"Ah... I'm so bored!"
The warship bearing the bold "G-5" insignia sailed across the open sea, while Ace sat idly at the bow, tilting his head as he gazed at the endless horizon.
"Major Ace, it's the time of the Reverie. Based on previous years, there's no way the pirates would stay quiet during this period..."
The scout was equally puzzled. Even with two vice admirals stationed at the G-5 base, the pirates showed no signs of fear. They continued to set sail and raid as if nothing had changed.
"So, are they planning something big? But making a move during the Reverie... wouldn't they be afraid of provoking the Marines?"
Ace shifted his position. "If nothing else, if sensei went all out... even the Whitebeard Pirates probably wouldn't be able to withstand him, right?"
"That's true..."
The scout scratched his head before cautiously asking, "But Major Ace, is it really fine for us to head directly to Raijin Island?"
"Even though it's under the jurisdiction of a Warlord of the Sea, and 'Thunder God' Enel seems to be cooperating with the Marines... you're still going there just to fight him."
"No problem. That guy Enel—I've fought him before."
Ace straightened up, feeling a bit more energized. "Back then, we… hmm, we didn't settle the match. But now, I feel like I've grown way stronger than before. If we fight again, I might gain some new insights."
"Wait... Major Ace once fought a Warlord of the Sea to a draw?!"
The scout, though somewhat aware of Ace's strength, only now fully grasped its extent.
"Understood, Major. We should reach our destination by evening."
"Alright... then I'll train for a bit."
Ace sat up straight, his hands igniting into flames as he closed his eyes, focusing on further honing his control over the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit.
"Major Ace! Emergency situation!"
Ace was jolted awake by the scout's urgent shout.
"What is it? Did some fool finally come knocking?"
"Major Ace! A pirate ship belonging to the Whitebeard Pirates has been spotted ahead!"
"Whitebeard?"
Ace was momentarily stunned before excitement lit up his face. Being stationed at G-5, he had fought Whitebeard's subordinates multiple times. In fact, a significant portion of his current rank was earned from those battles.
"Who's leading them?"
"It's... It's..."
The scout, sweating profusely, struggled to force out the name:
"First Division Commander—Phoenix Marco!"
"!"
Ace froze for a second, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Excellent! The First Division Commander is stronger than the other division commanders by a considerable margin!"
"Marco is usually stationed aboard Whitebeard's flagship, yet he's leading this sortie today. Running into him is some real luck!"
"Relay my orders! All hands to battle stations—prepare for combat!"
"Yes, sir!"
Aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division flagship, Marco narrowed his eyes as he observed the distant warship.
"Hmm... we've run into the Marines after all. Then again, it'd be more surprising if we didn't."
During the Reverie, the Whitebeard Pirates typically moved as a fleet, with only division commanders occasionally leading individual expeditions. This reduced their encounters with the Marines, but when they did clash, their chances of victory were much higher.
"That's 'Fire Fist' Ace, right? The Marine's rising star and Fleet Admiral Wright's disciple."
Marco scratched his pineapple-like hair. "Another monster with terrifying talent... He's only been in the Marines for what, a short while? And he's already leading a warship by himself?"
"Captain Marco, this 'Fire Fist' Ace is extremely strong. His Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit is remarkably developed."
A crew member reminded him, "You haven't been out to sea much lately, but many of our allied crews have fought him. Back then, he was still accompanied by other officers."
"So, he's only recently been promoted? Hmm... He seems to be coming straight for us. Looks like he wants a fight."
Marco pondered for a moment before chuckling. "If we engage in a boarding battle, we'd suffer unnecessary losses. Logia users tend to cause a lot of collateral damage..."
"But since it's fire we're dealing with... I might as well handle him myself."
Golden-blue flames ignited around Marco's body.
"Stay here and watch. The Marines have been pressing hard lately. If they damage the ship, it'll cost us a fortune in repairs—not worth it."
With a powerful flap of his fiery wings, Marco soared into the sky, heading straight for the Marine warship!
Mythical Zoan—Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix!
"Ha! He's actually flying over himself!"
The crew aboard the warship could already see a dazzling figure soaring from the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship—Marco, in his full Phoenix form!
His golden-blue flame-covered wings and long tail feathers made him look like a creature straight out of legend.
"If Cavendish saw this, he'd probably cry out of jealousy..."
Ace pulled down his hat, shifting into a striking stance, his right fist igniting with pale yellow flames.
"Flying over so arrogantly... it'd be rude not to give him a proper greeting!"
Signaling the Marines to scatter, Ace grinned and launched a blazing punch.
"Fire Fist!"
A massive fiery fist erupted from the bow of the ship, hurtling skyward toward the incoming Phoenix.
With a whoosh, the enormous flame engulfed Marco entirely.
Maintaining his punching stance, Ace frowned slightly—Marco took a direct hit from his Fire Fist, yet showed no reaction!
"Yo! Are greetings from the younger generation always this aggressive?"
As the flames dispersed, Marco's form became visible once more—completely unharmed.
"Pretty strong flames... You nearly scared me there."
"...You're kidding, right?!"
Ace's hands ignited, forming two long spears of fire. As Marco descended toward the warship in hybrid form, Ace hurled them with all his might.
"Sacred Flame: Shiranui!"
The fiery spears pierced straight through Marco's body. Without hesitation, Ace thrust his hands forward, releasing numerous glowing embers that surrounded Marco completely.
"Firefly: Flame Daruma!"
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted, scorching the deck black.
"Man... What an impulsive little guy, 'Fire Fist' Ace."
As the flames cleared, Marco stood unscathed, his body engulfed in regenerating blue flames. The burn marks on his skin faded rapidly, restored by his Phoenix abilities.
"Hmm... Now can we have a proper conversation?"
Marco smirked at Ace, who could only click his tongue in frustration.
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