At this point, old man Rayleigh rubbed his beard expectantly, his latissimus dorsi muscles tensing with excitement.
However, after a brief moment of excitement, Mr. Rayleigh couldn't help but feel puzzled.
He pursed his lips in confusion, then asked Gawain.
"But he probably isn't taking the current flight path, is he?"
I remember when we were investigating before, didn't we say he went to Trilance Island?
If I remember correctly, to get from Trillion to Alabasta, do I need to return to Reverse Mountain?
Did this child experience a setback with Trillans, so he changed his approach?
Gawain, do you know why this child is like this? Do Black Ice Terrace and Shakky have any intelligence?
At this point, Rayleigh looked at Gawain, and Gawain...
Faced with Rayleigh's expectant gaze, he shrugged slightly.
"Hehe, do I need to explain why? Of course, they're after us."
After all, he's already charged forward!
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain pointed into the distance, and the huge fireball on the Alabasta dock had already disappeared.
Ace transformed into a human torch, charging towards the Dark Bird Ship while roaring something fiercely at Gawain...
Not long ago, near the dock.
Ace was actually getting restless!
These days, he is regarded as a hero by the people on the outskirts of Alabasta. Countless people rushed towards the Katorea City as soon as they heard that someone could distill seawater on a large scale!
Even in the rebellious areas that had just been suppressed by Crocodile, people moved to Katorea with their families, riding Desert Land Crab.
As a result, Ace and his crew were completely subdued by the people who arrived one after another!
Faced with the repeated calls of heroes, even if Ace and his companions wanted to leave, they could only endure their exhaustion and distill fresh water for those who were full of hope and so thirsty that they could hardly survive.
After all, even though Ace was a pirate, he was also a really good person!
How could he be so heartless as to abandon the pleading commoners?
And so, day after day, for more than half a month, Ace never left the dock.
He spent his days creating large fireballs and his nights taking short breaks to rest. Although he was very tired these past few days, his proficiency with the Mera Mera no Mi had actually improved a lot.
At the same time, I saw the sincere and happy smiles on the faces of the ordinary people when they received fresh water.
Ace also felt happy.
His only regret was probably being held back here by those who called him a hero, preventing him from sailing to Jaya and then challenging the Saint Gawain who had fought both Whitebeard and Red-Haired Shanks...
However, Ace never expected this!
My regret has been resolved in such a way!
Just now, as he was concentrating on maintaining the fireball, the Alabasta guards and civilians around him suddenly let out an unusually astonished shout at the sea!
Following the sound, Ace looked towards the sea behind him.
With just one glance, Ace recognized the Dark Bird Ship. The moment this giant ship appeared in anyone's sight, it made it clear who its owner was!
After all, looking at this ship is a far more awe-inspiring visual experience than standing in front of an aircraft carrier.
So, this impulsive and reckless young man abandoned his crew and rushed towards Gawain's direction.
At the same time, he kept shouting.
"Gawain, haha, I didn't expect you to actually come to me of your own accord!"
What a lucky day!
Come and have a good fight with me! I'm determined to become the Pirate King!
In the distance, aboard the Dark Bird Ship, one could see a trail of flames stretching over ten kilometers away.
Gawain rubbed his ears in confusion.
What is he shouting?
"Have no idea."
Rayleigh shook his head.
"At this distance, only Brother Yixiao should be able to hear clearly, right?"
As he spoke, Rayleigh smiled and looked at him.
"Brother Yixiao, what's that kid shouting? You should be able to hear him, right?"
"Indeed!"
He nodded with a smile, then gave a funny one.
"He looks like he's planning to challenge Gawain, haha!"
"Why?"
Rayleigh was taken aback, then he quickly patted Gawain on the shoulder.
"Gawain, don't take that kid seriously. He probably hasn't even mastered Armament Haki yet."
As for you, you've probably already grasped the basics of Armament Haki by now, haven't you?
Both being Logia, if someone who knows Armament Haki fights someone who doesn't, the one who doesn't have absolutely no advantage!
I don't want you to break him!
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh drew his sword and jumped off the bow of the Dark Bird Ship.
"So, let me take this kid's first time. Let me teach him what true strength is needed to stand firm on the sea!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh strode across the sea, creating a white wave as he rapidly approached Ace.
Across from Ace, watching the white waves running towards him, he narrowed his eyes in confusion.
Someone actually came to greet me?!
As soon as he finished speaking, Ace was not surprised but delighted. He suddenly accelerated and raised his fist to meet the approaching figure who was still about a kilometer away.
"Fire Fist!!!"
Amidst shouts, a massive, three-meter-diameter flaming fist charged fiercely toward Rayleigh!
Faced with the fiery fist, Rayleigh laughed and shook his head.
"Insisting on shaping elements into special forms is the way of using Logia that Little Gawain despises the most."
Even Sakazuki only uses the simplest tentacle-shaped Magma to fight.
Only a brat would do something like condensing elements into special shapes, because it's a thankless and futile effort!
As he spoke, Rayleigh raised his sword and slashed down fiercely!
This seemingly casual strike, in the instant it shattered the Fire Fist, also propelled Rayleigh towards Ace himself at breakneck speed.
Seeing the knife coming straight at him, Ace grinned excitedly.
"It wasn't Gawain, but the legendary Dark King Rayleigh!"
Haha, is this the legendary sword that's so light and flimsy?
"Light as a feather?!"
On the other side, Rayleigh frowned the moment he heard Ace's voice.
Then, he revealed a smile that was both excited and cruel.
"Because I was raised by Garp since I was a child and am used to Garp's heavy punches, even my sword can only be described as light and flimsy by you?"
"You brat!!!"
At this point, Rayleigh's lips curled into a sharp smile, and at the same time, an incredibly thick Armament Haki spread along Rayleigh's arm and onto his sword!
Holding the black blade, Rayleigh grinned maliciously.
"Then come and see my sword, which is not so light and flimsy, Ace!"
Underworld Earth!!!"
Buzzing!!!
The longsword in Rayleigh's hand suddenly became agitated, and in the blink of an eye, a torrent of black energy was unleashed from it!
Just seeing that black aura made Ace feel immense pressure.
And then, when Ace truly faced that sword aura...
For the first time since setting sail, Ace experienced the urge to run away!
In Ace's eyes, Rayleigh's sword strike was not just a mere slash; it was as if he had smashed an entire, pitch-black mountain down on him!
The flames on Ace's body immediately became unstable; he desperately wanted to escape.
His instincts were telling him that he absolutely could not get any closer to the sword!
But he is Ace, Luffy's brother, the Sun Tzu of Garp the Hero, and the son of Pirate King Roger!!!
He will never back down in the face of any attack!!!
So Ace raised his arms, his hands moving up and down to parry, and at the same time, he couldn't help but shout.
"Block them, Cross Fire!!!"
"Underworld Earth!!!"
The instant those two sounds collided...
The cross-shaped flames, risking everything, surged towards the imposing mountain of the underworld.
But like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, the cross-shaped flames shattered instantly and lost their shape.
In just a split second, Ace was sent flying hundreds of meters away by Rayleigh's slash, completely unable to resist!
He completely lost control of his body, and the next second, he crashed into the sea with a bang!
In the distance, at the docks of Alabasta.
Ace's crew members had mixed feelings...
Previously, they had been incredibly excited and looking forward to Ace's battle.
"Haha, the Dark Bird Ship actually came by itself!"
"Ace is really reckless!"
"Speed the boat up and keep up with Ace!"
Even Deuce was incredibly excited about the battle Ace would ignite next.
Just a second ago, he was steering the ship and shouting into the distance.
"Haha, Ace charged forward!"
The next second, he opened his mouth in utter astonishment.
"Huh?!
Ace is gone!!!
The moment he finished speaking, Deuce steered his boat straight towards the direction where Ace had fallen into the water!
No matter what predicament Ace encounters, no matter what powerful enemies they face, whether they die or are treated even more cruelly!
He wants to go through everything with Ace!
But...
Just as Deuce was resigned to giving up everything, even at the cost of his life, to save Ace...
He suddenly realized that he didn't even seem to be qualified to save people!
Because the person who sent Ace flying into the sea with a single blow actually rushed into the sea, carried Ace, and swam to the Dark Bird Ship!
Moreover, that guy was swimming much, much faster than their boat!!!
On the Spade Rocket, Ace's other crew members were becoming increasingly confused!
Just two days ago everything was fine, and everyone was enjoying the treatment of a hero.
Suddenly, in just a few seconds...
The captain is gone!!!
"Aaaaaah, First Mate Deuce, Captain Ace has been captured!!"
"First mate, the captain is dead! Waaaaah!!!"
"The opponent is just too strong. Ace is made of fire, and even fire was knocked away!"
"We lost in an instant, completely and utterly! How did this happen?!"
Near the helm, listening to the crew's conversation, Deuce scratched his head in frustration.
"Enough talk, it's just that the captain has been kidnapped!"
All we need to do is save him!
Get ready, we're heading straight for that ship!
As soon as he finished speaking, Deuce raised the sails sharply, and the Piece of Spadille sped off towards the Dark Bird Ship.
Meanwhile, near the Dark Bird Ship.
Grandpa Rayleigh carried the unconscious Ace up the elevator to where Gawain was on the deck.
Seeing the old man approaching, Gawain laughed and waved.
"Grandpa, you told me not to hurt him, but you ended up hurting him with a single stab yourself..."
"Snort!"
Hearing Gawain's words, Rayleigh suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"Who told this brat to say my sword was flimsy!"
I think he's been beaten too many times by Garp's Iron Fist!
If I don't let him know how powerful I am, I'll make him fly to the heavens!
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh threw the unconscious Ace onto the deck to the side.
After Ace landed, Gawain looked at Ace with interest. At this time, Ace was very young and looked much like Luffy when he first set Luffy in the future.
Compared to Luffy, the only thing that makes him look a little older is the freckles on his cheeks.
He's only a seventeen-year-old kid, after all.
Thinking of this, Gawain smiled and stretched out his finger. An Inazuma spread out from his fingertip and struck Ace's face.
Normally, Ace wouldn't be electrocuted by lightning without Armament Haki, after all, he's made of fire.
But now, his body was filled with seawater containing Seastone Factor, Ace had regained his physical form, so he immediately woke up with a scream.
"Ouch... that hurts! What the hell is this?!"
After waking up from the electric shock, Ace frantically rubbed his face.
After he rubbed it two or three times, he immediately saw Gawain standing right in front of him!
It's worth noting that Gawain's clothes and appearance have appeared on headlines more than once.
Then, Ace, having discovered Gawain, leaped...
Bang!
He tried to jump, but he couldn't get up...
He had just attempted a somersault, but due to the seawater, he became weak and ended up landing on his backside in a "wild goose landing on the sand" pose...
At least, the place he needed to rub changed from his face to his buttocks...
Seeing Ace's disheveled appearance, Rayleigh laughed heartily and squatted down next to Ace.
Rayleigh grabbed Ace's head and said with a smile.
"Kid, look at me!"
"Why!!!"
Ace stared blankly at Rayleigh, marveling as he recalled the sword strike from just moments before!
Recalling the feeling that sword strike had given him, leaving him almost no chance to resist!
Ace swallowed hard.
Is this really my father's former first mate?!
The power of that sword strike—could a human even produce such a strike?!
Even someone like that was just one of my dad's crew members. What kind of guy was my dad when he was alive?!
Thinking of this, Ace suddenly couldn't help but look at Gawain.
Because it suddenly occurred to him that Dark King Rayleigh had become Gawain's new crew member!
For a moment, looking at Gao Wen standing to the side, a smile on his face, yet exuding an indescribable Gawain...
Ace couldn't help but think that, as someone who could also control a monster like Rayleigh...
There must be some resemblance between Gawain and his father, right?
Gawain smiled at Ace's gaze as he looked at him, but then he was a little confused.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the way Ace looked at him was somewhat similar to how that little girl, Uta, looked at him!
It was an indescribable feeling, like... being stared at like that always made me want to send some red envelopes (cash gifts)...!
Gawain, finding the Gawain increasingly bizarre, placed the scabbard of Rokumei Kotetsu on the ground with one hand, while simultaneously crouching down in front of Ace.
"Kid, Rayleigh is calling you to look at him."
Don't pretend you didn't hear me, okay? Haha!
On the ground, Ace, who had been abruptly awakened by Gawain laughter, turned to look at Rayleigh with a look of Dawu.
Rayleigh, annoyed, patted Ace's head again.
"Haha, you actually needed Captain Gawain's reminder to look at me? Were you stunned by my attack?"
Logically, this shouldn't be the case. I've already held back. Are you really that weak?
"How is that possible?!"
Hearing Rayleigh's words, Ace instinctively shook his head, trying to stubbornly find some reason for his defeat.
For example, I've been feeling very tired lately, or I haven't been able to react properly, etc.
But before he could speak, Rayleigh suddenly grabbed the rosary beads around his neck!
Rayleigh pulled Ace closer by his rosary beads, and then Rayleigh fiercely at Ace.
"Since you weren't stunned by my attack, then watch me closely!"
I'll say a sentence, and you'll repeat it loudly for me, just like me!
"What?!!"
Ace was completely bewildered, but his bewilderment lasted only a moment before Rayleigh pulled him in front of him.
Rayleigh suddenly yelled at him.
"Come on, say it with me: Garp is a shameless old man!"
He's not your grandfather; he's at most your godfather, and one of your godfathers at that!
Repeat it for me now!!!