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"Hand Ace over to Admiral Arashi!" Marshall D. Teach did not hesitate, turning his head with a grin as he spoke to Burgess.
Upon hearing this, Burgess cautiously glanced at Arashi before bending down to grab Ace with one hand. Taking a few steps forward, he tossed him onto the ground.
Looking down at the freckled-faced man lying motionless, Arashi narrowed his eyes slightly.
With his keen perception, he could tell that Ace had already regained consciousness, though his injuries were severe.
Most of his ribs were fractured, his body was covered in wounds, and his internal organs had sustained varying degrees of blunt trauma.
This, in turn, highlighted just how formidable Marshall D. Teach truly was. "Kuma, I'll leave it to you," Arashi said faintly.
Bartholomew Kuma remained silent, stepping forward a few paces before hoisting Ace onto his shoulder.
Seeing this, Teach's eyes flickered with surprise. He had heard of the infamous Tyrant Kuma and knew that this Warlord of the Sea was no ordinary fighter.
However, to see him so obediently following Arashi's orders was shocking. Since when had the Marines and the Seven Warlords of the Sea become this close?
"Well then, we'll leave now," Arashi stated calmly.
"The official announcement regarding your appointment as a Warlord will be issued soon. Just wait for the news."
"Then, I'll be counting on you, Admiral Arashi!" Teach bowed deeply, his face brimming with excitement. Arashi didn't bother with further words.
The next moment, he and Kuma departed, boarding the Thunder and setting sail.
"Captain!" The moment Arashi and Kuma were gone, Burgess urgently spoke, only to be silenced by Teach's raised hand.
"Do not underestimate that man's abilities!" he said in a hushed voice. "Until he is truly far away, refrain from unnecessary conversations."
His lowered voice sent a ripple of unease through the Blackbeard Pirates.
"You mean even from this distance, he could still hear us?" Van Augur asked, visibly shocked.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I fear he truly possesses that ability," Teach replied gravely.
After silence, he took a deep breath and continued, "His Observation Haki—does it specialize in long-range perception?"
He shuddered at the thought, recalling how, back in Mock Town, Arashi had demonstrated an incomprehensibly vast range of awareness.
"Combined with his Devil Fruit, he's practically a long-range sniper," Van Augur added in a low voice.
"For such a terrifying individual to emerge in the Marines in this era… I don't know whether that's a blessing or a curse for the world."
Everyone fell silent, unwilling to speak until Teach broke it again. After a long pause, he finally exhaled. "It's safe now!"
"We have to tread carefully around this man," Teach declared. "One misstep before we reach our full strength, and we'll fall into the abyss."
"Captain, won't the Marines go back on their word after we hand Ace over?" Burgess asked anxiously.
"If even that small promise couldn't be kept, that man wouldn't have risen to where he is today," Teach said.
"Burgess, even though we are on opposing sides, deep down, I have immense respect for him."
From the moment he had first witnessed Arashi's battle against Whitebeard to his encounter not long ago, Teach had no choice but to acknowledge the sheer dominance of his power.
That overwhelming strength had shattered his arrogance and filled him with reverence instead.
Even as enemies, there was an undeniable sense of awe toward Arashi.
Teach didn't realize this was a primal response—an instinctive reverence for a being of significantly higher standing.
Glancing around at his crew, he noted the somber expressions on their faces. Then, suddenly, he burst into laughter.
"Zehahaha! Why the long faces, everyone? As long as we follow our plan step by step, the Blackbeard Pirates will take him down once we fully mature!"
"For the sake of our grand ambition to conquer the world, what's a little patience?"
Yet, despite his words, the gloom on his crew's faces did not lift. They all knew they had almost no chance against Arashi's overwhelming power.
"So, Captain Teach, what's the next step?" Van Augur asked in a serious tone.
"The next step is simple—we find a powerful target, take their ability, and strengthen myself even further!" Teach's face twisted into a sinister grin, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"If we succeed, then we will finally possess the power to stand against Arashi, and once that happens, the world will be ours!" he declared, clenching his fist with unwavering confidence.
Van Augur and the others exchanged glances. Though they remained tense, they understood the logic behind their captain's words.
This was precisely why they followed him—because he had the power to break the status quo and claim multiple Devil Fruit abilities.
If he could acquire another powerful ability, combining it with the Dark-Dark Fruit, his strength would soar to unimaginable heights.
"Let's hope everything goes smoothly," Lafitte sighed. The shadow of Arashi lingered in his mind, and no matter what, he wanted to avoid facing him again.
"Zehahaha! No need to worry! The future is bright!"
"We've already taken our first step!" Teach's laughter echoed through the night.
"Exchanging Fire Fist Ace for a ticket to the world stage—it couldn't have gone better! We really should thank Ace for this opportunity!"
Meanwhile, aboard the Thunder, Arashi sat in a chair with the massive frame of Kuma standing beside him. In front of them sat Fire Fist Ace, unbound but keeping his eyes tightly shut.
"Heh," Arashi chuckled. "Kuma, do you know who this man truly is?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement.
"Portgas D. Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, bounty of 550 million Berries," Kuma replied seriously.
It was clear he recognized Ace and understood the weight of his identity.
"And?" Arashi raised an eyebrow.
"And?" Kuma hesitated, then shook his head. He knew nothing beyond that.
"Ace was raised under Garp-sensei's care, originally intended to become a great Marine," Arashi said with a small smile as if telling a story.
Kuma was slightly surprised. "Vice Admiral Garp raised him?"
"Well, to be more precise, it's hard to say he 'raised' him. Garp-sensei isn't exactly suited to raising children," Arashi chuckled.
"To be exact, both Ace and his younger brother, Straw Hat Luffy, grew up under Dadan's care."
Arashi smiled as he spoke. Kuma's eyes narrowed slightly when he heard a familiar name—Straw Hat Luffy!
"Before that, I was the one who saved both Ace and his mother!" "Until he was two years old, he lived at the former G-18 base in the West Blue!"
Arashi's smile gradually faded as he spoke slowly. Kuma's eyes were filled with astonishment as he turned to look at the young man on the deck.
Fire Fist Ace had such a strange and complicated past. If this information were to spread, it would shock the entire world.
"In a way," Arashi sighed, "my feelings toward him are almost like those of a father toward his own son." Kuma fell into silence.
He could understand, to some extent. After all, though the man before him appeared young, in terms of actual age, he was already in middle age.
A son around Ace's age wouldn't be unusual for an ordinary person.
"But in truth, Ace has another identity that the world is unaware of," Arashi continued. Kuma was puzzled. "Another identity?"
"He is the last remaining bloodline of Gol D. Roger in this world!" Arashi spoke lightly, but his words carried the weight of a mountain.
Kuma's expression changed drastically, and he looked at the unconscious figure in disbelief. "The Pirate King's bloodline still exists in this world!"
"And it was you!" He suddenly realized something and turned to Arashi in shock.
"That's right. I was the one who personally saved them from the Marines back then." Arashi nodded, clearly understanding what was going through Kuma's mind.
"But you were also the one who captured Roger."
Arashi nodded again. "Yes, I was the one who personally captured him."
"But before that, Roger chose to turn himself in and gave up his life willingly. Because of that, he ushered in a new era! He pushed the era of piracy to its peak!"
Kuma stood there in a daze, at a loss for words. The truth was more complex and dramatic than he had ever imagined.
At the same time, he found it increasingly difficult to discern where this man's true allegiance lay.
As a high-ranking figure in the Marines, Arashi also chose to aid pirates.
Ace, who had been lying still with his eyes shut, suddenly opened them. "You sure know a lot," he remarked.
Arashi smiled faintly. "I've simply lived a little longer than you." He watched Ace struggle to shift his body, then sat cross-legged in front of him.
"So, you've stopped pretending to be unconscious and chosen to face things head-on?"
"Ace!" Kuma remained silent, observing the conversation without making a sound.
"There's nothing I can't face! At worst, I'll just die!" Ace declared.
Then, he suddenly clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "I just never expected..."
His voice grew heavier. "That I would actually lose to Teach!"
Arashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at Ace. "So, you do understand the severity of the situation, Ace."
Silence fell. Ace looked at the serious expression on Arashi's face and slowly began to grasp something.
But even after being captured, he still didn't fully comprehend the extent of the problem.
"What do you mean?" He stared at Arashi with a grave expression.
"Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace, has been captured."
"Do you think simply giving up your life will be enough?" Arashi shook his head. "You're still too naïve, Ace."
"The Marines have long since uncovered the truth behind your identity—the last surviving bloodline of Roger."
"Ever since you set foot in the first half of the Grand Line, they've been watching you, and because of your identity, they've formulated a series of strategic plans against Whitebeard—or rather, against the entire Whitebeard Pirates."
Arashi's voice grew increasingly solemn. Ace, who had initially seemed indifferent, was now visibly shaken.
By the time Arashi finished speaking, sweat had begun forming on Ace's forehead, and his body trembled slightly.
"The Marines… are planning to go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates?" Kuma muttered in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"This is the perfect opportunity, isn't it?" Arashi said calmly.
"But Whitebeard is the world's strongest man, and the Pirates have dominated the New World for years! The price will be unimaginable if the Marines go to war with them!" Kuma said gravely.
Indeed, as he had pointed out, the world's belief in Whitebeard as the strongest man had been deeply ingrained for years.
His vast influence spanned the entire world, even protecting Fish-Man Island. No one could have predicted that the Marines would choose to target the Whitebeard Pirates.
Such an act would shake the entire world, disrupt the balance, and lead to unimaginable consequences.
"If it means breaking the world's status quo and suppressing the power of pirates... The Marines will stop at nothing!" Arashi said firmly.
"The so-called Great Pirate Era might be a source of excitement and pride for pirates—a paradise for them. But for most civilians, it's nothing short of a nightmare!"
Arashi took a deep breath, looking at the two men before him. Then, he continued speaking.
"Do you know how many cases of suffering and disaster land on the desks of Marine Headquarters every day? How many islands and towns have been pillaged by pirates, leaving behind countless tragedies?"
"Robbery, slaughter, human trafficking, organ trade, the enslavement of women—all these heinous crimes. We cannot deny that some nobles are complicit in these acts."
"But those responsible for the greatest number of these atrocities are, in fact, the very pirates who wear their titles as a badge of honor!" His voice turned cold, and his words sent a shiver down both men's spines.
Ace clenched his fists, unable to find a rebuttal. As a pirate himself, he had witnessed firsthand the countless atrocities committed by other pirates against innocent civilians.
"So, you're going to take part in this, too?" Ace gritted his teeth and stared at Arashi.
"I am one of the key figures involved in planning this operation," Arashi replied indifferently.
He wasn't making anything up. The reality of this world, this era, was one of unimaginable chaos.
Corrupt nobles committed atrocities behind the scenes while pirates ran rampant, causing devastation on an even greater scale.
Some even took pride in massacring civilians, treating it as a competition to increase their bounties and gain more notoriety. Ace bit his lip.
"Did you forget who I am?" Ace! I am a Marine!" Arashi said firmly.
Ace's body trembled slightly. Then he fell silent. His captor was a Marine—it was only natural for him to target pirates.
Kuma still seemed dazed, standing there in a stupor. In just a few breaths, he had learned a piece of information so shocking that it could shake the world to its core.
The Marines had already formulated an elaborate plan to take down the Whitebeard Pirates.
And the plan… had already begun.
The fate of the freckled man before him had already been sealed. Or rather, his destiny had been determined from the moment he set foot into the first half of the Grand Line.
"You will be escorted to Marine Headquarters, Marineford, and then sent to Impel Down."
"Ultimately, you will be publicly executed before the entire world." After a brief pause, Arashi spoke calmly.
Ace's body trembled, and he suddenly lifted his head to stare at Arashi. "Let me go! That way, this war can be avoided, right?"
Arashi frowned and looked down at Ace. "Naïveté will not save what you wish to protect. When facing setbacks and difficulties, you must keep a clear and rational mind."
Ace gritted his teeth, his heart filled with turmoil and uncertainty. His impending execution, once announced, would undoubtedly trigger a chain of events.
It would attract the attention of the Whitebeard Pirates and might even plunge the world into an unimaginable war.
"Ace! The turning of the era is an unchanging rule! No one can escape the cycle of fate, and this era is no longer the past that Whitebeard once knew!"
After a moment of silence, Arashi let out a deep sigh and spoke in a low voice.
"This era no longer has a ship that can carry him!" Ace's entire body trembled, and a pained, self-reproachful expression appeared on his face.
"It's all my fault! I wasn't strong enough—I was too weak and lost to Teach! This was my own mistake, and I will bear the consequences! It has nothing to do with the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Arashi shook his head and did not respond to his words. As he had said before, naïveté was not the answer to solving problems.
The Marines had long begun selecting elite forces from around the world to gather at headquarters in preparation for this war.
Their goal was to crush the Whitebeard Pirates in one decisive blow—this notorious crew that had dominated the world.
The operation also served as a warning to other pirates, a show of power meant to instill fear across the seas.
Eliminating Whitebeard was an inevitable move dictated by the tides of the era, a task that had to be carried out.
Anyone who stood in the way would be like an insect trying to stop a tidal wave.
"If you truly want to atone for your mistakes..." Suddenly, Arashi spoke slowly. Ace's head jerked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
"Then, from now on, you must cooperate with my plan! That way, you and the Whitebeard Pirates may still have a sliver of a chance to survive."
Arashi's expression was serious as he gazed at Ace and spoke in a measured tone. Ace's face grew solemn.
He took a deep breath, locked eyes with Arashi, and nodded firmly. At this point, he had no other options—he could only trust him.
Time passed. The Thunder Sand passed through the Gates of Justice and slowly docked at the inner harbor.
Arashi stepped off the ship's bow, followed by Ace, whose head was lowered and his expression unreadable. At the rear was Kuma's towering figure.
As the three disembarked, a stationed officer caught sight of Ace, and his expression changed drastically.
"Fire Fist Ace!!" He then turned to Arashi in alarm. "Admiral Arashi, we have Seastone shackles ready!"
Arashi looked up, his brow furrowing as he responded coldly, "Are you afraid that someone like Fire Fist Ace could escape from my grasp?" The officer's face paled, and he quickly replied, "No, no! That is not what I meant!"
"Then shut your mouth!" Arashi snapped. He then strode past the officer without another word.
Ace followed him silently. In the blink of an eye, they had moved far ahead.
The officer sighed a sigh of relief, standing up slowly as he nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Admiral Arashi's presence is overwhelming!"
"With him here, even Whitebeard's Second Division Commander doesn't dare to resist. Truly incredible!"
Sengoku soon received the report inside the Marine Headquarters building. His expression immediately became grave.
"Fire Fist Ace!" He murmured the name and fell into deep thought.
Arashi had mentioned before that there was a key breakthrough, but Sengoku had never expected that it would unfold in this manner.
"So it was Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, who ignited the spark of this war."
"Could it be that Arashi had already foreseen this? No, that's impossible! That would be too terrifying!" He shook his head.
Even if one had mastered Observation Haki to its peak and could glimpse the future, such a prediction would be too exaggerated and absurd.
"No matter what. This is a historic moment!" Sengoku's expression grew even more solemn. He understood what was about to happen shortly.
A massive tsunami was about to reshape the world and the entire era. For a fleeting moment, Sengoku felt a tinge of nervousness.
He abruptly stood up from his seat and quickly went outside under the surprised gazes of young officers in the corridor.
"The son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. The Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—his capture will forge the key to opening the doors of a new era! This will be an unprecedented moment for the Marines!"
Muttering to himself, Sengoku was both excited and exhilarated. Moments later, he arrived at the Marine Headquarters plaza and saw Arashi walking at the front, followed by Ace and Kuma.
"Arashi!" Sengoku called out. "He's badly injured and needs time to recover."
"For now, detain him in the headquarters prison!" Arashi responded. Sengoku nodded.
"Considering his level of danger, we may need to restrain him with shackles to limit his movements." Arashi frowned slightly but then nodded in agreement.
"This matter will remain classified for now. We will wait for the right moment to announce it to the world," Sengoku added.
"Understood!" Arashi nodded.
Half an hour later, Ace, now restrained with Seastone shackles on both his wrists and ankles, was escorted into the headquarters prison under the watchful eyes of the guards.
He remained silent Throughout the process, not uttering a single word. It seemed as if he had already accepted his fate.
Meanwhile, Sengoku stood nearby, his brows tightly furrowed, deep in thought.
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