Chapter 34: Encountering the Enemy
After the Spade Pirates finished resupplying on Dorolan Island, they stayed for a while.
Having spent months on a deserted island and drifting through the sea with constant tension, everyone needed a break to relax their minds and bodies.
At that moment, in a bustling restaurant on the island—
"Ace, here's the intel we got from the tavern," reported a Spade Pirates crew member wearing a skull mask. "The Red-Haired Pirates were spotted on an island not far from here a few days ago. They probably haven't gone too far."
"Also… it seems we've attracted the attention of the Beasts Pirates. So now, besides the Whitebeard Pirates, we've pissed off another of the Four Emperors."
Ace, half-asleep with his face buried in a plate of food, lazily lifted his head and muttered, "Eh, no big deal. If I want to become Pirate King, it's only natural to take down a few of the Four Emperors on the way."
"…Right." The crew member sighed, long used to their carefree captain. "In that case, we'll continue sailing and maybe catch up to the Red-Haired Pirates—"
Before he could finish, Ace grabbed his arm and shoved the door open.
A terrifying blast suddenly came from above, obliterating half the restaurant in an instant. The crew member stumbled back and looked up.
"A pterosaur? That's… the All-Star of the Beasts Pirates—King the Wildfire!"
The pterosaur landed with a loud crash and transformed into a tall man in a black leather jacket, black wings folded behind him. He looked at Ace with cold, piercing eyes.
"Oh? Looks like someone's here to fight," Ace scratched his head, looking amused. Then he straightened up and his expression turned serious.
"But only one of Kaido's top officers came? What, Kaido couldn't be bothered to come himself?"
King said flatly, "Not just one. All three of us came. The Beasts Pirates don't take a rookie crew lightly—especially one that defeated our officers. Fire Fist Ace, your crew should feel honored."
As for the embarrassing incident of their boss drunkenly turning into a dragon and flying off without a Log Pose… naturally, King wouldn't mention that.
"All three Calamities, huh? Then why are you the only one here?" Ace narrowed his eyes.
"The others are hunting down your crew and Lady Yamato. You, however, will be dealt with by me alone." King drew his sword, flames blazing behind him. "You should feel privileged."
"So they're after Yamato? Then I guess you're all mine." Flames ignited along Ace's arms as he grinned, showing no sign of panic.
After all, Yamato's strength exceeded even his own in some areas. Ayaan wasn't far behind either. Ace didn't need to worry about them.
Meanwhile, the island's residents, seeing King's arrival, wisely began fleeing in all directions. In the New World, everyone recognized the faces of the major pirates. The appearance of an All-Star meant only one thing—get out of the way.
That saved Ace the trouble of holding back during the fight.
"You've got guts. I like that. If you survive, consider joining us. Kaido might even spare you," King offered sincerely. He, more than most Beasts Pirates, valued strong recruits.
Ace laughed. "Thanks, but…"
"You'll have to beat me first! Hiken! (Fire Fist!)"
---
While Ace and King clashed, on the other side of the island—
Yamato and Ayaan each faced one of the remaining All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates.
Queen the Plague, as always, played it smart. He knew only King could match Yamato in raw strength, and since Yamato was Kaido's daughter, Queen had no interest in getting caught in a family feud.
Instead, he ordered the brutish Jack the Drought to confront Yamato while he personally went after Ayaan, who appeared to be the weakest link.
"Kid, you're the one who stole our treasure," Queen sneered, standing in front of Ayaan in his cyber-enhanced, rotund form with frog-eye goggles. "Hand it over and I'll make your death quick!"
Ayaan scratched his head and chuckled. "You came for me? But where's Kaido?"
"To deal with brats like you, we All-Stars are more than enough. No need to trouble the boss," Queen replied. His bulky arm shifted and transformed into a giant machine gun.
"I'll smash you into paste and search your ship for the treasure myself!" he cackled, opening fire with a barrage of bullets.
Relieved that Kaido wasn't coming, Ayaan grinned and blurred out of sight, dodging easily.
"If it were one of the other two Calamities, I might've had trouble… But you?"
"You're the perfect opponent for me."
In a flash, Ayaan appeared beside Queen's mechanical arm. Queen smirked, confident in his weapon's firepower, and unleashed a laser at point-blank range.
"Hah! My tech is leagues above anything you—huh?!"
Ayaan opened his mouth—wide. Not just his jaw, but his whole face and chest split open in an unnatural, monstrous maw. The laser vanished inside him without a trace.
Then, Ayaan's gaping mouth bit down hard on Queen's mechanical arm.
Startled, Queen flung Ayaan away and shouted, "What Devil Fruit did you eat?! Are you a Mythical Zoan?! Is that… Taotie?!"
"I ate the Baku Baku no Mi ," Ayaan grinned as he landed, wiping his mouth. "And you? You just lost your best weapon."
Queen aimed again with his other arm. "Doesn't matter! I'll vaporize you!"
BOOM!
Instead, Queen's modified limb exploded violently.
"Fool," Ayaan said, stepping forward with confidence. "I may not know tech, but I know how to break it."
"The Baku Baku no Mi gives me an unparalleled capacity for consumption and biological transformation. If that idiot Caesar Clown could develop alloys that impressed even Vegapunk, imagine what I can absorb and enhance."
"Your mechanical arm? Already dismantled and destabilized from the inside."
Queen looked down at his smoking stump in disbelief.
Ayaan's eyes glinted. "Now let's see how well you fight without toys."