"Smoke-guy?!" Luffy mumbled, his mouth still completely full of desert meat.
Pinned to the floor, Ace watched as his little brother didn't hesitate for a single second. The young pirate swallowed the massive lump of food in one ridiculous, logic-defying gulp, his rubber neck stretching to an impossible size.
"I gotta run! See ya!" Luffy shouted cheerfully.
Before Captain Smoker could even blink, Luffy kicked off the ground and shot out of the giant hole in the Spice Bean restaurant like a cannonball, leaving a thick trail of dust in his wake.
"Straw Hat! Get back here!" Smoker roared.
The lower half of Smoker's massive body instantly transformed into a swirling cloud of grey smoke. He prepared to launch himself out of the broken building to chase the rookie pirate.
But suddenly, a hand wrapped in roaring orange flames firmly grabbed Smoker's shoulder.
"Hold on, Captain," a calm, dangerous voice said.
Smoker stopped. He turned his head slowly, glaring at the pirate he had just shoved into the floor seconds ago.
Ace stood up smoothly, dusting off his black pants. The friendly, emotional look he had just a moment ago was completely gone. In its place was the cold, razor-sharp focus of an elite soldier. His entire right arm was engulfed in bright, crackling fire.
"You're in my way, Fire Fist," Smoker growled, gripping his Seastone jitte. "You're a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Why the hell are you protecting a rookie from the East Blue?"
Ace smirked, adjusting the orange cowboy hat on his head.
"He's my little brother," Ace replied.
Smoker's eyes widened slightly in shock, but his anger quickly overtook him. "I don't care who he is to you! Justice doesn't play favorites!"
Smoker lunged forward. He thrust the heavy Seastone weapon directly at Ace's chest, aiming to drain his Devil Fruit powers instantly.
The old Ace, driven by pride and absolute confidence in his Logia invincibility, might have taken the hit, not realizing the weapon's tip was made of Seastone.
The new Ace analyzed the weapon's trajectory, the speed, and the lethal threat in a fraction of a second.
Evade and counter. Ace twisted his torso sharply. The heavy metal jitte passed harmlessly right over his shoulder, missing him by mere inches.
Before Smoker could pull his weapon back for a second strike, Ace stepped directly into the Marine's personal space.
Close Quarters Combat. Ace grabbed the thick collar of Smoker's jacket with his left hand, locking the heavier man in place. With his right hand, Ace ignited a highly concentrated, super-heated flame directly under Smoker's chin.
He didn't shoot a massive fireball. He didn't want to destroy the restaurant or waste energy. He simply let the fire burn intensely in a tight, controlled sphere right in front of the Captain's face.
Physics did the rest.
The intense, roaring fire instantly consumed all the oxygen in the immediate area. Smoker tried to turn his upper body into smoke to escape the grip, but his lungs betrayed him. He gasped violently for air that simply wasn't there.
His eyes widened in sudden panic. His brain was starved of oxygen.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Smoker's eyes rolled back into his head. The Marine Captain collapsed heavily onto the wooden floor, completely unconscious.
Ace let out a slow breath, the fire on his hand fading away.
Clean. Fast. Efficient.
Instantly, the familiar blue screen flickered to life in his vision.
[Threat Neutralized: Captain Smoker.]
[Underworld Bounty Claimed. Initiating Silver Roulette...]
A virtual, glowing wheel spun rapidly in front of Ace's eyes. It clicked, flashing with a bright silver light that illuminated his vision.
[Reward Acquired: Rokushiki Art - Soru (Shave)]
[Description: Explosive leg movement that allows the user to move at superhuman speeds, disappearing from plain sight.]
Ace gasped softly. A sudden, sharp electric shock traveled down his spine and straight into his leg muscles. It wasn't painful; it was pure muscle memory being downloaded directly into his nervous system.
He instantly knew exactly how to kick the ground ten times in a single second. He felt lighter, faster, and infinitely more dangerous.
Outside the restaurant, the loud marching of boots echoed down the street. Dozens of Marine soldiers were pouring into the area, holding their rifles high, looking for their Captain.
"Let's test this out," Ace whispered.
He bent his knees. Soru. BOOM. Ace vanished. The wooden floorboards where he was just standing shattered from the pure kinetic force of his launch.
He reappeared instantly on top of a three-story sandstone building, looking down at the chaotic city of Nanohana. The speed was incredible. It felt like teleporting.
"Now... where is that idiot?" Ace muttered to himself.
He didn't have to look for long. Luffy was usually easy to find; you just had to follow the sound of chaos. But while Ace could see the Straw Hat crew already reaching the harbor and preparing their ship to sail, Luffy was nowhere near them.
Ace sighed, shaking his head. Military tactics are useless when your VIP target has zero sense of direction.
Ace used Soru again, blurring through the air across the rooftops until he dropped silently into a narrow, dusty alleyway deep in the city.
Right there, staring at a dead-end brick wall with a highly confused expression, was Luffy.
"The sea was this way... no, maybe that way? Or was it up?" Luffy mumbled, scratching his head.
"Still as lost as ever, I see," Ace said, leaning casually against the alley wall with a smirk.
Luffy jumped, spinning around. His eyes went wide, and a huge, toothy grin split his face.
"ACE! YOU'RE REALLY HERE!"
Luffy launched himself at Ace, wrapping his rubber arms around him three times in a suffocating, unbreakable hug. Ace laughed warmly, patting his brother's back. For a brief moment, the soldier faded away entirely, leaving only the big brother.
"I thought Smoker-guy caught you!" Luffy laughed, finally letting him go.
"It'll take more than a little smoke to catch me, Luffy," Ace teased, flicking Luffy's forehead just like when they were kids. "You've grown, but you're still a slow rubber-brain."
"Hey! I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared proudly, adjusting his straw hat.
"Sure, sure," Ace smiled. "But first, you have to actually find your ship. Your crew is already sailing away."
Luffy blinked. "WHAT?! NOOOO!"
Ace grabbed Luffy by the back of his red vest. "This way, idiot."
They sprinted out of the alley and ran straight toward the coast. When they reached the edge of the docks, the Going Merry was already dozens of meters away from the shore, the sails catching the desert wind.
"OI! MINNA! WAIT FOR MEEEE!" Luffy yelled at the top of his lungs.
He threw his arms forward, his hands stretching impossibly far over the water to grab the ship's wooden railing.
"Gomu Gomu no... ROCKET!"
Luffy shot through the air like a catapult, screaming with joy, leaving Ace standing alone on the docks.
Ace shook his head, a fond smile on his face. He walked toward a small, sleek black boat anchored nearby—the Striker. It looked like a cross between a kayak and a jet ski, custom-built for a Devil Fruit user.
Ace jumped onto the Striker, ignited his feet, and the engines roared to life, fueled entirely by his pure fire. He shot across the water, leaving a trail of steam behind him, and easily pulled up alongside the Going Merry.
He climbed over the railing and landed smoothly on the grassy deck, where the Straw Hat crew was already surrounding their idiot captain.
The green-haired swordsman had his hand resting dangerously on his katana. The orange-haired navigator looked confused and terrified. The blonde cook was staring at the newcomer with calculating eyes, and a long-nosed sniper was hiding behind the mast.
"Who's the hotshot?" Sanji asked, blowing smoke from his cigarette.
Ace took off his orange hat and bowed politely. His demeanor instantly shifted from a lethal combatant to a charming, well-mannered guest.
"Excuse me for dropping in uninvited," Ace said smoothly, his voice calm and respectful. "I'm Ace, Luffy's older brother."
The entire crew's jaws dropped simultaneously.
"BROTHER?!" they all yelled in unison.
"I wanted to thank you for looking after him," Ace continued, handing out small, polite nods to each of them. "He's always been a bit of a handful, and I know he can be quite difficult to deal with. He lacks common sense and breaks things often. Please, keep taking care of my foolish little brother."
"He's so... polite," Nami whispered, staring in disbelief at Luffy, who was currently picking his nose and laughing. "How are they even related?"
"Hey! I'm not that much trouble!" Luffy complained, crossing his arms.
"Liar!" the entire crew shouted at him.
Ace laughed warmly, but then his expression turned slightly more serious. He looked at his little brother.
"Actually, Luffy, I came here looking for you because I wanted to ask you something," Ace said. "Why don't you and your crew come with me? Join the Whitebeard Pirates."
"No way!" Luffy answered instantly, without a second of hesitation. "I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"
Ace just smirked, adjusting his hat. "I figured you'd say that."
"So, if you knew he'd say no, why are you really here in Alabasta?" Zoro asked, his sharp eyes evaluating the fire user.
The air around Ace seemed to drop in temperature. The polite, smiling brother vanished, replaced once again by the cold, dangerous commander.
"I'm hunting a traitor," Ace said, his voice low and heavy. "A pirate named Blackbeard. He was a member of my division, but he committed the worst crime possible on a pirate ship... he murdered one of his own crewmates and fled. As his commander, it's my duty to find him and execute him."
A tense silence fell over the Straw Hats. They could feel the immense, suppressed anger radiating from Ace.
But before anyone could say another word, the Going Merry rocked violently. A massive shadow fell over the small caravel.
From the horizon, five massive pirate ships appeared, cutting off their escape route. They flew the flags of the Billions—the elite agents of the Baroque Works syndicate. Hundreds of heavily armed mercenaries were standing on the decks, aiming their heavy cannons directly at the Straw Hats.
"It's Baroque Works!" Usopp screamed, grabbing his head in panic. "We're trapped! They're gonna sink us!"
Zoro drew his swords. Sanji readied his stance.
But Ace simply put his hat back on. His eyes glowed with a dangerous, predatory orange light beneath the brim.
"Stay back," Ace said calmly, walking toward the railing. "I'll handle this."
"Wait, Ace! There's five of them!" Nami warned.
Ace didn't answer. He jumped back onto his Striker, accelerating toward the five massive ships at incredible speed. He used the momentum of his boat to launch himself, leaping high into the air, silhouetted perfectly against the burning desert sun.
He pulled his right fist back.
The flames gathered around his arm, twisting, compressing, and roaring. It wasn't just a fireball; it was a tactical strike of pure thermal energy. The heat was so intense it made the air around him shimmer and distort.
"Hiken!" (Fire Fist)
Ace punched the air. A colossal, roaring pillar of fire erupted from his knuckles. It shot across the ocean, completely evaporating the seawater beneath it.
The blast smashed straight through the hull of the first ship, traveled instantly through the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth.
BOOOOOOM!
All five Baroque Works ships were obliterated in a single, deafening explosion of splintered wood, melting iron, and roaring flame.
On the deck of the Going Merry, the silence was absolute.
Zoro's eyes were wide, his grip loosening on his sword. Nami and Usopp had their mouths open so far their jaws nearly hit the wooden deck. Sanji's cigarette fell right out of his mouth and burned the grass.
"He... he destroyed five ships... in one hit," Usopp stuttered, trembling. "He's a monster..."
[Threats Neutralized: Baroque Works Agents (x200).]
[Initiating multiple Bronze Roulettes...]
[Rewards Acquired: +5 Strength, +2 Agility, 2x Minor Healing Potions.]
Ace landed smoothly back on his boat, drifting casually near the Merry as the flaming wreckage of the Baroque Works fleet sank into the bubbling ocean.
He felt the new stat points settling into his muscles immediately. The System was working perfectly. He was getting stronger by the minute.
He looked up at the shocked faces of his brother's crew and gave them a small, confident wave.
"I'll catch up with you guys a bit further down the river!" Ace yelled over the sound of the burning ships. "I have some quick business to take care of first!"
"Yeah! See ya later, Ace!" Luffy cheered, waving his arms wildly.
As Ace sped away into the vast ocean, his mind was already calculating his next move. The hunt for Blackbeard was on, but with the System humming in his head, Ace knew he was going to be hunting a lot more than just one traitor.
The Grand Line wouldn't know what hit it.