Chapter 219: Still Too Weak
"Buru buru buru~ buru buru~"
The Den Den Mushi in Perospero's hand suddenly rang again. He picked it up, and a calm but tense voice came through—it was Charlotte Smoothie.
> "Mama, I've found the Fire Emperor. But… he's targeting Sister Brûlée. It looks like he's trying to take something from her."
"Brûlée?" Charlotte Linlin's eyes narrowed sharply. "So that's his goal… those three women trapped inside the mirrors."
A wicked grin spread across her face. "Well, well… Smoothie, don't fight him. Just bring Brûlée back to me."
Her voice turned cold and vicious.
> "I'll tell that brat myself—no one takes anything from me without paying the price!"
"Understood, Mama. I'll bring Sister Brûlée back immediately," Smoothie replied, hanging up.
---
Dessert City
In the chaotic streets of Dessert City, Luffy was locked in fierce combat against the Big Mom Pirates' officers, while Ace was chasing after Smoothie and Brûlée.
Earlier, he and Luffy had taken advantage of the confusion to slip back into the city and locate Brûlée. Ace's plan was simple: capture her quietly, then use her as leverage to release the three Kuja women trapped inside her mirror dimension.
But because Brûlée always carried a mirror with her, Ace had planned to strike before she could dive into the Mirror World.
Unfortunately, before Ace could act, Luffy, upon hearing that the three women were trapped by Brûlée's powers, had impulsively charged straight in.
That ruined everything.
Caught off guard, Brûlée escaped into the mirror in panic, leaving Ace's plan in shambles. Moments later, the commotion drew Smoothie, one of the Four Sweet Commanders, who quickly engaged them.
Although Ace's strength surpassed Smoothie's, Luffy's recklessness made the fight drag on endlessly.
Then, after receiving Linlin's direct order, Smoothie stopped attacking and retreated toward the Cake Castle, carrying Brûlée's mirror in her grasp.
> "Trying to lure me straight to Big Mom, huh?"
Ace immediately saw through Smoothie's ploy. His expression turned grim.
If he were alone, facing Big Mom wouldn't scare him. Even if he couldn't win, he could still retreat safely.
But with Luffy beside him… if they were both caught, things would spiral back to disaster.
"This is troublesome…" Ace muttered, watching his brother fight with the Big Mom officers. He clenched his fists, deep in thought.
No matter how he analyzed it, he couldn't find a good solution. Even if he stopped Smoothie before she reached Big Mom, Brûlée, hiding within the mirrors, would sense it immediately.
> "Forget it. If I have to pay a price to get those three women back, then so be it."
Ace sighed and turned to Luffy, ready to call him over. But just then—
---
Elsewhere in Dessert City
"Pretzel!"
"Desert Spada!"
Boom!
A massive explosion shook the ground.
The battle between Charlotte Cracker and Crocodile had raged across the city—and now it had spilled into Ace's vicinity.
Seeing Crocodile, Ace's eyes lit up.
> "Perfect. If Crocodile can keep an eye on Luffy… then I can move freely."
With a flicker of flame, Ace vanished and reappeared in front of Cracker, his hands clasped and fingers interlocked into a hammer-like stance.
> "Armament—Second Form: Kongming Hammer!"
Boom!
Cracker didn't even have time to react. Ace's flaming blow slammed into him like a meteor, sending him hurtling through several buildings before disappearing into the horizon.
Crocodile, still recovering from the blast, blinked in disbelief. The opponent he had struggled to wound was obliterated in an instant.
> "Tch… Portgas… who asked you to interfere in my battle?" he snapped.
Ace grinned. "We're all fighting the same enemy—don't take it personally." Then his expression turned serious.
> "Crocodile, I'm heading to confront Big Mom. I need you to look after my brother for me."
"Your brother?" Crocodile turned his head toward Luffy, still brawling in the distance, and frowned.
> "You mean that brat from the Straw Hat Pirates? You sure you trust me with him? We've got quite the history."
Ace gave him a thumbs-up.
> "Of course. We fought side by side in the hell of Impel Down, didn't we? Luffy's in your hands, at least until dawn. Don't let Big Mom's forces capture him. Please."
Before Crocodile could reply, Ace shot skyward, a blazing streak of flame soaring toward the Cake Castle.
Crocodile exhaled through his cigar, watching him disappear.
> "Hmph. What a self-righteous fool…"
He turned back toward Luffy, narrowed his eyes, and muttered, "Still… letting that brat get caught would be annoying."
---
The Desert Crocodile's Intervention
"Sables Pesado!"
Crocodile summoned a massive sandstorm, sweeping away the Big Mom officers surrounding Luffy.
"Crocodile?!" Luffy gasped, freezing mid-step. He still remembered their brutal clash in Alabasta—and couldn't believe the Shichibukai was now here of all places.
> "Why are you here…?" Luffy demanded, fists tightening.
Crocodile gave a disdainful smirk.
> "I was once defeated by a weakling like you. Even thinking about it still pisses me off."
Then he turned and began walking away.
> "I promised Portgas I'd keep you safe till dawn. But don't think I'm your babysitter. If you don't want to get caught, you'd better keep up."
---
Luffy stood there silently, his fists trembling.
> "Weak… Am I still that weak?"
He thought he could fight side by side with Ace. But once again, he was only slowing him down.
Then, gritting his teeth, he straightened up.
> "No… I'll get stronger. Strong enough to fight with them… next time!"
With renewed resolve blazing in his eyes, Luffy dashed after Crocodile into the smoke-filled ruins of Dessert City.
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