BOOM!
Flames roared and surged outward like a living beast.
Ace burst forward through the fire, his entire body spinning rapidly—
a fiery whirlwind tearing the air—
before driving a blazing fist straight toward Law's head.
THUD!
Law's arm, coated in Armament Haki, clashed head-on with Ace's Fire Fist.
The collision erupted like thunder—
a violent explosion of heat and force that sent shockwaves tearing through the port.
Sparks flew in all directions as both men were thrown backward, crashing onto the ground.
"Hah…"
Ace exhaled heavily.
Using his Devil Fruit power so continuously was draining his strength and focus.
Not to mention—his opponent's power had far exceeded expectations.
In East Blue, no one had ever been able to withstand his flames.
Every battle had ended in a single, overwhelming strike.
But this man—
this man could counter Logia intangibility, could touch him, could block his punches.
It made Ace's eyes widen in disbelief.
And yet—his blood boiled with exhilaration.
A fight like this—
a true fight—
made his very soul tremble with joy.
He hadn't set out to become Pirate King.
That title belonged to that man, and he wanted nothing to do with it.
He sought something else—
to become the strongest man in the world.
To stand above everyone.
To surpass even the Pirate King.
And how does one do that?
By making a name for himself!
By defeating stronger opponents!
Ace's eyes gleamed. "You're strong," he said. "Are you the strongest man on your ship?"
Law panted, studying him.
That short exchange had been enough to tell him—
this flame-wreathed man possessed a terrifying natural talent for battle.
Even though Law's Armament Haki countered the Logia's element,
Ace's raw physical ability was monstrous—
his instincts, his speed, his aggression.
He wasn't losing ground.
Not even slightly.
"Me?" Law blinked, confused.
"The strongest?"
A bead of sweat slid down his temple.
He made a face. "I'm just the doctor on our ship."
Ace froze. "...Doctor?"
"Yeah."
Law nodded seriously. "I'm still a rookie, even on the first half of the Grand Line."
A rookie?!
Ace's jaw dropped. "So… there are people even stronger than you on your ship?"
"Of course." Law paused, thinking. "If you don't count the captain—just among the officers—
I'm actually the weakest one."
…
The words hit Ace like a lightning bolt.
The guy who just fought him to a draw—
the one who countered his flames and met him head-on—
was the weakest officer on the ship?!
His mind reeled.
He couldn't even find words.
If this was their weakest man,
then how strong were the others?!
"Wait," Ace asked hesitantly. "Are you guys one of the Four Emperors?"
Law tilted his head. "The Four Emperors? No, no. Our captain's the King of Drum Island—
a nation in the first half of the Grand Line."
Only the first half?!
Ace's heart shook violently.
He'd heard from the well-traveled Skull that the Grand Line was divided into two halves.
The first half—known as the Paradise.
Not because it was safe,
but because compared to the New World ruled by the Four Emperors,
it was like a children's playground.
And yet…
even a crew from this so-called "Paradise"
could completely crush East Blue's strongest?
Ace felt dizzy—like a rookie adventurer realizing the world boss was camping outside the tutorial village.
And worse—he'd just been told there were even stronger ones ahead.
He took a deep breath.
"So then… how big is the difference between you and your ship's strongest fighter?"
Law went quiet for a moment, then answered calmly:
"The difference between heaven and earth. Honestly… he could probably knock me out with one punch."
Ace's pupils dilated.
"That big of a gap?!"
The realization shook him to his core.
But before he could say anything more—
"Hey! You wanna reach Ace, you'll have to go through me first!"
Deuce's voice rang out from behind.
Ace turned.
Deuce stood there, bleeding heavily, swaying on his feet,
blocking a Marine officer with sheer willpower.
The Spade Pirates might have a total combat power of 100—
but Ace alone accounted for 90 of that.
The rest of the crew were just trying to keep up.
Against Smoker, Deuce was completely outmatched—
yet he still stood his ground, fighting desperately to protect his captain's back.
Smoker leapt, swinging his jitte down hard.
Deuce barely raised his sword—
WHOOSH!
A blaze erupted.
Ace transformed into fire, shooting forward like a comet.
His flaming fist slammed into Smoker's chest.
The Marine raised his jitte just in time—
BOOM!
A deafening impact rocked the port.
The wall of fire blew outward, forcing both apart.
But Ace suddenly staggered.
His flames flickered.
A strange weakness washed over him, draining his strength.
What the hell?
He leapt back, landing beside Deuce.
The weakness vanished instantly.
Ace frowned, eyes narrowing on Smoker's weapon.
The jitte's tip gleamed—a dull gray stone set into its head.
Sea-Prism Stone.
He didn't know its name yet,
but his instincts screamed that that weapon was dangerous.
"Deuce!"
Ace knelt, catching his friend as he collapsed unconscious.
Smoker glared through the haze, smoke curling around him.
"Fire Fist Ace! You're not getting away this time!"
He lunged forward.
"I don't have time for this!"
Ace raised his hand—
a roaring wall of fire erupted between them.
Carrying Deuce, he leapt through the burning smoke, escaping down the street.
The flames forced Smoker to halt his pursuit.
But moments later—
"Over there!"
Tashigi appeared with a squad of Marines, blocking the road.
"Seize them!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Bullets whizzed through the air.
Ace's fingers shaped like a pistol.
"Fire Gun!"
Fire bullets burst forth, exploding midair, scattering the Marine formation.
Tashigi rushed forward, blade flashing.
Ace, not wanting to waste time, vaulted upward, landing on a rooftop—
and vanished into the distance.
"Guess that's the end of the show, huh?"
Jin cracked a sunflower seed, spitting the shell aside as he watched the chaos below.
Smoker and his men were still chasing after Ace through the streets.
He chuckled softly, brushing dust off his lap.
"Ace will come back," he murmured. "He has to."
Deuce's injuries were severe—
and Law had just said he was a doctor.
Besides…
Ace wouldn't be able to resist seeking out the "stronger" fighters Law had mentioned.
The thoughts of a young man are never too hard to predict.
Below, the once-raised earth wall slowly sank back into the ground, the streets flattening again.
Cracked bricks littered the pavement.
Jin vanished from the rooftop—
appearing silently beside Robin.
He patted her shoulder lightly.
A signal to release Bartolomeo.
The arms sprouting from Bartolomeo's body dissolved into petals.
He collapsed, gasping for breath, twisted like a pretzel.
"Hah… You think you've won?" Bartolomeo snarled. "My barrier can't be broken! You killed my brothers—
my friends! I swear, when I get stronger, I'll make you pay for this!"
He gritted his teeth, hatred burning in his eyes.
Among the fallen were childhood friends—people from his own streets.
How could he let that go?
Jin sighed softly. "Yeah… there's too much blood between us now. I doubt that hatred will fade."
He stepped closer to the transparent barrier, looking Bartolomeo dead in the eye.
"So the only way to resolve it," Jin said quietly,
"is to make sure you don't get the chance."
His eyes flared crimson—
a wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward,
crushing the air itself in an invisible pressure of pure will.
Even though Conqueror's Haki couldn't be trained in the usual sense…
-------------------------
Patreon 25+ Advance Chapters: p@treon .com / pretendsituation