As soon as Hina's long legs crossed the threshold, a flicker of surprise crossed her face before she locked it back down behind a mask of cool indifference.
But honestly? She was stunned.
The Marines had intel that the Donquixote Family was making a move on this town, looking to expand their underground operations. She had been sent to get the lay of the land and shut down their overreach.
She knew Mock Town was a lawless pit. She knew it was crawling with pirates.
But weren't the pirates here supposed to be small-time? Scrubs with bounties of ten or twenty million berries tops? So who the hell were these heavy hitters?!
At the bar: on the right sat Blackbeard, bounty 544 million, alongside his sniper, Van Augur.
On the left sat the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, "Fire Fist" Ace—bounty 550 million.
She didn't even register Buggy the Clown.
...Fuck.
She only had one ship of soldiers. There was absolutely no way she could threaten this room full of notorious monsters. She knew her limits; she wasn't in their league.
But right now, she was wearing the coat. She represented the face of the Navy. She couldn't retreat.
Retreating meant the Navy was scared.
So, after a moment of calculation, Hina stepped forward, walking deeper into the tavern. She took a seat in a booth directly opposite the two Donquixote Family operatives.
Just don't do anything extra...
The situation at the bar was complicated. Ace and Teach were hostile—that much she knew. A clash between those two was way above her pay grade. As a Marine, her best move was to sit tight and observe.
So, her job was simple... stick to the mission and pretend the two nukes at the bar didn't exist.
"Buffalo. Giolla." Hina looked them dead in the eye.
The two ignored her, leaning back on the sofa with smug grins, chatting away as if she weren't there.
Seeing their attitude, Hina kept her face stone cold. "According to the agreement between the Navy and Doflamingo, your business is not allowed to touch the first half of the Grand Line—'Paradise.' You've crossed the line."
"Pfft, ha! Joker never told us that," Buffalo sneered at the Marine Captain, his tone dripping with mockery.
"That's right, that's right! The Young Master says the entire underworld is his turf!" Giolla chimed in from the side.
SLAM!
Hina slapped her hand on the table, leaning forward with eyes like flint.
"Doflamingo is the only Warlord of the Sea. If you use his name to commit crimes here in Paradise, we can and will arrest you."
She lowered her voice to a dangerous octave. "Tell me... what is your purpose here?"
The air in the booth grew heavy instantly.
The smiles on Buffalo and Giolla's faces slowly vanished, replaced by dark, gloomy glares. They stared at Hina, their right hands drifting behind their backs, reaching for weapons.
Doflamingo's subordinates were so lawless they were actually about to draw on a Marine Captain first!
Just as the tension was about to snap—
A scorching tongue of fire swept through the tavern, punching straight through the roof and blasting into the sky.
Bellamy and his crew of thugs panicked, scattering like rats.
Ace, fueled by rage, had made his move on Teach!
Buggy, sitting right between them, was so scared his head detached from his body. He clutched his own flying head as the flames singed the air inches above him.
"I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!"
"Take this fight outside, you maniacs! Can't you see there's a person in the middle?!"
Buggy and his lackeys sprinted for the exit just as the structure gave way, screaming pitifully. "I haven't even had lunch yet! Aaah!"
RUMBLE—CRASH!
Amidst a cloud of dust, the tavern collapsed completely.
Hina and the others bailed out just in time, turning to look at the center of the wreckage.
Whoosh. A stray leaf blew past in the wind. Everyone who hadn't fled stopped dead in their tracks, eyes glued to the center of the ruins.
There stood Ace, Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' 2nd Division, facing off against his former subordinate—Marshall D. Teach. The man who had killed a crewmate, defected, formed the Blackbeard Pirates, and been on a crime spree ever since.
The killing intent between them was thick enough to choke on.
Because of the ripple effects caused by the Phantom Troupe, Blackbeard had been forced to flee Drum Island earlier than expected. This meant Ace hadn't stayed in Alabasta long, leading to this moment—Teach and Ace crossing paths here in Mock Town, far earlier than fate intended at Banaro Island!
"Why did you betray Pops?"
Ace's face was ice.
"Been a while, Commander Ace," Teach grinned, his expression thick with ambition. "So, Ace... how about it? Why don't you join my crew? Be my partner. We can conquer the world together!"
"Shut your mouth. 'Commander' is a title reserved for friends."
Fwoosh—
Flames ignited over Ace's fists as he walked step by step toward Teach.
"Why did you betray Pops?" Ace repeated.
Teach's grin widened. "Because... Whitebeard's era is over."
He threw his arms wide, his expression wild and unhinged. "The title of Pirate King... will ultimately belong to ME! ZEHAHAHAHA!"
"FIRE FIST!"
The answer was a massive column of flame that obliterated the field of vision—
BOOOOM!
The street was instantly plowed into a scorched trench over a hundred feet long. Everywhere the Fire Fist passed, buildings crumbled into ash.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch—"
"Hot, hot, hot!"
Despite taking the hit head-on and screaming about the pain, Teach slowly stood up from the scorched earth. He didn't look like he'd taken any real damage.
"I know, Ace. You want to kill me bad. Having a traitor who kills a comrade in your division... that's the ultimate sin on Whitebeard's ship."
Ace glared, his voice sharp. "I thought you said you had no ambition? You said you didn't care if someone else took the Commander seat."
"Why kill Thatch? Why steal the fruit?"
"Why do all this, Teach?!"
Teach lowered his head for a split second, then snapped it up, his eyes burning with greed.
"Because... it was the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
"With this, I will become the strongest man in the world! ZEHAHAHA!"
Darkness began to spill from his body like crude oil, radiating a pitch-black, ominous aura.
"BLACK VORTEX!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, Teach raised his hand. The darkness generated an unimaginable gravitational pull, dragging Ace's body through the air straight toward the center of the void.
"Nothing escapes the gravity of darkness!"
As Ace was pulled in, Teach cocked his right arm back, a savage grin splitting his face, and delivered a devastating punch.
THUD!
A heavy, sickening sound of fist hitting solid flesh echoed out. Ace's stomach caved in. He coughed, face twisting in agony, before being sent flying backward, smashing through the building behind him.
"See that?"
Teach looked triumphant. "The Dark-Dark Fruit doesn't let me let attacks phase through me like other Logia types. In fact, when I take a hit, I feel twice as much pain as a normal man..."
"But it grants me one unparalleled ability—the power to nullify other Devil Fruit powers!" Teach's smile twisted further.
"Which means... the moment I touch you, you can't use a single flame. In the face of darkness... everything is powerless!"
"It's a shame. Since you won't join me, I guess I'll just have to offer you up to the World Government."
Teach turned his head, locking eyes with a horrified and guarded Hina.
"Crocodile has fallen. The Government is looking for a new Warlord of the Sea, aren't they? Zehahahaha!"
"Lafitte is already on his way to make the proposal."
"Miss Hina, you just stay right there and bear witness. I'm trading Ace for that Warlord seat. How's that sound?"
"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"