The Striker glided silently into a hidden cove along the Sandora River.
Far away from the main cities of Alabasta, this canyon was a well-known black market hub. It was the perfect place for pirates to hide from the Marines, trade stolen goods, and share rumors about the Grand Line.
Ace killed the engine. He stepped off his boat and walked toward the largest building in the cove—a massive, hollowed-out cave that served as a tavern, reeking of cheap rum and unwashed bodies.
He pushed the wooden doors open. The loud laughter and chaotic music immediately died down. Dozens of pirates turned to look at the newcomer.
Ace ignored their stares. He pulled his orange hat low over his eyes and walked straight to the bar.
He unrolled a crumpled bounty poster and slammed it onto the wooden counter. It was a hand-drawn picture of a large, hairy man missing several teeth.
"I'm looking for this man," Ace said clearly, his voice carrying over the quiet room. "Marshall D. Teach. Goes by Blackbeard. Anyone seen him?"
Silence stretched for a long moment. Then, a booming laugh echoed from the back of the room.
A massive man covered in scars stood up from a table, holding a giant steel battle-axe.
Instantly, the blue screen of the System flickered in Ace's vision.
[Target Identified: "Blood-Axe" Vance]
[Bounty: 85,000,000 Berries (Gold Tier)]
[Associated Targets: First Mate Gills (22M - Silver), Sniper Ryle (18M - Silver), 14 Fodder Pirates (Bronze)]
Ace didn't react. He just stared at the giant pirate.
"Fire Fist Ace," Vance sneered, resting the heavy axe on his shoulder. "You've got a bounty of 500 million on your head. If I take you down right here, my name will be known across the whole world!"
Vance nodded. The pirates in the tavern drew their cutlasses and flintlock pistols, completely surrounding Ace.
Ace didn't move a muscle. He closed his eyes.
Time seemed to slow down to an absolute crawl. The world faded into a muted grey as his mind went to work, analyzing the room, the angles, and the threats in a fraction of a second.
Target 1: Sniper on the balcony, upper right. Flintlock pistol. Finger already on the trigger. Threat level: Moderate.
Counter: Use Soru to close the vertical distance. Disarm. Blunt force to the temple.
Target 2: First Mate on the left blind spot. Twin daggers. Stance indicates a low sweeping attack.
Counter: Drop altitude. Compress flames into the right elbow. Concussive strike to the ribs.
Target 3: Captain Vance. Heavy steel axe. Slow, heavily reliant on raw momentum. Wide defensive gaps.
Counter: Superheat the weapon to force a drop. Sweep the leg. Asphyxiate with localized fire burst.
Remaining Fodder: 14 targets. Close proximity. Highly flammable environment (rum barrels).
Counter: 360-degree radial heat wave. Non-lethal kinetic blast.
Estimated execution time: 4.5 seconds.
Ace opened his eyes. The grey world snapped back into vibrant color.
Execute.
BANG. The sniper on the balcony fired.
Ace vanished. The bullet hit the empty wooden floorboard where he had just been standing.
Soru. Ace appeared directly on the balcony, right beside the sniper. Before the pirate could even blink, Ace gripped the barrel of the gun, melting the iron instantly, and slammed the palm of his hand into the man's temple. The sniper dropped unconscious.
One.
Ace kicked off the balcony railing, dropping back to the main floor just as the First Mate lunged at his blind spot with twin daggers.
Ace didn't even look at him. He dropped into a low crouch, igniting his right elbow. The compressed fire exploded backward like a rocket thruster, driving his elbow directly into the First Mate's ribs with the force of a cannonball. Ribs cracked. The man flew across the room and smashed through a table.
Two. "DIE!" Captain Vance roared, swinging his massive steel battle-axe in a deadly horizontal arc aimed right at Ace's neck.
Ace stood up smoothly, stepping directly into the swing instead of away from it. He caught the flat side of the heavy axe blade with his bare hands. Bright, blinding orange flames erupted from his palms.
The intense heat transferred instantly. In less than a second, the heavy steel handle glowed red-hot.
Vance screamed in agony, his hands blistering as he was forced to drop his weapon.
Ace swept his leg outward, kicking Vance's ankles and dropping the giant man to his knees. Without missing a beat, Ace placed his hand inches from Vance's face and ignited a concentrated sphere of fire, burning away the oxygen. Vance gasped, his eyes rolling back, and slumped to the floor.
Three.
The remaining fourteen pirates yelled in anger, rushing Ace from all sides.
Ace simply took a deep breath. A ring of fire expanded from his feet, sweeping across the entire tavern floor. He didn't burn them; he just let the kinetic force of the heatwave hit them like a solid brick wall. The pirates were thrown backward, crashing into chairs, walls, and pillars until the room was completely silent.
Ace checked the clock in his head.
4.2 seconds. Not bad.
He adjusted his hat and walked over to the bartender, who was trembling behind the counter, holding his hands up in surrender.
"I'll ask again," Ace said calmly. "Blackbeard. Where is he?"
"I-I don't know!" the bartender stammered. "But some merchants passed through yesterday! They said a huge guy missing teeth destroyed a town on Drum Island! He might be heading towards Jaya!"
"Drum Island..." Ace memorized the information. "Thanks."
He turned around and walked out of the ruined tavern, leaving the unconscious pirates behind. As soon as he stepped outside into the desert heat, the System flooded his vision with notifications.
[Threats Neutralized: Vance Pirates.]
[Initiating Rewards...]
[14x Bronze Roulettes spun.]
[Rewards Acquired: +12 Strength, +10 Agility, +5 Stamina, 5x Minor Healing Potions.]
[2x Silver Roulettes spun.]
[Rewards Acquired:]
[1. Rokushiki Art - Tekkai (Iron Mass): hardens the user's muscles to the density of iron.]
[2. Grand Line Navigation Map (Updated).]
Ace nodded. Tekkai combined with his new speed would be incredibly useful. He could take hits without relying on his Logia intangibility, which was crucial if he ever faced someone with Seastone or Haki.
But the main event was still pending.
[1x Gold Roulette spun.]
The wheel in his mind glowed with a brilliant, blinding gold light. It spun longer than the others, finally clicking into place with a heavy, satisfying sound.
[Reward Acquired: Observation Haki (Basic Mastery)]
[Description: Unlocks the sixth sense. The user can feel the presence, strength, and emotions of others, as well as vaguely predict their upcoming attacks.]
A sudden, intense pressure bloomed inside Ace's forehead. It felt like a third eye had just opened.
Without turning around, Ace could suddenly feel the bartender inside the tavern sweeping up the broken glass. He could feel a desert lizard crawling under a rock fifty meters away. He could feel the exact trajectory of the wind.
His analytical mind processed the new sense instantly. If he combined his mental combat simulations with Observation Haki, he wouldn't just be guessing his enemies' movements based on logic. He would actually know what they were going to do before they did it.
He was becoming a flawless fighting machine.
Ace jumped back onto his Striker, igniting the engine.
"Jaya is a long way from here," Ace said to himself.
He pulled out a small piece of white paper from his pocket—Luffy's Vivre Card. It was pointing steadily down the river.
"I've got time to travel with Luffy a little longer," Ace smiled.
He hit the throttle, shooting across the water to catch up with the Going Merry.