“This place isn’t safe. An idiot like you should stay as far away as possible.”
After taking the last piece of food and rejecting the money Ace handed them, the children from the slums spoke to Ace.
Ace’s kindness didn’t seem to garner any gratitude—or perhaps this was their way of showing appreciation.
In their eyes, someone flaunting their wealth like Ace would quickly become a target. They had no understanding of strength; to them, the boss of the district was the scariest person imaginable.
…..
“Let’s go, Deuce. Let’s check out what’s going on over there.”
Ace didn’t mind being called that. He simply adjusted his hat and walked in the direction they had mentioned. He wanted to see for himself who was doing this.
Although he sometimes seemed like an idiot, Ace knew well enough that no one did good deeds without a reason.
Elsewhere, Isuka continued recruiting children willing to leave with her. They were naive and easily trusted her words, making them more malleable. The older children, who were already hardened and wary, were not the target of her current operation.
Whether for better or worse, they had already figured out how to survive here. Isuka’s focus was on those more vulnerable.
“Big Sister, you want us to be cannon fodder?”
“Of course not. Why would you think that?”
“Well, the gangs have done stuff like that before. They’d feed you one full meal and send you off to fight for them. But you’re giving us way more—enough for a few meals. So, even being cannon fodder wouldn’t be too bad.”
“Not at all. I’ll take you to school, and once we see what you’re good at, we’ll assign you a fitting position.”
Strictly speaking, Isuka was recruiting them to groom them to be the future low-level officers. Based on individual talents, they could also be allocated to factories or Beast Fruits’ companies as managers.
Their vast enterprises needed capable managers, and that’s why Isuka was pouring her heart into this matter. If it was recruiting cannon fodder, with her personality, she wouldn’t do it.
In her view, this future was far better than the endless struggle of wandering these streets.
“We’ll put an end to this era. Once the glory of God returns, no one will have to live like this again.”
Lami’s speech echoed from nearby. But judging from the crowd’s reactions, few truly believed her words. Most were more focused on the food in front of them or Lami’s miraculous abilities.
It was around this time that Ace and Deuce arrived. Watching the strange behavior of the people here, particularly the children preparing to leave with Isuka, Ace couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Ace wasn’t a knight. He simply intervened in situations that didn’t sit right with him. But just as he voiced his concerns to Deuce, Deuce grabbed his arm.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ace, let’s leave. There’s too much of this stuff out there—you can’t fix everything. Besides… those people… they’re from the Beasts Pirates…”
Deuce had spotted an emblem on someone’s suit: Kaido’s skull and Arceus’ Thousand Arms embroidered on the back, one on each side, spread like wings.
Before Deuce came to find Ace, Skull had emphasized how crucial it was to keep Ace in check.
【Boss Deuce, I know Boss Ace has goals far beyond becoming the Pirate King, but now is not the time—especially not against those monsters. We can’t provoke them yet.】
As the ship’s intelligence officer, Skull had some knowledge of the New World. He understood that the Four Emperors were terrifying pirates, Shanks included, despite being the youngest of them.
To challenge them, one must at least reach the New World smoothly, which is why Skull entrusted Deuce to keep an eye on Ace and not let him cause any trouble when the ship hasn’t been coated yet.
“Deuce, didn’t I already tell you?”
“Huh?”
“On the path to the peak, I refuse to take detours. Kaido, Whitebeard—they’re both targets I intend to challenge. I swore an oath on my Jolly Roger, after all.”
Seeing Ace’s expression, Deuce knew he had already failed. Realizing there was no point in further persuasion, he instead followed his captain.
“You’re such a pain, you know that?”
…….
“Hey! Wait a moment!”
On the path out of the slums, Ace intercepted Isuka and her group.
“Sorry to bother you, but could I ask where you’re taking these kids?”
Standing in their way with his arms outstretched, Ace asked the question in what seemed like a polite manner.
Isuka didn’t respond to him, but instead looked toward the pirates beside her.
“Lady Isuka, it’s the Super Rookie of this year—Fire Fist Ace. His bounty is 290 million Berries.”
Her subordinates quickly provided the information, causing Isuka’s expression to turn cold. She was currently part of the Beasts Pirates, but she didn’t have a good impression of other pirates, even those from the Big Mom Pirates, who had some level of cooperation with Beasts Pirates.
“This has nothing to do with you. Move aside and stop blocking our way.”
As she signaled with a wave of her hand, her subordinates immediately understood Isuka’s intent. They stepped forward to drive Ace away, while Isuka took the opportunity to lead her group along a different route.
A few burly pirates positioned themselves in front of the children, shielding their view.
Although Ace was this year’s Super Rookie, pirates under the command of the Four Emperors typically dismissed these reckless newcomers who had just arrived on Sabaody Archipelago.
Isuka’s disregard gave Ace a certain misunderstanding. Watching her trying to leave, he swung his arm.
“Flame Fence!”
A towering wall of fire erupted, blocking Isuka’s path.
“Sorry, but I can’t feel at ease letting them leave with you.”
He meant well but chose the worst possible approach.
“You… you idiot! What the hell are you doing?!”
Seeing Ace’s actions, the two pirates who wanted to drive him away looked extremely grim. Having followed their captain for so long, they knew her personality all too well. And the thing Isuka hated most was fire, especially a sea of flames like this.
Whenever she saw walls of flames like this, it reminded her of the nightmare from back then. Even though she had overcome her fear, she still loathed it.
She could tolerate flames used by allies, but when enemies unleashed fire…
The two pirates rushed at Ace, but they were swiftly taken down. While they didn’t cause much trouble, their attacks made Ace realize they were not ordinary pirates. Their punches had actually landed on him—something he hadn’t experienced during his journey so far.
Before he could dwell on it further, a sudden sense of danger gripped his heart. A crimson figure appeared abruptly at his side.
“I hate…..fire more than anything!”
A spinning sidekick swept past his face. Although Ace managed to duck in time, a sharp pain shot through his nose. Wiping it with his hand, he saw blood trickling down from the side of his nose…
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