One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

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Hearing the young voice, Kizaru's eyes showed a moment of surprise before he turned his head to look.

When he saw who had spoken, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Oh~ Fire Fist Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. I didn't expect to see someone like you here."

As Kizaru spoke, Luffy shouted excitedly from the other side. "Ace! It's you!"

Ace looked at Luffy, his eyes filled with joy. It had been three years since they last saw each other, and he had been longing to reunite with the little brother who always made him worry.

Ever since Luffy set out to sea, Ace had been keeping an eye on his adventures. About a week ago, Ace came across a minor news report involving the Celestial Dragons.

That's when it hit him—knowing Luffy's personality, if he ran into a Celestial Dragon, he would definitely cause trouble.

While Ace believed Luffy's journey was his own to handle, he also knew the dangers of messing with the Celestial Dragons.

As someone who had become a powerful pirate and a Supernova two years ago, Ace understood all too well that attacking a Celestial Dragon would draw the attention of an Admiral. And he was very familiar with the strength of an Admiral.

Worried, Ace spoke with Whitebeard and then secretly headed to Sabaody Archipelago. His plan was to keep an eye on Luffy.

If Luffy managed to coat his ship and set off for Fish-Man Island without incident, Ace wouldn't interfere and would wait to meet him in the New World. But if Luffy acted recklessly and an Admiral appeared, Ace was ready to step in and help him escape.

As expected, Luffy had caused trouble with the Celestial Dragons. Although someone had stopped him, Ace was slightly relieved. However, he hadn't expected Luffy's crew to be just as bold and troublesome.

Luffy and Ace hadn't seen each other for two years, so naturally, there was a lot to talk about. Despite the tense situation, Luffy couldn't help but chat while waiting.

Kizaru, observing the interaction between the two brothers, frowned slightly. He wondered how these two knew each other. Then he remembered certain rumors within Marine HQ—how Garp had once saved Ace, and that Luffy was Garp's grandson. That connection made sense.

"Oh, how lucky~," Kizaru said with a faint gleam in his eyes as he looked at Ace and Luffy. "Both of you have quite the lineage. If I manage to capture you two, I might finally get some time off~."

As an Admiral, Kizaru was well aware of the reputations and backgrounds of Luffy and Ace.

"Hmph! Kizaru, if you think you can capture the two of us, you're underestimating us!" Ace retorted boldly.

Though he knew he wasn't yet on Kizaru's level, Ace had trained hard since Arthur's rise to power. His strength now was far greater than before, almost at the level of a Vice Admiral, comparable to someone like Katakuri, though still slightly weaker.

"Then let's see what you've got!" Kizaru's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. In an instant, his body turned into countless points of light, and he appeared behind Ace.

Bang!

A beam of light, shaped like a foot, pierced through Ace's chest.

"Ace!" Luffy shouted in shock, his voice full of disbelief.

He couldn't believe it. After reuniting with his brother after three years, Ace was struck down right in front of him. But what happened next left Luffy stunned.

Flames erupted from the wound in Ace's chest, quickly spreading and engulfing his upper body in a blazing inferno.

"What incredible speed," Ace admitted, his voice calm yet tinged with surprise. "But unfortunately for you, an attack like that won't stop me! I'm a Flame Human, thanks to the Flame-Flame Fruit!"

"Oh~ what a monster~," Kizaru remarked in his usual detached tone, his words laced with indifference despite their feigned amazement. "I wonder if Straw Hat Luffy can handle things as well as you."

Hearing this, Ace's expression darkened. He knew that with Kizaru's lightning-fast speed, Luffy would be in serious danger if targeted.

"Bastard! You dare to get distracted while fighting me?" Ace growled, his voice cold as flames surged around him, enveloping Kizaru in a fiery attack. But against someone like Kizaru, such flames were meaningless.

"Luffy, get out of here! You can't fight Kizaru!" Ace shouted, his voice firm. He charged toward Luffy, his entire body surrounded by intense flames.

Using his Haki-enhanced observation skills, Ace had predicted Kizaru's movements. Just as Kizaru reappeared, preparing to kick Luffy, Ace intercepted the attack.

Boom!

Ace blocked the powerful kick, standing protectively in front of Luffy.

"Ace, I—" Luffy started, his voice full of worry. He didn't want to leave Ace behind to face an Admiral alone.

Since Kizaru's arrival, an overwhelming sense of danger had gripped Luffy. The moment Kizaru attacked, Luffy felt like death itself was closing in on him.

"Go, Luffy! He can't take me down!" Ace interrupted, cutting off Luffy's protest. Having grown up with Luffy, Ace knew exactly what his younger brother was about to say.

Luffy hesitated, glancing at Ace's blazing form. He knew from his battle with Crocodile how Logia users could transform their bodies into their respective elements, making them incredibly difficult to harm or kill.

If not for his advantages back then and the secret guidance of a certain kind older brother, Luffy wouldn't have won against Crocodile.

"Alright, Ace, but be careful!" Luffy said firmly, his tone serious. He clenched his fists, activating Gear Second by pumping his blood faster through his veins. His body began to steam as his speed and strength skyrocketed.

"Zoro, Sanji, Brook, let's move! Leave this to Ace!" Luffy shouted, ready to lead his crew.

"Got it!" Zoro and the others nodded, though they were confused about Ace's connection to Luffy. There was no time for questions now. The overwhelming sense of danger told them one thing: they had to escape immediately.

"Trying to run? Sorry, I can't let that happen~," Kizaru said, his tone calm but menacing. He launched a light-speed kick at Ace, sending him flying back. In the next instant, Kizaru turned into particles of light and reappeared in front of Luffy, who had barely run a hundred meters.

"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?" Kizaru asked, his voice unnervingly close to Luffy's ear.

Luffy's eyes widened in panic as he heard the Admiral's voice right behind him.

Ace, still tens of meters away, rushed toward them, his face filled with worry and frustration. But it seemed as though time wasn't on his side.

Just when it looked like Kizaru's attack would land, a dark shadow moved faster than the speed of sound. A flash of silver light followed, and a simple yet precise sword intercepted Kizaru's light-speed kick aimed at Luffy.

"Oh~ my, what a fearsome individual!" Kizaru said, his usual nonchalant tone giving way to a flicker of seriousness. "The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh—former First Mate of the Pirate King himself."

"Hehehe, I can't let you casually take the lives of these lively young pirates," Rayleigh said, his calm demeanor contrasting the golden light still glowing on Kizaru's foot where he had blocked the kick.

"Then let's see if this old relic can stop me," Kizaru replied, his words laced with mockery, though his eyes remained cautious.

At that moment, Ace arrived, his eyes flickering with a mix of fear and anger as he glanced at Kizaru and Rayleigh. Knowing Rayleigh's reputation, Ace wasted no time. Flames erupted from his fist, radiating intense heat.

"Take this! Fire Fist!"

Boom!

A massive blast of orange fire engulfed Kizaru. Rayleigh swiftly withdrew, stepping back to avoid the flames.

Seizing the opportunity, Luffy hesitated only for a moment before he made his decision. Although he wanted to stay and fight, he knew his presence would only make things harder for Ace.

"Luffy! Go!" Ace had shouted earlier, and now Luffy understood.

Gritting his teeth, Luffy turned and sped up, his legs pumping as he ran even faster. He knew this wasn't the time to be reckless.

Kizaru, surrounded by flames, glanced at Luffy as he fled. There was no frustration on his face—only calm indifference. In a flash, his body turned to light, allowing him to escape the fiery attack.

Kizaru smirked slightly. Between Ace and Rayleigh's interference, capturing Luffy today seemed unlikely.

Still, as he fought with Ace and Rayleigh, his sharp eyes scanned for opportunities to attack Luffy's crew. Taking down even one or two members of the Straw Hat Pirates would provide enough justification to appease the Celestial Dragons.

But Kizaru wasn't one to take his duties too seriously. A halfhearted effort was enough to keep up appearances. He much preferred the idea of finishing the job quickly and heading back to relax. After all, working too hard wasn't his style.

However, whether the Straw Hats could truly escape was still uncertain.

Not far from the chaotic battle, a large man carrying a massive axe was charging toward Luffy and his crew. He was accompanied by several figures wearing caps with bear ears, moving swiftly to intercept the fleeing pirates.