One Piece: Chopping Ace Back to Foosha Village at the Start

Three days had passed since the Apocalypse departed from Twin Cape, continuing its voyage across the seas.

That day, while Wayne was in his cabin writing the final chapters of Journey to the West, a knock came at the door. The deadline was tomorrow, and he wasn't in the best mood.

"What is it, Robin? You know I don't like being disturbed when I'm writing."

"Apologies, Boss," Robin replied calmly. "But there's a pirate ship ahead. It looks hostile, so I thought it best to let you know."

Wayne stepped out of the room and asked, "Which pirate crew is it?"

Robin shook her head. "Unclear. I've never seen their flag before. I assume they're newcomers to the Grand Line."

Elsewhere, aboard the opposing vessel, a pirate whose face was covered in pockmarks barked orders to his crew.

"Get ready, boys! This will be the battle that makes the Er Mazi Pirates famous across the Grand Line!"

"Ohhh! Captain's the best!"

"Fire! Blast their ship out of the water!"

Wayne activated his Observation Haki, scanning the enemy ship carefully. After sensing no powerful presences, he said disinterestedly to Robin, "Just a bunch of nobodies. Prepare to counterattack. You and Kuro take a few men and sink them."

"Yes, Boss!" Robin replied.

Kuro was practically trembling with excitement. "Finally! My first real battle under Boss Wayne! Time to show the results of my training!"

Boom! Boom-boom!

The enemy fired several cannonballs, but the Apocalypse easily dodged each one. In contrast, a single shot from the Apocalypse struck the enemy vessel dead-on. The difference between small fry and big-name pirates wasn't just strength it was also reflected in the crew's skill, especially the helmsmen.

Under the heavy firepower of the Apocalypse, the enemy ship began to flood rapidly.

"Captain, we're sinking!" one of the garlic-nosed crew members shouted.

Er Mazi, the pockmarked pirate captain, clenched his fists and growled, "Damn it! If that's how it is, we'll just seize their ship instead!"

As the ship went under and his crew flailed in the waves, Er Mazi launched himself through the air, stepping on the sky as he moved.

"Damn fools! Do you know who I am? I'm the fearsome Er Mazi, with a bounty of 27 million berries!"

"Huh? Is that Geppo?" Wayne raised an eyebrow. "That's rare."

Geppo was one of the more difficult techniques of the Rokushiki combat style, typically only attainable after mastering Soru. If this guy could use it, he must've had a decent physique. By East Blue standards, he could be considered a high-level pirate.

Wayne briefly entertained the idea of recruiting him but the moment he got a good look at the man's face, he changed his mind.

"Robin, don't let that guy get near the ship. Take him out quickly!"

Wayne couldn't help it the guy was just too ugly. His face was a mess of pockmarks, his front teeth were missing... He'd single-handedly lower the Apocalypse crew's average attractiveness.

"Understood, Boss."

Robin's back bloomed with arms, forming a pair of wings. She soared into the air to intercept him.

"Fleur Flurry: Spider Bloom!"

Dozens of hands wove together mid-air into a massive net, catching Er Mazi tightly in its threads.

But Robin wasn't done.

"Blossom Storm: Sea of Hands!"

The net erupted with hundreds of arms inside, twisting Er Mazi's limbs backward. Bones cracked audibly as he was folded into a ball. It was clear that nearly every bone in his body had been shattered.

When Robin's summoned arms faded, the unconscious Er Mazi plummeted into the sea, unlikely to survive.

"Not bad at all," Wayne nodded in approval. "Your control over your Devil Fruit has improved a lot. Once you learn to coat your summoned arms with Armament Haki, your combat power will jump significantly."

These techniques were ones Robin only learned two years after the Summit War in the original timeline. Now, she had mastered them four years early.

Truthfully, the strength of the Flower-Flower Fruit was tied closely to the user's physical stamina. Since the summoned limbs were essentially extensions of her body, without strong stamina, the power behind them would be limited.

"All right, let's move on."

With the threat eliminated, Wayne casually ordered the crew to continue their journey. To him, this incident was nothing more than a minor interruption.

Every year, countless pirates from the four seas entered the Grand Line. A small fraction managed to survive or join established crews, but most like Er Mazi were crushed before they even got started.

To be fair, Er Mazi wasn't weak by East Blue standards he even knew Geppo. If he'd had a bit more luck or found a Devil Fruit, he might've made something of himself. Unfortunately, he ran into Wayne, one of the Seven Warlords.

"Damn it! I didn't even get a chance to fight!" Kuro muttered bitterly, punching the deck. The enemy could fly Kuro couldn't even touch him.

And so, Kuro suffered his first taste of psychological defeat since entering the Grand Line.

"If only I had a Devil Fruit..." he muttered, full of longing. After all, both Golia's Song-Song Fruit and Robin's Flower-Flower Fruit were powerful Paramecia-type abilities.

Wayne did have a few spare Devil Fruits stored away, but they were fairly mediocre and not especially suited to Kuro.

After the brief scuffle, the Apocalypse continued its journey. Along the way, Kuro experienced firsthand the bizarre, unpredictable weather of the Grand Line.

One moment, the skies were clear. The next, it was snowing heavily. Even with his enhanced body, Kuro struggled to withstand the extreme conditions.

One day, as usual, Kuro was getting pummeled by Golia during their training session on deck. Nearby, Robin sipped fruit juice under a parasol, relaxing on a lounge chair.

Suddenly, the ship lurched.

Kuro rushed to the rail, peering down at the sea with disbelief.

"What the... the sea is frozen?!"