Flame-Flame Fruit

Chapter 021: Flame-Flame Fruit

Everyone knew that the "but" that followed was the real point, yet they still breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

No matter what, managing to survive under a Shichibukai was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. They could accept anything Leo said.

"We will not only let you live, but we will also take you out of the Calm Belt, but..."

Here it comes.

All the pirates thought to themselves.

"There's only one simple condition."

"Before we leave the Calm Belt, I want you to listen to me carefully, follow my instructions, and obey my commands. Until we leave the Calm Belt, I will temporarily be your captain, and every move you make must be according to my arrangements. In return, I, representing the Kuja Pirates, guarantee your safety in the Calm Belt and will ensure your safe departure."

Not only did the pirate crew opposite them show expressions of "Is that all?", but even most of the Amazon warriors wore similar looks. Given their current situation, this condition couldn't even be called a trade; it was merely a prerequisite for unconditional surrender in exchange for their lives.

Yet, he stated this prerequisite so seriously, leaving everyone wondering what he was thinking.

"Do you agree?" He was earnestly upholding the concept of a "pact."

"We, we agree..." The pirates didn't understand why he placed so much importance on everyone's verbal commitment, but they all responded haltingly.

They knew they wouldn't be able to leave the Calm Belt today if they didn't.

"Very good." Leo released Hancock's hand and continued walking.

"Then, please... May I ask your name?" he asked apologetically, arriving at the ship's railing. The two ships were nearly side-by-side, facing each other, with him confronting the opposing captain.

"I am William of the Great Bay Blade." The pirate captain, standing at five meters tall, almost looked down on Leo. People so polite at sea often lacked strength; they were usually the targets of oppression and deceit. However, with a Shichibukai backing this seemingly oppressed individual, he was now a leviathan of the sea.

How powerful was the deterrence of the Shichibukai? Just look at how Doflamingo ran auction houses and Crocodile operated his large casinos across the pirate world. It was absolutely impossible for anyone to cause trouble, nor would anyone dare to.

Pirates like Crocodile, Empress, and Jinbe, who joined the Shichibukai early, had bounties even less than 100 million. But in terms of combat power, they were at least 200 million or higher. If one were to truly assess combat strength based on bounties, a few new pirates with 100 million bounties wouldn't stand a chance. If you looked at bounties, Nico Robin and Crocodile were only 2 million apart; were their combat strengths so similar?

Jinbe's bounty was only 76 million now; could he not defeat Robin, whose bounty was 79 million?

So, bounties were just for show. If strength were truly measured by bounties, one wouldn't even know how they died.

Perhaps this kid was a Devil Fruit user? Maybe he was a hidden super-combatant? Otherwise, how could he have established himself in the Kuja Pirates?

"William, William." Leo's words interrupted William's daydream. He snapped back to reality, a humble smile on his face as he asked Leo, "Yes, I'm here. Is there something you need?"

"Please show me the Devil Fruit, and have you eaten one?"

As Leo spoke with him, he beckoned to Ran. She and Rindou were the chief stewards of the entire ship. When Hancock didn't manage anything, the ship's management duties fell to Sandersonia and Marigold.

Sandersonia and Marigold weren't particularly adept at such matters, so they naturally promoted Ran and Rindou to be their assistants.

In fact, within the eccentrically composed Kuja Pirates, Ran and Rindou were among the few reliable women.

And because of their previous relationship on Nine Snake Island, Ran and Leo had the best rapport, so he called for Ran with justification.

"No, I haven't eaten one. Please wait a moment." Under someone else's roof, the seemingly tall and sturdy "Great Bay Blade" William was so humble that it surprised Leo. Perhaps he had learned his lesson before, or perhaps this was his way of surviving in this world.

However, when he brought a treasure chest before Leo and opened the small chest, Leo was truly shocked. Even Leo, who no longer remembered the shapes of Devil Fruits very well, recognized the name of this distinctively shaped fruit at a glance: the Flame-Flame Fruit!

That's right, it was "Fire Fist" Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit!

But how could the Flame-Flame Fruit be here!

Leo's mind raced, trying to figure out the problem. Logically, before the Shichibukai system was announced, many powerful pirates would have been recruited by the government. For example, a Logia-type Devil Fruit user like Fire Fist Ace, if recruited, would save a lot of trouble. The Spade Pirates were also a force of considerable size.

But why, with the Shichibukai policy already implemented, and with pirates like Jinbe, Doflamingo, Crocodile, Gekko Moria, and Empress Hancock having announced their joining, hadn't Ace eaten the Flame-Flame Fruit yet? Instead, it had appeared in the hands of an unknown nobody?

Leo quickly realized something he had overlooked—or rather, a blind spot in his thinking. Jinbe, Doflamingo, Crocodile, Gekko Moria, and Empress Hancock, these five individuals actually had their own territories and spheres of influence. They were ambitious, which was why Doflamingo, Crocodile, and Gekko Moria were desperately trying to get in on this. Thus, the first few were very smooth.

However, the whereabouts of "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk and "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma were unpredictable. For instance, Hawk Eyes once crossed the Calm Belt alone to hunt down an unknown nobody in the East Blue, "Admiral" Krieg. As for the whereabouts of the Revolutionary Army cadre, Tyrant Kuma, they were even more elusive.

Although the Shichibukai system had been announced for a long time, it wasn't necessarily filled all at once.

It was possible that Ace was a substitute found by the World Government after they couldn't find Hawk Eyes or Kuma—he was a Logia-type user, and his future strength was promising, so there was no need to worry about his growth potential.

If he guessed correctly... he would likely encounter the Ace who had not yet become Fire Fist soon after leaving the Calm Belt.

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