"Goodbye."
Three days later, Hachi and Nami boarded the ship. Ace stood by the port, waving with a smile. "Nami, your injuries haven't fully healed yet, you must be careful."
Nami nodded and said, "I understand."
Ace added, "Hachi, protect Nami well, and go find Jinbe first."
"I will," Hachi said seriously.
Nami hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Should I have Father..."
"No need," Ace shook his head. "I'll be back in four years."
"Then we'll do as you say," Nami nodded, no longer trying to persuade him.
The ship slowly set sail, heading into the distance, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Ace, hurry up."
A tall woman stood behind him, saying impatiently, "It's almost time for the assembly."
"Alright." Ace walked with Cecilia towards the distance, arriving at a courtyard deep within the deserted island.
By now, many people had already gathered in the courtyard: Ace, Mr. 2 Bon Clay, Heckle, Alken, Cecilia, and Mr. Christmas.
Zala was in the Drum Kingdom, only three days away from her coronation ceremony.
Vivi remained by Lucci's side, responsible for their safety.
"What does the President want us to gather for this time?" Mr. 2 Bon Clay asked, confused.
"Will the President appear before us this time?" Alken said expectantly.
"It seems only the two of you don't know who the President is," Mr. Christmas said with a smile.
Alken asked in surprise, "You've all seen who the President is?"
"I'm sure it's not just us; even you have seen it," Cecilia said with a smile. "The President appeared before us long ago."
"Is that so? Among the people I've met, who could be the President?" Mr. 2 Bon Clay was completely bewildered.
But at this moment, a loud noise came from the distance. Accompanied by the sound, Xia Qiu slowly approached everyone.
"Some of you know me, and some don't, so allow me to introduce myself." Xia Qiu spoke slowly, "I am the President of Baroque Works, Mr.0."
"Huh?" Mr. 2 Bon Clay and Alken exclaimed in unison, their expressions filled with disbelief.
But a moment later, Alken looked around at the people and asked in surprise, "You all aren't very surprised. Did you already know?"
"When we found out, our surprise wasn't any less than yours," Mr. Christmas said with a smile.
"So you're the President. I think I've seen you before," Mr. 2 Bon Clay said with some surprise, recalling the Giant Beast that followed Robin.
"Enough with the nonsense," Xia Qiu surveyed everyone in the courtyard. "My identity no longer needs to be hidden. Today, I will be frank with you all and ask if you are willing to continue to be loyal to me."
"Of course," Cecilia said lazily. "Following the President allows me to become stronger, and there are formidable opponents. I will be loyal to the President."
Heckle said respectfully, "My Devil Fruit ability was given to me by you, Mr. President, and you also made me stronger. I will loyally work for you."
"My Devil Fruit and firearms were both given to me by you, so of course, I won't leave Baroque Works," Mr. Christmas said with a smile. "Also, I've always wanted to know, how far can our Baroque Works go?"
"Alright," Alken scratched his head. "Although it's a bit unexpected, you've been kind to me, Mr. President. I am willing to continue to be loyal to you."
"And you?" Xia Qiu looked at Mr. 2 Bon Clay, who smiled and said, "I have no objections. You are Robin's partner, so naturally, you are my partner too."
Xia Qiu nodded and said, "Since that's the case, everything will proceed as usual. However, today, I want to introduce a new member to everyone. He is our Baroque Works' Mr.1, and he will be fighting with us for the next four years. You should all know who he is."
"The second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, with a bounty of over 500 million, Fire Fist Ace." Xia Qiu looked at Ace, who stepped forward, adjusting his hat.
"Even though I knew this was a possibility, I still find it hard to believe," Mr. Christmas said, shaking his head at the sight.
"Fire Fist Ace once fought Jinbe, a Shichibukai himself, for five days and five nights without a clear winner, and then joined the Whitebeard Pirates," Heckle exclaimed. "I never thought we would become colleagues."
The addition of a strong individual at the Shichibukai level to this organization surprised everyone. However, with such a powerful figure, Baroque Works could only become stronger.
"Alright."
Xia Qiu's voice rang out as he looked at everyone. "I've gathered you all here today. Perhaps some of you don't accept me as your president, or don't believe I have the strength to lead you."
Hearing this, the crowd slightly raised their heads and looked at Xia Qiu.
Xia Qiu looked at them and said with a smile, "Then I'll give you all a chance to challenge me. No matter what you do today, I won't hold you accountable."
"This..."
They might have had such thoughts in their hearts, but they didn't dare to act on them or admit them.
But at this moment, Heckle stepped forward and said, "President, I sparred with you three years ago and again last year. Although I lost both times, I'm stronger now than I was then. I'd like to test my strength against yours, President. May I?"
"Of course," Xia Qiu replied with a smile.
"Then please forgive my disrespect."
Heckle stomped his feet on the ground and suddenly appeared twenty to thirty meters in the air. He inverted his body, raised his arms, puffed them out, and leaped downwards.
*Ten Tons Steel Fist*.
As he spoke, his body plummeted, aiming for Xia Qiu's head. Xia Qiu, however, didn't move at all.
*Boom.*
Heckle's fists slammed hard into Xia Qiu's ramming horn, the immense sound shaking everyone to their core.
After a brief pause, a shockwave spread outwards.
*Crack, crack.*
The surrounding walls crumbled, turning into rubble that crashed to the ground.
"Such great power."
Ace, witnessing this, clicked his tongue slightly.
The power contained in Heckle's strike was immense, something even he couldn't achieve.
Of course, for this move, Heckle first used his arms, then his body's explosive power, and finally his Devil Fruit ability, making it a triple burst.
In terms of pure physical prowess, Ace was still a tier above Heckle.
Moreover, this attack required charging, leaving too many openings, and the technique was easy to predict. Without finding the right moment to attack, its effectiveness was greatly diminished.
But even so, such immense power was commendable.
Yet, this strike landed on Xia Qiu's head and proved fruitless.
Xia Qiu's body didn't counter; he took the hit head-on.
*Bang.*
Heckle was sent flying backward, landing far away. His arms visibly swelled at a speed visible to the naked eye, and this was even after he had mitigated some of the force.
"This..."
Seeing this, everyone clicked their tongues slightly. Xia Qiu had taken that attack without a scratch.
Not only that, but he hadn't counter-attacked at all, simply enduring the blow.
In reality, Xia Qiu had used Armament Haki, not infusing it into a specific part of his body, but forming an invisible armor around his head.
Heckle's attack hit the Haki and couldn't break through the defense at all, being directly repelled. Even after mitigating the force, he still suffered significant damage.
"Even Heckle couldn't harm the President," Alken said. "It seems I wouldn't be able to either."
He was an owner of the Explosion-Explosion Fruit, and its destructive power was not inferior to Heckle's, but its raw power and explosive force were considerably less.
"Then, President, may I try?"
Mr. Christmas asked with a grin, "Using my Door-Door Fruit ability?"
"Of course," Xia Qiu nodded gently.
"Here I come!"
Mr. Christmas extended his hand and pulled, opening a door in the air. She stepped through and vanished.
"A very peculiar ability."
Ace was somewhat surprised by this. Such an ability was perfectly suited for assassination.
Mr. Christmas's figure disappeared, then suddenly reappeared between Xia Qiu's first and second legs on the right side. She extended her right hand and touched Xia Qiu's side.
Mr. Christmas hoped to alter Xia Qiu's body using the Door-Door Fruit, but it was to no avail.
The expected change did not occur.
"Even my ability didn't work."
Mr. Christmas could open doors on any object, but it didn't work on the President, which left her deeply shocked.
"Is there anyone else who wants to try?"
Xia Qiu looked around.
"With our strength, we simply can't harm the President," Cecilia shook her head. "But the President does have one weakness."
"Weaknesses?" Xia Qiu looked at Cecilia curiously.
Cecilia smiled and said, "That would be speed. I believe that neither Heikele nor I can match your speed, President."
"Speed?"
Xia Qiu nodded, then smiled and said, "Then let's give it a try."
"You want to race me?" Cecilia was a little surprised.
Xia Qiu shifted his body, facing them sideways, and said, "Let's have a race from here."
"Alright."
Cecilia walked to Xia Qiu's side, not to his head, but stood in front of his first pair of legs, yet still within his front half.
"Then I'm coming."
Cecilia suddenly transformed into her half-beast form, her two powerful bird legs gripping the ground tightly. She said confidently, "President, I'll only use my Devil Fruit ability, I won't use Soru."
"Good."
Xia Qiu nodded. The next moment, Cecilia was already sprinting forward, turning into an afterimage, and flying towards the front.
But she hadn't run twenty meters before the wind howled around her.
Boom.
A huge figure streaked past her, running parallel to her, and then slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Is this Soru?"
Cecilia's expression was a little surprised. She couldn't help but stop. The location she was in was exactly where Cecilia...
Not only that, but everyone around who saw this scene was utterly shocked.
In the entire Baroque Works, Cecilia represented speed. Many people thought her speed was the fastest.
But now, it seemed she was a little slower than the President.
"President, you've mastered Soru?" Heikele couldn't help but ask.
"That's right."
Xia Qiu smiled and said, "I mastered Soru not long ago."
After Xia Qiu ate Blackbeard and his four crew members, he gained nearly one and a half Vice Admiral's worth of Reinforcement Energy. His body was further strengthened, and the power in his legs now surpassed the strength of a Vice Admiral's legs and arms.
He could now stomp ten times in an instant, as he had already familiarized himself with the movements of Soru over more than a month.
Therefore, once he met the conditions, it only took him half a month to master Soru.
His speed was slightly faster than Cecilia's.
Cecilia's running speed in her half-beast form was only slightly slower than Soru, but not by much. It was still around twenty-five meters per second.
Xia Qiu's Soru, due to his body length, leg length, and stride, generated enough power to propel his body forward, covering a distance equivalent to his own body length.
With one use of Soru, Xia Qiu could advance about fifty to sixty meters, roughly double that of Cecilia.
In terms of straight-line speed, very few people could match him.
But the problems were also obvious.
Poor flexibility, fast in a straight line, but difficult to change direction mid-course.
It was also very difficult to dodge enemy attacks, making it easier for opponents to hit him.
Secondly, the stamina consumption made it difficult for him to maintain this as a constant combat state.
And the ratio wasn't high enough. His body length was nearly sixty meters, and the distance covered by Soru was also around this distance, only sixty meters per second.
If the ratio could be increased to three or four times his body length, its practicality would increase.
But regardless, Xia Qiu's speed had increased significantly.
His original running speed was about thirty meters per second, and now it could double, greatly increasing his combat power.
The next main focus would be to continue strengthening himself. After breaking through the frequency limit, the next step would be to accumulate power, allowing him to cover a greater distance with each leap.
But no matter what, with Soru, his combat would be much easier.
"Is there anyone else who wants to try racing me?" Xia Qiu looked at the crowd.
Cecilia sighed and said, "Our specialties are no match for yours. The gap in strength is too great."
Xia Qiu looked at Ace and asked, "What about you?"
"I'll pass."
Ace smiled and said, "If we were to have a match, the commotion would be too great. Besides, no matter what, I will serve you, President, for four years."
"That's good."
Xia Qiu glanced at everyone and said softly, "Then starting today, you all need to work seriously. I won't treat you unfairly. But if anyone has other intentions..."
As Xia Qiu's words fell, they suddenly felt a powerful aura wash over them.
Boom.
The group shivered, feeling as if their breathing had stopped and the air had frozen, a large hand reaching for their hearts.
Christmas, with the weakest physique, swayed and fell to the ground.
"What is this?"
Ace, showing no ill effects, looked at Xia Qiu with surprise in his eyes.
How could this be possible!
...
"Cecilia, return to the casino. Alken and Christmas, head to the Drum Kingdom. Little Feng has a mission for you. Ace, Heckle, you two will leave with me."
Xia Qiu issued a series of commands. By afternoon, Xia Qiu, Ace, and Heckle had returned to Island No. 2, the island where Lucci was imprisoned.
"So, President, you captured CP9 and obtained the Six Powers from them?" Ace asked Lucci, somewhat surprised.
Xia Qiu nodded. "That's right."
"Rob Lucci, the strongest of CP9 in eight hundred years."
Ace looked at the person in the cage and couldn't help but say, "You haven't appeared in public for a long time, and yet you've ended up as a prisoner."
Lucci said coldly, "I also didn't expect that Ace, the captain of Whitebeard's second division, would become the subordinate of a Giant Beast."
Ace smiled. "He saved my life and the lives of my companions, so naturally, I must repay him."
"Is that so?"
Lucci narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected this, but with Ace's joining Baroque Works, it was likely already surpassing the power of some Shichibukai.
Lucci said coldly, "But aren't you stronger than him? Are you willing to be a subordinate?"
"I don't mind serving my benefactor," Ace smiled. "As for strength? I can't defeat him. His domain is the sea, and he also uses Armament Haki. Even if I could win, he could calmly escape into the sea."
Although Xia Qiu possessed Soru and Armament Haki, his flexibility was poor, and his Haki was limited.
As long as he could wear Xia Qiu down from a distance, it might be possible to defeat him.
Ace and Jinbe had battled for five days and five nights. Although Jinbe was at a disadvantage on land, Ace's abilities could negate his Armament Haki.
Therefore, in terms of overall strength, Xia Qiu still had some gap to bridge with Ace.
However, Xia Qiu's domain was the sea, and Ace was no match for him there. Even if they fought on land, Xia Qiu could defend with Armament Haki and use Soru to escape into the sea.
Facing Ace, Xia Qiu could temporarily remain undefeated.
Xia Qiu curiously asked, "Ace, can't you use Armament Haki?"
"No," Ace shook his head. "For the past two years, I've been developing my Devil Fruit ability, and I'm almost there. Next, I can focus on Haki."
"I see."
Xia Qiu nodded. Ace had only been at sea for about three years. He obtained his Devil Fruit in the first year and fought Jinbe to a draw by the end of that year. The next two years were spent developing his Devil Fruit ability.
It was like Lucci, who focused on physical techniques, honed the Six Powers, and combined with his five years of missions, he hadn't developed Armament Haki. Once he concentrated on it, he could achieve it within two years.
Ace curiously asked, "But I'm very curious, how did President learn Haki? You used Armament Haki to block attacks, right? If I'm not mistaken, you used Observation Haki against Christmas. And what appeared last was undoubtedly Conqueror's Haki. It's already unlikely for a Giant Beast to learn Haki, so how could Conqueror's Haki appear on a pure beast?"
The first two points didn't shock Ace as much. The most terrifying was Conqueror's Haki, which only those with the qualifications of a king could possess. So, what kingly qualifications did it have?
"Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki? Are you joking, Ace?" Lucci asked, his face full of surprise.
Xia Qiu smiled. "Even if you haven't seen it, is there any proof that only humans can use it?"
Observation Haki and Armament Haki were obtained through consumption, while Conqueror's Haki was something he inherently possessed. However, after using it once, he couldn't sense it or actively control it. It was only after eating Blackbeard that he felt Conqueror's Haki, gathering in every part of his body, like a firefly. When he gathered these fireflies, an invisible force would be released around his body.
"What the President said is not wrong," Ace nodded, looking at Xia Qiu and asking, "What I'm curious about is, what exactly does the President plan to do? Mastering the three types of Haki, learning the Six Powers, gathering subordinates, and establishing a vast organization. What is the President's goal?"
"Goal?" Hearing this, Xia Qiu burst into laughter and then retorted, "Ace, let me ask you something, whose era is it now?"
"Whose era?" Ace was slightly taken aback.
Xia Qiu said, "Twenty-two years ago, Roger's death ushered in the Great Age of Pirates. He obtained the One Piece and spread the word of his death, causing heroes to rise and turning it into his solo performance. So now, who can lead an era?"
Ace thought for a moment and said, "Father is the closest."
Xia Qiu smiled. "Whitebeard is old. His body is decaying. He's no longer in his prime, and he can no longer support an era."
Ace retorted, "But he has us. We will help him achieve that."
"Is that so?"
Xia Qiu shook his head and chuckled, "You wish for him to obtain the One Piece, to become the Pirate King, but you are merely coercing his will. Moreover, under the balance of the Shichibukai, the Marines, the Government, and the Four Emperors, with the checks and balances between the Four Emperors, he has already lost his chance to reach the top."
If it weren't for his own interference, Whitebeard would indeed have ushered in an era. He would have used a world-shaking war, his own death, and the proclamation of the One Piece's existence to continue the Great Age of Pirates.
He would have bestowed the current era with Whitebeard's name.
But now, Whitebeard's fame is still brilliant, yet he is merely one of the legends. His uniqueness can no longer elevate his glory further.
Ace looked at Xia Qiu and asked, "So, President, who do you believe this era belongs to?"
"Ace, why do you think this era belongs to a 'person'?" Xia Qiu looked at Ace, a mocking smile on his face.
Ace immediately reacted, looking at Xia Qiu in surprise, "You mean..."
"You..."
Lucci's expression grew serious, yet there was a hint of disbelief.
Heckle guessed Xia Qiu's meaning, his expression turning somewhat fervent.
"That's right."
Xia Qiu declared loudly, "I will make this era bear my name, let history engrave my existence, and make everyone tremble upon hearing my name."
Since he had come to this world, how could he die nameless and unknown?
To interfere with history, to change history, to become history.
And finally, to become the Symbol of the Era.
This was Xia Qiu's ultimate goal!
Ace and Lucci stared blankly at Xia Qiu, not expecting his ambition to be so grand.
They instinctively thought it was impossible, yet they found that possessing intelligence not inferior to humans, being able to speak, mastering the Six Powers, and wielding three types of Haki, along with creating a powerful organization, these were almost impossible feats.
He had already turned too many impossibilities into possibilities.
So, how could his ambitions not have a chance of being realized?
Six thousand characters. This is the only chapter today.
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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