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...
After finally escaping the clutches of the Sea Kings and evading the watchful eyes of the Marines, Noir and his crew managed to flee the Calm Belt, thanks to the electrical power of the Ark Maxim.
Unlike the Marines' special warships, which could freely navigate the Calm Belt without being detected by Sea Kings, they didn't have that advantage.
Robin looked at Noir with concern and asked, "Did Aokiji make a move?"
Noir shook his head and replied, "He had his reservations or perhaps another agenda, so he didn't trouble me."
Turning to Robin, Noir spoke seriously, "The next island is near Enies Lobby, a government stronghold. Be careful."
Robin nodded and said, "Don't worry about me. But aren't you afraid of being targeted by the government?"
Noir scoffed and sneered, "Damn government, they better not mess with me."
Robin smiled at him. The fear she had of the government institutions from her childhood seemed to have vanished now.
In the original storyline, Robin had sacrificed herself and defected to protect the Straw Hat crew in Water 7. But now things were different.
The key difference between Noir and Luffy's crew was the gap in strength. Though Luffy and his crew were talented, they wouldn't surpass the level of a Vice Admiral at that point without extraordinary circumstances.
Noir, on the other hand, was different. With his mysterious Devil Fruit ability, advanced Haki, and swordsmanship that could rival Mihawk, he had been at the peak since his debut.
Robin had witnessed Noir's battles against two of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and was confident in his strength.
In simple terms, while Robin might have been a burden to the Straw Hat crew at that time, she was no burden to someone at the level of Noir, who was comparable to the Seven Warlords.
Moreover, the government wouldn't want to provoke someone like Noir unless absolutely necessary, as they might even try to recruit him later.
After setting the course and instructing Wyper to watch over the ship, Noir returned to his laid-back mode.
On the deck made from processed clouds, three beach chairs were lined up neatly. Noir lay in the middle, with the sultry Robin on his left and the pure Conis on his right.
All three wore sunglasses, enjoying the sea breeze and sunshine comfortably.
Noir was moved to tears, feeling that his quality of life had finally been elevated! Reflecting on the days of wandering in the East Blue, it was either him alone or with Ace and the others.
Five men together! Only Noir knew how he got through that time.
But to be honest, he missed them a bit. He wondered how Ace was doing now...
"More news about 'Fire Fist' Ace..."
Robin's soft murmur startled Noir. "Ace?"
Robin nodded, handing him the newspaper, "The news birds have been publishing a lot about him lately."
Noir took the newspaper and quickly found the headline about Ace. It was the front-page story, detailing his recent actions:
"The notorious pirate, Portgas D. Ace, engaged in a fierce battle with the Marines on Nasd Island and used flames to destroy an entire Marine base!"
"The bounty has increased to 98 million Berries. Fire Fist Ace may become a Supernova with a bounty exceeding 100 million when he reaches the Sabaody Archipelago!"
There was even a photo of Ace's wanted poster attached. In the photo, Ace was laughing wildly, with flames dancing on his outstretched fingers against a backdrop of fiery ruins.
Noir chuckled. This guy was living freely.
And Supernova? So this term was already in use during Ace's time?
He had thought it only applied to the Worst Generation.
Also, this newspaper company had some guts to report on this. Weren't they afraid of the Marines coming after them?
Conis noticed the smile on Noir's face and asked curiously, "Noir, do you know him?"
Noir nodded, "We once sailed together for a while. I'd call him a friend."
Robin suddenly understood, "No wonder... You copied his flame ability."
Noir had never told anyone about the system, so Robin, like everyone else, believed Noir's power was to copy others' Devil Fruits.
Now it seemed the whole world thought Noir was a Devil Fruit copier.
Noir didn't mind this at all; it served as a convenient excuse for his unusual abilities.
With the way Ace's bounty was rising, by the time they met in Sabaody, Ace might already be a pirate with a bounty over 100 million Berries.
Noir suddenly recalled his early plan to train Ace...
Capturing someone worth over 100 million Berries was tempting!
Should he catch Ace and hand him over to Garp for money?
That old man wouldn't refuse to pay... right?
Meanwhile, on a remote and mysterious island, the Spade Pirates were having a bonfire feast with the locals.
"Ah-choo!!"
Ace, munching on a large chunk of roasted meat, suddenly sneezed loudly. A small flame burst from his nose as he grumbled, "Damn it! Luffy must be talking bad about me again!"
…
Back to Noir and his crew, the Ark Maxim travel group had been sailing for several days and were finally nearing their destination.
Since the Ark Maxim wasn't a pirate ship, they didn't need to hide. Noir docked the ship at the port and left it there temporarily.
Someone had to stay behind to watch the ship. Enel couldn't be left alone, so Wyper was chosen to remain.
Out of humanitarianism and kindness, Noir decided to bring Enel along.
As Robin put it, this was like giving a prisoner some time in the yard.
Having not seen the sun for a long time, Enel finally climbed out from the bottom of the ship. When he stepped on solid ground again, tears almost welled up in his eyes.
Ever since coming down from Skypiea, countless days and nights had passed, with these monsters either forcing him to generate electricity or dunking him in a water tank.
And he once thought he had a chance to escape.
Chance, my ass!
Noir warmly slung his arm around Enel's shoulder and said enthusiastically, "We're on land now. Today, we're going out to have fun, so don't hold back on spending!"
Enel held a bill with a 100 Berry note in silence.
Enel was new to the Blue Sea, or maybe his brain had been waterlogged. He wanted to ask if 100 Berries was a lot.
When did the economy of the Blue Sea shrink so much that 100 Berries was the price of cotton candy?
Lost in thought, Enel didn't notice that Robin and Conis were each carrying a backpack.
Hmm...
Both bags were filled with money.
The double-standard Noir raised his arm and excitedly ran toward the island, shouting, "Let's go, time to have fun in Water 7!"
The others quickly followed, except Enel, who was constantly thinking about how to escape.
"Hmm?"
Enel suddenly frowned and looked in a certain direction.
His Mantra sensed that someone seemed to be watching them.
...
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