How should I put it…
Hearing Ace voice, Sherwin felt it was both unexpected and yet somehow inevitable.
After all, although this guy wasn't like Luffy who only thought about eating, he was still often associated with dining and dashing. Showing up at this moment actually fit his character pretty well.
It just that…
Sherwin glanced at Crocus.
Did he actually know Ace true identity?
"Two ships passing by here today… that not something you see often."
Crocuss expression was calm, only casting a slightly surprised look at Ace pirate ship.
Although this was the "only" entry point to the Grand Line, as the Great Pirate Era sparked by Roger gradually began to settle down, and with more and more people failing in their attempts to conquer the Grand Line, the number of people from the Four Seas still daring to come here had decreased year by year.
So, to see two groups arrive one after another at Twin Cape in a single day was a scene Crocus hadn't witnessed in a long time.
The slight difference this time was that Sherwin and his group were not pirates. On the contrary, they were rather well-known bounty hunters.
Having once been a pirate himself, Crocus didn't want to see that young junior fall so soon after just setting foot on the Grand Line. So, he spoke first:"Being able to meet here is also a kind of fate. Why not let this small-time pirate off today?"
For a moment, Sherwin couldn't tell whether Crocus was simply guiding a younger generation… or if he had already recognized Ace true identity.
But he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. He just shrugged and said, "Don't worry, I know that guy."
As he spoke, the Spade Pirates ship docked beside Twin Cape. Drawn by the mouthwatering aroma of food, Ace—his stomach already growling—jumped straight off the ship and rushed headlong toward Sherwin and the others.
His eyes were locked firmly on the food laid out on the table as he shouted, "Sorry! Could you sell me some of your food?!"
"I'm not giving food to an idiot like you, meow!"
Sanji Meow, who had always been critical of Ace and Luffy as brothers, immediately lashed out with a flying kick.
"Pwah!"
Ace, completely defenseless with food as his only focus, was struck squarely in the face by Sanji Meow little feline paw.
He was sent flying sideways, rolling several times across the ground, almost falling into the sea.
"This familiar feeling…" Ace clutched his cheek as he scrambled back up, finally shifting his attention to Sherwin and the others. "Ah! It you guys! Hahaha! Long time no see!"
He laughed heartily, waving to Sherwin and the cats, leaving Deuce and the others—who had assumed they'd run into enemies—confused about what was happening.
"Captain, is he an acquaintance of yours?" Deuce asked cautiously. "If I'm not mistaken, isn't he the bounty hunter who been getting quite famous recently, the Hunter?"
"Hunter? No, he called Sherwin," Ace answered carelessly.
"That my alias. Just like people call you spade'…" Sherwin rubbed his forehead. "Seriously, haven't you learned to read the newspaper yet?"
"Ahahaha…" Ace gave a sheepish laugh and scratched the back of his head. "That kind of thing doesn't suit me. Every time I try reading the news paper, I just end up falling asleep for no reason."
"You even fall asleep while eating. Might as well stop eating altogether, meow," Sanji Meow muttered, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
Ace pretended not to hear and in a flash leapt over to the dining table, greeting the other cats: "Long time no see, little Klee, Seijuro, and Miss Huamei… Eh? How come there are two more now?"
"That Sister Xiao Ai and Brother Link, meow~" Klee Meow introduced warmly. "And this grandpa is Crocus, he lives in the lighthouse here, meow."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Ace." Ace also introduced his crewmates. "This is Deuce, Skull, and Banchina—companions I met along the way."
Sherwin was more familiar with Deuce, who wore a Zoro-style eyepatch, and he also had some impression of Skull, who wore a skull mask and had skeleton decorations all over his body.
He vaguely remembered that such a character appeared in a side-story manga. But the last one, the slightly plump woman named Banchina, he had no impression of at all.
After some brief introductions, "Grilled-Meat Fruit user" Sherwin and Klee Meow teamed up again to add a few more dishes, and soon the group was bustling with a lively banquet.
Once everyone was full and satisfied, Ace—predictably—challenged Sherwin group again.
"Let have another fight! This time, I definitely won't lose to you!"
What surprised the members of the Spade Pirates was that their usually proud and arrogant captain was actually challenging that yellow little cat, who was obviously just a cook. And from the way he said it, he had actually lost to that cat before?
Sanji Meow, of course, would never refuse such a great opportunity to beat Ace up again, and he agreed without hesitation.
Even though he didn't have his Devil Fruit power now, Ace, after setting out to sea, had abandoned his once-favored weapon, the water pipe, and chose to fight barehanded.
"Haaah!"
His fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, came crashing down at Sanji Meow. The little yellow cat countered with his paw, also coated in Armament Haki, and in no time, man and cat were locked in a fierce clash.
Watching from the side, Crocus tugged at the corner of his mouth and couldn't help but sigh. "Are the rookies nowadays really this strong? To think they've already mastered Armament Haki before even entering the Grand Line…"
He himself still hadn't learned this skill.
And besides…
"The Spade Pirates... they should be from the East Blue, right?" Crocus recalled a newspaper he had read not long ago, the look of surprise on his face deepening.
"A pirate rookie like this is worth less than twenty million bounty? Are the Marines blind?"
"Isn't it possible that back in the East Blue, Ace simply didn't need to use his full strength?"
"...That true." Crocus nodded with a wry smile.
That said, Sherwin wasn't all that surprised that Ace had already mastered Armament Haki. What truly made him sigh in admiration was that the Ace who had once struggled even when teaming up with Luffy, was now able to hold his own in a one-on-one battle against Sanji Meow.
This rate of improvement was in no way inferior to that of Luffy or Koby in the manga. To be fair, at this point, Ace attack power and range might not be on par with his Mera Mera no Mi counterpart, but if the two Aces of the same age were to truly fight, this Ace chances of winning might even be higher.
Moreover, compared to the original Ace who relied heavily on his Devil Fruit abilities, this Ace who honed his Haki clearly had greater growth potential. After all, his father Roger became the Pirate King without the help of any Devil Fruit, leaving a lasting impression and influence even on Kaido.
Hmm... at this rate, Blackbeard might be in serious trouble in the future. After all, a non-Devil Fruit user Ace wouldn't be restrained by the Yami Yami no Mi.
But then again, it wasn't certain. Before obtaining the Yami Yami no Mi, Blackbeard was already a ruthless man capable of scarring Shanks face. In a clash of Haki and combat skills, the young Ace might not necessarily be his match...
Unlike Sherwin, who still had the leisure to let his mind wander, the Spade Pirates crew members couldn't stay calm.
In their understanding, Ace strength in the East Blue had been overwhelmingly dominant. Forget using Armament Haki—even serious battles where he actually tried hadn't happened more than a handful of times.
Yet now, the man they viewed as the future Pirate King was fighting on equal footing with a cat barely a meter tall.
"No wonder everyone says the East Blue is the weakest sea," Deuce said with a bitter smile.
"If pirates on the Grand Line are all at this level, then we'll probably just end up holding the captain back…"
"Things aren't as bad as you think," although also shocked by Sanji Meow strength, Skull, as the Spade Pirates intelligence officer, had a more rational understanding of the Grand Line and of Sherwin and his companions strength.
"That Hunter once took down more than ten pirate crews on the Grand Line in a single sweep, so we can't use their power as the standard for judgment. Besides… we'll get stronger too, won't we?"
"You're right, we'll have to work harder as well, otherwise we won't be able to keep up with the captain pace."
While Sherwin and Crocus were chatting and laughing, and Deuce and the others were fired up with determination, Sanji Meow, who was currently clashing with Ace, was not in a good mood at all…
How did this idiot suddenly become so strong, meow?!The little yellow cat who used to be able to crush him without even going all out had now not only mastered Armament Haki, but had also activated both demon mode and Mink Tribe mode, yet still couldn't secure a victory.
How could Sanji Meow possibly accept this, when all he wanted was to vent by casually kicking Ace around a few times?!
What worse, considering that demon mode would accelerate his stamina consumption, it was only a matter of time before he lost if the fight dragged on. That made Sanji Meow even more unsettled.
Thus, unwilling to admit defeat just like that, the little yellow cat pulled out a small yellow jar imprinted with a knife and fork pattern…