Chapter 27: A Four Emperor's Crew? Bring It On.
"The Four Emperors? Aren't they in the New World? What are they doing here?" Joseph asked, his voice tight with alarm.
"It's not one of the Emperors themselves," Roy clarified, his eyes narrowed as he watched the approaching ship. "Just one of their subordinate crews. Don't worry. If we don't provoke them, they might leave us alone. But if they want a fight, we won't go down easily."
The Four Emperors were monstrously powerful, but if you were afraid of every shadow on the sea, you had no business calling yourself a pirate, let alone dreaming of becoming the Pirate King.
"The four strongest pirates since the King's death…" Ace placed a hand on his hat, a slow, challenging smile spreading across his face. "I'd really like to see what they're made of."
"Captain, don't be reckless!" Joseph said, immediately stepping forward.
Roy's voice was calm but firm. "Whether we want a fight or not, we need to be ready for one."
The crew braced themselves. It was too late to run; the other ship had already seen them. And running wasn't in Ace's nature anyway. A man who aimed to be King would never turn his back so easily.
"Laaa la-la la-la laaa!!!!"
The singing ship of the Big Mom Pirates finally drew alongside them. The deck was crowded, but two figures stood out: a tall man in a frilly, eggshell-colored outfit and a lion wearing sunglasses.
"It's Baron Tamago and Pekoms," Roy identified, a flicker of relief passing through him. If these two were the only officers present, the situation was manageable. They were strong, but he and Ace together could handle them.
"A rookie pirate group. Should we dispose of them?" Baron Tamago asked, sipping his tea.
"Our mission, Baron Tamago, is to acquire sweets for Mama," Pekoms replied, his voice a low rumble. "We do not have time to play with children from Paradise."
"But Mama did not provide us with ample funds," Tamago pointed out, his meaning clear. With limited money, they had two options: raid a island known for its sweets, or plunder treasure from other pirates.
"This crew looks small. Let us see if they have a bounty." Tamago produced a stack of posters and flipped through them until he found Ace's. "Portgas D. Ace. 80 million Beri. They should have substantial funds. Even if we just kill him and collect the bounty from the Marines, it would net us tens of millions. That should suffice for our purchases."
"Do as you wish," Pekoms grunted.
Piracy was a cruel business. Conflict between crews was the natural order of the sea. If you weren't strong enough, you had no business being there.
"I heard that," Roy said, a sharp grin cutting across his face.
"I heard it, too," Ace replied, his smile matching Roy's.
"Then let's answer them." Roy drew Shiroi, the white blade gleaming in the sun as he raised it high.
Ace raised a fist, a swirling ball of fire erupting over his knuckles.
"Captain! Roy!" Joseph cried out, horrified.
"Hm? Those two?" Pekoms grunted in surprise.
"Do they mean to resist? The fools of Paradise truly do not know how high the sky is or how thick the earth," Tamago said dismissively.
"No. This crew is different," Pekoms said, his expression shifting to one of alarm.
"What is it, Pekoms? They are merely pirates from Paradise," Tamago chided. He then turned his gaze fully upon the Spade Pirates' ship, and his nonchalance evaporated. His eyes widened, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead, mirroring Pekoms.
"A Logia user… the Mera Mera Fruit! And the swordsman… that blade's design is just like Hawkeye's black sword, but white! It must be one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords! And the swordsman is coating it in Armament Haki! Stop them, now, or the ship will be destroyed!"
"Too late!" Ace and Roy shouted in unison.
"Firefly!"
"Dragon Fang Strike!"
A devastating horizontal slash, sheathed in Armament Haki, ripped through the air. It merged with a torrent of Ace's fire, the two attacks spiraling together into a single, catastrophic blast that slammed into the heart of the Big Mom Pirates' ship.
BOOOOM!
In an instant, the vessel was torn asunder. Timbers were sliced apart and then instantly set ablaze. The massive ship was reduced to a field of burning wreckage, scattering across the ocean's surface.
"Done," Ace said.
"Done," Roy echoed.
The two shared a quick, triumphant high-five.
The rest of the Spade Pirates could only stare in stunned silence. They had just destroyed a ship belonging to a Four Emperor. This was an act of war. The Big Mom Pirates were notoriously vengeful, and when that retribution came, it would be a storm beyond anything they had faced.
"Did you get it all?" A Marine Major General stood on the deck of a warship lurking far from the Spade Pirates, his eyes glued to a pair of binoculars.
"It's all recorded, sir," his adjutant confirmed, holding a Den Den Mushi. "The Big Mom Pirates vessel we were monitoring has been destroyed by the Spade Pirates. What are your orders?"
"Transmit everything to Headquarters. And send the photo of the man next to Fire Fist Ace as well. That man is no ordinary fighter. His power may even surpass Ace's. He represents a significant new threat to the Marines."
"Yes, sir!"
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Bounty Incoming?
Where are my stones?