Chapter 98: Child's Worries
ââWano Country, Onigashima.
The master of the mansion located there was not present at the moment.
In fact, he wasnât even in Wano Country at all. The pirates of the Beasts Pirates whispered among themselves about this.
"Hey, you hear? About Kaido and NueâŚ"
"Theyâre fighting again?! Whatâs the reason this time?"
"Seems like itâs family issues⌠And apparently, Lady Musashi, whoâs supposed to be grounded, ran off, so thereâs orders to catch her."
"At least theyâre not fighting on Onigashima or in Wano⌠But if we donât hurry up and find her, those two are gonna lose it when they get backâŚ!!"
The crew members scrambled in a panic, preparing to set sail toward Wanoâs mainland.
And the one giving these ordersânow that Kaido and Nue were absentâwas the highest-ranking officer of the Beasts Pirates on Onigashima, one of the All-Stars: "King the Wildfire."
"Listen up. Bring her back before Kaido and Nue finish their fight."
"Y-yes, sir!! The search party is moving as fast as they can!!"
"Hurry it up⌠You know whatâll happen if you fail."
"âŚ!! Y-yes, sir!!"
Kingâs commanding voice carried an oppressive weight that even hardened pirates feared. That terror spurred them into action, desperate to complete their mission before their bosses returned in a rage.
Inside the mansionâs hall, where King issued his orders, there were other high-ranking officers present as well. Though not All-Stars, they were still figures the average pirate would bow to. King addressed them too.
"...Yamato, behave yourself. Donât pull any stupid stunts like Lady Musashi."
"Iâll consider it if you take these shackles offâŚ!! If I were free, I wouldnât cause you any trouble!! But locked up like this, who wouldnât want to lash out?!"
One of them was Yamato, Kaidoâs child. Though bound and sprawled on the tatami, slightly injured, they remained defiant. Seeing their unbroken spirit, King snorted.
"If you, calling yourself âKozuki Oden,â set foot in Wano, youâd just stir up unnecessary trouble. Thatâd be a problem for Kaido, Nue, and by extension, us⌠We canât let you leave Onigashima. Thatâs why Kaido put those shackles on you."
"What kind of parent does thatâŚ?! Damn itâŚ!!"
Yamato cursed Kaido, who had fitted their own child with handcuffsâspecial ones that prevented them from leaving the island.
But knowing escape was impossible, Yamato couldnât act further. With King standing right there, any attempt at rebellion was futile. As frustrating as it was, they had no choice but to stay put.
And there was another reason Yamato held backâsomeone else in the room made them hesitate.
"...Hey, Komurasaki."
"âWhat is it?"
King addressed this other figure. Sitting on the tatami in full samurai armor was one of the Beasts Pirates' TobiroppoâKomurasaki.
Her quiet response marked her as the one Yamato couldnât bring themselves to oppose too strongly. In a way, she was Yamatoâs natural enemy.
"Iâve got other business. Keep an eye on Yamato for a while."
"...Understood."
Leaving Yamato in the care of their so-called "enemy," King exited the hall with his subordinates in tow.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the room, some crew members whispered among themselves.
"When are we gonna report the intruder?"
"You idiotâŚ!! If they find out we slacked off, weâre dead!! We gotta pin it on someone elseâŚ!!"
"R-right."
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
Komurasaki silently watched them leave, but another voice pulled her attention away.
"...YouâŚ"
"...What?"
"...Never mind."
Yamato started to say something but held back. Whatever it was, they swallowed it down.
Komurasaki knew why. Guilt and dutyâYamato was torn between them, and in the end, chose silence. She had seen this reaction countless times since becoming a Tobiroppo.
Dismissing Yamatoâs unchanging struggles as foolish, Komurasaki quietly resumed maintaining her sword, the blade meant for cutting down enemies, as Yamato sat subdued nearby.
"Fuhahaha!! So youâre pirates?! Got any swordsmen?!"
"Yeah, if you meanâ"
"Hey, Ace!!"
In the bamboo groves near Amigasa Village, the Spade Pirates were bewildered by a strange girl who called herself Musashi, trying their best to humor her.
They had introduced themselves as pirates, and when asked about swordsmen, Deuce cut off Ace before he could answer.
"MmphâPwah!! Whatâs the big idea, Deuce? Weâve got a few swordsmen, right?"
"If we tell her that, weâll end up fighting!! Weâre supposed to avoid causing trouble, remember?! So letâs just brush her offâŚ!!"
"Huh⌠Now that you mention it, guess youâre right."
Pressed by Deuceâs urgency, Ace reluctantly conceded. If she was looking for a swordsman, it was better not to be too honest.
They were already trespassing in a Yonkoâs territory. Deuce wanted them to move carefully, avoiding detection.
But with Ace around, unnecessary words were inevitable. So Deuce took over, turning back to Musashi.
"...We donât have any swordsmen."
"Hmm, true. Some of you carry swords, but none seem worthy of being my Papa. The strongest here is probably⌠that woman. Wanna try being my Mama?"
"Try being your Mama?! No way!!"
Musashiâs offer to Isuka was met with an instant, vehement rejection. Apparently, she didnât meet her standards.
"...Anyway, who are you? You were being chased by pirates earlier⌠Got some kinda problem?"
"Ah, donât worry about that. Itâs nothing important. Just a little chase."
Musashi dodged Aceâs question. Or rather, she answered in a way that made it clear she wasnât interested in explaining.
Given the bizarre name she gave earlier, she might just be an eccentric with a few screws loose.
"So, youâre a samurai?"
"A swordmaster!! Swordmaster Musashi!! Iâm looking for strong people who could be my Papa or Mama!!"
"Youâre looking for adoptive parents, or what?"
"No. Iâm looking for a Papa or Mama to teach me swordsmanship. Right now, Iâve got about thirty."
"Sounds like Big Mom or somethinâ⌠Word is sheâs got like, dozens of husbands."
"That makes even less sense."
Musashiâs ramblings left everyone either exasperated or scratching their heads. She was probably looking for sword instructors, but why call them "parents"? And thirty of them? That wasnât normal.
"So, whyâd you come to this country? If itâs sightseeing, I wouldnât recommend it, but the soba and dango in the Flower Capital are amazing!!"
"Ohhh⌠Now thatâs interesting."
"Wait, wait, wait!! If youâre not recommending it, donât bring up tourist spots. Ace, donât get sidetracked."
"But we need food for us and the village, right?"
"WellâŚ"
Deuce nodded reluctantly. They had given all their food and water to the village, leaving nothing for themselves.
If they were staying for a while, theyâd need supplies. Buying from a shop would be bestâthey didnât want to draw attention, but it was necessary.
"Hm? You guys donât have food?"
"Unfortunately not. Know any places we can get some? Shops, or⌠maybe somewhere with wild game?"
"Shops are in the Flower Capital or the official districts. As for wild game⌠I wouldnât recommend it."
"Hah? Why not?"
"Itâs poisonous. In Wano, unless itâs from a safe farm, all the animals and water are toxic. If you wanna live off the land, you gotta toughen your stomach first!! Fuhahaha!!"
"Poison, huh⌠Weâd be fine, but the villagers wouldnât."
"Ace, boss⌠We canât handle poison either."
"Donât lump me in with you!! Dumbass!!"
As Skull and Isuka protested, the rest of the Spade Pirates shook their heads or muttered, "No way weâre eating poison." Ace tilted his head, confused. Deuce just shrugged.
"Setting aside Aceâs freakish constitution, the rest of us and the villagers canât handle that⌠So buying from a shopâs our only option."
"Then we gotta grab dessert too. Hey, Kotetsu, what kinda sweets do they have in Wano?"
"I donât know much about that⌠but for sweets, oshiruko and yĹkan are supposed to be famous."
"Alright, letâs go buy some!"
"Hey, dumbass Ace! You need to be a little more careful!! If we go into town, weâll look suspicious!! We should head back to the village firstâŚ"
Isukaâs suggestion earned nods from everyone. Having someone else who could rein in Aceâs recklessness was a good thingâespecially for Deuce.
And so, the Spade Pirates prepared to return to the villageâuntil Musashi, who had been silently watching them, suddenly spoke up from behind.
"âYou guys are pretty interesting⌠Alright!! I donât really get it, but Iâll tag along!!"
"Huh?"
She puffed out her chest and declared it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Having landed in Wano, Ace and the Spade Pirates decided to lay low in Amigasa Village for a while to avoid the Beasts Pirates' pursuit.
"Hohoho⌠So this is how you weave straw hats?"
"Uh⌠Y-Youâre interested, sir?"
"Of course, purely out of curiosity!! But I wonât do it myself. Iâm a swordsmanâno, a swordmaster!! Watching is enough!!"
"So samurai-like, sir!! Amazing, sir!!"
"Fufufu, indeed, indeed!"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
âŚBut among them, there was one odd presence.
A girl with two horns sprouting from her head. Right now, she was watching O-Tama, the village girl, weave a hatâand for some reason, she had ended up boasting about herself in the conversation.
Ace, who had also been observing the hat-weaving lesson, wore an unreadable expression as he watched the two.
"âŚMore importantly, whatâs your deal? If youâre from Wano, shouldnât you go home? Why are you sticking with us⌠in this village?"
"Donât worry about it. Just a whim. Iâll go home when I feel like itâno big deal. Besides, a tiny hidden village and pirates lying low? That sounds way more fun than my usual routine."
"Even paying for lodging and all?"
"Moneyâs no issue. If I run out, Iâll just take it from some rich-looking samurai!!"
"âŚRight."
Musashi answered without hesitation, while Aceâuncharacteristically for himâseemed hesitant.
It wasnât that he disliked her or anything. The real issue was something else.
One of the surnames she had casually dropped earlier had stuck in his mind like a fishbone in his teeth.
"âŚHey, Musashi. Your parentsâŚ"
"Parents? I already told you. My parents are the greatest swordsmen in the world!!"
"No, thatâs not what I meantâŚ"
"? Then what?"
"Itâs just⌠how do I put thisâŚ"
Ace fumbled over his words, uncharacteristically awkward.
His usual cheerful, carefree demeanor was nowhere to be seen.
Deuce, who knew him well, understood why.
It was about her parents.
"âŚYour parents⌠arenât they, like, really famous or something?"
"!"
Finally, Ace voiced his question.
For him, it was an unusually serious inquiryâone that cut deeper than expected.
Even Deuce stiffened slightly at the weight behind it.
But what surprised him more was Musashiâs reaction.
He had expected another flippant answer, but insteadâher eyes changed.
For a brief moment, something dark flickered behind her bright gaze.
But just as quickly, she grinned and replied.
"âŚFuhahaha!! Like I said before!! My parents are the greatest swordmasters in the world!! Of course theyâre famous!!"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚRight. Whatever."
Ace turned his attention back to O-Tamaâs hat-weaving.
But despite his dismissive tone, something still gnawed at him.
The reason?
One of the names Musashi had casually thrown out earlier was the surname of Aceâs fatherâGol D. Roger.
Ace hated his real father. The resentment ran so deep that even now, only Deuce knew the full extent of it.
That was why hearing that name from Musashiâeven if it was just a joke or admirationâleft him with a tangled mess of emotions.
And then there was the slim, almost impossible chanceâŚ
What if she was actually Rogerâs daughter? A hidden child?
Just being of Rogerâs bloodline was considered a crime in itself. Ace had kept his own lineage a closely guarded secret.
On top of that, Musashi seemed to be hiding something about her real parents.
That unease was eating at him.
Of course, everyone had their own circumstances. Not talking about oneâs parents wasnât that strange.
But when little things piled up, they became hard to ignore.
And that was why Ace was acting so unlike himself.
"Your parents being master swordsmen is amazing, sir!!"
"âŚNah, I think sheâs lying about thatâŚ"
"Is that so, sir? Then what about your parents, Deuce, sir?"
"Hm⌠Ahâ"
Caught off-guard by O-Tamaâs sudden question, Deuce hesitated.
âŚTruth be told, he also had complicated feelings about family. It wasnât something he liked talking about.
But unlike before, it didnât feel as heavy now. Before he knew it, he was answering.
"âŚTheyâre doctors."
"Thatâs amazing, sir!!"
"Nah... it's nothin' special."
But perhaps some lingering rebelliousness toward parents remained, as he instinctively downplayed it. Even if she was a doctor, as a personâno, as a parentâshe was... questionable. Hard to respect.
So heâd said as much to Otama... but what came out of her mouth next gave Deuce a moment of pause.
"But... I ainât got no parents... So even that sounds real nice to me!!"
"......!"
In a different way, this too could be called a complex about family.
A child without parents. In this Great Pirate Era, it wasnât exactly rare. Plenty of kids like that existed. For whatever reason, Otama was just one of them.
Maybe thatâs why, even as she laughed awkwardly for a second, she barely showed any sadness or bitternessâinstead, she seemed to genuinely envy Deuce and Musashi for having parents.
"...I see. Thatâs rough."
"Ah... nah, it ainât like that!! Folks in the village are real kind to me, and I even got a master lookinâ after me!! So Iâm plenty blessed as I am!!"
Realizing she mightâve made him worry, Otama hurriedly waved her hands in front of her, insisting she was happy. She was a tough kid. Hard to believe she was only five. If anything, it made himâstill clinging to some petty rebellion against his parentsâlook like a real brat. At the very least, he hadnât been this mature at five.
"...Yeah, guess so."
"Sure am!!"
Watching Otama work hard weaving hats to earn even a little money, he thought: Kids donât get to choose their parents or where theyâre born. No matter who they are, blood ties donât just disappear.
Heâd never say it out loud, and maybe it was just the grass looking greener on the other side... but maybe Otama, with no parents from the start, was actually the happier one. Was that just him? Or did the other two, with whatever darkness lurked in their eyes, feel the same? Deuce couldnât tell.
By the time Ace and his crew had spent two weeks in Amigasa Village...
That night, Ace gathered his crew. Secretly, without the villagers or Musashi knowing.
"Whatâs up, Ace...? Calling us out this late."
"Yeah... my bad. Wonât take long, just hear me out."
Ace apologized lightly to Deuce and the others, who eyed him suspiciously, but his expression was resolute.
Right then, the crew sensed it. When Ace looked like this, his mind was made up.
Heâd worn the same face when burning Whitebeardâs flag on Fish-Man Island... and when heâd gone to greet Red-Haired Shanks right after entering the New World.
"Skullâs intel confirmed it. The Beasts Piratesâ stronghold is an uninhabited island called Onigashima."
"...And we need that info because...?"
Deuce asked, though he already knew. Heâd braced himself.
Still, he couldnât help the unease twisting his face. What Ace was planningâthe path he was takingâwas that harsh.
"Yeah. âCause weâre gonna attack it."
"Tch......"
Heâd known. There was no way Ace would just walk away.
But even so, Deuceâs face soured. The only resistance left was to ask.
"You... realize what youâre saying? Weâve already got Whitebeard as an enemy."
"Course I do. But I told youâour goal is the âFour Emperors.â Aside from Red-Hair, who weâve got respect for, weâre taking all their heads. If weâre this close, itâd be a waste not to."
"I get that, but... their main base? You got a plan? The enemyâsâ"
"What the hell are you thinking, Ace?!!"
Just as Deuce was about to press further, someone cut in loudly from the side. Isuka. A former Marine HQ lieutenant and their newest memberâtechnically not a pirate, but undeniably part of the crew. Which was exactly why she objected.
"Hey, Isuka. Youâll wake the villagers. Keep it down."
"Tch... Do you even hear yourself?! Youâre talking about Kaido, the âStrongest Creatureâ...!!"
"I know. One-on-one, they say heâs unbeatable, right? Perfect opponent."
"You idiot!! You donât get it at all...!!"
Isuka glared at Aceâs arrogant dismissal. She knew better than anyone how terrifying Kaido was. The undying strongest beingâeven Admiral Kizaru had been wounded by his underlings, and before becoming an Emperor, heâd humbled Red-Hair himself.
"Rumors say even the Pirate King or Vice Admiral Garp couldnât kill him...!! And you think you can take on that monsterâ"
"...Then beating himâll just mean reaching greater heights as a pirate."
"...! Youâ"
"...Told you before. If you canât keep up, stay behind. If you ainât got the will to fight, donât. Iâm... aiming for the top. Doesnât matter whoâs in the wayâWhitebeard or the Beasts, Iâll crush âem all. Kaidoâs just first on the list."
So if you wanna stay, stay. Just like on Fish-Man Island, Ace gave them the choice again.
But no one here lacked that resolve. Theyâd all follow Ace. Even Isuka, left with no choice but to relent. Once Ace set his mind to something, nothing stopped him. All they could do was support him.
"...Ace. Weâre all... ready. But if this is just a suicide charge with no plan... Iâll stop you. So Iâll ask againâdo we have a chance?"
Deuce alone pressed the issue. Heâd pledged his life to Ace, no complaints thereâbut he wouldnât condone a reckless charge into certain death. Speaking for the crew, he demanded an answer. Ace understood and nodded.
"Weâve got a shot. Skullâs intel says nowâs our chance."
"...That so?"
"Yessir, Mister Deuce. And for you too, Sis Isukaâby all accounts, this really is our best opening."
Skull stepped forward from behind Ace, addressing Deuceâs question. To Isuka, whoâd objected the most, he made it clear Ace hadnât made this decision lightly. (Though she snapped, "Donât call me âsisâ...!!" for entirely unrelated reasons, glaring at Skull, who just chuckled and continued.)
"Hereâs the deal. Most of the Beasts Pirates are out of Wano right now. Kaido and Nue are obviously gone, but even the All-Stars and Flying Six are down to just one each."
"Whatâre these âAll-Starsâ and âFlying Six,â Skull?"
"The âFlying Sixâ are the six strongest officersâthe âTobiroppo.â The âAll-Starsâ are the four right-hand men under Kaido and Nue. Theyâre called âCalamitiesâ for a reasonâinsanely strong and batshit crazy."
The Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperorsâ crews, were the most combat-focused of them all.
Less like pirates and more like a warlord factionâor a straight-up gang of violent thugs.
Their forces numbered over 20,000. Nearly 100 officers, most of them Zoan-type Devil Fruit users.
Among them, the six strongest were the Flying Six, and above them, the four All-Starsâthe Calamities, each leading their own army. At the very top sat Nue, the right-hand man, and Kaido himself.
In sheer numbers and organization, they mightâve lagged behind other Emperors like Big Mom or Whitebeard... but in raw individual strength, no one surpassed them. An unstoppable, undying legion.
"...I see. So most of their heavy hitters are gone."
Deuce crossed his arms, nodding. Fighting them all one by one wouldâve been impossible. Their crew had 20 members (and one animal). Even if each took down 100, theyâd still be outmatched. The grunts mightâve been manageable, but facing all the top officers at once? No way. If only one of each was present, this was their best shot. Butâ
"Kaidoâs gone too, right? Then we canât take his head either way."
"Right. Thatâs the key, Mister Deuce. If Kaidoâs not there, we canât get him... but timingâs on our side. He and Nue are due back the day after tomorrowâand theyâre coming alone."
"Hah? Wait, thatâs... way too convenient. The timingâs one thing, but why just the two of them?"
Deuce asked bluntly. Skull hesitated, uneasy but pressed on.
"Turns out, Kaido and Nue fight to the death on the regular. Theyâre on their way back from one now."
"Fight to the death...? Theyâre infighting?"
"Nah, not like that. More like... sparring taken to the extreme. Just on a scale that reshapes islands, so they pick remote spots."
"The hell...?"
So the Four Emperors aren't just strongâthey're completely unhinged, huh?
Deuce couldnât help but think it.
Red-Hair had been surprisingly approachableâat least on the surfaceâso heâd assumed the Emperors were still fundamentally human. But hearing this? It sounded like they were dealing with straight-up monsters. The scale was just too different.
"So theyâre back the day after tomorrow. That means tomorrow, we hit Onigashima, take out this 'All-Star' and 'Flying Six,' then lie in wait for the rest. Iâll handle Kaido. The rest of you gang up on Nue⌠and we put them down for good."
Ace wrapped it up.
Hearing it laid out like that, even the crew had to admitâthis was their best shot. Just getting a chance to fight a Yonko with their forces weakened was a miracle. Ace was the type to act first and think later, but apparently, he wasnât completely reckless. On paper, at least, their odds went from zero to something halfway plausible.
"You guys arenât backing out now, are ya? âŚWell, even if you do, fine by me."
"AceâŚ"
Deuce took Aceâs wordsâhalf-challenge, half-dareâwith a complicated expression.
Truth was, Ace would charge in alone if he had to. His goalâbreaking free from the shadow of his father, Gol D. Rogerâmeant everything.
Surpass Rogerâs legacy. Achieve what Roger couldnât. Become someone bound by nothing.
Thatâs why he saw every power ruling the world as an enemy: the Warlords, the Marines, the Emperors, even the Celestial Dragons. Heâd smash it allâbecause he had to surpass his father.
So yeah, Ace would take on a Yonko solo. The strategy heâd just laid out? Purely to convince the crew. Ace himself didnât need it. Heâd charge headfirst without a second thoughtâand that much was clear from his tone.
"âŚCanât argue when you put it like that."
Deuce sighed, then nodded. The rest of the crew followed.
If they refused, Ace would go alone. And if he did, heâd probably die.
Deuce and the others? They were all misfits whoâd gathered because they believed in Ace. No matter how reckless he was, they wouldnât let him die alone.
"Besides⌠I promised Otama. Told her weâd come back as a bigger crew and take her aboard."
"Right. We will come back. After taking down Kaido, then Whitebeard⌠Who knows how long itâll take, or if sheâll even still wanna go⌠But either way, weâre keeping that promise."
Earlier that day, Otamaâthe village girlâhad begged to join their crew.
At just five years old, they couldnât possibly take her. But theyâd promised: Once weâre a bigger crew, if youâve grown into a fine kunoichi, weâll take you with us.
And to keep that promise? Toppling Kaido and making Wano a place where a kid like her could grow up strongâthat was worth fighting for.
"Listen up. We set sail for Onigashima at dawn. Get your shit ready by then."
Not a single voice objected.
Observation Haki, when trained, allows one to sense presences from afar.
And that girl had particularly sharp ears⌠She had overheard the conversation taking place in the bamboo forest late at night.
"Onigashima, huh⌠Ugh⌠I donât think we can win, but⌠what should we doâŚ?"
Bearing an uneasy heart, the girl flew away from the village that very night, her expression troubled. The beast beneath the full moon shone white.
The island was surrounded by violent ocean currents, making it accessible only by approaching head-on.
And there, blocking the way, stood a massive red torii gate, fortified like a stronghold. Closer still, several UFOs patrolled the skies above the island.
To slip past this security net and finally reach the heart of the Beasts Piratesâthe rulers of Wano Countryâwas none other than Onigashima.
"...We made it here without any trouble."
"Whatâs going onâŚ? Did they not notice us?"
Yet Ace and the Spade Pirates had arrived at Onigashima without encountering a single obstacle.
Though they had taken some precautions to deceive the eyes of the fortress along the way, they had expected the UFOs surveilling from above to spot themâand had even prepared for the ensuing battle. But they slipped through unnoticed, leaving the Spade Pirates dumbfounded.
"...Convenient, but donât let your guard down."
"Right, stay sharp. An Emperor isnât an easy opponent⌠Be extremely careful."
Deuce and Isuka warned the crew not to grow careless.
The front of Onigashima resembled a massive dock, wide enough to moor numerous ships.
âŚYet there were no guards.
For the stronghold of an Emperor, it was unnaturally unguarded.
"For an Emperorâs base⌠or maybe because itâs an Emperorâs? If theyâre this cocky, thinking nobody would dare attack⌠weâll have to teach âem a lesson."
"...For now, letâs hide the ship. Iâd hate for it to get wrecked mid-battle."
They had already decided that, aside from Mihar, the shipkeeper, the entire crew would set foot on the island.
Still, getting caught would put them in a tough spot, so they took great care in choosing where to dock.
With that, the Spade Pirates, armed and ready, set foot on Onigashima.
"...Doesnât the island sound noisy inside?"
"Yeah⌠I sense people, and I hear voices. Maybe theyâre having a banquet?"
Upon landing, they realizedâfrom beyond the staircase leading into the cave aheadâcame voices. Not just one, but many.
Ace and his crew casually assumed it was just a rowdy celebration, but this was still an Emperorâs domain. They proceeded with utmost caution.
"Hurry up and grab âem!! If we donât move fast, weâllâhuh?"
"âOh, excuse us~."
"Ah, no worries, thanks forâwait, huh? Gahâ!!?"
Almost immediately, they ran into piratesâflustered ones, at that.
When Ace reflexively greeted them, the pirates, perhaps in good spirits, responded in kindâŚ
Only to have their faces smashed in by Aceâs fist seconds later, sending them flying.
More pirates poured into the hallway, quickly noticing the disturbance.
"Hey!! Who the hell are these guys!?"
"No way⌠intruders!? Damn it, of all times!!"
"Heh heh⌠this just got fun!"
"This isnât the time for fun!! Now that weâre spotted, we take âem out fast and move!!"
"Yeah!! I know!!"
As battle erupted, Ace grinned fearlessly, looking like he was having the time of his life.
Here they were, in an Emperorâs lair, yet he was utterly carefreeâwhile Deuce remained on high alert.
"Whoa, whoa!! I knew I recognized this guy⌠Itâs "Fire Fist" Ace!!"
"Oh? You know me? Then take thisâ"Fire Fist"!!!
"Guaaaahâ!!?"
"Damn itâŚ!! Someone, report thisânow!!"
But against mere foot soldiers, Ace didnât slow down.
The Spade Pirates, many of them combat specialists, swiftly overpowered the numerically superior Beast Pirates.
With Aceâs flames keeping the enemy off-balance, they held the advantage.
"Alright!! Weâve cleared out the small fry here!! Onward!!"
"Yeah!!"
Thinning their numbers now meant an easier fight against the big shots later.
This was a raceâto weaken them before being discovered.
"So far, so good!"
"Almost too smooth⌠I hope nothing goes wrongâŚ!!"
United, Ace and his crew advanced along the side path of the giant skull mountain.
They had chosen this route to avoid being surrounded inside.
For now, the plan was workingâŚ
But in a battlefield like this, irregularities were inevitable.
"...!!"
"Whoa, reinforcements!?"
"...No, waitâŚ!!"
The next figure to appear was a tall woman with two horns.
The moment she saw Ace and the Spade Pirates, she froze in shock, raising a hand to stop them.
Seizing the opening, Ace launched a Haki-infused punchâ
Butâ
"...!!"
"Tchâ! Finally, someone who can fight backâŚ! You one of the Tobiroppo?"
"Ngh⌠no!! Iâm not one of the Tobiroppo!!"
She blocked Aceâs strike with the iron staff strapped to her back.
This was the first time since arriving on Onigashima that someone had stopped Aceâs attack.
Both he and the Spade Pirates widened their eyesâthis was the real deal.
As Ace pressed his assault, he asked if she was one of the All-Stars instead.
But again, she denied it.
"Then who the hell are you!?"
"Iâm Yamato!! The one and onlyâKozuki Oden!!"
"âŚâŚHah? Another weirdo spouting nonsense⌠Is this some kinda trend in Wano? âWhatever. I donât care what title youâve got⌠Sorry, but youâre goinâ down right here!!"
"Wait!! I have no intention of fighting you!!"
"Oh, so weâre not even worth the effort? Thatâs some real disrespectâkinda pisses me off!!"
"I said thatâs NOT what I meant!! Gods, youâre impossibleâŚ!! And yet youâre strongâŚ?!"
Aceâs flame-wreathed fist clashed against the iron staff of the woman who called herself Yamatoâno, Kozuki Oden.
Despite the strange disconnect between them, the Spade Piratesâ assault on Onigashima had finally begun in earnest.
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