"Damn it!"
"Sister Seraphina, you're really underestimating us!"
Although Luffy had watched his brother Ace get effortlessly knocked away by Saint Roselith Seraphina, he still firmly believed that Ace could defeat her.
He simply did not understand how enormous the difference in their strength actually was.
Seraphina calmly raised the scabbard in her hand.
"Awakening of Insects: Light Rain!"
Fine sword trails swept through the air.
The movement of the scabbard and the force behind Seraphina's technique disturbed the surrounding air, producing a series of sharp currents that rushed toward the two brothers.
Luffy's expression changed.
"That's too unfair!"
"Ace!"
Ace understood the situation immediately.
There was still an enormous gap between his current strength and Seraphina's.
If he fought her alone, his chances of winning were practically nonexistent.
However, with Luffy joining him, their combined strength might at least allow them to force Seraphina to take them seriously.
"Understood!"
Luffy stopped watching from the sidelines.
He bent his arm backward.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
His rubber arm shot forward like a stretched cable released from a bow.
Although Seraphina was someone he regarded as an older sister, Luffy could not simply stand there and watch her beat up Ace.
The two brothers attacked together.
Their coordination was surprisingly natural.
One attacked from the front while the other searched for an opening from the side.
Brothers who fought together could create a strength far greater than either of them possessed alone.
However, against Seraphina, their teamwork was still far from enough.
She calmly shifted her position.
Luffy's stretched fist passed harmlessly beside her.
Ace immediately followed.
His fist came crashing toward Seraphina from another direction.
Yet just before his attack connected, Ace hesitated.
His fist stopped in front of Seraphina.
Seraphina looked at him calmly.
"Why did you stop?"
She had already anticipated his movement through Observation Haki.
The moment Ace hesitated, she knew exactly what he was thinking.
Ace lowered his fist.
"Because you're not our enemy."
"My fist isn't going to be aimed at someone who hasn't done anything wrong."
He smiled.
Seraphina's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So that's how you intend to fight?"
"With you treating me as an enemy?"
Ace shook his head.
"No."
Seraphina understood immediately.
She had wanted to test the power behind Ace's attacks and determine how much physical strength he had developed.
But Ace had never intended to seriously injure her.
To him, Seraphina was not an enemy.
She was the Marine who had once saved him and Luffy.
She was someone he respected.
Seraphina sighed internally.
What kind of battle was this supposed to be?
She had asked them to show her their strength.
Yet Ace was still holding back because he could not bring himself to attack her seriously.
Suddenly, Luffy launched himself into the air.
His rubber body stretched backward before snapping forward with tremendous force.
"Saint Roselith!"
"It's not over yet!"
Seraphina's eyes shifted toward him.
At that instant, Ace sensed something that made his entire body tense.
Danger.
Not directed toward him.
Toward Luffy.
Ace's pupils contracted.
"Luffy!"
Boom!
A deafening impact exploded through the clearing.
A powerful shockwave burst outward.
Luffy was struck by the scabbard in Seraphina's hand before he could even understand what had happened.
His body was launched through the air.
"What?!"
Ace could only stare.
Everything had happened too quickly.
He had barely seen Seraphina move.
The force behind that single strike was terrifying.
Ace's heart tightened.
"That attack…"
"She could have killed Luffy!"
His blood ran cold.
"Luffy!"
Seraphina stood calmly with the scabbard in her hand.
"And now?"
Her voice was colder than before.
Ace's teeth clenched.
"Damn it!"
He stared at Seraphina.
He had never expected her to actually attack Luffy.
She was a Marine.
She was their savior.
How could she attack a child with that kind of force?
Ace stopped thinking.
His eyes became bloodshot.
He would fight.
This time, he would fight with everything he had.
Even if his opponent was someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Saint Roselith Seraphina.
Ace rushed forward.
His fist slammed toward her.
Seraphina moved aside.
Ace immediately threw another punch.
Then another.
And another.
Every strike contained everything he could currently put into his body.
His breathing became heavier.
His muscles strained.
Dust rose around his feet.
Yet none of his attacks could touch Seraphina.
She avoided every punch with minimal movement.
She did not even need to draw her sword.
"Too weak."
Ace's expression twisted.
"Too weak."
Seraphina calmly avoided another punch.
"With this level of strength, you still want to become the Pirate King?"
"A dream without the strength to support it is nothing more than a fantasy."
Ace gritted his teeth.
He attacked again.
"Shut up!"
Seraphina slipped past his fist.
"You're still far too inexperienced."
"Your physical ability is promising for your age, but your fundamentals are incomplete."
"Your movements are predictable, your attacks are straightforward, and you still lack the experience necessary to fight opponents who are genuinely stronger than you."
Ace continued attacking.
He refused to stop.
The battle continued.
Seraphina deliberately refrained from counterattacking seriously.
She was not trying to defeat Ace.
She was measuring him.
His speed.
His strength.
His endurance.
His reactions.
His fighting instinct.
Most importantly, she wanted to see whether his determination could withstand the overwhelming difference between them.
The answer came quickly.
Ace's strength began to decline.
His breathing became ragged.
Sweat ran down his face and dripped from his tousled hair.
His fists were scraped and bleeding from the repeated impacts and the rough ground beneath him.
Yet he still refused to fall.
"Damn it…"
"Damn it!"
His legs trembled.
But Ace remained standing.
Seraphina watched him silently.
For someone his age, his tenacity was remarkable.
…
"Aaaaaah!"
"I'm going to die!"
Seraphina's eyes shifted toward the direction of Luffy's voice.
A massive splash suddenly erupted.
A moment later, Luffy came crashing down into a cluster of bushes.
Branches shook violently.
Leaves scattered everywhere.
Luffy slowly raised his head.
"Huh?"
He blinked.
"I'm not dead!"
He touched his body in confusion.
Then his expression changed.
"Hahaha!"
"That scared me!"
"I thought Seraphina was really going to kill me!"
Luffy laughed loudly.
He had genuinely believed the previous attack would kill him.
However, he had not realized what Seraphina had actually done.
At the instant her scabbard struck him, she had controlled the force and trajectory of the impact, sending him flying rather than allowing the blow to cause lethal damage.
The strange sensation Luffy had experienced was the result of the tremendous pressure and force surrounding the strike.
He had been frightened.
But he was completely unharmed.
Luffy looked around.
He had no idea where he had landed.
"Where am I?"
He scratched his head.
Then he heard the sounds of battle in the distance.
Boom!
Boom!
Luffy's eyes widened.
"Ace!"
"They're still fighting!"
He immediately remembered his brother.
"No!"
"I have to help Ace!"
"Otherwise, he really won't be able to beat Seraphina!"
Luffy closed his eyes.
He placed his fingers against his forehead and thought seriously for several seconds.
Then he nodded.
"Okay!"
"I'm going!"
The attack Seraphina had used against him was already forgotten.
That was simply how Luffy was.
His attention had already shifted to Ace.
"Ace!"
"I'm coming to help you!"
Luffy rushed toward the sounds of battle.
…
"Ace!"
"I'm here to help you!"
Ace stopped.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
He looked toward Luffy.
"Luffy?"
Luffy rushed over.
Ace stared at him for a moment before turning toward Seraphina.
"…"
Seraphina remained calm.
She had already sensed Luffy's return through Observation Haki.
She also knew that the battle had effectively come to an end.
She had learned enough about Ace's current strength.
He was still weak compared with the monsters of the Grand Line.
But considering his age, his growth was already remarkable.
If he continued developing at this pace, his potential would become frightening.
Seraphina looked at Ace.
"You're still too weak."
Ace's expression became tense.
"Why don't you become a Marine?"
"You would receive better training."
"You would also gain access to resources and guidance that could help you become stronger."
"And if you truly want to protect the people important to you, strength is necessary."
Ace lowered his head slightly.
Seraphina continued.
"If you had been stronger today, you would not have needed to worry when Luffy was attacked."
Ace's expression changed.
Then he shook his head.
"Sorry."
"But I can't."
Seraphina looked at him.
Ace clenched his fist.
"I'm going to become the Pirate King!"
"Only by becoming strong enough to stand at the top of the sea can I protect the people I care about!"
From the moment Luffy had returned, Ace had already realized the true purpose behind Seraphina's actions.
She had not been trying to hurt them.
She had been testing them.
And beneath that test was another purpose.
Garp had probably sent her to convince them to become Marines.
But Ace had already made his decision.
He would not abandon his dream.
Seraphina looked toward Luffy.
Luffy immediately snapped out of his thoughts.
"The Pirate King will be me!"
Ace and Luffy stared at each other.
Luffy had originally intended to help Ace continue the battle.
Instead, he had arrived after Seraphina had already finished testing him.
Seraphina's expression remained composed.
"You two really are stubborn."
She turned away.
"Fine."
"I won't interfere with your decision."
"But Vice Admiral Garp asked me to pass along a message."
Ace's eyes narrowed.
Seraphina continued.
"If you insist on becoming pirates, Garp will personally come after you."
Luffy's face became serious for a moment.
Then he grinned.
"Then let Grandpa come!"
Ace laughed.
"Exactly!"
"We'll just run faster than him!"
The two brothers laughed together.
Seraphina looked at them for a moment.
Then she turned and began walking away.
She could not control these two brothers.
Ultimately, they were Garp's family.
And Garp was someone Seraphina respected greatly.
She had done what she could.
The rest was Garp's responsibility.
As Seraphina's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Luffy's laughter slowly faded.
"Ace…"
Ace looked at him.
"It feels a little wrong treating Sister Seraphina like that."
Luffy scratched his head.
"She saved us before."
"We shouldn't forget that."
Ace nodded.
"Then there's only one thing we can do."
"What?"
"We need to become stronger."
Ace clenched his fist.
"Much stronger."
"Strong enough that we won't need anyone to protect us."
"Strong enough to protect the people we care about ourselves."
Luffy's eyes brightened.
"Yeah!"
"Then we'll work even harder!"
Ace smiled.
"Did you hear me?"
"Hmm?"
Luffy stared blankly at him.
Ace's expression immediately changed.
"You weren't listening!"
"Of course I was!"
"You were daydreaming for the last few minutes!"
Ace reached out and tapped Luffy on the head.
"Ouch!"
"Okay, okay!"
Luffy rubbed his head.
"I'll listen next time!"
Ace sighed.
The two brothers continued arguing as they walked away.
Neither of them knew what awaited them on the sea.
Neither knew how many powerful enemies they would eventually encounter.
Neither knew that their names would one day become deeply intertwined with the fate of the entire world.
But one thing was already certain.
Their dreams had not changed.
They would become stronger.
They would leave the East Blue.
And they would eventually set sail toward the vast ocean that awaited them.