Bluffing Fire Fist Ace

Luo Ji held Nidai Kitetsu and charged straight toward the Seastone processing plant and finished goods warehouse.

"Quick! Pack all the Seastone weapons and Seastone crafts into boxes.

"Whoever packs the fastest, I'll let him go first!"

Luo Ji shouted at the prisoners and slaves as he casually cut down several Beasts guards.

"You! I know you—Hyo of the Flower, the underworld boss of the Flower Capital.

"Hurry up and help organize these samurai. I can tell you something surprising."

"Also, I want the underworld bosses of Udon, Hakumai, Kibi, and Ringo to come out!"

Luo Ji shouted rapidly. Before long, all those he had called out stepped forward.

"Help me pack up all these finished Seastone products, and I'll set you free.

"Also, I'll tell you a secret: your former shogun, Kozuki Sukiyaki, isn't dead!

"As long as you listen obediently, I'll tell you where Sukiyaki is!"

Luo Ji smiled faintly, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

One man in a prison cell, wearing a straw hat, was especially agitated. His webbed hands gripped the prison bars tightly.

"What! The former shogun isn't dead?"

"Didn't Kurozumi Orochi say the former shogun died of illness?"

Hyo of the Flower and the other underworld bosses all cried out excitedly.

Ever since Kozuki Sukiyaki had supposedly died of illness, Kozuki Oden had been executed, and Kozuki Momonosuke had vanished, they had believed the Kozuki Family was gone for good.

That had filled them with utter despair.

"Get to work! The faster you finish, the sooner you'll learn Kozuki Sukiyaki's whereabouts."

Luo Ji issued the command with a stern expression. The Sea-Prism Stone Mine was enormous and had many processing lines.

To seize more Seastone weapons and other tools, he intended to mobilize every laborer and strip the Sea-Prism Stone Mine clean.

Upon hearing Luo Ji's order, Hyo of the Flower, the Flower Capital's underworld boss known as [Mighty Blade], and Omasa, Udon's underworld boss known as [Blood Script]—

Tsunagoro, Hakumai's underworld boss known as [Broken Straw Hat]; Yatappe, Kibi's underworld boss known as [Snake Eyes]; and Ocho, Ringo's underworld boss known as [Evening Primrose]—

The five underworld bosses immediately rallied the samurai prisoners and slaves of the Sea-Prism Stone Mine, swiftly gathering all the finished Seastone products, semi-finished products, and even freshly mined Seastone ore from throughout the mine.

They brought everything to the Seastone warehouse where Luo Ji was, boxing up what needed boxing and making boxes where there were none.

They were determined to carry out Luo Ji's packing and transport orders.

Meanwhile, Yamato was releasing prisoners on a massive scale, helping them remove both Seastone restraints and ordinary iron shackles.

After all, Seastone was extremely precious. Not every prisoner was qualified to wear Seastone restraints.

Karamatsu, one of the Nine Red Scabbards, was also rescued by Yamato in passing.

This fish-man also wanted to learn Kozuki Sukiyaki's whereabouts from Luo Ji.

He eagerly worked near Luo Ji as well.

But when he saw Luo Ji summon scroll after scroll and store box after box of Seastone inside them—

A terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.

Why did this look so much like Raizo's scroll sorcery?

He had heard Oden, Nekomamushi, and Inuarashi, who had gone out to sea, say that Wano Country's so-called sorcerers were actually Devil Fruit users from overseas.

Such Devil Fruit abilities were unique.

Only when the previous owner died would the Devil Fruit ability reappear and be acquired by someone else.

"Could Raizo already be dead?"

Karamatsu staggered back several steps, trembling. He simply could not accept that possibility.

If Raizo was dead, then had Lord Momonosuke, Brother Kin'emon, Kikunojo, Kanjuro, and the others all met with disaster too?

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Karamatsu clenched his fists, his breathing rapid as his mind went blank.

"No! Lord Oden said Devil Fruit abilities could also have similar abilities, known as superior and inferior abilities!

"This young man's sorcery might simply be similar to Raizo's.

"Yes, that must be it. Raizo and the others definitely haven't come to harm.

"Lady Toki's Toki Toki no Mi ability definitely wouldn't go wrong!"

Karamatsu kept hypnotizing himself into accepting that guess. Lord Oden's prophecy had to be right, and Lady Toki's ability had to be safe.

"Luo Ji! What are you doing? Come save people with me and beat the hell out of these bastards!"

Yamato was incredibly excited, fighting to her heart's content. Watching the prisoners regain their freedom one by one filled her with immense joy.

Defeating the Beasts Pirates and liberating Wano Country had been one of the things she had wanted most over the years.

"You can handle these small matters. Next, we're heading to the Flower Capital!"

Luo Ji kept storing box after box of Seastone, his lips curling into a smile. How much would this batch of goods fetch if sold?

Even if he did not sell it and kept it for himself, it would still be an enormous fortune.

Fire Fist Ace watched as these two took control of the situation so quickly and even ordered so many prisoners to work.

For a moment, he wanted to get to know them.

Perhaps they could even form an alliance and defeat the Beasts Pirates together.

He wondered whether they were free agents or pirates.

If they were free agents, Ace even wanted to invite them aboard his ship.

"Hey, friends, are you pirates too? Your ability is pretty impressive!"

Sensing that Yamato posed the greater threat, Fire Fist Ace chose to gather information from Luo Ji.

This young man looked like a support-type crew member.

"Portgas D. Ace, I know you!"

"Your good brother Sabo isn't dead. Do you want to know where he is?"

"If you do, then do a few things for me."

As Luo Ji collected the Seastone boxes, he immediately played his trump card, leaving Fire Fist Ace utterly dumbfounded.

"What! You said Sabo isn't dead? Who are you? How do you know about me and Sabo?"

Fire Fist Ace was extremely agitated. Very few people should have known that he, Sabo, and Luffy had sworn brotherhood.

How did this unfamiliar young man know such a secret?

Was he from Foosha Village, or one of Old Man Garp's people?

"My name is Luo Ji. I'm someone with the ability to see parts of people's fates!"

Luo Ji gave Fire Fist Ace a meaningful look, though his hands never slowed.

"Fate?"

Fire Fist Ace's expression turned grave. A Devil Fruit ability involving fate?

That was utterly ridiculous!

"What do I have to do for you to tell me about Sabo?"

Fire Fist Ace asked skeptically. He still wanted to test Luo Ji further.

"Just follow me around for a few days."

"By the way, your little brother Straw Hat Luffy is quite an extraordinary fellow!"

Luo Ji made a simple request, then revealed another piece of information to make Fire Fist Ace trust him more.

"You saw Luffy too?

"What are you going to do over the next few days?

"I still have other things to do."

Fire Fist Ace hesitated before asking again. He still had to go to Onigashima and challenge Beast Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.

"What important business do you have? Oh, right—the Beasts Pirates have already set out on a major expedition. Beast Kaido probably won't be in Wano Country for the next few weeks.

"If you want to know about Sabo, you should follow me for a few days first!

"I'll take you to defeat this country's evil shogun!"

Luo Ji wore an expression as though he saw through everything, making Fire Fist Ace's eyes widen again.

This guy even knew that he was going to challenge Beast Kaido?

They had only just met for the first time.

It seemed his ability to see part of the future was real!