Chapter 106: Black Arm
âIf you ever see that on this sea, drop everything and run.
Otherwise, youâll come to know true fearâwho was it that first said that?
Regardless, in this Grand Line, it was a symbol of terror.
ââŠâŠ!! Report!! Red UFO spotted at eleven oâclock!!â
âItâs hereâŠ!! All hands!! Prepare for battle!! Keep watch in every direction!! If you notice anything suspiciousâno matter how smallâreport it immediately or act on your own judgment!!!â
Yes⊠a UFOâa mysterious flying objectâand more than that, a sign that the most terrifying creature on this sea is about to appear.
Even hardened veteran officers canât help but be on guard against this unknown life-form.
Its arrival goes unnoticed by even the fiercest warriors.
âYouâve aged quite a bit, havenât you?â
â!!?â
As he stood at the prow, surveying the area, the manâZephyrâheard the voice of a young girl ring out from behind him.
âZephyr-sensei!!â
âSensei!! Reporting in!! Multiple UFOs sighted in the skyâŠ!â
Everyone who saw that girl felt an eerie, unplaceable dread.
She manipulates UFOs floating in the air, twists living things and inanimate objects into unrecognizable horrors, and spreads seeds of fear among peopleâa monster of unknown nature and a pirate.
âWell, at least your instincts havenât dulled. Coming all the way out here⊠that mustâve been a lot of trouble âĄâ
ââŠAnd you havenât changed one bit in appearanceâŠ!!! Phantom beast NueâŠ!!!â
The girl who now stood before the Pirate Assault Unit led by former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyrâthe Deputy Governor of the Beasts Pirates, known as Beastly Nueâspoke with the same smile and youthful face she had shown for decades.
âFufufu~ ⥠Arenât you happy to see cute little me? âŠWell, Iâm happy too. You actually came out here to fight me, didnât you?â
â!â
As she spoke, Nue moved the UFOs above, making them float in erratic patterns before aligning them in a line.
They were guideposts. Markers to lead her enemies straight into the depths of fear.
âIf you want to fight me, then follow along~ âȘ Up ahead is an uninhabited island near Alabasta. No civilians. Perfect place for a good old-fashioned death match, donât you think?â
ââŠZephyr-sensei.â
ââŠI donât know what kind of wind blew you back in, but fine. That island will be your grave.â
Considering the possibility of a trap, his aide Ain called his name, seeking confirmationâbut Zephyrâs instincts told him this wasnât a trap.
After several seconds of thought, Zephyr nodded and ordered the ship to follow the UFOsâ pathâso he could send this vermin that tormented humanity straight into hell.
In the Kingdom of Alabasta, the city of Nanohana was starting to stir.
The cause wasnât the ongoing civil unrest that had gripped the country for yearsâŠ
But rather, the sighting of a certain pirate in a certain restaurant.
âYou hear? They say heâs one of Whitebeardâs menâŠâ
âIâve heard of a Marine called Smoker tooâŠ!!â
People murmured in hushed voices, peeking at the faces of two men facing each other in the restaurant, tension thick in the air.
ââŠSo? What do you want me to do?â
âTurn yourself in quietly.â
âPass. Not interested.â
The man with the kanji for Justice on his back and a specialized jitteâSmoker, a Marine HQ Colonelâurged the pirate to surrender.
But the young man with Whitebeardâs skull on his backâFire Fist Aceârejected the offer with a fearless grin. Of course. No pirate would willingly submit just because a Marine showed up.
Besides, the young man had confidenceâconfidence that even if this elite Marine came at him seriously, he could still handle it.
ââŠIâm actually looking for another pirate right now. Iâve got no interest in your headâŠâ
âThen let me go.â
âNo can do.â
Smoker, too, understood this pirate wasnât someone ordinaryâand just as he said, he had no real interest in capturing him.
But he wouldnât back down. As smoke curled from the cigar in his mouth, his right arm turned to smoke as wellâ
âAs long as Iâm a Marine, and youâre a pirateâŠ!!!â
ââŠWhat a lame reason⊠Letâs just have some fun.â
Smoker took a combat stance, showing his pride as a Marine. Ace, seeing this, stayed relaxed and cocky. The two couldnât have been more different in temperament.
And just as Smoker was about to make his moveâ
âROCKETOOOO!!!â
âGUAAAH!!!â
âWha!!?â
Suddenly, something flew in at high speed from behind Smoker and crashed into him.
The impact was so unexpected that even Smoker, a natural Logia user, let out a grunt of pain. Aceâs eyes bulged in shock as he too was blown away, crashing through several walls of the building.
âGYAAAAAH!!â
âUwooooh!!! A restaurant!!! Iâm starving!!!â
The culprit, completely unaware of what heâd just doneâMonkey D. Luffyâwalked right up to the counter, sat down, banged the dishes, and demanded food.
âHey old man! Food food food!!!â
âUh⊠Sure. But you might want to⊠runâŠâ
With mouths agape, patrons stared. The shopkeeper, drenched in sweat, still managed to cook with steady handsâwhether out of professional pride or panic overloadâas he served the Straw Hat-wearing customer.
âDEEEEELICIOUS~~~~!!! This place is AMAZING!!!â
âT-Thank you⊠but really, you shouldâŠâ
The Straw Hat boy didnât listen. He just kept shoveling food into his mouth like nothing was happening.
Then another man entered the restaurant.
âSo this is the placeâhey you lot!!! Thatâs far enough!!!â
â!!â
â?â
The moment he entered, he barked with authority, making customers stir uneasily again.
Wearing a half-white, half-green cap with horns, and a black-and-white split mask over his sharp eyes, the newcomer caused a stirâthough Luffy, still eating, didnât even blink.
The manâMr. 6, a.k.a. Page Oneânarrowed his eyes at the state of the restaurant.
ââŠHeâs not here?â
He scanned the place and muttered. Nowhere in sight. The man he was after.
Could his underlings have made a false report? Unlikely. There had definitely been a strong presence here. It wasnât a complete lie.
He noticed a broken wall. Maybe his target fled through there? As he began to move again, he sensed a somewhat decent presence and turned.
â! YouâreâŠ!â
ââŠ?â
He recognized him from the bounty posters heâd just reviewed.
The man stuffing his face at the counterâStraw Hat Luffy.
Bounty: 30 million berries. A pirate from East Blue.
But even upon hearing Page One mutter or catching his gaze, Luffy only looked confused and didnât stop eating. He was an absurdly carefree guy for someone in the middle of this chaos.
ââŠ(Wait. Donât tell me heâs Fire FistâŠ?)â
ââŠâŠMabeh moba meh? (Who are you?)â
âNo way.
Sure, thereâs a bit of Haki there, but nothing close to Fire Fistâs level.
Just one idiot rookie pirate who got caught up in this mess and kept eating through it all. Thatâs all.
Nue also told him not to make a move unless necessary, so he decided to ignore him and keep hunting Fire Fistâwhen it happened again.
âYouâve gotta be kidding meâŠ!!â
From far behind the broken wall, the young man whoâd been struck earlier stood up, politely bowed to the locals, and stormed back into the restaurantâto see the face of the one who sucker-punched him.
But the moment he saw the man at the counterâand the moment the man at the counter saw who had returnedâtheir eyes widened in recognition.
âLuââ
â!!â
â! There you aâ!â
Three different voices, three different reactions of surprise.
âHey!! Luââ
And just as the young man broke into a joyful smile, about to call out, his head was seized by someone else and slammed into the ground.
âStraw Haaat!!!â
âGwah!!!â
Marine Headquarters Captain Smoker the White Hunter stormed forward, bellowing at Straw Hat.
Luffy said nothing and simply watched.
ââPage One, too, was caught off guard. His eyes were fixed on Fire Fist Ace, the one he had come for, but now that Ace had suddenly been dragged down by a group of Marines, he froze where he stood, unsure of what to do.
âSo he did come to this country after all...â
ââChomp munch crunch munch munch munch.
âStop eating already!!!â
Even with a Marine standing right in front of him, Luffy continued devouring his food, forcing Smoker to finally snap.
At that moment, Page One noticed the Marine in front of him. A Marine Headquarters captainâand a Logia-type at that. Among pirates, that level of fame didnât go unnoticed.
â! Babomobo memebu!!! Nanbebanbe mopapi!! (That smoke guy from before!! What the hellâs he doing here!?)â
â!! That bastardâŠ!!!â
Luffy also suddenly remembered. That strong Marine he ran into back in Loguetown. In a panic, he spat half-chewed food in Smokerâs direction.
The unexpected act pissed Smoker off. But before he could react, Luffy shoved the rest of the food into his mouth, mumbled a garbled âthanks for the mealâ to the owner who wouldnât understand him, and bolted.
âGet back here!!!â
ââGwah!!â
Page One, standing in Luffyâs escape path, barely managed to shift his body asideâonly to get socked in the gut by Smoker and fold in half.
A complete blindside. It didnât hurt that much, but it sure as hell was infuriating.
âThat damn MarineâŠ!!â
He only has eyes for Straw HatâŠ!! That disrespect was enough to make Page One seethe. He was just about to forget about Fire Fist and go after the Marine first whenâ
âHold it, Luffy!!! Itâs me!!!â
âGuhhh!?â
This time, Aceâfinally on his feetâstomped Page One from behind, smashing his face into the restaurant floor.
ââŠDine and dashâŠâ
ââŠLord Page One!!?â
âWhat on earthâŠ!?â
Even the WaitersâPage Oneâs own menâburst into the restaurant at the commotion, too stunned to even remember to call him Mr. 6. Their boss was face-down on the floor like he was making out with it.
But Page One got up almost immediately. He was a dinosaur-type Devil Fruit user. Something like this couldnât possibly knock him out.
âTch⊠Those bastardsâŠ!!! Think this is funny, do theyâŠ!!!â
Fueled by pure rage, Page One immediately gave chase after Ace.
Heâd lost sight of both Luffy and Smoker, but Aceâs back was still in view. Locking onto that, he shouted the name.
âGet back here, Fire Fist!!!â
âHuhâŠ!? Who the hellâs yelling at me nowâŠ!? Wait, no wayâŠâ
Just when he was about to take off after his little brother, someone else was now coming after him.
He glanced back over his shoulder, half-expecting a Marineâand froze.
Standing there was an executive of one of the most dangerous crews on this sea.
ââŠWhy the hellâs he hereâŠ!!â
Even Ace couldnât help grimacing at this pursuer.
Marines were annoying, sureâbut this guy was on a whole other level of trouble.
Still, Ace turned his body into fire and leapt between Luffy and Smoker up ahead.
âYouâre not getting away!!! White Blow!!!â
âMirage Heat!!!â
â!!?â
âWhat!?â
Smokerâs smoke fistâintercepted by a wall of flame. Ace stood tall, blocking the path to his little brother with his back.
âSo itâs youâŠâ
âBack off. You donât want this.â
Luffy and the others stopped in their tracks at the sight. Smoker, wary of the man now in front of him, had no choice but to halt as well.
After all, this was the Whitebeard Piratesâand in front of him stood a Logia-type with the power of flame.
âYouâre âSmokeâ, right? Iâm âFireâ. You know how this goes. Neither of us is walking out with a win.â
ââŠ! Who is thatâŠ!? That guyâŠ?â
âAceâŠ!?â
âYou havenât changed a bitâLuffy.â
Flames rose from Aceâs body as he spoke, catching Luffyâs attention.
After years apart, the two brothers finally exchanged words.
But there was no time for a heartfelt reunionâthe Beast Piratesâ forces were closing in from behind the ranks of the Marines.
âOutta the way, you Marine grunts!!!â
ââŠâŠ!!?â
âColonel Smoker!!?â
Smokerâs body, turned to smoke, was struck from behind in the side and sent flying straight through a building.
It was a surprise attackâbut what truly shocked those who saw itâmainly the Marines unfamiliar with the situation and the Straw Hatsâwas the result itself.
âWho the hell is it this time!!?â
âWhoa, whoaâŠ!! Smoke Guy just got launched⊠What kind of freak are we dealing with now!?â
ââŠ? That face⊠Iâve seen it somewhereâŠ?â
A man who seemed to know Luffyâone who could turn his body into flamesâsuddenly stepped in to shield him from the smoke-wielding Marine who had been chasing him. And now, a masked man who managed to blow away that very Marine with a physical strike.
The Straw Hats were thrown into confusion.
Only Vivi narrowed her eyes at the manâs face, tilting her head in suspicionâbut there was no time to think it through.
âTch⊠So much for catching upâŠ! Hey, you guys, get outta here!! Iâll hold them off!!â
âAce⊠got it!! Letâs go!!â
âEh!? Who even are those guys!?â
Luffy hesitated for just a moment, but ultimately chose to trust his brotherâs words and left the situation in his hands. Ignoring his crewmatesâ confusion, he pointed ahead and ordered them to run. And so, the Straw Hats turned and fled.
Left behind were Ace, the Marines, and⊠the Beast Pirates led by Page One.
ââŠYouâre disguised, but you canât fool my eyes. You guys⊠youâre with the Beast Pirates, arenât you?â
â!!?â
Aceâs words drained the color from the faces of the nearby Marines and the townsfolk who overheard.
âTh-The Beast Pirates!!?â
âN-No way⊠itâs really themâŠ!?â
âWhy are pirates from the New World⊠here of all places!?â
ââŠTch. Way to spill the beansâŠâ
Page One let out a sigh as the atmosphere turned to panic and people began collapsing in fear.
After all, they were currently in disguise as Mr. 6 and his subordinate Millionsâmembers of Baroque Works.
Thatâs why all their usual gear bearing the Beast Piratesâ insignia had been removed. They wore none of the signature outfits like leather pants, cloaks, or bikini armorâonly whatever local clothes they could find in this country.
But Ace had recognized Page Oneâs face immediately. And Page One hadnât exactly been hiding his identity from Ace, either⊠but now that it was out in the open, there was no helping it.
ââŠSo youâre looking to fight? One of the âFlying Six,â rightâŠ? Hate to say it, but I already fought someone at your level two years ago. If thatâs all youâve got, youâre gonna have a hard time.â
âYou mean Komurasaki, huhâŠ? Donât lump that rookie in with usâŠ!! Iâll make sure you know the differenceâright here and now!!!â
Both men wrapped themselves in Haki, preparing for battle. Page One charged headfirst through the flames, while Ace looked for a way to shake him off.
ââŠ!! First Whitebeard, now the BeastsâŠ!? What the hell is in this country thatâs drawing them hereâŠ!?â
âColonel Smoker!! Are you alright!!?â
Smoker, whoâd been blown away by Page One, coughed up blood but somehow managed to get back on his feet. The Marines, worried for his condition yet still bound by duty, readied their weapons to apprehend the pirates.
But the Beast Pirates stood in their way.
âOi, boys!! Take care of the Marines!!!â
âRoger that, Page One-san!!â
âGyahahaha!! Time for a fight~~~!!â
âHahahaâŠ!! Do you lot even know who youâre messing with!? Weâre the Beasts, dammit!!â
âKhâŠ!!â
Grinning as they readied their weapons, the Beast Pirates clearly relished the opportunity to go wild against the Marines.
Even if they were from Headquarters, the Marines were still human. And these ones were from the East Blueâno match for New World pirates, let alone the Beast Pirates.
And as chaos broke out, the two powerhousesâeach possessing strength worthy of the New Worldâhardened their arms with Haki.
Then, finally, they clashed.
ăBeast Pirates âTobiroppoâ â Page One, Bounty: 510,000,000 Berriesă
ăWhitebeard Pirates Second Division Commander âFire Fist Ace,â Bounty: 550,000,000 Berriesă
âKaido gave the orderâif we find you, weâre to kill or capture you on the spotâŠ!! Now be a good boy and give yourself up!!!â
âEvery damn one of you⊠first thing you say is always the same. Too badâIâve got someone waiting for me. I donât have time to waste on you!!!â
âA small island off the coast of the Alabasta Kingdom.
"So, this spot should do, right? âMan, itâs been a while, huh~âȘ"
"...I donât have a single fond memory of you worth reminiscing about."
There was nothing around them. Just flat land with some sparse grass. Zephyr and Nue stood face to face.
Their physiques were like night and dayâan adult versus a child. Zephyr, a hulking giant, and Nue, who looked no different from an ordinary girl you might find in town. But her true power and malice were beyond words.
"Aw~~!! Donât be like that! Letâs chat a bit! Not many people left I can talk about the old days with, yâknow? Come on, remember how things used to be? Everyone was so full of life back then!!"
"...Nothing's changedâthen or now. Scum like pirates still infest this world... You're nothing but a plague."
And yet, that very dissonance was what made the beastly youkai so terrifying. People let their guard down around Nue, who appeared to be a cute little girl. Most couldn't bring themselves to strike a child, much less a young girlâespecially those with good in their hearts.
"Hmm? You sure about that? Wouldnât you say things were better back when your wife and kid were still alive, and your students hadnât started dying?"
"...!!"
"You filthyâ!!"
âThis was the kind of creature that would trample over landmines without hesitation.
The youkai did not fail to consider others' feelingsâon the contrary, she trampled them knowingly.
Some say those who commit evil with malice are easier to understand than those who do it without, but even malice has its limits.
Nue, with full awareness of human emotion, acted purely on her own egoâspreading fear, pursuing whatever amused her most.
Pillaging, destruction, torture, slaughter... Occasionally sheâd do something helpful, but more often than not, her acts were selfish and cruel.
They were the deeds of a true beast. Not the kind of pirate Zephyr once respectedâthose with ideals and honor.
Even if Nue had beliefs, they were vile enough to be spat upon. Unforgivable.
Thatâs why he had to kill her hereâbefore the cost spread any further.
"Youâre old, your armâs been sliced off... Honestlyâ"
"âShut your mouth!!!"
Zephyr raised his prosthetic right armâhis Smasherâand glared at Nue from behind his sunglasses, seething with hatred.
This foe was even stronger and more monstrous than the pirate who had taken his arm. If he didnât give it his all, heâd never bring her down.
"Spare me your nonsense...!! Today, Iâm dragging you to hell...!! Even if it costs me my life...!!!"
He never believed he could take her down without sacrifice.
Thatâs why Zephyr had come here fully prepared to dieâto do whatever it took to kill this monster.
âBut Nueâ
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
She tilted her head mockingly, giggling at Zephyrâs resolve.
"You seriously think you can take me down alone? Please. Youâd need all of you to even have a shot... and even then, itâs still impossible. If you canât see that, you really must be senile."
"...!!"
"Y-You dare mock Zephyr-sensei...!?"
Even the marinesâmembers of the Pirate Guerrilla Unit who had followed Zephyr and resolved to fight by his side despite his efforts to stop themâflared with rage at her mockery of their teacherâs resolve.
"Whoa now."
"!! Bins!!"
That rage turned to action.
One of the marines, BinsâZephyrâs lieutenant and a survivor of the pirate attack that had taken Zephyrâs armâused a strange dance to summon plants from the ground, binding Nue tightly.
"Moss-Moss~~!! How dare you insult Zephyr-sensei...!! Thatâs unforgivable!!! Youâll pay with your life...!!!"
"Damn right...!! Your very existence is a sin...!!!"
Then anotherâLieutenant Ainâcharged forward using Soru, her hand glowing with a mysterious energy. She touched the bound Nue, her hand sparking with the power of the Mod- Mod Fruit.
"Mod- Mod!!"
"!"
The Mod-Mod Fruitâs ability.
It rewinds a targetâs age by twelve years. With it, Ain had captured countless pirates by turning them into children, rendering them powerlessâor erased them entirely with repeated use.
It was a dangerous power, one she rarely relied on. But this opponent warranted no hesitation. She used it to weaken Nue, or if lucky, erase her.
Butâ
"Aah~ So thatâs the Mod-Mod Fruitâs power~âĄ"
"!!? Whaâ!?"
âIt had no effect.
Nueâs appearance didnât change. Not one bit.
There was no way she hadnât aged. Such a creature couldnât exist. Shouldnât exist.
Yet it was true. Either Nue hadnât aged at all, or her appearance simply never changed.
Ain was shaken by the impossible. So were Bins and the other marines.
"Too bad for you..."
"!!"
Nue smiled, watching their shaken faces, and casually broke free of the vines with minimal effort.
"âIâm forever fourteen⥠So no matter how many times you use that power, itâs totally uselessâĄ"
"Kh...!! Mod-Mod...!!"
"Tch... Moss-Moss...!!"
"Stand down!! Ain!! Bins!! Donât engage her recklessly!!!"
Fueled by the insult to their mentor, Ain and Bins charged forwardâthis time toward a clearly unguarded Nue.
Zephyr tried to stop them. He knew reckless attacks could be fatal, especially against someone like her.
He called outâbut just a moment too late.
"Too ba~adâĄ"
"A...!"
"Kh...!!"
"Ain!!!"
âThe trident pierced Ainâs chest.
It happened in an instantâtoo sudden, too anticlimactic.
Ain was no weakling. She had risen to Vice Admiral at a young age. She hadnât let her guard down.
If there was any blameâ
"Guess you were just too weak."
âIt was that the enemy was too strong.
Nue yanked the trident from her chest and looked down at the collapsing Ain with clear disinterest.
Zephyr simply watched.
Once again, he hadnât been able to stop it.
Just like before. Another student stolen by pirates.
"You damn... all of you...!!!"
Zephyrâs voice cracked.
Whyâwhy does justice never prevail?
"You bastards... how can you kill innocent people so easily...!!!? How can you do something so cruel!!!? How many lives have you taken doing things like this!!?"
Why does evil thrive in this world?
Why is this sea so merciless to those who uphold justice?
In this Great Pirate Era, why is it that pirates can steal the most precious things from others so effortlessly?
He trembled with rage and despair, his body groaning under the strain, and shouted his question at the monstrous pirate before himâone who had lived since the era of Gol D. Roger.
But the answer wasâ
"âDo you remember how many slices of bread youâve eaten in your life?"
ââŠâŠ!!!â
It wasâsomething incomprehensible.
To a monster like Nue, striking fear into humans was no different from having a meal. Just a mundane part of everyday life.
"Well, I mean, Iâm alive, so it canât be helped, right? Donât you think so? Living things canât survive happily without eating or hurting other living things. And from my point of view, thereâs no reason to let this kid live if theyâre not even planning to use Modomodo on youâah, unrelated to that, thereâs also something I just canât quite get over. Or, more like⊠it kinda pisses me off?â
âShut upâŠâŠ!!! I donât want to hear another word from youâŠâŠ!!!â
An insane beast that couldnât be reasoned with.
She mightâve looked like a human girl, but her words and actions were that of an animal. Speaking to her was pointless. Understanding her values? Impossible.
âI mean, look. You guys were sent here to kill me, right? But youâre not really serious about it, are you? Or wait⊠donât tell meâyouâre underestimating me?â
ââŠâŠEnough. I donât understand a single thing you sayâŠâŠ!!!â
He raised his Smasher, flooding it with Haki. Made from seastone, this weapon was tailor-made to counter Devil Fruit users.
They had come here, specialists in anti-ability combat, for the sole purpose of exterminating this abomination. They hadnât underestimated her. Not one bit.
âIf Kaido were standing here instead of me⊠youâd be taking this way more seriously, wouldnât you? Youâd bring a whole fleet, at least a Buster Call, maybe more. And leading it would be a fleet admiral, minimumâwell, I guess I could understand it if it were Garp or someone like that. But right now, the only ones here are⊠just you guys.â
You get it? Nueâs gaze sharpened, her eyes shifting from human to beast.
âSo you really think this is enough to handle meâŠ? You donât think youâre seriously underestimating me?â
ââŠâŠ!!!â
Something shifted.
The air around them changed, filled with an oppressive, unnatural pressure. It ran cold down their necks, made their spines tremble.
It was Haki. Conquerorâs Haki, at thatâbut tainted by something else. Something strange and otherworldly, something that blurred the line between pressure and presence. The only word that fit was youkiâa kind of monstrous aura.
The weak would faint. The strong would feel fear.
There may be no such thing as real monsters in this worldâbut if there were, even a veteran like Zephyr would imagine theyâd feel exactly like this when standing in front of one.
And within that pressure, Nue curled her lips into a crescent smile and whispered to them:
âBeing underestimated is useful, and I do enjoy tricking people⊠but being looked down on? That I hate. Iâve got a reputation to maintain as a pirate, you know?â
ââŠâŠ!! What is thisâŠâŠ!?â
Dark mist began to spill out.
It spread, creeping across the island, thickest around Nue herselfâuntil even her form could no longer be clearly seen.
Only her outline remained. Zephyr and his Pirate Suppression Force felt their instincts scream in warning, and braced themselves at full alert.
But Nue just laughed. A high, sharp giggle. She could probably feel their fear. And she was amused by it.
âSo⊠this time, as a special treatâIâll fight you for real.â
â!!?â
The weak die. The strong live. That was all the world amounted to.
And that truth was embodied in the form and existence of the girl before them.
âBe grateful, okay? Youâre the first onesâaside from Kaidoâto ever see this formâŠ!!â
Her silhouette changed.
Her body grew slightly larger, and her elbows and knees began to resemble those of a tiger. A long, serpent-like tail extended behind her. Her wings remained the same twisted shapeâone red, one blueâand her hair lengthened, flickering like flame.
âW-what the hell⊠is thatâŠâŠ!?â
âA m-monsterâŠâŠ!!â
ââŠâŠ!! Donât flinch!! Itâs just a Zoan transformationâan animal-type form!!â
Yes. That was technically all it was.
But the dread it evoked, the grotesque shiftâit was unlike any other animal Zoan form. Unmatched. Incomparable.
And more than anything⊠it was far more powerful than the girl they had faced mere moments ago.
âNow that youâve seen this form, Iâll be killing all of you. Canât have people forgetting the fear of the unknown. I need to reclaim what makes me Nue.â
Within the black mist, her beastly red eyes locked onto the marines.
âHumans whoâve forgotten the fear of Nue!!! Tremble and die in terror before meâthe strongest, most unknowable creature in existence!!!â
â!!!â
And in that momentâthey understood.
What it truly meant to face the most terrifying creature alive. Why she, despite being only second-in-command to a Yonko, had a bounty in the tens of billions.
But even that bountyâwas a gross underestimate of her danger.
And they understood that, tooâright before the fear of death swallowed them whole.
A pirate ship lay anchored off the coast, just beyond the edge of Nanohana.
"Big bro!?"
"That guy earlier⊠heâs your brother!?"
"Yeah. Heâs my big brother."
The pirates flying the jolly roger with a straw hatâStraw Hat Luffy and his crewâwere gathered around, chatting excitedly about the freckled young man theyâd seen in town.
The conversation revolved around how this young man, Ace, was Luffyâs older brotherâhow heâd set out to sea as a pirate three years earlier, and how, despite once being just an ordinary human, heâd grown so strong that Luffy had never beaten him, not even once. Luffy told these stories with a smile.
But as their conversation tapered off, a certain thought began to weigh on them.
âAce sure is takinâ his time~~âŠâ
â...Well, if heâs up against that smoke guy, even your brother might have some trouble shaking him off.â
âYeah. And there were some weirdos with him too.â
Zoro the swordsman and Sanji the cookâtwo of the crewâs strongest membersâchimed in after Luffyâs mutter. Even from their perspective, Aceâs strength seemed undeniable.
Still, the people Ace had foughtâa Marine who could turn into smoke, and a masked man whoâd managed to knock that Marine awayâwere clearly no slouches either. Going up against both would naturally take some time.
Luffyâs crew and Vivi had things they needed to do. They couldnât just hang around here forever. Just as the mood started to shift toward making a moveâ
âHaaah⊠there we go.â
â! A~~~~~ce!!â
âYo.â
The man who landed lightly on the edge of the shipâAceâwas greeted with joy as Luffy called out to him. Ace, too, smiled at the sight of his younger brother after so long, and politely greeted his crew.
But before they could get too caught up in talk, one thing couldnât be ignoredâAceâs condition. The crewâs doctor, Tony Tony Chopper, a reindeer who had eaten the Human-Human Fruit, spoke up in alarm.
âYouâre hurt! You need treatmentââ
âNah, donât worry about it. This is nothinââjust a few scratches. Haha.â
Chopper had noticed the bruises and cuts on Aceâs body, but Ace simply laughed them off, brushing aside the concern. It didnât seem like he was in any serious danger, and he acted like he was just fine.
ââŠHe knew what he was doing, huh?â
âAhh⊠yeah. Took me a while to shake him.â
âFor Ace to get hurt, that guy must be really strong⊠You know him?â
âHmm⊠nah, technically we just met. He called himself Mr. 6, thoughâŠâ
âMr. 6!!?â
â?â
Ace responded casually to Zoro and Luffyâs questions, but his answer sent a jolt through the group. Most visibly shaken were Usopp, the crewâs sniper, and Nami, the navigator. Nami quickly turned to Vivi, who knew the organization best.
âS-So someone strong enough to fight Luffyâs brother evenly⊠is Mr. 6!?â
âVivi! That guy from earlierâ!!â
âNo! Thatâs not what Mr. 6 looks like!!â
Vivi flatly denied it. The Mr. 6 she remembered looked completely different, and if Aceâs opponent really had been that strong, it just didnât add up.
âMr. 6 is one of the top Frontier Agents. Sure, heâs no pushover⊠but compared to Mr. 5 or Mr. 3, heâs way weakerâŠ!!â
ââŠI see. That doesnât make sense then⊠I figured he was a higher-ranking NumberâŠâ
ââŠTrue, Iâve never met Mr. 1 or his partner, so I canât say for sure, but⊠if that guy was Mr. 1, heâd be targeting us, not Ace⊠since we know the bossâs identityâŠâ
âYeah. And the organization probably thinks weâve already been dealt with. Even if our cover got blownâmaybe by that Mr. 2 guy we ran intoâitâs way too soon for them to send assassinsâŠâ
Vivi dismissed Zoroâs assumption, saying it was unlikely. Sanji also found the timing strange, since he himself had faked being Mr. 3 and submitted a false report after Little Garden.
But if they had been exposedâand if this self-proclaimed Mr. 6 really was with Baroque Worksâwhy didnât he come after Vivi and the crew?
Even if he truly was Mr. 6, it didnât make sense. If he were someone elseâsay, Mr. 1âit still didnât make sense.
And if he wasnât part of the organization at all⊠then why claim to be Mr. 6?
Baroque Works was supposed to be completely off the governmentâs radar. So who was this mystery man that knew about themâŠ? A new unease began to stir, directed at this unknowable enemy.
ââŠI dunno whatâs goinâ on, but canât we just beat him up anyway?â
ââŠIf heâs one of their agents, thatâs fine⊠but if heâs a third party, weâd just be making more enemiesâŠ!!â
Luffyâs typical suggestion to just punch the problem away was quickly shot down by Vivi.
Until they knew who this Mr. 6 really was, they couldnât afford to make a move.
ââŠHey, mind if I say something?â
â!â
The one who broke the tension was Ace, who had been listening quietly until now.
He looked thoughtful, head tilted as if he were turning something over in his mind. Then, with a more serious expression, he asked:
âYou donât have to tell me if you donât wanna, but⊠Luffy. Who exactly are you guys about to pick a fight with?â
With Viviâs permission, the crew explained the situation to Ace. He was Luffyâs brother, after all, and also the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. His reputation was known, and they had every reason to trust him.
Besides, if Baroque Works did send someone after them, Ace was clearly strong enough to deal with it.
ââŠI see. So Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords, is trying to take over a countryâŠâ
After listening, Ace repeated the key point, lost in thought.
A pirate trying to become a kingâit sounded like a joke, but Ace knew it had happened before. There were at least two Warlords who held royal status, and even among pirates on par with Whitebeard, some had claimed nations for themselves.
So it wasnât impossible. But if a pirate was making a move like that, there had to be some kind of hidden agenda.
And now, one of the people Ace had just fought⊠was also in this country.
ââŠCanât be helpedâLuffy.â
âYeah? What is it?â
Ace made his decision.
He had his own important mission. And this was Luffyâs adventure. No matter how hard it got, it wasnât his place to interfere. Even as his brother, even as a member of another crew, it wasnât his role to step in.
If Luffy wanted to fight a Warlord, so be it.
But if his little brother and his friends were at risk of being hurtâhere, in the first half of the Grand Lineâhe couldnât just stand by.
âIâve got a good idea who that Mr. 6 might be. And Iâve got a bit of history with him.â
âOkay.â
âSo at least when it comes to them⊠let me handle it. Mind if I stick with you guys for a while?â
âââSure!!â
And just like that, with Luffyâs easygoing approval, Ace decided to travel with the Straw Hat crewâif only for a little while.
ââA secluded inlet on the outskirts of Nanohana.
âDamn it⊠that bastard Fire Fist⊠got awayâŠ!!â
Gathered there were several members of the Beasts Pirates, dressed differently from their usual appearances.
Page One and his men had withdrawn to a quiet, unpopulated area after the commotion in town. Now, they were preparing to cross the desert.
The rest of the work involved treating the wounded. As powerful as they were, their opponent had been no pushover, and even they hadnât come out unscathed.
âPage One-san!! You took a lot of fire back thereâwhat about your woundsâŠ!?â
âYeah, itâs fine⊠If I leave it alone, it'll probably blister up, but⊠itâll heal soon enoughâŠ!!â
âThatâs it!?â
Page One had taken multiple hits from Fire Fist Aceâs flames in the earlier fight, but the burns he sustained were surprisingly mild. His natural toughness left his subordinates stunned.
Even compared to the Gifters and real Devil Fruit users, Page Oneâs resilience and healing abilitiesâgranted by his Ancient Zoanâwere far from ordinary.
âBut I still couldnât finish off that bastard Fire Fist⊠Damn it⊠What a failure.â
Even with all his power, he hadnât managed to take Ace down.
He knew full well the strength of the manâformer captain of the Spade Pirates, now Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. His reputation echoed throughout the New World. But that didnât matter.
If the target had been one of the Four Emperors or someone of comparable strength, it mightâve been understandable. But a mere division commanderâone around his own ageâgetting away? That was nothing short of a blunder.
They were part of the Beasts Pirates. Their mission was to crush the enemy, instill fear, and assert their dominance through overwhelming strength.
Failing to do so was a disgrace. Even if Kaido or Nue didnât seem to care, Page Oneâs pride wouldnât let him accept that.
âWhat should we do? Should we go after him?â
ââŠNo. Keep preparing to cross the desert. The odds of finding him now are next to nothing.â
âUnderstood!!â
Once theyâd lost him, the chance of finding him again was slim.
Besides, they had other orders. Capturing Ace wouldâve been a bonus, sureâbut chasing glory at the expense of the mission was out of the question.
âSo, what about reporting this to Nue-san?â
â! âŠRight. But the fight might still be going on. Once it's over, she'll probably contactââ
ââSomeone called my name~!!?â
â!! Nue-sanâŠ!!â
Just as Page One turned to instruct a subordinate about reporting in, Nue suddenly appeared from behind a rocky outcrop.
As usual, she was completely unpredictable. Page One broke into a light sweat. Even with decent Observation Haki, detecting Nueâs presence wasnât easy.
ââŠDonât tell me⊠itâs already over? I thought your opponent was that former Navy AdmiralâŠâ
âAhâyeah, thatâs right. It's already over~. Look.â
âWhaâ!?â
The subordinate who received the human head Nue pulled from who-knows-where recoiled in horror. âŠHe wasnât the only one startled.
âMmm~~!! Man, that dragon fight the other day left me all unsatisfied, so I figured Iâd go all out this time. But he didnât put up much of a fight. I mean, even if theyâre kinda strong, old guys with no stamina are just a letdown. I was hoping heâd hang in there at least a day out of pure stubbornness, but nopeâhe went down right away⥠âOh, gimme some cold water~â
âR-right away!â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
Everyone stared at Nue in silence as she sat cross-legged atop a nearby crate, demanding water from a subordinate.
Sheâd set out for battle just a few hours ago. In that time, sheâd wiped out an elite Marine unit, including a former admiral. The overwhelming might she displayed inspired fear, awe, and admiration in equal measureâfitting for someone in the Beasts Pirates, who worshipped power above all else.
Page One knew just how outrageous she could be. He and his sister had grown up within the crew. His sister, especially, looked up to Kaido and Nue like parents, and Page One respected them too. âŠEven if they made him sigh on a regular basis.
âU-um⊠Nue-san, what should we do with this head?â
âKeep it somewhere safe~âȘ Weâre sending it to Mary Geoiseâcollect on delivery⥠Iâve gotta start thinking about what to write in the letter too~!!â
ââŠNue-san, I have a reportâŠâ
âHmm? What is it? âAh! Donât tell me you ran into Ace and fought him? And since heâs not here, Iâm guessing he got away?â
â! âŠYes, maâam⊠thatâs exactly what happened.â
Despite the disappointing words, Nue looked unusually cheerful as she spokeâcatching Page One off guard by guessing the entire situation before he could say anything.
Had she used Observation Haki to see it coming? Or had she just guessed? Either way, Page One didnât know. All he could do was admit it and apologize.
But Nue just burst into laughterâ
âAhahahaha!! Oh, donât worry about it!! I mean, youâre pretty strong, Pei-tan, but Ace is no slouch either!! Canât help it if things go south sometimes!! No biggie, no biggieâȘ Just get him next time!!â
âIâll definitely take him down next timeâŠ!!â
Nue didnât scold him for failingâsomething that, in fact, wasnât uncommon within the Beasts Pirates.
They had a reputation for brutality, but that was mostly toward enemies and outsiders. When it came to their own crewâespecially the strong onesâKaido and Nue rarely punished failure without reason. Unless someone royally screwed up while they were drunk, they didnât go in for executions or torture.
The only one who might deliver a beating as punishment was the overly serious All-Star, Jack. The others would just give a tongue-lashing at most. And that was enough.
Everyone in the crew looked up to Kaido and Nue. No one rested on their laurels or let failure slide.
The weak rose through the ranks by growing stronger.
The strong, even after gaining status, kept getting strongerâfor Kaido and Nue.
âOkay okay!! Then letâs get moving to Alubarna!!! Hustle up!!â
âYes, maâam!!â
ââThey had power, and they still craved moreâcharging forward in the name of destruction and terror.
Their relentless advance had only just begun. Drawn by the scent of blood, the pack of beasts turned toward the heart of a rebellion steeped in conspiracy.
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