Chapter 75 Undercurrent
Grand Line · Two Days Later · Deck of the Merry
The sea breeze blows and the sun is scorching.
Straw Hat Crew finally had a brief moment of relaxation after the battle of Alabasta.
At the bow, a fiery red figure was laughing and chatting with everyone on the boat.
The sun shone on the deck, and the breeze blew on my face with the salty smell of the sea.
Sanji leaned against the side of the ship, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, but he hadn't lit it yet.
He rummaged through his pockets—
"Tsk, I didn't bring my lighter." He frowned, "What a dereliction of duty..."
At this moment, Ace lazily leaned over from the side, raised an eyebrow with a smile, "Need help?"
Sanji squinted at him, "Where does the fire come from?"
Ace grinned, raised his right hand, and flicked his fingertips lightly.
"Snap—"
There was a crisp snap of his fingers, and the next second, a cluster of orange-red flames ignited between his thumb and middle finger, hovering steadily like a flickering candle.
"Mera-mera Fruit tips."
Ace reached out his hand, and the flame touched the tip of Sanji's cigarette - a light smoke rose.
Sanji was slightly taken aback, then laughed out loud, "That's... the way a man should light a fire."
He took a deep breath, exhaled a circle of smoke, tilted his head and asked, "How long did it take you to practice so elegantly?"
Ace shrugged, "It's much easier than practicing fireballs."
The wind blew across the deck, and the two men stood shoulder to shoulder, with flames and smoke intertwining in the air.
Luffy, who was eating meat excitedly, shouted, "Ace! Please stay for a while! I have a lot to tell you!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Chopper chimed in, "You can breathe fire! That's so cool!"
"What brothers..." Usopp sighed, "One can start fire, the other can eat fire."
Ace couldn't help laughing, shook his head, stood up and looked at the distant horizon, his tone suddenly softened:
"I came out this time to hunt down a traitor on the ship."
"Seeing that you... have found such a good partner."
He turned around to look at the Straw Hat people, his eyes swept across Luffy's innocent and stubborn smile, and there was a bit more relief and tenderness in his eyes.
"I feel relieved."
As soon as he finished speaking, he jumped onto the jet boat that had already been hung on the side of the ship.
Flames burst out from the soles of the feet, hot air waves rolled up from the stern, and the speedboat cut through the sea like a meteor.
"Hey - Ace!!!" Luffy wanted to shout something, but his voice was quickly blown away by the wind.
He scratched his head, and suddenly his heart tightened, and he felt an inexplicable surge of palpitations that he had never experienced before.
"Ace..."
He looked at the receding fire with a complicated expression, but only for a moment.
"Come on, come on!! Chopper! Let's see who can eat the most!!"
"Don't ignore the reluctance in your heart in this way!!" Nami roared and hit him on the head.
Laughter returned to the ship and the Merry headed in the next direction.
Three Days Later, New World, G-5 Branch, Main Building Operations Room
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the sea breeze, with its salty and humid smell, blew the "Rectification Army Flag" hanging outside the window.
Not far away, warships in the harbor passed by with low hums, as if playing a solemn and low-key prelude to this early morning.
Rogge sat quietly behind the main desk, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, a cold glint in his eyes.
Aien gently placed a sealed intelligence file on the table, his voice steady but with a few strange ups and downs:
"…The above is the post-war summary submitted personally by Shichibukai Crocodile."
"It has been confirmed that he and Whitebeard's Second Division Captain, 'Fire Fist' Ace, fought fiercely for an entire day, and the result was a draw."
"And the Straw Hat Crew completely disappeared the day after the battle, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day."
Rogge raised his eyes slightly, and the light golden morning light reflected in his dark pupils, like the calm lake before a storm.
He spoke slowly:
"When I called him that day..."
"Did you forget to say, 'It doesn't matter even if I die'?"
Ai En paused slightly, his tone as calm as ever:
"Yes, Master Rogge."
"Your exact words were: 'If you are defeated by some unknown little pirates, I will personally deal with you.'"
"Crocodile...probably interpreted it as 'can't kill'."
There was a moment of silence.
Rogge slowly held his forehead with his right hand and said in a low voice:
"But this guy...was afraid he wouldn't be able to take credit if he killed him, so he kept him and prepared to hand him over to the Marine."
"Then I woke up from sleep—the person was gone."
As soon as he finished speaking, the air was silent for three seconds.
Rogge was speechless for three seconds, then closed his eyes and sighed, a rare occurrence: "...This sand crocodile really has sand in his brain."
Ian stood silently at one side, watching Rogge's rare "defeat moment", the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, and the smile that flashed in his eyes was almost impossible to conceal.
"I'm sorry." She immediately lowered her head to hide her emotions.
Rogge slowly opened his eyes, glanced at her, and his tone returned to its stern tone:
"Make arrangements."
"The Straw Hat Crew disappeared from Alabasta. Headquarters doesn't need to pursue them. Anyone wasting resources on tracking them should be transferred to count the casualties."
"Crocodile's side—"
"Keep watching."
He changed the subject, his eyes as cold as frost:
"If he does something else..."
He spoke slowly, tapping his palm on the table, creating a low humming sound.
"I'll go there myself."
"Take his sand and turn it into glass."
The morning light shines through the thick glass windows onto the table, casting a chilling and solemn look.
Rogge sat behind the spacious main desk, silent and thoughtful as usual.
On the table was a newly drawn war zone chart, with lines outlining the New World of Sea Circle Calendar 1520.
His fingertips landed on the coordinates of "Alabasta" and slowly slid towards a remote island marked in the southwest.
Banaro Island.
The morning light shone in through the thick window lattices, falling on the connecting line between the points, like a sharp blade just revealed.
His eyes flickered slightly, and his tone was low:
"'Fire Fist' Ace appeared in Alabasta... That means 'that destined encounter' is not far away."
Although the tone was light, every word was like the impact of metal, and the air seemed to become heavier.
As he tapped the map with his right fingertips, a cold light flashed in his eyes:
"We can't let that mad dog Blackbeard...get the first blow to start the war."
"Ion."
"Yes." Ian stood still, his eyes as firm as ever.
"Pass the order down," Rogge stood up slowly, walked to the French window with his hands behind his back, and overlooked the entire Fortress of Rectification.
"Three days later, the First Suzheng Fleet will set sail, destination—the coast near Banaro Island."
"Enel and Leiter will lead the team. Upon arrival, remain in hiding and do not move. Await further instructions."
Ain paused, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
He frowned slightly but didn't ask any more questions: "Yes."
She took the order and turned to leave.
He quietly left, the sound of the wind brought by his footsteps also took away the last bit of gentle morning light, and the room fell silent again.
Rogge stood at the window for a long time, his whisper rolling like thunder:
"Blackbeard...you want to sacrifice your 'guilty bloodline' in exchange for fame and position, and gain a foothold in the system?"
"You think you have mastered the timing..."
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, but his eyes were as cold as the deep sea at midnight.
"But in this game... you were already a discarded pawn before you even stepped foot into it."
He sat down slowly, his cape fluttering slightly behind him, as if the entire G-5 branch was fluctuating between his thoughts.
"If the 'new era of order' must be laid out on a mountain of corpses..."
"Then I'll be the first to attack the Pirates."