Boom—!!
Splintered planks shot outward like shrapnel.
A gigantic green fist sank deep into the deck.
The whole ship groaned in agony under the blow.
Waves rolled backward, slamming against the hull with a thunderous crash.
Perched on a rail in the distance, Ace stared at the shocking hole, utterly dumbfounded.
Seconds ago, that spot had been a well-kept, gleaming deck.
Now, it opened straight to the sea.
You could even see a few unlucky fish belly-up on the surface.
"Hey!!"
Ace leapt down, jabbing a finger at the broad green back.
"That's too much!"
"One punch like that—do you know how much repairs cost?"
"And Deuce is lying right there—you nearly sent him to the next life!"
Hulk slowly straightened.
The mountain-like back rippled with explosive power.
He turned.
In those pale eyes burned pure rage.
Steam jetted from his nostrils like twin blades.
"Hulk..."
"hates... nagging!!"
Roar—!!
Another bellow, spittle flying like a typhoon.
Ace had to clamp his hat to keep it from blowing away.
The pirate crew were already scared witless, hugging the rails and trembling.
This is the Doctor?
A monster in human skin!
Where's the mild-mannered Dr. Banner?
Eaten by this green behemoth?
[Astonishment value +150!]
[Astonishment value +180!]
Mordred listened to the sweet alerts in his head, delighted.
Since the transformation's begun... let's make it a show!
Hulk stamped a foot.
The huge sole crashed onto the deck.
Thud!!
Another deafening impact.
Several thick planks flipped up like rolled carpets.
Barrels and clutter hurled sky-high.
"Stop it!!"
Ace screamed in horror.
Watching the planks fly, he felt his heart bleed.
At that moment, he might have been possessed by some stingy innkeeper.
Clutching his head, his face twisted, he wailed:
"Oh my gods!"
"My freshly painted deck!"
"My century-old ancestral stairs!"
"That's a genuine ash elm tabletop!"
"And you just smashed it?!"
Dead silence.
Even the half-dead Deuce rolled his eyes.
We're on a pirate ship—where did 'century-old stairs' come from?
That table was looted last month!
Skip the drama, Captain!
Hulk found the orange-hatted fire-bug too noisy.
Like a buzzing fly.
It drove Hulk crazy!
"Shut up!!"
He snatched a snapped mast.
The beam, thick as two men, looked like a toothpick in his grip.
Whoosh—!
It swept through the air with lethal force.
Right at the still-muttering Ace.
If it landed, even iron would be flattened.
"Whoa, you serious?!"
Ace yelped.
His body ignited.
Blazing orange flames burst out.
Whoosh!
The mast sliced through the fire and smashed the galley behind.
Rumble!!
The already rickety cabin collapsed in half.
Timber and dust everywhere.
"..."
Ace re-formed nearby.
Seeing the wreckage, his face darkened.
That had been the kitchen.
Which meant... tonight's dinner was gone.
"Bastard..."
He lowered his hat brim; a scorching aura rose.
His easygoing vibe vanished.
Replaced by the terrifying pressure of a Logia user.
"Even if you're the Doctor..."
"smashing my ship and wrecking my kitchen..."
"I can't let that slide!"
Boom!
His right arm burst into roaring flames.
The air twisted in the heat.
Moisture on the deck hissed into steam.
"Let's cool you down, big guy!"
"Fire Fist!!"
Ace punched.
A colossal fist of flame tore free.
With the fury to incinerate everything, it howled toward Hulk.
This single punch could shatter several warships!
Faced with the scorching wave rushing at him, Hulk stepped forward instead of back.
On that green face appeared an almost human sneer, as if watching a child play with a lighter.
"Fire..."
"Hulk... hates fire!!"
Hulk sucked in a monstrous breath.
His chest ballooned, ready to burst.
Then, he spread his huge hands and, at the oncoming Fire Fist, viciously clapped them together!
Crack—!!!
The sharp report didn't sound like hands meeting; it was thunder exploding in every ear.
The blast deafened nearby pirates and stabbed their eardrums.
Immediately after came an indescribable, savage gust—a shockwave born of raw strength compressing the air!
Boom—!!
A visible white shockwave fanned outward from Hulk's palms.
That roaring Fire Fist, before the hurricane force, was a candle in a storm: it lasted less than a second, gave a faint pop, and was snuffed out.
Yes—snuffed out.
No fancy technique, no Haki reinforcement—just brute, unreasonable power!
The raging airflow didn't stop with the flame; it surged on, carrying colossal kinetic fury.
"What?!"
Ace's pupils shrank.
He had no time to react before the blast hurled him away.
Bang!
Like a rag doll, he slammed into the main mast behind him.
The hard spar cracked instantly.
"Cough..."
Sliding to the deck, Ace clutched his chest and wheezed.
Thanks to his Logia body, the blow wasn't fatal, but the suffocating force left his heart racing.
He lifted his head and stared at the green giant in the dust, his face ghost-white.
"You've got to be kidding..."
"That was Fire Fist..."
"And he clapped it out?!"
Is this thing even human?!
This is supposed to be a Doctor?!
You call this healing?
That's outright physical salvation!
[Astonishment value +233!]
[Astonishment value +250!]
A scorched sea wind swept the deck.
The once-noisy pirate ship now lay silent as a tomb.
Every gaze was fixed on the green giant and the thin wisp of smoke dying at his feet—the remnants of Ace's Fire Fist, the famed move that had burned countless ships in the New World—gone, just like that.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed; in the hush, it sounded like thunder.
"M-Monster!!"
A shrill scream shattered the silence.
The terrified crew finally snapped back.
This was no Doctor; this was a primordial beast in human skin!
If he could swat away the Captain's Fire Fist, what chance did they have?
"Run!!"
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Like dumplings dropped in a pot, they vaulted the rail and dived into the sea, their moves heartbreakingly practiced.
In the blink of an eye, the crowded deck stood empty.
Even the cook who'd boasted of cheering the Captain leapt overboard hugging a black cauldron.
Only wreckage remained, and a lone figure.
Deuce lay amid broken planks, staring hollowly at the sky.
The wind tangled his blue hair, bleak and lonely.
With effort, he turned his head to watch his sworn brothers bolt like rabbits, never once looking back.
Deuce's mouth twitched madly, a deep sense of betrayal rising within.
Especially that cook!
Jumping ship with a pot—what the hell?!
That pot's worth more than your First Mate?!
"Hey..."
He stretched out a trembling hand, a hopeless plea.
His voice was a mosquito's whine:
"You bastards..."
"Take... take me with you..."
"I haven't jumped yet!!!"