Hearing Corbett's arrogant proclamation, Ace closed his eyes briefly to maintain his composure before continuing his investigation.
"So you're saying that now you..."
"Look, that flag is still incredibly useful for business, but it does involve certain risks," Corbett interrupted, clearly enjoying the opportunity to boast about his criminal enterprise. "So I mostly focus on acquiring only the highest-value slaves. Otherwise, the potential complications simply aren't worth the trouble."
Since Corbett seemed unable to stop talking about his illegal operations, Ace seized the opportunity to dig deeper into the man's motivations and methods.
"But using Whitebeard's flag while conducting this kind of business—doesn't that require you to show some basic respect for what that symbol represents?" Ace pressed.
"Respect? Ha!" Corbett scoffed dismissively. "Those old-school pirate traditions might have worked in the past, but they're completely unsuitable for today's world—and they're certainly not suitable for someone like me."
"Times have changed dramatically. Those ancient fools who insisted on clinging to outdated concepts of honor are now buried six feet underground. The ones who aren't buried yet are practically half-dead anyway."
"I refuse to be deceived by romantic nonsense about Roger's treasure hunt or going out to sea to search for some mythical 'One Piece,'" he continued with obvious contempt.
"To me, that kind of illusory fantasy treasure is absolutely worthless compared to my solid, profitable business operations. As long as I can maintain good connections with all the relevant parties and run my enterprises diligently, my wealth will grow infinitely. My customers are always happy to pay premium prices for quality merchandise, Pafafafa!"
Perhaps it was because his father had constantly lectured him about morality and proper conduct during his youth, but when Corbett heard that particular word, it seemed to trigger an almost uncontrollable verbal outburst.
After he finally paused to catch his breath, Ace spoke again with carefully controlled calm: "But by operating this way, you're essentially disrespecting Whitebeard directly. If he discovers what you're doing, I doubt he'll be inclined to show you any mercy."
"So what if he does?" Corbett replied with shocking boldness. "On this island, it might not be his place to decide whether I live or die."
Just as Ace was preparing to probe deeper into what that ominous statement might mean, Corbett suddenly interrupted him with a sharp, suspicious look.
"Wait a minute, boy. You've been asking an awful lot of questions about Whitebeard and his operations. You're one of his crew members, aren't you?"
"Is this some kind of investigation?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Hmph! You people really do know how to choose your timing perfectly."
Seeing that Ace made no attempt to deny the accusation, Corbett's expression hardened. While he didn't believe he needed to fear a single Whitebeard Pirates member, he had recently learned that his primary backer had left the island with most of his subordinates to handle some urgent business elsewhere. Under these circumstances, he decided his best strategy was to retreat and call for reinforcements.
The criminals stationed outside the venue immediately received their boss's signal and came pouring through various entrances and passages like a pack of hungry wolves, rushing toward Ace and his friends with weapons drawn.
Corbett attempted to escape in the resulting chaos, but when he turned around, he found Jerry standing directly behind him, blocking his retreat.
Glancing between Jerry behind him and Ace in front, Corbett chose to make a desperate dash toward the side exit.
"Everyone, deal with these thugs!" Ace shouted, moving to intercept Corbett while calling out to Jerry and the others inside the venue, as well as Deuce and the other Whitebeard Pirates crew members who were rushing in from outside. "Take care of the rest of them!"
Jerry considered the situation for a moment. After all, this was technically Ace's mission as the division commander, and it would be inappropriate for him to steal his friend's target. Instead, he turned and walked toward the rows of iron cages lining the walls.
One of the local gang members had opened several animal cages, releasing large predatory beasts into the performance area.
"Go! Tear them apart!" the criminal commanded with obvious smugness, but he clearly hadn't anticipated that the first thing the freed beast would do was turn on him with savage fury.
"Don't you have any brains at all?" Jerry muttered, watching the man get mauled by his own supposed weapon. "That's obviously a wild animal that hasn't been domesticated or trained. Did you really think it would just obey your commands?"
After dealing with the foolish gang member, the large predator turned its attention toward the cages containing human slaves, clearly intending to continue its rampage among the helpless captives.
Jerry quickly positioned himself between the beast and its intended victims, extending his right hand in a gesture of command.
The creature was a massive tiger with two prominent saber teeth protruding from its upper jaw. It glanced down at Jerry's relatively small human form, opened its mouth to release a threatening roar, then pounced forward with deadly intent.
"What did you think this was, some kind of all-you-can-eat buffet?" Jerry asked calmly.
Without any visible effort, Jerry released a focused wave of Conqueror's Haki that struck the tiger like an invisible wall. The great predator immediately froze mid-leap, executed an almost comical emergency stop, and prostrated itself on the ground in front of Jerry with a submissive whimper.
"How is that possible? Why can he control the same beasts we captured so easily?" several of Corbett's men exclaimed in shock.
The criminals who had been charging forward suddenly found themselves scrambling backward in panic, no longer daring to approach Jerry directly.
Jerry paid no attention to the cowardly thugs who were now maintaining a respectful distance. Instead, he activated his Observation Haki to scan the imprisoned captives, then began systematically opening every cage that contained innocent civilian slaves while leaving the criminal prisoners secured for later judgment.
Meanwhile, Banshee and the other crew members who had been maintaining their disguises suddenly revealed their true nature. They broke free from their fake restraints, retrieved numerous concealed weapons from Banshee's modified cage, and joined the expanding battle with enthusiasm.
The additional Whitebeard Pirates members who had entered from outside immediately engaged the enemy forces throughout the venue.
Carina's eyes sparkled with opportunistic delight. The moment she entered the performance hall, she made a beeline for the chest of Berries that had been used in the earlier transaction, claiming it as legitimate spoils of war.
Carrot charged into the thick of the fighting with obvious excitement. The mink tribe was indeed a naturally gifted warrior race, and she had equipped herself with specially designed combat gloves that enhanced her natural abilities. Electric currents crackled around her hands as she moved through the enemy ranks at speeds that ordinary humans could barely track.
She darted back and forth through the crowd of criminals, and every strike found its mark with devastating precision. While she was careful not to deliver killing blows, her attacks consistently drew blood and left her opponents groaning on the ground, completely unable to continue fighting.
Deuce, Skull, and Kotatsu were already well-practiced at handling this type of chaotic combat situation. After all, they had faced similar groups of enemy minions countless times during their previous adventures, and their teamwork was seamless.
"So you're the one they call 'Lord Peacock,' right?" Ace said, confronting Corbett while effortlessly dispatching the criminals who kept rushing toward him. "Are you planning to use Whitebeard's protection to make money while secretly serving someone else's interests?"
"Pafafafa! There's really no need for anyone to become obsessed with a single flag," Corbett replied, still maintaining his arrogant attitude despite being clearly outmatched. "Whether we're talking about pirates, the Marines, or even the Celestial Dragons, as long as you have the right connections and enough money..."
"You know what? Forget it. I don't need to explain my business philosophy to someone like you."
"It's become obvious that this entire situation was an elaborate trap designed to lure me in," he continued with bitter realization.
Now that Corbett thought about it more carefully, the timing was far too convenient to be coincidental. Just a few days before these Whitebeard Pirates members had appeared at his doorstep, his primary patron had departed the island with most of his forces to handle some urgent matter.
"You're 'Fire Fist' Ace, aren't you?" Corbett asked with grudging recognition. "I should have realized immediately—you've certainly attracted quite a significant figure to my little operation."
When he had seen the fierce flames that erupted whenever his opponent dealt with attacking criminals, Corbett had finally recognized the identity of his adversary.
The so called super rookie, that climb to the rank of 2nd Division Commander of Whitebeard Pirates with the bounty of 550.000.000 Berries.
Without bothering to deny the obvious, Ace tore off his disguise mask and revealed his true face.
"That's correct," he confirmed. "You'd be wise to surrender now and come back with me to confess your crimes. If you cooperate, you might still have a chance at survival."
"Pafafafa! Confess my crimes?" Corbett laughed with genuine disbelief.
"I'm simply trying to run a profitable business! How could anyone consider that criminal behavior?"
"Whitebeard is nothing more than a powerful criminal himself! What possible qualifications could he have to sit in judgment of my activities?"
Even though he clearly understood that he was isolated and facing overwhelming opposition, Corbett remained completely convinced that his approach to making money was not only justified but actually superior to traditional pirate methods.
"At least my father is honorable and principled!" Ace shot back angrily. "He's nothing like you—someone who deliberately harms innocent civilians, distributes dangerous drugs, and traffics human beings like livestock!"
"There's no point in continuing this argument," he declared, clenching his fists as flames began to dance around his knuckles. "You have two choices: either you come back with me voluntarily, or I knock you unconscious and drag you back by force."
Ace stepped closer, giving his opponent one final opportunity to make the intelligent decision.
"What's the point of discussing this any further?" Corbett replied, his expression suddenly shifting to something approaching madness.
"You want to go? I'll be happy to arrange that for you! In fact, wouldn't it be so much better if we all went together? TO HELL Pafafafa!"
Without warning, Corbett's demeanor became completely unhinged. He threw back his head and laughed maniacally toward the ceiling while producing a small remote control device from his jacket pocket. He held the detonator forward with obvious threatening intent, clearly prepared to take everyone down with him if necessary.