Chapter 56 Navy Luffy Clashes with AceBoom!!
The two couldn't even mount a resistance; they were flung away like flies.
With a series of crashing walls, the two crashed through several houses, disappearing into the billowing dust.
Looking at the gaping hole in their house, the onlookers roared at Luffy, "You're the one who caused the most trouble! Who the hell is going to fix this?!"
From the ruins, two figures scrambled to their feet, looking rather disheveled.
"What a joke! Who attacked from there?" Ace dusted off his hat and walked back through the holes in the walls.
Passing by a family of three whose wall had been smashed by a sudden accident while they were eating, this guy actually managed to politely remove his hat and bow: "Ah, I'm so sorry to have disturbed your enjoyment."
Meanwhile, Smoker, his face grim, relit two cigars, gritting his teeth: "That familiar style of recklessness…it's definitely that bastard!"
When the two returned to the restaurant, now an open-air plaza, they found the culprit, Luffy, sitting casually at the bar, happily sipping a glass of iced juice.
Seeing the two return looking disheveled, Luffy grinned and raised his glass: "Yo, good afternoon, you two. Did you have a good time flying?"
"Luffy!?"
"It really was you, you bastard!"
The two shouted in unison.
"Tsk tsk, as strong people, you should have some manners. Fighting in someone else's restaurant, what kind of behavior is that? Who's going to reimburse the repair costs?"
Luffy shook his head, pointing to the mess around them, and began his moral blackmail.
Ace and Smoker's forehead veins throbbed: "You're the one who caused this, you bastard!"
Suddenly, Smoker realized something, suspiciously looking back and forth between Luffy and Ace: "Wait, you said you were looking for your brother...do you know Ace?"
Luffy swallowed his juice, smiled, and nodded: "Of course I know him, this guy...he's my troublesome older brother."
Smoker nodded subconsciously: "Oh, so he's my brother...what a load of rubbish!"
Realizing what had happened, Smoker instantly went berserk, roaring at Luffy, spitting almost in his face: "You're a Marine Commodore! He's a captain of one of the Four Emperors! How can you be brothers?! This doesn't make sense!"
"Well, what can I do? My old man had too much compassion and adopted this guy."
Luffy shrugged with a look of utter despair.
"Old man? You mean Vice Admiral Garp?!"
Smoker felt his worldview crumbling.
What the hell is going on? The grandson of a naval hero is a naval supernova, and his adopted grandson is a captain of one of the Four Emperors of the Sea? What exactly is this family's background?
Luffy rubbed his nose, explaining somewhat helplessly, "Anyway, it's a complicated situation. Don't ask too many questions. Anyway, I'm a full-fledged naval commodore now."
He couldn't exactly tell Ace that in this parallel world, the Luffy who originally wanted to be the Pirate King had already starved to death in the East Blue, could he?
Ace would probably go berserk on the spot.
Ace completely ignored Smoker, who was on the verge of a breakdown, and casually sat down next to Luffy, taking a swig from Luffy's half-finished juice. "So, my dear brother, what's with that Marine uniform? And what's the purpose of coming to Alabasta this time?"
Luffy grinned, holding up two fingers in a "V" sign. "Probably two small goals."
"First, kill Crocodile, and incidentally, support a new, obedient Shichibukai to take the position."
"Second... capture you and pack you up to give to the old man as a birthday present!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Smoker and Ace both froze.
"Supporting a Shichibukai? You're dreaming!"
"You're going to arrest me? Are you serious?"
Luffy first glanced at Smoker with disdain: "Crocodile uses his Shichibukai status to stir up trouble behind the scenes, even funding the rebels. If these dirty deeds get out, the government will have to kill him to save face. It's a sure-fire way to make money for us."
Then, Luffy turned to Ace, his previously playful expression instantly turning serious: "I was thinking that if you were a simpleton like in the original story, someone who only relies on his Devil Fruit power, it would be easier for me to catch you. Now it seems... the difficulty level is a bit high."
Ace laughed heartily, slapping Luffy on the back: "Luffy, you're getting better and better at joking. When have you ever won a fight since we were kids?"
Luffy rolled his eyes, but in his mind, he was rapidly plotting how to trap this guy.
He had initially clung to a sliver of hope, thinking he could use his current Haki to bully the unawakened Ace.
But that first contact sent Luffy's advanced Observation Haki into overdrive. This Ace was definitely not the anime version who died before even showing his full strength.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Ace had set sail three years earlier than him. With his talent, and his experience fighting his way through the monsters of the New World, he was a solid second division commander on Whitebeard's team. How could he be a weakling?
Besides, the system's character card clearly stated that this guy possessed all three types of Haki!
Ace, watching Luffy deep in thought, suddenly pointed excitedly to the tattoo on his back: "But Luffy, it's actually quite good that you're not a pirate, because I've found the man I want to follow, and I'm going to make him the Pirate King!"
Seeing Ace's fanatical fanboy look, Luffy couldn't help but sigh: "Have you considered the strain on this old man's heart?"
Although Garp's parenting style was a bit simple and brutal, often resorting to his iron fist of love, his love for his two grandsons was genuine.
He poured his heart and soul into training them to be the strongest Marines, only to have them all become pirates. The old man must be incredibly bitter.
"Old man..." Hearing Garp's name, the light in Ace's eyes dimmed for a moment, then he fell silent.
"Since you've already given up on becoming the Pirate King, why can't you think about this old man? Even if you don't become a Marine, even if you accept an invitation to become a Shichibukai like before, at least that would be half-institutional, right?"
Luffy tapped his fingers lightly on the table, attempting a final attempt to persuade him.
"Luffy, you don't understand... What I crave is freedom, the boundless sea. The rigid rules of the Navy would suffocate me."
Luffy took a sip of his drink and said coldly, "Freedom is built on absolute strength. Without strength, your freedom is a joke."
"Besides, your identity is too sensitive. This is my last piece of advice. Either come back with me to see the old man, or turn around and go back to the New World to find your Whitebeard! As for Blackbeard... going there now would be suicide!"
Hearing the name "Blackbeard," Ace's expression changed drastically, and a scorching aura erupted instantly: "How do you know about this?! That's our Whitebeard Pirates' internal affair!"
His eyes turned incredibly sinister: "That bastard Teach broke the ship's only ironclad rule—killing a comrade! This revenge must be taken by me personally!"
Seeing Ace stuck in his own thoughts, Luffy knew further words were useless. This was fate, and also the nature of this stubborn mule.
He downed his drink in one gulp and slammed the glass on the table. "Since reasoning won't work, then we'll have to resort to violence! Come on, let's find a spacious place, before we actually tear the shop down!"
Ace, flames erupting from his body, laughed loudly, "Want to fight? I'd love to! Perfect for reminding you of the fear of being dominated by your brother!"
Smoker, who had been ignored all along, couldn't take it anymore. His face darkened as he roared, "If you're going to fight, then fight! I didn't come here to listen to you brothers reminisce!"
With that, the three of them stormed out of the restaurant, leaving the bewildered owner staring at the empty table, finally managing to stammer, "Ah... those bastards... skipped out on the bill again..."
Meanwhile, in a shady corner of town...
Nami, dressed in a strikingly exotic dancer's outfit, excitedly twirled around. "Wow! This outfit is amazing! It's cool and shows off my figure so well, I love it!"
Vivi, standing beside her, changed into a similar outfit, her face flushed as she clutched her chest. "Nami... aren't we being a bit too flashy dressed like this? This is a dancer's outfit..."
Sanji, now completely swollen and with hearts in his eyes, was practically spitting blood from his nose. "Perfect! This is art! It's like a flower blooming in the desert!"
Vivi looked at him speechlessly. "If we're going to cross the desert, shouldn't we be wearing more basic civilian clothes to protect ourselves from the sandstorm?"
"Dancers are civilians too, no problem!"
"But..."
"It's okay, it's okay, as long as it looks good!"
Vivi: "..."
Exhausted. Is there no one normal in this group?
Sanji then turned to Zoro and Usopp behind him, who were stuffing themselves with food, with a look of disgust. "Look at those two beauties, and then look at you two. You look like bandits fleeing a famine."
"Huh?" Zoro, his mouth full of rice, glanced at Sanji dismissively. "You have the nerve to talk about others? You perverted kappa."
"Chopper, what are you doing?"
Usopp asked, looking at Chopper who was covering his nose with a constipated expression.
"My nose seems crooked... The perfume here is so overpowering, it's practically a biological weapon."
Sanji chuckled, "Looks like Chopper got knocked out by those enthusiastic older women."
"Yeah, a reindeer's nose is even more sensitive than a dog's."
Nami grinned mischievously, leaning closer and raising her arm, "Is this the smell?"
She deliberately fanned the air in front of Chopper.
Chopper jumped back in terror, screaming, "Stop! I'm going to die!"
Sanji, agitated by the perfume, went berserk again, "Ah! That's Nami-san's favorite scent! I'd be willing to die from it!"
Zoro looked at him like trash, "Hopeless, bury him."
"Alright, alright, enough of this nonsense? All the supplies are ready? Let's get going."
Usopp slung his huge backpack over his shoulder and asked.
"Our target is Yuba, right?" Nami confirmed.
Vivi nodded, her expression becoming more solemn than ever before. "That's right, but I must warn everyone, crossing the desert is a hundred times more dangerous than you imagine. It's a land of death; one wrong step and you'll be a dried-up corpse."
At this point, Vivi bit her lip. "I know this is reckless, but I still want to ask you all one more time: please lend me a hand and save this country!"
Looking at Vivi, who had finally stopped hesitating, everyone smiled. "That sounds much better."
Nami gave her a thumbs up. "It should have been done a long time ago."
Looking at Vivi now, she seemed to see herself as she had been, alone and weeping in Arlong Park, a time when Luffy and his crew had given her hope to live.
Sanji lit a cigarette and said coolly, "Unknown dangers, isn't that what pirates... no, isn't that what men's romance is all about?"
Zoro adjusted his sword: "As long as I can cut people, it doesn't matter where I am."
Usopp raised his fist, his legs still trembling, but his voice was booming: "Yoshi! Let's go for Yuba!"
Everyone shouted in unison: "Whoa!!!"
Vivi looked at her reliable companions, tears welling in her eyes.
After a while...
"Um... aren't we missing someone?"
"Where did Luffy go?!"
Just then!
BOOM!!
A terrifying pillar of fire, accompanied by billowing smoke, shot into the sky from the center of the town, instantly turning half the sky red!
"White Gale!"
"Sunfire!"
Red flames and white smoke swirled wildly in mid-air, forming a spectacular fire tornado. The scorching heat could be felt even from a great distance.
Huge explosions echoed continuously from the center of the tornado.
"Tsk tsk, truly magnificent,"
Luffy, perched atop a high rooftop, ate a stolen apple and commented as if watching a 3D movie, "When it comes to showing off, Logia-types have to be the best. This is a real spectacle."
"Speaking of which, my Nika-no-Kami Fruit seems to have its own lightning and fire effects. I'll have to develop those properly; I can't lose face."
Watching the two locked in a fierce battle in the sky, Luffy stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Commodore Luffy, are you just going to watch? Colonel Smoker seems to be struggling..."
Tashigi stood to the side, sword in hand, anxiously watching the sky.
"Relax, relax," Luffy casually tossed the apple core aside, "I'm giving Smoker a chance to improve. How can he grow without a good beating?"
Amidst the fiery tornado, Ace effortlessly deflected Smoker's attack, laughing, "Don't waste your energy. You're smoke, I'm fire. Our abilities are evenly matched; we could fight until next year and still not have a winner."
"Then I'll fight until you're exhausted!" Once Smoker's stubborn streak kicked in, nothing could stop him. He transformed into smoke again and charged forward.
Ace sighed helplessly, "I'm in a hurry, buddy. Since you're so persistent, don't blame me for being unsportsmanlike."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crimson flames on Ace's right fist instantly vanished, replaced by a layer of jet-black metallic sheen!
Smoker's pupils constricted sharply, alarm bells ringing in his mind: "This is... Armament Haki?!"
"Fire Fist: Hardening!"
Ace laughed, his fist, imbued with Haki, slamming heavily into Smoker's crossed arms.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, Smoker felt as if his arms had snapped, and like a kite with a broken string, he was sent flying out of the battle.
Pfft!
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Smoker crashed heavily at Luffy's feet, denting the roof.
"Yo, isn't this Colonel Smoker? Why are you down so quickly? Are you weak?"
Luffy crouched down, teasingly grinning.
"Shut up, cough cough..." Smoker wiped the blood from his mouth, gritting his teeth, "That bastard actually knows Armament Haki! Logia-type elemental transformations are ineffective against him!"
At that moment, Ace, engulfed in flames, descended from the sky, landing steadily opposite the two without even breaking a sweat.
Luffy's playful grin vanished, his eyes sharpening.
That punch just now wasn't just Armament Haki hardening; there were even faint signs of Ryuo flowing through him.
Smoker, a Logia-type who only relies on his Devil Fruit ability, was indeed no match for Ace.
"How about it, Luffy? Did you see your brother's strength? Still thinking about taking me back?"
Ace pulled down his hat brim, revealing a confident smile.
"Absolutely,"
Luffy chuckled, his feet suddenly pushing off the ground, and amidst the shattering bricks, he vanished instantly.
The next second, a jet-black fist, whistling through the air, slammed into Ace's cheek without any fancy moves.
"Hmm?" A hint of surprise flashed in Ace's eyes. "Armament Haki hardening? Pretty fast!"
"I didn't expect you to awaken Haki in a place like the East Blue. Looks like the old man gave you a lot of extra training."
Ace praised, but his reaction was incredibly fast; he also raised his arm, covered in Armament Haki, to block.
Bang!
The two black fists collided in mid-air, creating a visible shockwave.
"But just knowing how to harden isn't enough. Let me show you what a New World fist looks like!"
Ace flicked his wrist, unleashing a tremendous force that sent Luffy flying. He then retaliated with a backhand hook aimed at Luffy's chin: "This punch has thirty percent of the old man's power!"
However, just as the fist was about to strike, Luffy's head, as if sensing the future, tilted slightly to the left, and the fist grazed his nose, missing its mark.
Ace, having missed his punch, slightly lost his balance: "That's... Observation Haki?!"
His surprise finally turned to shock. This kid had awakened both types of Haki?!
"It's not over yet!"
Taking advantage of Ace's momentary daze, Luffy's eyes suddenly erupted with red and black lightning.
*Whoosh!!*
A terrifying, invisible pressure erupted instantly from Luffy, as if an invisible hand had gripped the surrounding air.
Caught off guard, Ace felt a buzzing in his brain, his movements momentarily stiffening: "Conqueror's Haki?! How is this possible?!"
Conqueror's Haki is a rare talent, appearing only once in a million people, and this kid has it too?!
Before Ace could think, Luffy's kick, imbued with the oppressive aura of Conqueror's Haki, came hurtling towards him.
Boom!
Ace, a veteran of countless battles, instinctively unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki to counter.
The two streams of Conqueror's Haki clashed violently in mid-air, red and black lightning raging wildly.
The entire street was instantly cleared. The onlookers, who had been watching the spectacle, collapsed in droves, eyes rolling back, without uttering a sound, like wheat being harvested.
Only Smoker, cigar in mouth, gripped the ground tightly, struggling to hold on amidst the terrifying force of the two energies: "These two freaks… this aura… is this Conqueror's Haki?!"
While Luffy's aura was astonishing, he knew in his heart that his Conqueror's Haki was still inferior in strength and endurance to Ace's, who had been tempered by the New World.
After their initial clash, both retreated.
Luffy rubbed his slightly numb legs and sighed helplessly, "As expected, even with a cheat-like power level, challenging a Yonko's first mate is still a bit of a stretch."
Ace laughed heartily, flames erupting from his body once more, "Luffy, you certainly surprised me, but you're a hundred years too early to beat me! All my skills were honed under the tutelage of the world's strongest man!"
With that, Ace charged forward again, this time with an even more ferocious aura.
Clearly, this second division commander of Whitebeard's army, even holding back, possessed terrifying strength enough to crush an ordinary vice admiral!
"Want to beat me? You'll have to see if my trump card agrees."
Luffy's lips curled into a confident smile.
His originally deep black pupils instantly underwent a strange change, transforming into ripples of pale purple.
Ace, standing opposite Luffy, was clearly taken aback for a moment, then stared into Luffy's eyes and teased, "What's wrong? Luffy, have you learned how to wear colored contact lenses?"