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After a brief respite, the following day.
Enel and Wyper returned with two large warships. The entire Underworld Pirates boarded the ships, and along with the Ark Maxim, the three vessels set sail.
Ace's Spade Pirates followed Noir, journeying together towards the New World. Mihawk continued to travel with them.
Noir had invited Brook, the skeleton musician, to join his crew, but Brook declined.
His reason was simple: He wanted to retrace his steps and see how Laboon, the whale he'd promised to reunite with, was doing.
Unlike Luffy, whose dream of becoming King of the Pirates involved circumnavigating the globe and thus ensuring another meeting with Laboon, Brook chose to travel alone.
Noir wasn't bothered. He had already copied Brook's Yomi Yomi no Mi ability before the System shut down. For now, the ability was stored in his compendium, waiting for a suitable talent to replace.
It wasn't that Noir was unwilling to have members of the Straw Hat crew as companions, but he currently didn't need someone of Brook's level of strength.
He wasn't actively seeking to expand his crew at the moment. He already had a considerable number of powerful individuals under his command.
The Underworld Pirates served as his rank-and-file force, their loyalty and combat strength rivaling any other crew in the New World.
His executive officers, Enel, Wyper, Lucci, and the others, were formidable fighters.
What Noir lacked were top-tier combatants, individuals who could stand toe-to-toe with the world's strongest.
Otherwise, a single Marine Admiral would be enough to give him trouble. If the Marines sent two, or even a Warlord-level opponent, Enel and the others wouldn't be able to handle it.
Noir understood Brook's strength. While respectable, it was ultimately limited.
The person Noir truly wanted to recruit was Dracule Mihawk!
Oh… and Crocodile wouldn't be a bad addition either…
The Ark Maxim led the way, emerging from the mist into the open sea. Robin, holding the Log Pose, kept them on course, while Noir continued to pester Mihawk.
"Hawkeye, wouldn't you like to join my crew?" Noir persisted, trying his best to persuade the swordsman.
Mihawk, like an elegant nobleman, sipped his wine while basking in the sun. "No."
However, occasionally joining in on the action can be quite stimulating!
Just as Noir was about to try again, Mihawk interrupted him. "But, if you truly retake and occupy Noitem, I might consider moving there."
Hmm?!
Noir's eyes lit up. Moving there?
Wasn't that essentially the same as joining his crew?
Mihawk's intentions were clear. Free lodging, excellent treatment…
And, crucially, someone readily available as a sparring partner, with the freedom to choose whether or not to participate in battles.
Mihawk saw Noir's strength and sincerity, which influenced his decision.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Both Noir and Mihawk felt they had gained something from the agreement. Now, Noir was even more curious about Noitem.
It was time to establish his own territory. Having his own kingdom would provide a safe haven for the people he rescued from Mary Geoise. It was a win-win situation.
Just then, several explosions echoed across the distant sea!
Enel, with his exceptional range of perception, was the first to sense something amiss. He transformed into lightning and soared into the sky, his golden staff unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts.
Black cannonballs exploded in midair, revealing the enemy's position.
Noir's expression turned serious. "They found us this quickly? As expected of Sengoku..."
The Underworld Pirates raised their weapons, their faces alight with excitement.
This was their first battle as members of the Underworld Pirates, under Noir's command. They couldn't afford to lose face!
A massive Marine fleet approached. On the lead ship, Noir spotted a familiar figure.
"Old man..." Ace groaned, covering his face with his hand. Him again?
Beside Garp, Noir saw another Marine Admiral: Akainu Sakazuki.
Noir had already encountered Aokiji and Kizaru. Now, the final Admiral stood before him, and his presence felt different.
Akainu was much more imposing than the other two, radiating an aura of lethal intensity.
Honestly, Noir felt that among the Marine Admirals, Akainu was the most suited for the position.
He had a strong sense of hierarchy, obeyed orders without question, and despite his brutal methods, he was the hardest-working Admiral.
But compared to Aokiji, he lacked compassion.
Akainu would readily sacrifice those he deemed unimportant to achieve his mission objectives. This inherent ruthlessness, combined with his unwavering dedication to his duty, made him far more dangerous than Aokiji, whose convictions were strong but whose stance was less absolute.
"A Marine Admiral and the Hero of the Marines. Sengoku really thinks highly of me," Noir remarked with a wry smile.
On the neighboring ship, Ace, shading his eyes with his hand, grinned. "So many Marines! I'll take care of that one!"
With that, Ace leaped into the sea, landing on a small boat.
Flames erupted from Ace's feet, propelling the specially designed boat forward, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
Garp watched Ace approach, his face creased with a frown. "Ace! You're causing trouble for me again!"
Ace flashed a bright smile, his right fist gathering flames as he pulled it back. He then unleashed a powerful punch.
"Fire Fist!"
A fiery orange fist, tinged with white, hurtled towards the Marine warship.
"It's the pirate, Portgas D. Ace!"
"Get out of the way! That's his Fire Fist!"
As the Marines scrambled to avoid the incoming attack, a towering figure stepped forward.
Akainu's stern face remained impassive. He muttered with disdain, "How presumptuous."
A wave of intense heat emanated from him as molten lava, like an erupting volcano, formed into a fist and collided with Ace's attack.
The magma fist and fire fist clashed, creating a violent explosion of heat.
The magma engulfed Ace's flames, like a hyena tearing into its prey, relentlessly consuming the orange flames.
But when the magma reached the small patches of white fire, its advance faltered.
Though the Fire Fist was ultimately extinguished, Akainu looked at Ace with surprise. "That fire… it's strange. The temperature is incredibly high…"
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