One Punch, One Ace

"Huh? Brother Xianuo! What are you doing!"

Luffy exclaimed in surprise, instinctively reaching out to grab it. "I can lend you other things as props, but this is something very important to me, you can't..."

"Watch closely."

Xianuo chuckled and tossed the Straw Hat in his hand into the air.

The moment the Straw Hat fell and was caught, it vanished without a trace.

"?!?"

Luffy's eyes widened like copper bells. He looked around Xianuo's open palm, left and right, but couldn't find any clues.

"Stop looking. Believe it or not, it's already in my bag?" Xianuo said with a smile.

"How is that possible?"

Luffy scoffed and hurriedly unzipped Xianuo's bag. Beneath a few loaves of bread, he actually found his Straw Hat.

"Whoa whoa whoa!!!"

Luffy held the Straw Hat high, exclaiming in surprise, "It's really here! That's amazing! How did you do that? Brother, do it again, please do it again!"

He handed the Straw Hat back to Xianuo like he was presenting a treasure, shaking his arm vigorously. "Just once, just one more time, okay..."

"Performing the same magic trick a second time will only diminish its charm."

Xianuo smiled and ruffled his hair. "Alright, that's enough for today. They seem to be almost done packing, so I should be going too."

Unnoticed, at this very moment, below the cliff.

A freckled boy was gritting his teeth and climbing upwards, inch by inch.

He nearly slipped and fell several times, but eventually managed to reach the top with difficulty, grabbing the edge of the cliff and pulling himself up.

"Those detestable Mountain Bandits!"

They dared to capture Luffy, he had to teach them a lesson!

His gaze shifted to the stone pillar. Ace blinked. Huh? Where did the person go? He had clearly seen Luffy tied to this stone pillar from afar earlier.

He reached behind the stone pillar and peeked out, his eyes widening in shock.

A burly black-haired man, who looked like the leader of the Mountain Bandits, was holding Luffy's head and grinning sinisterly.

Beside Luffy, a large pot was set up, with thick soup bubbling inside.

What were they planning to do?

These Mountain Bandits were so insane they were going to eat people, to boil Luffy alive!

"Stop right there!"

Ace, consumed by anxiety, roared and charged forward without hesitation, clenching his right fist and aiming for the damned bandit leader.

Dong!

In a flash, the bandit leader reacted, suddenly turning around and reaching out with a large hand to catch his fist, blocking the blow head-on.

Huh?

Ace was stunned. This guy... such fast reflexes!

Xianuo was equally stunned.

This face with its signature freckles and pockmarks... is that Ace? Why is he suddenly attacking me?

The two locked eyes for a moment.

Ace abruptly pulled his fist back, simultaneously reaching for his waist, drawing a dagger, and lunging towards Xianuo's wrist.

"You..."

Xianuo's mouth opened but was forcibly interrupted. He could only retreat while simultaneously sweeping a leg out, kicking the dagger away.

"Don't be rash, kid!"

He grabbed Ace's attacking fist and frowned. "Did you misunderstand something? We're meeting for the first time, aren't we?"

"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? I saw you holding Luffy's head, about to throw him into the pot with my own eyes!"

Ace roared and exerted force, breaking free from Xianuo's grasp. He twisted his waist and delivered a sharp upward kick towards Xianuo's crotch.

"Monster that eats people, die!"

Hmph, he's relentless!

Xianuo's temper flared instantly. What was this brat imagining? He wasn't listening even when he tried to explain properly.

Fine, he wouldn't hold back then!

He suddenly raised his foot, not dodging or evading, and stomped down on the incoming leg.

The moment their legs collided, Ace let out a sharp cry of agony, his face contorting in pain, and his leg made a crisp cracking sound, bending at an unnatural angle.

It hurts so much! How could this person be so much stronger than him? Ace, filled with shame and rage, completely lost control. He grabbed Xianuo's waist with both hands, using it for support to lift his upper body and headbutted Xianuo fiercely in the chest.

Want more?

Xianuo was out of patience now. He clenched his fists and threw a straight punch at the freckled face leaning in below.

Thump!

A dull thud echoed. Ace's nose bled profusely. His eyes glazed over, his body swayed, and he collapsed softly onto the ground, unconscious.

He's out already?

Xianuo retracted his fist, glancing at Ace on the ground with some surprise. He hadn't even used his full strength.

This kid's strength and speed are pretty good, almost half of mine. But his ability to take a hit... seems worse than Luffy's.

Then again, Luffy is an exception. The rubber properties of the Nika Fruit give him a natural resistance to most blunt force damage at such a young age.

"Ace!"

Luffy's eyes widened, and he rushed forward to shake Ace. "How are you? Wake up!"

He had actually wanted to intervene the moment Ace drew his dagger.

But everything that happened afterward was too fast. Before he could even react, Ace was already knocked out by Xianuo in just a few punches and kicks.

"He's fine. He'll wake up in a bit."

Xianuo checked him over and shook his head slightly. "But his leg seems to be a little fractured. He'd best rest for a few days and avoid strenuous activity."

He's fine?

That's good. Luffy relaxed. Looking at Ace, who was bruised and battered and in a sorry state, he couldn't help but point at him and burst out laughing:

"Giving up so quickly, how embarrassing! You too, Ace!"

"..."

Xianuo's eyebrows twitched slightly. "I thought you'd rush over to avenge him."

"Ace was being unreasonable. I know he was worried about me, but I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't blame Brother Xianuo, of course. And I can't beat you anyway."

Luffy stood up. "We spar often. Ace is much stronger than me. I can't win even once out of a hundred times. I always get beaten badly, just watching him brag. I never thought I'd see the day he'd be beaten down in just a few moves."

"You're so strong, Brother Xianuo!" Luffy pinched his chin. "Hmm, should you teach me magic first, or the combat techniques that defeated Ace..."

"Neither is good."

Xianuo chuckled, slinging his backpack over his right shoulder.

"Scarred and his crew are all taken care of. I'm really leaving now. See you again if fate allows, Luffy."

Huh?

Luffy subconsciously looked up. Indeed, the camp had already been cleaned up. Those pitiful refugees were gathered outside the fence gate, waiting for Xianuo.

"Let's go!"

Xianuo ruffled the kid's hair one last time. It was a bit scratchy, but felt quite comfortable. He smiled, waved goodbye, and walked away with Scarred and his group, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance.

The once lively camp suddenly became quiet and desolate.

Luffy stared blankly at the gate outside. After a long while, he slowly came back to himself with a hint of disappointment, patting his somewhat empty stomach.

I'm so hungry. He turned to look at the large pot still bubbling away.

It was filled with radishes and wild vegetables. Normally, he wouldn't eat this stuff.

But he was starving now, and he had to stay to wait for Ace to wake up, unable to go out to find food. So, he simply ladled a bowl and drank it down in large gulps.

Just as he was about to finish, a groan came from beside him. It was Ace, clutching his head as he slowly regained consciousness.

"Luffy?"

Ace looked at him in surprise. "You weren't cooked yet?"

"Cooked what... You misunderstood them, Ace!" Luffy ladled another bowl and handed it to Ace. "Those uncles weren't mountain bandits at all."

Radishes?

Ace looked down at the soup being offered to him and scratched his head. He suddenly understood a lot.

He took the bowl with a wry smile. "It seems I was impulsive. What about the guy I fought just now? He was really strong. Who is he?"

"That guy..."

Luffy recalled the scene just now and giggled.

"He's a really good person! And he can do magic, amazing magic. It's a shame I haven't learned it yet. Ace, I'll show you later. Can you do it for me in the future?"