One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

A newspaper.

A large front page, yet it reported only two major events.

One was the Golden Lion's assault on Marine Headquarters and his successful retreat. The other was the Marines' announcement of the public execution of Fire Fist Ace, the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

The former occupied more space, but Luffy's eyes locked onto the photo of Fire Fist Ace at first glance.

"Eh?"

Seeing the words "public execution" in the headline, Luffy froze.

Nami and the others noticed Luffy's reaction, their curiosity piqued, and instinctively gathered around.

Soon, they too saw the contents of the newspaper, their faces turning to shock.

"Fire Fist Ace... Isn't he Luffy's brother?"

"The Marines... are going to publicly execute Ace..."

Except for Franky, who was unaware of the relationship between Ace and Luffy, everyone else looked at Luffy with concern.

Luffy clutched the newspaper tightly, his head bowed. "Ace..."

As brothers, even though they had their own crews and separate paths, he could never stand by and watch Ace be executed by the Marines.

In an instant, Luffy made a spontaneous decision to change their course.

"Everyone."

Luffy raised his head to look at his crewmates.

Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, Robin, Bartolomeo, and Franky all gazed at him seriously.

Even before Luffy spoke, they had already anticipated what he was about to say.

"I'm going to rescue Ace. It might be dangerous... but I have to go!"

Luffy's face was resolute.

Rescuing Ace meant facing the entire Marine Headquarters—a challenge even greater than Enies Lobby.

The dangers were self-evident.

Yet on the deck, not a single person showed any hint of hesitation.

"First Enies Lobby, and now Marine Headquarters... Super bold!" Franky crossed his arms, unsure if he was nervous or excited.

"Marine Headquarters..." Zoro grinned, his thumb lightly pressing against the hilt of his sword. The road ahead was one of carnage and bloodshed.

Click. Sanji lit a cigarette.

"Luffy, you really are hopeless." Usopp, who had already proven his courage, rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Hehe." Robin chuckled softly.

"So cool..." Bartolomeo's eyes sparkled as he gazed at his companions.

"Sigh... I wonder if we can even get our hands on a map of the waters near Marine Headquarters." Nami sighed deeply, already imagining the perils ahead.

But she was the navigator—wherever the captain wished to go, she would do everything in her power to take him there.

Chopper's eyes were firm, already planning to gather all the necessary medical supplies at Sabaody Archipelago.

Seeing the unwavering determination of his crew, Luffy took a deep breath.

He raised both arms, ready to announce their next destination as captain, when a discordant voice interrupted them.

"Just you lot?"

The sudden voice startled everyone, making them instinctively take defensive stances.

In the next moment, Maude appeared before them out of thin air.

"Maude!"

"Sensei!"

"Idol!"

Everyone was stunned at first, then relaxed.

Maude's gaze swept over the Straw Hat crew, who had finally arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, before settling on Luffy.

He said flatly, "With your strength, you think you can rescue Fire Fist Ace from Marine Headquarters? Don't kid yourselves—there's only one outcome waiting for you: death."

"Even if it's a death trap, I'll still go save Ace!"

Luffy clenched his fists, unwavering as he stared at Maude.

His heart was set on Ace's safety—he hadn't even considered the consequences.

Or rather, he had never considered the consequences of any decision he'd made.

Maude looked at the still-immature Luffy, his voice cold. "Even if it means sacrificing your crewmates?"

"..."

Luffy's heart skipped a beat.

Even now, this straw-hatted young man still lacked the awareness that came with being a captain.

Yet Nami and the others showed no sign of wavering.

Zoro, ever direct, bit down on Wado Ichimonji and drew Chidori and Kashu.

"Our strength isn't what it used to be!"

Zoro's eyes were as sharp as blades as he lunged straight at Maude.

When the Thousand Sunny docked, he'd been itching to test his strength against Maude—he hadn't expected Maude to come knocking first.

"Three-Sword Style... Oni Giri!"

Before anyone could react, Zoro was already before Maude, his three swords crossing forward like a ferocious tiger.

Maude glanced sideways, drawing Shusui with a reverse grip. The black-and-red blade blocked the attack in front of him.

Clang!

Sparks scattered where the blades clashed.

Maude remained as motionless as a mountain, while Zoro's arms bulged with veins as he poured strength into his swords.

No matter how hard Zoro pushed, his blades couldn't press forward an inch.

Maude calmly observed the Haki-coated swords.

"Your Armament Haki's improved quite a bit."

"Heh."

Despite the obvious gap in strength, Zoro's fighting spirit burned.

But Maude had no intention of letting Zoro build confidence off him. With a small burst of strength, he sent Zoro flying back over ten meters.

"Zoro, what are you doing?!" Nami shouted.

Zoro didn't look at her, keeping his gaze fixed on Maude.

"Nothing... just putting my words into action."

"Nami-chan." Sanji flicked his cigarette. "For once, I agree with that moss-headed idiot. We're being looked down on."

"You guys..."

Nami furrowed her brows.

Usopp and Bartolomeo exchanged glances.

Robin watched Maude thoughtfully.

Chopper cowered behind Robin, lacking the courage to face Maude—even if he was being underestimated.

"Oh? Are we about to fight?" Franky glanced at the silent Luffy.

Luffy, staring at Maude, pressed down on the brim of his hat. "Zoro's right—our strength isn't what it used to be."

"I can see that." Maude nodded, flipping Shusui into a normal grip. "But like I said, if you think you can rescue Fire Fist Ace with your strength... you're still far too weak."

"I understand."

Luffy adopted his Second Gear stance, his tone serious. "If I beat you here... then that proves—"

"Interesting."

Maude cut him off.

Without warning, Conqueror's Haki erupted from him.

A powerful aura, like an invisible storm, enveloped the Straw Hat crew.

"Huh?"

Luffy and the others staggered, as if struck by an unseen blow, their faces filled with shock.

Even though Maude hadn't made a move, they felt a crushing weight.

Thud.

Already frightened of Maude, Chopper fainted under the pressure.

"Chopper?!"

Everyone looked at the unconscious Chopper in shock.

Maude stood tall, his imposing aura bearing down on them.

"Knock me down? If you can, go ahead and try."

Zoro's challenge had set the wheels in motion.

But Maude didn't mind.

If the Straw Hats could prove themselves here, he'd not only refrain from stopping them—

He'd help them reach the stage of the Paramount War.

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