"Dark Ranger Fujitora!"
Hina and Smoker broke into cold sweats as they stared at the blind middle-aged man on the deck of the giant ship that had descended from the air gate. Fujitora was a terrifyingly powerful figure who had emerged during the Entei incident, previously unknown in the sea.
A wielder of the Gravity Fruit, Fujitora, along with 'Dark King' Rayleigh and 'Little Thieving Cat' Nami, had besieged Admiral Kizaru. His ability to manipulate gravity significantly limited Kizaru's Sparkling Fruit powers. He even fought Admiral Aokiji head-on, matching him blow for blow. Fujitora's Observation Haki was cultivated to the ultimate level, allowing him to see short-term futures. During the Buster Call launched by the Five Elders, he used his gravity powers to suspend hundreds of warships' cannonballs over the Sabaody Archipelago, preventing them from causing harm.
His mastery of Devil Fruit abilities, Haki, and swordsmanship positioned him at the pinnacle of this ocean's power hierarchy. Even among the former Admirals of Headquarters, Fujitora could hold his own against the strongest. Now, under Ace's command, alongside Kuzan, the Entei Pirates boasted four peak combat powers.
Fujitora, with a bounty of 1.8 billion beli, was the captain of the Entei Pirates' second team. The simultaneous deployment of Fujitora and Kuzan represented a terrifying lineup. If these two joined forces, even a Yonko might hesitate to confront them. The presence of these formidable figures suggested that the sea would soon be thrown into chaos again because of Ace.
Smoker and Hina, their faces pale, looked at the two powerful men who far outclassed them.
"This ship is nice, Fujitora," Kuzan remarked, smiling slightly.
Kuzan held a deep admiration for Fujitora, the captain of the Entei Pirates' second division. Fujitora's actions during the great Entei Incident showed his love for the common people. Despite the physical toll and personal danger, he had used his gravity powers to stop the Buster Call cannonballs from harming the civilians of Sabaody Archipelago. This selflessness reminded Kuzan of his own failures during the Ohara incident, where he couldn't prevent the Marine from massacring civilians. Under Ace's command, however, Fujitora had managed to protect the innocent, embodying the justice Kuzan sought.
"Mr. Ace built it for me," Fujitora said, his smile widening as he spoke of the ship.
Amazon Lily's shipwrights, aided by the Field of Understanding, had constructed exclusive ships for several divisions. Fujitora's ship was a testament to Ace's support and the shared ideals of his commanders.
Fujitora raised his head with a smile, extending his Gravity abilities.
"!"
Another enormous sailing ship descended through the air gate in the sky. Under the power of the Heavy Fruit, the massive vessel seemed weightless as it landed lightly on the sea.
"..."
Kuzan's eyes widened in shock.
The entire hull was the color of ice crystal, with a lifelike bird's head adorning the bow. The main sail bore the pirate flag of the Entei Pirates, and the sail beneath it displayed a large "one."
"How about it, Kuzan? Do you like it?" Ace's laughter echoed through the phone.
This was a high-quality ship built specifically for Kuzan by Ace and the shipwrights of Nine Snakes.
"Thank you for your trouble, Ace," Kuzan said, though he didn't utter words of thanks. Instead, he simply smiled.
There was no need for further words. From the moment Kuzan left the Marines and decided to join the Entei Pirates, he had pledged his life, ideals, and everything to Ace.
"Just smile if you like it. Bring Zephyr and Ain up, and let them and Marine take over the rest," Ace instructed, his tone light.
"Clear," Fujitora nodded. At Kuzan's instruction, he used his Gravity Fruit ability to lift Zephyr and Ain's frozen forms gently into the sky, erasing their gravity. The two ice sculptures slowly rose and vanished into the air gate.
"Crack!"
The next moment, the air door closed completely.
"Is it the power of the Door-Door Fruit? What an incredible ability," Hina said, looking at the disappearing air door with disbelief and horror in her eyes. The Marines couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the Entei Pirates' fleet.
On Ace's ship was the 'Little Thieving Cat' Nami, who had awakened the Thunder Fruit ability. Her amplified Observation Haki had an extensive range. During the Entei Incident, the Entei Pirates destroyed all Marine guard ships from the Devil's Triangle to the Sabaody Archipelago, proving the extent of their surveillance capabilities.
Faced with such a formidable ability user, Marine couldn't deploy observation ships within the detection range of Nami's enhanced Observation Haki. Unlike the other Four Emperors, Ace wouldn't just ignore an observation ship. He might teach the Marines a lesson, acting unpredictably—sometimes calm and calculated, other times wildly aggressive.
With the Marines in turmoil due to the Entei incident, there were no thoughts of provoking Ace now. When they finally discovered the Entei Pirates' whereabouts, they were headed towards the Calm Belt, a considerable distance away. But Ace could use the Door-Door Fruit to open a long-distance teleportation door, suggesting he could attack Naval Headquarters at any moment if he wanted to.
Disbelief, fear, and shock filled Hina's heart. The pretty face, already pale from Kuzan's freezing air, became even paler.
"What kind of monster are we facing at Naval Headquarters?" she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of the implications.
"Alright, let's discuss the destination for this mission: Dressrosa. Fujitora, you explain the specific mission objectives to Kuzan," Ace said with a smile.
"Understood, Mr. Ace," Fujitora responded, nodding with a smile.
"By the way, Captain, I have something to report about Marine's latest information," Kuzan suddenly interjected.
"Huh? What's the matter?" Ace's voice came through the phone bug, curious.
"Before I left, Akainu assumed the role of Marshal, and the positions of the Three Admirals in Naval Headquarters were also vacant. However, none of the current Admiral candidates possess the true strength of an Admiral of Headquarters. Consequently, the World Government initiated a global conscription, but the initial results were not ideal..."
Ace wasn't surprised by Kuzan's words. In the original timeline, the World Government conducted a global conscription after the Summit War due to a lack of suitable candidates within the Marines to fill the Admiral roles. Fujitora and Green Bull emerged as the new Admirals of Headquarters during that conscription. But now, with Fujitora already serving as the captain of Ace's second division, only Green Bull might fill an Admiral position.
In this world conscription, finding another candidate to succeed as Admiral of Headquarters seemed impossible. Such powerful individuals were not easy to come by. In battles between the Four Emperors' pirate groups, combat forces of that caliber could determine the war's outcome. Thus, Kuzan's departure left a significant vacancy in the Naval Headquarters, a situation intolerable for both the Marines and the World Government.
"After I left, the World Government provided Naval Headquarters with a Devil Fruit," Kuzan continued.
"Oh? A Devil Fruit?" Ace's curiosity was piqued.
"Yes, it's a rare Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit: the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: Orochi. They gave it to Tea Dolphin, who is expected to be promoted to the new Admiral of Headquarters after the world conscription," Kuzan explained solemnly.
"I see. It seems the World Government still possesses many rare Devil Fruits. However, giving such a precious Mythical Zoan to Tea Dolphin indicates they are indeed desperate," Ace remarked with a smile.
The Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: SnakeBelt, derived from a monster legend in an island country, appeared as a fine belt with a unique shape and a head at each end. Tea Dolphin's strength alone wasn't sufficient to become an Admiral of Headquarters. To significantly enhance his strength quickly, a powerful Devil Fruit ability was necessary. Though not as formidable as the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon that Kaido consumed, the Snake-Snake Fruit, Model: SnakeBelt, was still an extremely potent Devil Fruit.
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The fact that such a valuable fruit wasn't given to the Knights of God but rather to an Admiral candidate underscored the lack of suitable candidates within the World Government. Tea Dolphin lacked Conqueror's Haki and Martial Art Skills, and even with the Devil Fruit, his experience might fall short. This year's Naval Headquarters Admirals were notably weaker than its predecessors.
Kuzan's information revealed the current high-end combat capabilities of Naval Headquarters. The new Marine Marshal was Akainu, and the three Admirals were Kizaru, Green Bull, and Tea Dolphin.
"Marine's combat power is waning. Don't worry about them. Our ultimate goal is the World Government," Ace declared with a hearty laugh.
Today's Marines, weakened further by Kuzan's departure to join Ace's team, were no match for the Entei Pirates' fleet. Their true opponent was now the World Government.
"Understood," Fujitora and Kuzan both replied, smiling.
This was their captain, the man they chose to follow. In front of Ace, Naval Headquarters was no longer a significant threat.
"Let's go, Kuzan," Fujitora said with a determined smile. "Dressrosa has become a pirate nation under Doflamingo, one of the Shichibukai. We need to liberate it, destroy Kaido's artificial Devil Fruit SMILE factory, and kill Doflamingo, completely wiping out the Donquixote family. The String-String Fruit and the Hobby-Hobby Fruit are Devil Fruit abilities we need. the Captain is about to launch a crusade against Four Emperors Kaido!"
"Understood," Kuzan nodded, agreeing.
Ace had considered visiting Dressrosa himself but decided it would be overkill. Destroying Doflamingo's pirate group and liberating Dressrosa no longer warranted Ace's personal attention. Today, Ace stood above the Four Emperors, and taking action against a mere Shichibukai would diminish his status. Dispatching two Admiral-level experts like Kuzan and Fujitora would suffice to crush the Donquixote family. Kuzan alone could handle Doflamingo, but Ace wanted to make a statement to the world about the strength of his pirate group.
Smoker and Hina watched with grim expressions as Kuzan and Fujitora's ships vanished into the sea. Their strength was insufficient to eavesdrop on the conversation between Fujitora and Ace, leaving them anxious and waiting for Marine's rescue. The phone bugs were rendered useless by the freezing air, adding to their helplessness.
"It's quite amusing that Tea Dolphin became an Admiral of Navy Headquarters, isn't it, Momousagi?" Ace remarked, turning to a tall woman beside him with a smile.