Chapter 23: A Shot to the Head
"Captain, the ship is empty, but we found something good," reported a pirate from the Musket crew. They had searched the Spade Pirates' vessel and, while they found no one, they did discover the strongbox containing most of the remaining gold.
Vincent hadn't expected such a windfall. As a greedy pirate, he valued wealth above all else; it was the reason he had stayed in this territory for so long. He was like Arlong of the Fish-Man Pirates, a local tyrant who leeched off the surrounding islands to fund his lavish lifestyle.
Confronted with so much treasure, Vincent's eyes lit up with avarice. He leaped onto the deck of the Spades' ship, crouched before the open box, and scooped up two handfuls of gold coins, a wide, ugly grin splitting his face.
"Hahahaha! Excellent! I never expected these Spade Pirates to be sitting on such a fortune! Alright, you lot, secure this treasure! We're going to go have a little chat with our new friends," Vincent commanded, his laughter echoing.
The arrival of the Musket Pirates sent a wave of panic through the town. The residents had left the demanded supplies on their doorsteps and fled into the forested hills behind their homes.
Vincent led his large crew into the silent streets. Seeing the deserted houses, he curled his lip in disdain. "Tch. Still the same cowards. So I killed one mayor? You'd think I slaughtered the whole lot. Only that old fool, Old De, has any spine left. We'll go to his tavern for a drink."
When Vincent and his men reached the Old German Tavern, the smell of strong liquor greeted them even at the door. Vincent shoved it open to find the entire Spade Pirates crew still fast asleep inside.
"Boss, that's them. The one with the hat—that's 'Fire Fist' Ace," one of Vincent's lackeys whispered, pointing at the snoring figure slumped in a chair.
"So this is where they're hiding. How convenient," Vincent sneered. He raised his right hand, his index finger morphing and elongating into the barrel of a gun.
BANG!
A shot rang out. The bullet flew straight and true, striking Ace directly in the forehead.
"Tch. And this is the pirate with an 80 million Beri bounty?" Vincent lowered his hand, his voice dripping with contempt. "The Marines must be getting soft."
The gunshot jolted the rest of the crew awake. Seeing the smoke curling from Vincent's finger and the fresh hole in Ace's head, Roy and the others scrambled to their feet, realizing they'd been ambushed in their sleep.
"Who are you?!" Joseph demanded, his voice sharp with alarm as he and the others fell into defensive stances.
"I am Lavis Vincent," the man announced with a proud smirk. "Captain of the Musket Pirates."
"So you're the one who controls this town," Roy said, his tone dangerously calm.
"That's right. Me and my crew control all thirteen islands in this area," Vincent bragged. "You've got some nerve, trespassing on my turf. But since your captain is dead, how about you all join up with me instead?"
"Sorry about this," Roy said, almost casually. He walked over to Ace's chair and gave his captain's cheek a few light pats. "Hey. Captain. Wake up."
"HAHAHAHA!" The Musket Pirates howled with laughter.
"Their captain's brains are on the wall and he's trying to wake him up!"
"These guys are idiots! Can't they see the hole in his head?"
"What a bunch of morons," Vincent sneered.
"Hey, Ace, wake up. We've got company," Roy continued, undeterred. When Ace still didn't stir, Roy sighed. "Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way."
He slowly raised a fist, his knuckles sheathing instantly in a coat of black Armament Haki. Then, he drove his fist down onto Ace's head with a solid THWACK.
"OW! That hurts!" Ace yelped, tumbling out of his chair and shattering it on the floor. He scrambled to his feet, clutching his head and wailing in pain.
"H-How is that possible?!" the Musket Pirates stammered in unison, their jaws agape as they stared at the very much alive and complaining Ace.
"My apologies," Roy said flatly, addressing the stunned pirates. "Our captain is a very heavy sleeper. You could probably run him through with a sword and he wouldn't notice."
"Roy, what was that for?!" Ace yelled, tears of pain welling in his eyes as he glared at his first mate.
"Consider it a wake-up call," Roy replied, blowing on his knuckles.
"Damn it, that's my grandfather's move!" Ace snapped, baring his teeth.
Roy ignored him and pointed at the Musket Pirates. "Anyway, that's the Musket crew. They just shot you in the head while you were sleeping. Maybe deal with them so we can get back to sailing?"
"What? They shot me?!" Ace's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. A ball of flame erupted to life behind him, the intense heat causing the Musket Pirates to recoil in horror.
"Damn it! He's a Logia user!" Vincent gasped, his confidence shattering. He'd seen the bounty poster, but he hadn't bothered to read the details in the newspaper. He never imagined Ace possessed the power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit.
Facing a Logia user for the first time, the Musket Pirates finally understood the terror implied by that 80 million Beri bounty.
#######