Chapter 48: Ace Wakes Up and Is Released!
Ace was silent.
Lu Yu, standing beside him, calmly analyzed the characteristics of his Devil Fruit ability. He pointed out a few flaws in Ace's development so far—quirks and potential he hadn't fully tapped into.
"Are you just gonna keep denying yourself?" Lu Yu asked, his tone growing sharper. "You realize developing a Devil Fruit isn't some walk in the park, right?"
Ace's silence lingered.
"You scared or something!?" Lu Yu suddenly shouted. "Don't forget who the hell you are! You've got Conqueror's Haki!"
The words hit Ace like a slap to the face, snapping him out of his daze.
"Conqueror's Haki...?" Ace looked at Lu Yu, confused.
He remembered using it once—back when he was a kid. But that was just a glimpse. Later, no matter how hard he trained, he couldn't seem to awaken it again. Maybe his method had been off. Maybe he'd given up too soon.
But now Lu Yu was bringing it up again?
"What's your dream?" Lu Yu cut through his thoughts.
Ace blinked, stunned.
"My dream...?"
He paused, then slowly spoke. "At first... I wanted to surpass that man. I wanted to be the strongest pirate in the world—so people wouldn't just see me as his son." His voice turned firmer. "But now... I want to protect the Whitebeard Pirates. My place is with Dad."
Lu Yu shook his head.
"You've gone off course, Ace."
"What?"
"You're heading the wrong direction—your ability, your mindset... even your dream. You forgot why you went to sea in the first place."
Those words struck deep—like a blade through fog. Everything suddenly felt clearer.
Ace let out a chuckle that grew into a loud laugh.
"Heh... hahahaha! Damn, bro, you really know how to hit someone where it counts."
"I get it now. No point developing a half-assed ability!"
"No destruction, no creation. Time to show you what real flames look like!"
Ace stood tall, clenching his fist. A burst of flame exploded in his hand—but it wasn't the usual orange blaze. Hidden within it was a trace of white flame, faint but distinct.
Neither Ace nor Lu Yu noticed the change just yet.
Ding!
Congratulations, host! You've been recognized by Fire Fist Ace as his big brother.
You have gained 8,000 reputation points and unlocked the ability: Flame Frenzy.
Lu Yu grinned. "Knew he'd cave eventually."
Being acknowledged by Ace was no small feat—especially considering who he was. Just this recognition earned Lu Yu 8,000 reputation points.
If I send him back to the Whitebeard Pirates to brag about me... I might rake in tens of thousands more...
But for now, Ace had another mission: tracking down Blackbeard.
And if I catch Blackbeard first... or even take him out myself...
No war at Marineford, no Whitebeard's death. Plus, a whole new wave of reputation points.
Hell yeah, I'm living good.
"Brother Lu Yu!" Akame's voice called out. She dropped from the mast and landed smoothly beside them. "Several pirate ships just appeared ahead. Should we take them down?"
"Pirates?" Lu Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
Ace stepped forward, his eyes flashing. "Hold up. Let me handle this."
He cracked his knuckles, itching for a fight. "I got my ass handed to me just now. Time to blow off some steam."
Lu Yu waved him off. "All yours. I'm not wasting energy on small fries."
---
Meanwhile, on one of the enemy ships…
"Captain! It's the Dragon Hunter Pirates up ahead!" the lookout shouted. "Intel was right—they've only got one main ship and a bunch of trashy ones."
"Probably just came from East Blue. Their gear looks outdated."
"If we take them down, we might get noticed by the World Government!"
"We could even be candidates for the next Seven Warlords of the Sea!"
Their captain, a hulking man with a mace and a cruel grin, laughed. "This is our shot! The Birudo Pirates are finally gonna make a name for ourselves!"
He twirled his weapon, its head wrapped in Armament Haki.
"With a 170 million bounty under my belt, it's about time they start recognizing me!"
"Seven Warlords of the Sea, here we come!"
"Seven Warlords of the Sea! Lord Birudo!"
"Lord Birudo!"
The crew chanted in unison, fired up by delusions of grandeur.
But then—
"Captain, someone's coming!" another lookout cried, eyes wide in fear.
"It's him—it's really him!"
"Who?!" Birudo snapped.
"Captain of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates… Fire Fist Ace!"
Birudo froze.
"No way… Why the hell is he here!?"
Panic started to set in.
If Ace is here… is Whitebeard nearby too!?
"He's probably just passing through," Birudo said quickly, trying to reassure himself. "We can—"
BOOM!
Before he could finish, a wave of searing flame shot across the sky, engulfing several pirate ships in an instant.
"C-Captain! What do we do?! He's coming right for us—!"
BOOM!
Another blast.
This time, the fire engulfed their own ship.
In just seconds, the entire Birudo Pirates—ambitious scum with delusions of grandeur—were reduced to ash.
Their 170 million bounty didn't mean shit. It came from crimes, not strength. They mistook infamy for power… and paid the price when they ran into a truly furious Ace.
A man with something to prove.
Ace landed back on deck, flame still flickering around him.
"Whew... now that's what I needed," he said, cracking his neck with a grin. "Blasting fools like that... really helps clear the head."
With that, he turned, walking calmly toward Lu Yu's ship.
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