the nearby villages, right?

Ian, Red-Haired, Hawk Eyes all turned around at the same time, looking at the newcomer with some curiosity.

That takes real guts.

Oh.

Isn't this the legendary Bandit King who killed the Fifty-Six Emperors? The man who severely humiliated Red-Haired in the Vice Admiral work!

Ian recognized the person the instant he saw him.

Should he have appeared at this point? In the original work, it was after King Luffy ate the Rubber Fruit, right?

It's probably thanks to the Golden Lion.

Ian thought.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, the Bandit King became angry.

He drew his sword in anger, shouting, "Didn't you hear me? Pirates! Hand over your ship! Otherwise, you'll all die!"

Seemingly having heard his angry words, a group of bandits rushed into the tavern, drawing their swords and cocking their guns, looking at the people inside with ill intent.

They shouted, "Boss, why are you being so polite with these pirates? Let's show them the terror of us mountain bandits!"

"That's right!"

A cruel smile crept across Sieg's face. "Mere pirates! Let's kill them all before we get the ship!"

The tavern fell silent instantly.

Both the Beasts Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates fell silent.

Jack wondered, who exactly is this guy? How dare he spout such nonsense?

Yamato also somewhat curious. Could it be that this guy was hiding some powerful force that she couldn't detect?

Then.

"Puff--"

Ian finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into laughter, slapping the bar counter.

Amazing, truly amazing, Red-Haired.

It's amazing you were able to hold your nerve in the original work.

That ability to keep that composure is already quite remarkable!

"Hahaha!"

The Red-Haired laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Even Hawk Eyes, who is usually very composed, had a smirk on his face, and his shoulders were trembling slightly.

They all laughed, and naturally, the others couldn't hold back any longer either.

The Red-Haired Pirates laughed so hard they could barely stand up straight, with Lucky Roux even having tears in his eyes.

Only Ben Beckman was able to keep a straight face, but like Hawk Eyes, his body was trembling.

Ian's friends finally realized what was going on.

They're just frogs in a well.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Yamato laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight, his body shaking with laughter. "He said he wanted to kill us!"

"This is so much fun!"

Black Maria chuckled, "That's truly extraordinary courage."

"Incredible! Even Kaido Yamato Whitebeard aren't as brave as him!"

Jack also offered a sharp critique.

Brother Ian, Red-Haired, Hawk Eyes.

The trio's combination would be so formidable that even the Pirate Emperor would have to bow down in defeat.

"Hahaha! I can't take it anymore!"

Red-Haired clutched his stomach, his face pale. "My stomach hurts! Ian! Let's call it a day. I probably can't fight anymore."

Ian's smile remained unchanged. "I think so too, haha, let's talk about it another time."

Having witnessed such a laughable situation, how could they possibly muster any fighting spirit?

Didn't you see Red-Haired was laughing so hard his body was practically limp?

Amazing, Bandit King!

You have successfully stopped a battle that could have destroyed the entire island!

Greatness needs no further explanation!

Hey! What are you laughing at?!

Sieg felt insulted. What were these bastards laughing at?

They didn't take him seriously at all!

But nobody paid any attention to his anger; the tavern remained a sea of merriment.

"Stop laughing!!"

Sieg roared, brandishing his longsword, and charged directly at the three people in front of the bar.

"You all, die!"

He's going to kill all those who mocked him!

"Surtur."

Ian laughed so hard he didn't want to fight, so he summoned his Soul Weapon.

"Master, me, me?"

The Fire Spirit, perched on his shoulder like a rag doll, slowly floated up, its voice still timid as ever.

But the next instant, flames shot from its mouth, "I'm sorry!!"

The blazing pillar of fire instantly engulfed the Bandit King's body, and the spreading flames mercilessly retreated, swallowing up all the bandits in the process.

The blazing flames shot out through the tavern's main door.

Outside the tavern, four little devils stared in amazement at the surging flames.

They had just engaged in a great chase, running all the way from the tavern entrance to the docks, and now they were chasing and fighting their way back.

I happened to witness the final scene of the battle.

"What happened?"

Uta was somewhat curious.

After the flames subsided, the bandits were left without even a trace, so they saw nothing.

"Flames!"

Luffy was also surprised, "Could it be Shanks fighting that guy?!"

"Shanks will definitely win!!"

Uta couldn't wait to run into the tavern.

"Ian wins, of course!"

Zoro followed without showing any weakness.

Seeing this, Kuina shook her head helplessly.

They're talking at each other like this, even though it's their first meeting.

The kids ran into the tavern, then froze at the same time.

What they saw was Ian and the Red-Haired clinking glasses.

"Haha! What an interesting creature!"

As the Red-Haired drank his wine, he curiously examined Surtur, who was shyly hiding behind Il. "Is it also a product of your power?"

Ian smiled and said, "I guess so."

Although Aunt Linlin helped, without her own Destruction Flame, there wouldn't be a super-powerful Homie like Surtur, right?

"Eh..."

Uta scratched his head.

They seem to be having a great time chatting.

"They're friends already!"

Luffy was all smiles.

Ian turned his head slightly and noticed the two kids.

The songstress Uta and the young King Luffy.

Both of them are incredibly talented, almost superhuman, players.

King Luffy goes without saying; he's the protagonist of the original work, the chosen one.

Uta's Sing-Sing Fruit is also abnormally powerful.

In the movie, she almost single-handedly wiped out 70% of the world's population, making her arguably the most terrifying villain in the history of Pirate World. Im couldn't defeat her.

"Uta is my daughter, Luffy is the child I met here."

Red-Haired introduced with a smile.

"I am Uta!"

The little girl, hands in her pockets, introduced herself confidently, "The musician of the Red-Haired Pirates!"

"I am Luffy!"

The Luffy, who didn't yet have Straw Hat, quickly introduced himself, "I'm from the Red-Haired Pirates..."

He pondered for a long time.

Uta scoffed without hesitation, "Luffy, you never even joined the Red-Haired Pirates!"

"I'll join sooner or later!"

Luffy yelled, then looked pitifully at Shanks, "Shanks, let me join the Red-Haired Pirates!"

"No, Luffy!"

Red-Haired shook his head. "You're still too young."

"But!"

Luffy, unusually intelligent, pointed at Zoro and Kuina, saying, "They're kids too!"

Zoro snorted and, arms crossed, said smugly, "Don't compare us to you! We set sail with the goal of becoming the strongest swordsmen!"

"The strongest?"

Luffy blinked, then smiled excitedly, "That felt amazing!"

"Of course!"

Zoro raised his chin and said matter-of-factly.

However, he was also somewhat surprised.

I was mocking you, what are you laughing at?

Ian chuckled; the best partners from the original story had met ten years earlier than expected.

"The strongest?"

Red-Haired looked at Hawk Eyes with great interest.

Hawk Eyes gave a soft snort and remained silent.

Just then, shouts suddenly came from outside again.

"A boat! Where's a boat? I need a boat!"

Outspoken and boisterous, he asked, "Do you have any seagoing vessels here?"

Red-Haired blinked. "Why are so many people wanting a ship today?"

A group of people walked over from outside the broken-down gate.

The woman in the lead was plump and had orange hair.

She was carrying a small, black-haired imp on her shoulder, and the imp was still struggling.

Um?

Ian raised an eyebrow.

No way?

Is it really such a coincidence?

"Hey! Dadan! Let go of me! I already told you I need to go save Sabo!"

That brat was yelling like that.

"I've said it so many times, that brat doesn't need us to save him!"

The woman exclaimed, "He has already run away with his noble parents to a ship overseas!"

Oh, was Sabo taken away by his parents?

Ian raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Besides, even if we really want to rescue that brat, we need to find a boat first in order to escape."

The woman looked around and noticed the tavern next door whose door had been blown off. Seeing that it was bustling with people, she decided to go in and ask.

"Do you know where there's a boat—hey!!!"

Before she could even finish her question, her eyes were already about to pop out of their sockets.

"Red, Red-Haired Shanks!"

"Dracule Mihawk!"

"And also, Ian of the Scorched Sky!!!"

She wasn't as ignorant as Sieg.

How did these monsters end up in this remote, impoverished village?

She stumbled backward in terror, her body slamming against the wall. She felt weak all over and almost collapsed to the ground.

With a loosening of her grip, the little devil she had been carrying on her shoulder jumped down as well.

"Um?"

The black-haired kid looked at Ian and the others with some surprise.

Ian finally saw what he looked like.

She looked to be under ten years old, with many freckles on her face. She was wearing a vest with the word "violence" written on it and shorts.

We met so soon, and I even said I'd make a point of visiting you later.

Ian curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

At the same time, Shanks' pupils contracted when he saw what the boy looked like.

Like!

Have you finally found it?

At the same time, the little devil's eyes lit up.

"Red-Haired Shanks, Dracule Mihawk! And Ian of the Scorched Sky! They're all infamous pirates!"

The boy shouted, "I am Portgas D. Ace! Come and duel me!!"

Not again?

What's wrong with kids these days?