(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you!)
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"Look! That must be Jaya Island," Nami exclaimed, pointing at the distant island from the bow of the Merry.
Robin walked over, a book in hand, and observed the island.
"This place seems to be a lawless zone. Even pirate ships can dock at the port openly."
Ace's lips curled into a grin.
"Sounds perfect for us."
Robin glanced at Ace and the other girls, smiling and nodding.
"That's true."
The strength of the Entei Pirates was already unmatched in the first half of the Grand Line. The chaos here wouldn't affect them at all.
"Let's head to Mock Town to stock up on supplies. Who knows how long it'll take to record the magnetic field once we reach Sky Island," Nojiko suggested, noticing that Nami seemed fixated on the Devil Fruit worth three billion Baileys.
Upon arriving in Mock Town, the chaos immediately made the girls frown.
The streets were filthy, littered with all kinds of pirate flags. Alcohol and violence filled every corner.
The sight of Ace and the others drew attention, and some of the townspeople seemed ready to make a move. However, they quickly froze in fear when they saw Ace at the front.
"Hey! Isn't that...?"
"No, it can't be mistaken."
"The one with the bounty of 85 million Baileys... Flame Emperor, Portgas D. Ace!"
"A big shot like that in Mock Town?"
In a corner, several pirates holding a stack of bounty posters found Ace's, which hadn't yet been updated, and their faces paled with fear.
An 85-million-Bailey pirate, right here!
Nojiko looked around at the chaotic town, sighing.
Aw
"What a mess... I thought we could find more supplies here, but it's just chaos and filth."
Kaya pointed to a nearby tavern.
"There's a tavern. Let's check it out and see if they have anything."
Ace glanced at the tavern, his Observation Haki slowly spreading out, and smiled faintly.
"Sounds good."
Inside the tavern, a man with yellow hair and a long scar on his left eye laughed loudly.
"Ha! That fool actually dared to challenge me!"
Other pirates at the bar praised him.
"Haha, that's our Bellamy! A real pirate with a bounty of 55 million Baileys!"
The tavern door creaked open, and everyone's attention turned to it.
When they saw Ace enter with several beautiful women, some pirates made a move, but others quickly stopped them, their faces showing a mix of fear and caution. They pulled out Ace's bounty poster, reminding them of who they were dealing with.
A big shot with an 85-million-Bailey bounty!
Ace casually took a seat.
"Boss, bring us some food."
The tavern owner quickly nodded.
"Right away, sir!"
Bellamy's vice-captain, Sarquiss, approached him, whispering nervously.
"Bellamy, that guy... it's really him."
Bellamy stared at Ace, a predatory grin on his face, but there was a nervous twitch in his eye.
This guy... Portgas D. Ace...
The tavern owner placed some food on the table.
"Please, enjoy."
Ace picked up a piece of Sakura Peach Pie.
This looks familiar... the same pie Luffy and Blackbeard ate.
He took a bite and grimaced.
"This tastes awful..."
Seems my taste is the same as Luffy's, he thought, then took a swig of the drink beside him and his eyes lit up.
"Oh? This drink is pretty good!"
Nojiko smiled and addressed the owner.
"Bring us a hundred more of these drinks, and a hundred servings of the best food you have."
The owner nodded eagerly.
"Right away!"
Bellamy, unable to hold back any longer, shouted across the tavern.
"Hey! What are you doing here, Portgas D. Ace, with your 85-million bounty?"
Ace continued eating, not even looking up. The girls glanced at Bellamy curiously.
Bellamy's frustration grew as Ace ignored him. He clenched his fists, and Sarquiss tugged at his sleeve nervously.
"Bellamy, don't provoke him... it's not worth it."
Nami turned to Bellamy, realizing they needed more information.
"We're heading to Sky Island. Do you know anything about it?"
The pirates in the tavern stared at her in disbelief, then burst into laughter. But they quickly stifled their laughter, fearing Ace.
Nami scowled.
"What's so funny?"
Bellamy sneered.
"Sky Island? Does anyone still believe in that fairy tale?"
Kaya frowned, upset by his mockery.
"Don't you have any dreams?"
Bellamy's expression turned serious, and he shouted, "Dreams? The era of chasing dreams is over! This is a new era!"
Ace calmly finished his food, wiped his mouth, and stood up.
"New era?"
As he stood, many pirates backed away, knocking over tables and chairs in their haste.
Sarquiss, looking nervous, whispered to Bellamy,
"Bellamy, please, don't do this... he's dangerous."
Bellamy hesitated but tried to act tough.
"So what if he's worth 85 million? He's just another pirate."
Ace's eyes narrowed.
"Are you even worthy of talking about a new era?"
Bellamy's face flushed with anger, veins bulging on his forehead.
"What did you just say?!"
Bellamy shouted,
"Even if you have an 85-million bounty, you can't insult the new era that I believe in!"
Bellamy's legs suddenly transformed into springs, coiling with tension as he prepared to launch himself at Ace.
"Damn it! Can I just go up now?" Sarquiss roared, brandishing a large dagger. The other members of the Hyena Pirates, driven by fear, reluctantly picked up their weapons—swords and guns clutched tightly in trembling hands.
"Devil Fruit powers?" Nami and the other girls eyed Bellamy's spring-like legs without a hint of surprise.
"Eighty-five million beli? So what? Let me show you the strength of my Spring-Spring Fruit!" Bellamy bellowed, launching himself toward Ace with a powerful bounce.
"Attack! Kill them all!" Sarquiss commanded, pointing his dagger at Ace and his crew.
And then...
BOOM!
AHH!
With a series of screams, the tavern fell into a stunned silence.
"I apologize for the damage caused," Ace said politely to the tavern owner.
"N-No problem at all..." The owner stammered, his eyes wide with shock.
"Hey, make sure to cover the damages here, got it?" Ace calmly told Bellamy, who was now pinned under his foot.
"Y-Yes… Understood…" Bellamy replied, his voice trembling with fear and reluctance.
"Are you kidding me?!" Sarquiss, who lay on the ground gravely injured, struggled to lift his head, his face etched with terror as he gazed at Ace and his crew.
"This… This is the strength of an 85 million beli bounty? How is this possible? And he didn't even lift a finger!"
Sakis looked over at Kaya, Vivi, Nojiko, and Tashigi, who stood confidently in front of Ace. It was clear—their power was on an entirely different level. The fear in Sakis's eyes deepened as he realized that Ace hadn't even needed to fight; the young women in his crew had dispatched them all in an instant.
"Well, I found it." Ace bent down, retrieving a Den Den Mushi from Bellamy.
"That… that's…" Bellamy tried to resist, but he was utterly powerless.
"If you even think about dirtying our captain's shoes again, I'll kill you," Nojiko threatened, pressing a gun to Bellamy's head.
Bellamy froze, his eyes wide with fear, and ceased his struggling.
"My reliable crew," Ace murmured with a slight smile. "Now, it's time to get down to business."
Wrapping the Den Den Mushi in his realm of comprehension, Ace quickly dialed.
——
Meanwhile, in the Holy Land of Mariejois, a meeting was underway to discuss the new candidate for the Shichibukai, following Crocodile's demise, which had left a vacancy.
"Warlord of the Sea, Bartholomew Kuma, and Warlord of the Sea, Donquixote Doflamingo, have arrived."
The announcement was followed by the slow entrance of two men. One wore sunglasses and an exaggerated pink coat, walking with a swagger that suggested he owned the place. The other was an exceptionally tall man, expressionless, with gloved hands and a book clutched in his right hand.
"Gulp…"
Marine officers on either side of the room swallowed nervously, intimidated by the menacing presence of Kuma and Doflamingo.
As the two Warlords entered the conference room, the previously solemn atmosphere became tense.
"Fufufu… Let's get this over with quickly so I can leave this boring party," Doflamingo said, squatting on the conference table like a hooligan, his fingers twitching.
"Stop it! I can't control myself!" In front of Doflamingo, two Vice Admirals found themselves fighting each other, their faces twisted in terror.
"Doflamingo! This is your doing!" one Vice Admiral accused, shocked by the Shichibukai's actions. It was clear that only Doflamingo, with his String-String Fruit powers, could cause such chaos.
"Stop it, Doflamingo!" the other Vice Admiral shouted, his voice filled with rage.
"Fufufu… Then finish up quickly and end this dull party," Doflamingo responded, his grin widening as he continued to manipulate them.
Sitting nearby was a thin, elderly woman with gray hair and a face full of wrinkles. She was Vice Admiral Tsuru, a highly respected figure within the Navy, and she watched the scene unfold without intervening. To her, the sight of these two incompetent Vice Admirals being humiliated by Doflamingo wasn't worth her attention.
"Fufufu…"
Doflamingo's grin grew even more sinister as he looked at Tsuru warily, aware of her horor but enjoying the chaos he was causing.
"Clang!"
The two Vice Admirals, unable to resist Doflamingo's power, drew their swords and prepared to fight.
"Stop this at once, Doflamingo. This is Mariejois!" Suddenly, the booming voice of Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku echoed through the room as he appeared at the entrance.
"Do you think this is acceptable behavior for a Warlord of the Sea?" Sengoku's eyes flashed with anger.
"Tsk." Doflamingo's smile faded as he reluctantly ceased his manipulation, sensing the overwhelming power of Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki.
The two Vice Admirals, now free of Doflamingo's control, left the room in shame.
"Are we still expecting more?" Sengoku scanned the room, noting Doflamingo's defiant posture and the stoic presence of Kuma.
"I almost forgot to greet you… scum of the sea," Sengoku said with a cold smile.
"Fufufu… Are you complimenting me?" Doflamingo retorted, his smile returning.
Kuma remained silent, his expression unchanged.
"Take it however you want. It seems no one else is coming," Sengoku continued, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Doflamingo.
In the past, it was rare for more than one Warlord to attend these meetings. Often, it was just Kuma, who, for reasons unknown, followed the World Government's orders to the letter. The other Warlords were notoriously independent and rarely complied with the government's directives.
"Fufufu, my current project is going smoothly. I only came here because I was bored," Doflamingo said with a wicked grin.
"I see. But your carefree pirate life is giving us Marines quite the headache," Sengoku replied calmly.
"After listening to this nonsense for so long, I wondered if I was in the wrong place."
At that moment, the door opened, and a man with a black sword on his back and eyes as sharp as an eagle entered the room.
"Hawkeye?" Sengoku's eyes widened slightly.
One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, had arrived.
"Fufufu… Even the least likely people are showing up. What a surprise," Doflamingo said, though his eyes betrayed a hint of fear beneath his sunglasses.
"I'm just curious about the newcomer who killed Crocodile," Mihawk said casually as he took a seat.
As Shichibukai, they all knew who had defeated Crocodile. But Mihawk's curiosity was piqued by the fact that someone who had bested a fellow Warlord had emerged from the first half of the Grand Line.
"Fufufu… A Shichibukai died, and in the first half of the Grand Line at that. How amusing," Doflamingo sneered.
"Is that so?" Sengoku's glasses glinted as he adjusted them slightly.
"Then let's begin the meeting—"
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi in Doflamingo's pocket began to ring.