"Are all these pirates appearing at once because something big is happening?" Lius asked in surprise.
"Then let's avoid the commotion. Getting to Loguetown is far more important!"
An increasing number of pirates were showing up. Nami loved beli, but she knew this spelled trouble.
Attracting the Marines would only bring them disaster.
"I think I heard them mention something about a Logia type!" she muttered.
Lius projected his observation haki outward. He faintly caught snippets of conversation from a distant pirate ship.
The sheer distance and roaring sea breeze made the voices intermittent. He only managed to catch a handful of words.
Worry flashed across Nami's face. "Ignore them. Let's restock our supplies and leave before things get completely out of hand!"
"Alright then!" Lius nodded without any objections.
He did not fear the Marines at all, yet avoiding unnecessary trouble remained his priority. Leaving the East Blue to enter the Grand Line was the most crucial goal.
The East Blue was simply too weak. Finding suitable enemies to hone his skills required venturing into the Grand Line.
Their original plan also highlighted a lack of worthwhile crew members to recruit in this sea.
The original protagonist group existed here, but they were still far too weak at this current stage. They needed ample time to grow.
Time was a luxury Lius simply did not have.
Docking their ship shortly after, the duo wore disguises and swiftly purchased their needed supplies. They headed straight back to the pier in preparation for an immediate departure.
"An entire day has passed without a bounty appearing for us. The Marines are reacting much slower than I imagined!"
Carrying packages stuffed with food back onto the ship, Lius organized the cargo before stepping out of the cabin.
Nami shot him a sideways glance. "Do you actually want a bounty on your head?"
"I am not eager for a bounty, just slightly disappointed by their sluggish response!"
Pulling down the canvas, Lius untied the mooring ropes from the pier. He turned toward Nami at the helm with a smile. "By the way, what kind of ability would you want if you could eat a devil fruit?"
"A devil fruit?" The question caught her off guard. She stared blankly for a moment.
She held no resistance against gaining such powers. Finding a suitable one simply required an unbelievable amount of luck.
Getting the exact power she desired was nearly impossible.
A bright smile eventually surfaced on her face. "I want to fly!"
"That would fall under the Zoan class. Flying types are quite rare, but getting one is certainly not impossible!" Lius stroked his chin with a thoughtful grin.
"We are setting sail!" Nami yelled out loudly. She remained entirely unaware that her captain was already considering striking a deal with the Four Emperors.
The hull shuddered slightly before slowly pulling away from the pier.
Rumble! Rumble!
The ground near the coast suddenly trembled violently. Billowing clouds of dust surged into the air as though a massive army of thousands was charging right toward them.
The two of them turned to look in surprise. At the far end of the street, nearly a hundred bloodthirsty pirates were viciously pursuing a man shrouded entirely in a black robe.
"Damn it, do not let him get away!"
"Block his path! That is Fire Fist Ace with a seventy million beli bounty!"
"He cannot be allowed to escape again!"
"Defeating him will make us the absolute strongest in the East Blue!"
Dozens of pirates brandished swords, heavy clubs, and firearms as they sprinted forward with furious shouts.
A ten million beli bounty was enough to make someone an infamous great pirate in this sea.
Yet this mere kid carried a staggering bounty of seventy million.
Such an astronomical number drove all the local pirates into an absolute frenzy. They relentlessly hunted for this young man, desperate to defeat him and claim the title of the strongest for themselves.
"Hahaha, I am feeling a bit tired today. I will properly play with you all next time!"
The fleeing figure at the front suddenly flung his black robe aside. This revealed his face and striking features.
An orange cowboy hat rested on his short black hair. Freckles dotted his cheeks, while his bare upper body displayed impressively robust muscles.
He continued to laugh out loud despite the hundred angry pirates chasing him down.
"Let us call it a day here. I will not hold back if you keep chasing me."
Ace firmly pressed down on the brim of his hat with one hand. His other hand abruptly burst into roaring flames as he swung it toward the ground behind him.
"Flame Fence!"
The blazing fire crashed onto the street and rapidly spread to both sides. A scorching wall of intense flames formed in an instant, completely cutting off the pursuing pirates from advancing any further.
Having successfully halted his pursuers.
He quickened his pace and swept his gaze across the chaotic pier. His eyes eventually locked onto a pirate ship that was just beginning to sail away.
The vessel was large enough to accommodate dozens of people. However, he could only spot two figures standing on the deck.
Both of them looked quite young. A girl with short orange hair stood at the helm. She was staring toward the pier in pure astonishment.
A young man with black hair and dark eyes sat near the bow. His face remained somewhat wooden and entirely devoid of panic.
Neither of them seemed to pose any actual threat.
"They will do!"
Ace firmly pressed his hat brim again. He pushed his running speed to the absolute limit.
He sprinted forward like a vigorous cheetah.
Thud!
Reaching the very edge of the stone pier, he stomped his foot hard against the ground. His body launched into the air, crossing a distance of nearly eight meters before landing lightly on the wooden deck of the pirate ship.
"Pardon the intrusion, you two. I need to commandeer this ship for a day. That includes both of you as well."
He casually set his backpack aside and turned toward the navigator. His polite tone carried a heavy layer of threat. "You do not have any objections, right?"
Roaring flames wrapped around both of his hands as he spoke. A wave of blazing heat radiated rapidly outward.
"Ah, we... we...!"
Being stared down by a Logia user completely shattered Nami's confidence. She stepped back in a flustered panic.
Right at this exact moment.
A calm voice floated over from directly behind the intruder.
"Of course we have no objections. We just so happen to be searching for pirates with heavy bounties!"
The words were spoken in an incredibly light and casual manner.
However, those simple words rang with fatal danger inside Ace's ears. He felt an intense tingling sensation run down his scalp, as though an ancient ferocious beast had locked its deadly gaze onto his exposed back.
"Fire Fist..."
His body reacted entirely on pure instinct. His right arm immediately morphed into a raging inferno as he spun around to blast his attacker.
Swish!
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air the very next moment.
The speed was completely incomprehensible.
A heavy weight crashed violently against the back of his neck before he could even process the sound. All the strength within his body was instantly drained away.
He completely collapsed onto the wooden deck.
"How is this… possible...?"
A single fleeting thought crossed his mind right before his consciousness plunged into total darkness.
How could that person strike my real body?
He completely lost all consciousness a split second later.
"It seems our luck has been quite good lately. A pirate carrying a seventy million bounty practically delivered himself right onto our ship."
Lius stood directly behind the unconscious intruder. He maintained his downward palm chop posture with a faint smile on his face. "Nami, do you think we should hand him over to the Marines for the hefty bounty? Or should we make him work on our ship as punishment for trying to threaten us?"