"Look, the newcomer is heading towards the Whitebeard Pirates' ship."
"What is he going to do? Does he want to challenge the general of the Big Mom Pirates and the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates at the same time?"
"Hahahaha, I like this newcomer. If he can survive this, I'll join them myself."
Seeing Ace flying towards the Whitebeard Pirates' ship, the onlookers were once again excited. Although many still doubted him, more and more began to admire Ace's Spade Pirates.
"Hey, little brother of flames." Marco greeted Ace calmly as he approached.
"First time meeting. I'm Ace," he said, landing on Marco's ship. "Two captains of the Whitebeard Pirates coming out together—I wonder if you've got any advice for me."
"Relax, we're not here to fight," Marco smiled. "We're just interested in a rising star like you. We came to watch the show."
"That's good to hear." Ace smiled back. "If possible, I'd rather avoid clashing with the rulers of the sea right now."
"Hah. You don't seem like someone who'd say that, putting up a flag right as you entered the New World," Marco replied. "Don't you realize that's already challenging the Four Emperors?"
"Maybe to you, but I just want territory in the New World." Ace said calmly. "Even if it's viewed as provocation, to reach my goal, I know a clash with you Four Emperors is inevitable."
"Ambition, huh." Marco's gaze sharpened. "Every young pirate enters the New World burning with ambition. But very few survive long enough to realize it."
"So, Ace, what is your ambition? To become Pirate King?"
"No," Ace replied. "My ambition is to surpass a certain man... to be a stronger and freer pirate than he is."
"A certain man?" Marco didn't ask further. Instead, he extended an invitation. "Then... want to join us?"
Ace blinked in surprise. "Sorry, I don't plan to serve anyone. But I do admire Whitebeard—he's a true legend. I'd like to meet him someday."
"Oh? You want to meet our old man?" Marco laughed. "You're an arrogant brat."
"If you want to see our Pops, survive today first." Marco gestured to his crew. "Let's go. We've seen enough."
"Marco! Thank you." Ace called out. "Tell Whitebeard I'll come visit him within a year."
"Tch. Annoying brat. I kind of want to sink him now," Marco muttered as the ship left.
Ace watched them go, briefly considering whether to warn Thatch about the Dark-Dark Fruit and Blackbeard. Ultimately, he decided not to.
"There's still time before Thatch finds the Yami Yami no Mi. I'll just keep an eye out and grab it myself. It would be a massive boost for my crew."
When the Whitebeard Pirates vanished over the horizon, Ace turned back toward Sun Island and smiled. "Then that's today's situation settled."
Back on Sun Island, the battles raged on. None of the five battlefields had reached a conclusion.
Ace floated in the air, observing his crew. Some were starting to struggle, but he didn't interfere. Cracker, who was fighting Kakus, grew furious seeing Ace calmly watching.
As one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders, being ignored by a rookie was deeply humiliating.
"Pretzel!"
Cracker slashed fiercely, forcing Kakus back. Then he leapt, stabbing at Ace with his famed sword, Pretzel.
"Exploding Pretzel!"
Pretzel spun in the air, igniting as friction created fire, before hurtling toward Ace.
Ace didn't flinch—he even yawned.
"Knight—Flash Thrust!"
Kakus intercepted, his knight lance glowing with piercing light, colliding head-on with Pretzel.
"I said, your opponent is me," Kakus said firmly.
"I am Charlotte Cracker, one of Big Mom's Sweet Commanders. Don't look down on me! You little brats!"
Furious, Cracker clapped his hands. Biscuit crumbs swirled and gathered, rapidly forming into an army of Biscuit Soldiers—hundreds of them—encircling Ace and Kakus.
"Here comes Lord Cracker's Biscuit Army!"
The Big Mom Pirates cheered. To them, Cracker fighting at full strength was more than enough to crush these upstarts.
As the user of the Bisu Bisu no Mi (Biscuit-Biscuit Fruit), Cracker's ability to endlessly create and animate biscuit warriors earned him the title "Thousand-Armed Cracker." He was a true powerhouse among the Four Emperors' officers.
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