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Ace's recklessness was a constant headache, but his strength, the strength that had allowed him to challenge Whitebeard again and again, had earned their respect. He could hold his own against the old man, even force him to use some of the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, had even managed to inflict a few burns.
And now... he'd been taken out with a single punch.
Silence fell over the sea.
"Whitebeard Pirates, I presume?" Jin said, his fist unclenching as he casually rested his hand on the ship's rail, as if he'd just swatted a fly. His gaze swept over Whitebeard's flag, then settled on Vista.
The look in his eyes sent a shiver down Vista's spine. He brought his twin swords up in a defensive posture, his eyes locked on the man.
"Flower Sword Vista," Jin said, by way of greeting.
"King of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, Warlord of the Sea, Mr. Jin," Vista replied, his words slow and deliberate.
He didn't know why, but though the man was smiling, he radiated an unnerving, invisible pressure.
Was it just his reputation? Or was it the power of that punch?
It was the same feeling a pirate in the New World gets when they hear the name of an Emperor.
A king's ambition.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of this sudden visit?" Vista asked politely. He wasn't afraid to fight, but he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for Pops.
The New World was a Four-Factions stalemate. The Emperors were all so powerful that destroying one another would be a difficult and costly affair. Even if one were to emerge victorious, they would be so weakened that the other two would be free to pick them apart.
And more importantly...
There was the matter of Pops's health.
The division commanders had long since forbidden the old man from fighting personally, with the exception of Ace's challenges. They allowed it partly because Pops was stubborn, and partly because the damage Ace could inflict was minimal. It was a way for the old man to blow off some steam.
Entertainment.
But this man... just by standing there, he exuded a heavy, oppressive aura.
Vista's combat intuition, honed over years of fighting, was screaming at him.
'This man is strong. Terrifyingly strong.'
"I sensed Ace was nearby, so I came to have a look," Jin said. "And now that I'm here... it seems a shame to leave without meeting your captain, Edward Newgate. It would be... impolite."
He said the word with a slight, mocking smile.
"Vista, you will contact him for me, won't you?"
He wants to see Pops? Why? Is he a target?
Vista took a deep breath. "If you have a message, I can relay it for you."
"Don't misunderstand," Jin said with a smile. "I just think it would be a pity to leave without meeting the man himself. The balance of power in the New World is shifting. Roger, Shiki, Whitebeard... Roger and Shiki have already fallen behind. And Big Mom, though she's still the ruler of a nation, does little more than hide in her castle and enjoy her sweets. Of the old generation—not counting Kaido and Shanks—only Whitebeard is still standing strong. It's admirable. But... when a man gets to be that age, you never know when he might not wake up. It would be a shame to miss the chance to meet him, just in case..."
Vista's face darkened.
That son of a bitch. He was talking as if Pops was going to die tomorrow.
They all knew the old man was sick. They were all worried. But no one wanted to hear it from an outsider.
Even the normally calm Vista was starting to get angry. His loyalty to Whitebeard was absolute. During the Summit War, when Teach had mocked Whitebeard, Vista had had to be restrained.
It wasn't just him. The other crew members, who all revered Whitebeard, were also glaring at Jin with undisguised rage.
"HEY! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"
"YOU BASTARD!"
"ARE YOU PUTTING A CURSE ON POPS?"
"No," Jin said with a smile. "I'm concerned about him. I was just thinking of his glory days. And I was wondering... is the old man Whitebeard still able to eat at the head of the table?"
Vista's expression hardened.
Anyone could hear the challenge in his words.
And it made sense. Whitebeard was one of the four rulers of the New World. Who wouldn't be interested in him? Especially the young and ambitious.
Who wouldn't want to try and climb the four great mountains of the New World?
But... thinking of the old man's health, Vista's gaze firmed. "If you want to see Pops, you'll have to get through me first."
He leaped into the air, his twin swords a blur as he shot toward Jin, crossing the distance in an instant.
"Rose Rondo!"
His swords flashed, and a flurry of rose-petal-shaped shockwaves erupted from the blades, hurtling toward Jin.
CLANG!
The attack was blocked.
But Jin hadn't moved.
The one who had blocked Vista was...
"Doma!" Vista's eyes narrowed.
The Bohemian Knight, Doma, held his two swords in a reverse grip, blocking Vista's attack.
"Vista," he said with an excited grin, "I'll be your opponent."
Doma was a two-sword style user, with a gun-toting monkey on his back. He was about two meters tall, powerfully built, with a long coat and a red bandana.
A short while ago, he had allied with another pirate crew to try and take some of Whitebeard's territory. He had been defeated by Ace and had been on the run ever since.
In the original story, Doma would go on to become one of Whitebeard's 43 allied pirate captains. During the Summit War, on Whitebeard's orders, he had fought Vice Admiral Momonga to protect Luffy.
"Hey, King Jin!" he called out. "If you want to challenge Whitebeard, I'm willing to lend a hand."
"You stay out of this," Vista growled, his swords flaring with light as he dove.
"I'm the one you're hunting," Doma said, his movements like a dance as he engaged Vista. "How can I stay out of it?"
The two of them clashed.
Vista was stronger, but Doma was agile and tenacious. It wouldn't be an easy fight. The captains who dared to challenge Whitebeard and lived to join his crew were no slouches.
Suddenly, the alarm bells on the shore began to ring.
Vista looked over.
A large number of Marines were rushing toward the spot where Ace had landed.
"Hey! Go help Ace!" he ordered.
"Sir!"
His crew turned the ship toward the Marine base.
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Ace pushed the rubble off himself and climbed to his hands and knees. Blood trickled from his mouth, and a sharp pain shot through his chest.
"Dammit... that monster... How am I supposed to beat him? Do I have to be as strong as Pops?" He was gasping for breath, each one a struggle.
"It's Ace!"
"Over there!"
"Get him!"
The wind carried the shouts of the Marines to his ears. He looked up and saw the soldiers of G-5.
G-5 was a strange branch of the Marines. Their faces were vicious and cruel, and they didn't wear the standard uniform. They looked more like pirates or thugs than Marines. They were known for disobeying orders from Headquarters and for their brutal methods.
"Get Ace, and we'll be rich!" the man leading them shouted, his eyes gleaming. "Open fire!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Bullets flew toward Ace.
He grit his teeth, pushed himself up from the crater, and unleashed a wave of fire.
"Fire Daruma!"
He clashed with the Marines.
Vergo, who had been observing, frowned. "I didn't give that order," he muttered. "Who...?"
"Sir! It was... it was Commodore Yarisugi!"
"That idiot."
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