They faced a closed door.
Kaito Sakamoto could only lead his crew back to the bay, watching their ship engulfed in flames. As he recalled the king's words during their phone call, he realized everything had been a trap set by the king.
"Bastard, remember this!!"
Fury surged within him as Kaito vented his frustrations.
Meanwhile, the kingdom was comfortably sitting on a couch, sipping red tea, while he was trapped in a raging inferno, struggling to escape.
And deep within, the insatiable void of desire was impossible to fill.
Surrounded by flames, Kaito was not thinking about survival but how to make a comeback.
A comeback requires money, but who has money?
Ace and the others' treasure was the answer.
And that's how fate often works: if he didn't turn back to find Ace and Luffy, could he even survive?
...
"Whew... whew... the flames are so intense. I wonder if the uncles from Garbage Mountain managed to escape."
Even in the heart of the inferno, Luffy was worried about others. He really made Kaito want to cry.
But Ace thought he was being foolish. "What's going on? You still have time to care about others!?"
"Damn it, we don't even know where we are!"
The flames had turned many things to ashes, and with the thick smoke, Ace had lost his sense of direction.
To make matters worse, Kaito suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their way.
"Hey! You little brat, who allowed you to escape?"
"Kaito!"
"Why is the arsonist still here? Shouldn't you have fled long ago?"
Luffy was confused about why Kaito, the one who set the fire, wasn't escaping.
"Shut up, brat!"
Kaito was already annoyed, and Luffy's comment made it worse.
"Capture them!"
"Aren't we supposed to be partners working together? If we're going to die, let's die together…"
"You still haven't told us where the treasure is. Before the fire burns everything down, tell us, and we'll spare your lives."
Ace was shocked. "You're worried about treasure when your life is on the line!"
"Then will you say it?"
"Isn't it a waste not to go after it?"
Kaito replied.
Ace fell silent, but the treasure had already been moved to the mountain. Now he felt that Kaito had foresight.
However, Kaito didn't know they had already moved the treasure, which could be used to his advantage.
"Fine, I'll tell you!"
Ace replied calmly, revealing the original location of the treasure to Kaito.
But as the saying goes, the devil rises a foot higher than the righteous. No, in their case, it should be said that the righteous rises a foot higher than the devil.
...
"What are you doing? Didn't I just tell you the location?!"
Ace revealed the treasure's location, but instead of letting Luffy go, Kaito's crew captured Ace as well.
"Who knows if you're lying? You both have to come with us."
Kaito retorted.
Ace was furious. Were they really going to follow them to death!?
"Stop joking! By the time you find it, there will be no way to escape. If you want to go, go by yourselves!"
"Don't make me mad!!"
Kaito pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ace, his expression darkening further.
"Even if I have to rely on the brat's treasure, I swear I will make a comeback and take revenge on that damned king and those damned nobles."
"Your brother is the same; he treats others like trash."
"Staying with you just makes him feel superior. Otherwise, do you think his family's wealth would allow him to play with trash like you!?"
"Sabou doesn't think like that!!"
Ace shouted angrily, refusing to let Sabou's friendship with them be slandered.
"Don't be foolish!"
"He looks down on you all and laughs at you behind your backs!!"
Kaito shouted back, seeing all nobles as the same kind of trash.
Ace glared at Kaito, veins bulging on his forehead.
"You're not allowed to defame Sabou!!!"
"Right! Sabou just wants freedom!!"
Luffy couldn't take it anymore from behind and bit down on the pirate's arm that was choking him.
The pirate, in pain, released Luffy but angrily drew his sword from his back.
Luffy defended himself with a water pipe, but there was no way an unenhanced pipe could block a blade.
The pipe was split in two, and the blade grazed Luffy's forehead, blood splattering.
Just as the next strike was about to hit Luffy, Ace unconsciously unleashed his Conqueror's Haki.
"Stop!!!"
"Conqueror's Haki!"
Arriving at the bay, all they could see from above was swirling smoke. Kaito was about to use his Observation Haki when he sensed the surge of Conqueror's Haki and immediately flew toward its source.
...
As the descendant of Roger, Ace's talent was undoubtedly impressive; otherwise, he couldn't have become a first-generation supernova.
Conqueror's Haki was a great ability for clearing out underlings, and soon only Kaito was left standing.
In a surreal scene, Kaito watched as his subordinates fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.
Thinking Ace was behind it, he kicked Ace down, stepping on him while pointing his gun at him.
On the other side, the injured Luffy gritted his teeth but couldn't get up.
"Ace!!"
"Don't…"