"Red Hair!!"
Ace and the others turned to face Shanks. They were so close to success, only for the Red Hair Pirates to intervene.
"After defeating the Kid Pirates, we obtained rubbings of three Road Poneglyphs. Now we only need one more," Shanks said.
"Looks like this battle is inevitable," Ace replied.
"Once I'm done with you, my next target will be Luffy. I heard his battle in Elbaf has ended, and my substitute has been defeated," Shanks said.
Ace smiled. "Seems we're in the same boat. Luffy's crewmate, Nico Robin, can decipher the Poneglyphs, she's the final key. I made a promise to Luffy that we would meet at the end."
"What a coincidence. I also made a promise to him, that the next time we meet, we would be enemies," Shanks said.
"Then there's nothing left to say," Ace glanced back at his crew.
"Everyone!!"
"Captain!"
Loxus brandished his kanabo, Deuce drew his sword, and the rest of the crew readied their weapons.
"Quite spirited," Shanks laughed.
Boom!
Two Conqueror's Haki clashed, stirring up towering waves across the sea.
The two sides had to settle this here. Only the victor could leave with the Poneglyph, while the loser would lose their chance to pursue the treasure.
As lightning split the sky, a sharp blade cut through flames, and fiery dragons roiled, an epic battle erupted on the final island of the New World.
"It seems Flame Emperor Ace is no weaker than Red Hair Shanks," the burned man remarked from the water.
"Lord, let us take you away," a fish-man urged.
"No need. Let's board their ship, it's safe," the burned man shook his head.
The battle on the island was intense. Ace, who had mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion, clashed fiercely with Shanks.
One bore the bloodline of a royal family stretching back thousands of years, born a noble by right.
The other bore the bloodline of the Pirate King, a conqueror of the seas, the prince of the ocean.
Ace possessed extraordinary talent and strength. Even as a rookie, he had defeated two Warlords of the Sea and later bested Jinbe in the New World.
His opponents had been Blackbeard, Akainu, and Kaido, formidable foes. Now, he wielded strength rivaling that of an Emperor.
This forced even the one-armed Shanks into a difficult fight. Their battle was fierce, a decisive clash that would determine the outcome.
Loxus faced off against Benn Beckman, renowned as the man with the highest IQ. Beckman fought with his intellect and was also a user of Conqueror's Haki. A master of machinery, he engaged Loxus in a balanced exchange of close and long-range combat.
"Compared to your monstrous father, you're a monster too," Beckman said.
"That sounds like a compliment. I'll take it," Loxus replied.
"Of course, you're still not as strong as your father. He's the real monster," Beckman seemed to sense something and added.
"Hmph, glad you know," Loxus also felt it.
"It seems he has no intention of interfering," Beckman smiled.
"Would you kill me?" Loxus laughed.
"Don't worry, killing you won't be easy. But I'll give it my all. You wouldn't want me to go easy on you, would you?" Beckman grinned.
"Hmph, as if you could defeat me," Loxus snorted.
"I think I can."
"I think you'll die."
Both attacked with full force, holding nothing back, each unleashing their utmost power.
Meanwhile, on the shore, aboard the Spade Pirates' ship, the burned man sat nearby, his clothes still dripping wet.
"Got a light? I need to dry off, or I'll freeze to death," the burned man shivered.
Someone nearby waved a hand, and a wave of heat instantly evaporated the seawater from his clothes, leaving behind a layer of salt crystals.
Real pirates lived in harsh conditions, often smelling foul. Without fresh water, relying solely on seawater caused numerous problems.
"With no strength, what were you pretending for?" Roy sat down beside him.
"I yearn for the sea. By the way, how's my cousin doing?" the burned man asked.
"The Revolutionary Army attacked Impel Down. While rescuing their comrades, they also took your cousin out," Roy said.
"Not all members of the Donquixote Family are bad. There are good ones too," the burned man smiled.
"Among all the Celestial Dragons, your family produces the most eccentrics," Roy laughed.
"Your uncle, Homing, voluntarily gave up his status as a Celestial Dragon to become an ordinary person. Mjosgard was executed by the Celestial Dragons for aiding pirates. You, as Doflamingo's cousin, helped Fisher Tiger set fire to Mary Geoise and were taken hostage to escape. You're still somewhat human."
"Living in that environment changes people. Everyone around you is like that. As a child, I felt it shouldn't be this way, we're all human. I never wanted slaves or to lord over everyone," the burned man smiled.
Perhaps he shouldn't be called the burned man anymore. His full name was Donquixote Sigurd, once a Celestial Dragon living in Mary Geoise.
Just as nobles in the inner city of Goa Kingdom could produce someone like Sabo, the Celestial Dragons occasionally gave rise to compassionate individuals.
But they were rare, very rare. Under the influence of power and environement, most eventually became like the rest of the trash.
The clever and capable were groomed separately by the Celestial Dragons, while the rest lived out their lives in idle luxury.
The person who influenced Sigurd the most was Doflamingo's father, Homing, an exceptionally kind man.
Thirty-three years ago, Homing left Holy Land Mary Geoise with his family, only to be killed by ordinary people.
This incident left Sigurd deeply fearful of the outside world, unwilling to follow his uncle's example and leave Mary Geoise.
Later, when he acquired his first slave, he didn't treat them as subhuman like others did.
Instead, he interacted with them, building friendly relationships and learning about the world beyond.
Thus, the number of slaves under him grew. The slaves sensed this Celestial Dragon was different and gradually realized he was protecting them.
Fifteen years ago, when Fisher Tiger set fire to Mary Geoise to free the slaves, Sigurd released his slave friends, allowing them to escape.
But the Celestial Dragons' guards were too powerful, escape was impossible.
At the critical moment, Sigurd made a choice. He braved the flames to reach Fisher Tiger and proposed a plan: take him hostage and use his life to threaten the Celestial Dragons into letting them leave Mary Geoise.
Afterward, he was rescued to Fish-Man Island. Knowing the Poneglyph could bring disaster to the island, he took it with him. His former slaves followed him to sea, protecting him ever since.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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