"Finally, we've arrived in the New World!" Deuce, wearing his blindfold, spread his arms wide on the deck, attempting a grand pose that made Shin cringe inwardly.
'Please, your name is Deuce, not Mighty Guy! Besides, striking a pose like that is an easy way to crash into an iceberg,' Shin thought to himself.
Soon enough, the New World's "welcome" ceremony proved his point. A massive wave, laced with freezing winds, nearly turned Deuce into an ice sculpture on the spot.
"Ah, it's freezing! Why is it so cold out here when it's sunny?" Deuce shivered and stepped back, where Ace quickly extended his hand to warm him up with a flame.
"Welcome to the New World. Ice-cold seawater and airborne icebergs are just part of the package here," Shin said casually.
"Haha, icebergs falling from the sky, sure," Deuce chuckled weakly.
Shin merely squinted, saying nothing more. He knew the New World's climate was far more unpredictable than the first half of the Grand Line. The weather here was wild enough to ground even a powerhouse like Golden Lion Shiki, turning him from a fierce pirate to a miserable castaway.
Thankfully, Ace served as the Spade Pirates' navigator and one of their few powerhouses besides Shin. Without Ace's navigational skills, Shin wouldn't have felt confident entering the New World at all.
It had been over half a year since Shin joined the Spade Pirates, and while they had encountered plenty of challenges along the way, Ace and Shin had carried most of the crew's combat burden. While dedicated, the rest of the crew mainly supported the duo from the sidelines, given their more limited fighting abilities.
In that time, Ace had unlocked his Armament Haki, while Shin had also developed his own by training and sparring with Ace. With their mastery of Observation and Armament Haki, the two were finally ready to face the dangers of the New World.
This was important, as Shin knew all too well how reckless Ace could be here.
First, Ace met with the Red-Haired Pirates to thank Shanks for saving his younger brother, Luffy. Shanks, with his outgoing personality, had made the meeting easy. But soon after, Ace's bold streak emerged: he journeyed to Wano to confront Kaido, who was thankfully away. Ace ended up clashing with Kaido's son, Yamato and fought him to a draw despite Yamato's Haki restraints.
And then, as if that wasn't risky enough, Ace challenged Whitebeard himself.
'Even Luffy knew when to tactically retreat after encountering Big Mom! Ace, do you really have to be this bold?' Shin mused.
Oh, and on Fishman Island, Ace had burned Whitebeard's flag. While Whitebeard himself might be forgiving, his sons likely wouldn't be as understanding. Though Ace eventually swore allegiance to Whitebeard in the original story, the journey leading up to that was filled with close calls and near disasters.
Reflecting on this New World journey, Shin couldn't help but feel a slight headache.
Yet, it was unavoidable. In the New World, the Four Emperors were immovable obstacles every pirate had to reckon with. Ace's Spade Pirates couldn't avoid them, even if they wanted to. Each Emperor ruled vast territories, and any promising pirate crew represented a potential future threat. The Four Emperors' crews—or even their subordinates—would naturally try to suppress any rising pirate group.
For the Supernova pirate Ace, there would inevitably be some form of confrontation with the Four Emperors.
Pushing these worries aside, Shin looked over at Ace. "Captain, where are we headed next?"
Aside from leading the Spade Pirates, Ace was also their navigator, and his navigational skills were top-notch. In the original timeline, this talent allowed him to hunt down Blackbeard on his own, a feat that demonstrated his remarkable prowess in finding his way across the unpredictable Grand Line.
Ace studied the map and checked the eternal compass in his hand. "First, let's try finding the Red-Haired Pirates. I still need to thank Shanks for saving Luffy," he said, flipping the compass with a grin. "But the Red-Haired Pirates are pretty elusive. If we can't locate them, we'll make our way to Whitebeard instead."
Unlike the other Emperors, the Red-Haired Pirates were known for roaming without a permanent base. Kaido had Wano, Big Mom controlled Totto Land, and Whitebeard had his preferred territory. The Red-Haired Pirates, however, embodied the true freedom of piracy, often traversing uncharted islands. Shanks himself sometimes had no clue where they'd end up next!
In fact, on one occasion, when Shanks and Mihawk were sharing drinks, they reportedly cracked open some local brew from an unknown island, which they had found purely by chance.
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Mass Release: [5/5]
For every power stones milestone: 50,100, 200, 300,400,500 I will release a bonus chapter.
I will also release a bonus chapter for every two reviews until it reaches ten reviews.
Review status: [4/10]