The black flame was devastatingly potent. Wherever it passed, the seawater instantly vaporized, leaving behind nothing but a steaming trail.
The giant eel had just recovered its senses when it saw a thick column of black fire lancing toward it. An boundless dread rose in its heart, and the great eel thrashed its tail, desperately trying to evade the attack.
But it was too late.
The eel had barely swum a few hundred meters before the black flame slammed into its midsection.
In an instant, the dark fire erupted across the massive creature's body.
Bang! Boom!
With a spray of blood, the giant eel was snapped clean in half.
"Moo?" Mohmoo stared at the scene in utter disbelief.
On the shore, everyone had witnessed the spectacle.
The residents of Sake Island were so stunned by the sight that they couldn't make a sound.
Nami and Vivi, however, cried out in excitement, "Mohmoo, you're amazing!"
Ace was also deeply surprised. He had never seen a sea beast capable of spitting a flame-like attack.
"Could the Lineage Factor have really incorporated dragon genes?!"
Ryuuto stared at Mohmoo's performance, finding it hard to believe this was a Sea King.
ROAR!
The reality of its victory finally hit Mohmoo, and it began to swim through the sea in a joyous frenzy.
The two-thousand-meter-long eel, now severed in two, floated on the surface of the water.
With the death of this Sea King, the massive whirlpool on the ocean's surface dissipated. All the objects that had been sucked into its vortex now bobbed aimlessly in place.
Among them were splintered planks of wood, broken branches, and stunned little fish. Most importantly, The Black Dragon was floating perfectly intact on the water.
"Great job, Mohmoo!" Nami called out, standing on her tiptoes to be heard over the waves.
"Moo~"
Mohmoo heard Nami's voice from afar and called back in response.
A few moments later, the black flames covering Mohmoo's body faded, and the glowing lightning-like patterns on its skin dimmed. An overwhelming sense of hunger washed over it.
Hungry!
So hungry!
Glancing at the massive eel carcass on the water's surface, Mohmoo flicked its tail and charged forward.
Blood soon began to stain the sea as Mohmoo buried its head in the two-thousand-meter-long eel and began to feast.
"The Sea God is dead!"
"Our Lord Sea God is being eaten by another Sea King!"
"No! Lord Sea God!"
The residents of Sake Island finally snapped out of their shock, crying out as they watched the great eel's body being devoured.
"Captain, that Sea King is dead. They don't have to offer up the Monkey Wine anymore, so why don't they seem happy?" Nami asked, confused.
"They probably feel like they've lost their protector," Ryuuto said in a low voice. "This is a tricky situation."
The Sea King likely had no intention of guarding the island, but its very presence had served as a powerful deterrent.
"Gahahaha, that's simple!" Ace, seeing through Ryuuto's dilemma, laughed and spoke up.
"Ryuuto, your problem is you don't act enough like a pirate crew!"
With that, Ace pulled Ryuuto over to stand before the crowd of islanders.
"Listen up! We, the Whitebeard Pirates, are taking this sake!" Ace roared. A ball of fire erupted from his right hand, swirling and coalescing until it formed a colossal fist of flame.
"Fire Fist!"
Ace slammed his fist into a nearby empty patch of ground.
Boom!
The immense impact of the flames, carrying a heat that could incinerate anything, struck the earth. After the explosion rang out, a deep crater was left in its wake.
The people of Sake Island felt the sheer power of that single punch.
They were terrified at first, but when they saw Ace wasn't attacking them, they began to whisper amongst themselves.
"The Whitebeard Pirates! Is that one of the Four Emperors?"
"So this is the strength of a Yonko crew?"
"Why should they get to take our Monkey Wine?"
Ignoring their murmuring, Ace stood with his chest puffed out, looking down on the crowd.
"Listen here! We are the Whitebeard Pirates! From now on, this island belongs to the Whitebeard Pirates. You are under our protection!"
"What!"
"Why should our island belong to the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"Quiet!" Just as the crowd was about to erupt again, the middle-aged man in the collared jacket suddenly stepped forward and shouted.
He then cautiously approached Ace and Ryuuto.
Ryuuto was still processing Ace's masterful performance.
"Hello! Do you mean to say that this island will now be affiliated with the Whitebeard Pirates?" the man asked, his tone extremely humble after witnessing Ace's power.
"In that case... could you possibly grant us one of the Whitebeard Pirates' flags?"
Ace looked at the man before him, a newfound respect in his eyes.
The territories of the Four Emperors were almost exclusively in the New World; it was rare for them to take an island in the Grand Line under their protection. For these people, this opportunity was like a pie falling from the sky.
After all, a Yonko only protected an island for one of two reasons: personal sentiment or a source of profit.
Of course, did Ace have the authority to make such a decision?
Did it matter?
A fluttering Whitebeard Pirates flag would be answer enough for anyone.
"No problem," Ace agreed in a deep voice.
'I'm sure the Old Man will love the Monkey Wine here,' Ace thought, already planning to bring some back for Whitebeard.
Ryuuto watched the scene unfold, a thought crystallizing in his mind. 'The name of a Yonko isn't just a symbol of strength; it's a powerful deterrent in itself.'
A problem he had found so difficult was solved so easily in Ace's hands.
This was also the first time Nami and Vivi had truly felt the immense power of the Whitebeard Pirates. A mere name was enough to protect an entire island.
Crocus watched Ace's back, his gaze distant, his thoughts wandering to places unknown.
When the restaurant owner finally hurried over and learned what had happened, he was first shocked, then overjoyed.
"I told you! You were the ones who found all this Monkey Wine in the first place. Why did you even need to haul it to the beach!" the owner said, fawning over Ryuuto, Ace, and the others.
"Gahahahaha!" Ace let out a hearty laugh and pointed toward The Black Dragon. "Then we won't be shy. Get all of this loaded onto that ship."
"Right away!" The restaurant owner nodded eagerly.
Ace had set out in pursuit of Blackbeard on a small Striker, which could barely hold a few barrels of Monkey Wine.
So, he intended to give all of the sake to Ryuuto.
Ace had spent enough time with Ryuuto and his crew to not only understand Ryuuto's strength but also to feel a kinship with his personality. Whether he saw it as an investment in Ryuuto or simply making a new friend, Ace had already made his decision.
Besides, they had all found the wine together.
Vivi was the happiest of all. With this much Monkey Wine, she felt she could truly dedicate herself to her training and raise her strength as quickly as possible.
The restaurant owner returned with a large sheet of black cloth.
With a grand flourish of his hand, Ace painted the iconic jolly roger of the Whitebeard Pirates upon it.
Seeing there was still extra cloth, Nami was struck with an idea. She, too, began to paint, creating the flag of the Black Dragon Pirates.
A black dragon with red eyes...
The Black Dragon Pirates were still unknown, but who could say what the future held?
They planted both the Whitebeard flag and the Black Dragon flag together on the most prominent spot on the dock—the very rack that had once been used for feeding the Sea King.
The black dragon flag fluttered in the wind...