Chapter 20

It was another peaceful day at Baratie. It was the final day of the one month promise and things looked to be sailing smoothly. The Royal Aces were having their last lunch at Baratie as Ace was still busy with his work, currently taking orders as a waiter.

All of a sudden, Ace perked up. He detected something with his Observation Haki. A fleet made up of four squads of marine ships. They'll arrive in ten minutes.

Ace quickly took the order of the diner he was talking to before going to his crew's table. Hepha didn't notice the marines yet. His Haki was stronger than average so it wasn't a surprise. Hepha herself knew Ace's abnormal Haki.

"You guys, trouble's coming," Ace whispered to the table. All of them listened attentively.

"What kinda trouble are we talking about?" Vash asked.

"Marines," Ace said. "They'll get here in ten minutes."

"I'll go ahead and prepare the ship," Second said before disintegrating himself to relay the information to Doppol who was still seasick on the Ashen Dragon.

"Your Haki is seriously abnormal," Hepha said before getting up. The others stood up as well.

"You coming with us, Ace?" Terzo asked.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll notify Zeff first," Ace said. The others nodded at him and walked out to board the Ashen Dragon.

Ace entered the kitchen first to give the order he last took before going to Owner Zeff to notify him of the incoming trouble. Zeff was currently in his room, writing on a ledger. Ace knocked on the door and entered.

"Yo, old man," Ace casually greeted Zeff as if the incoming trouble wasn't something he was worried about.

"What is it, kid? It's still early. Don't expect me to let you go so soon." Zeff closed his ledger and spun on his chair to face Ace.

"It's not that. I'm just here to tell you that a marine fleet is coming in about nine minutes."

Contrary to the expected reaction, Zeff stayed calm.

"And? Should they be my problem?"

Ace was silent for a moment, trying to understand what Zeff meant. It clicked in his mind a few seconds later. Ace laughed.

"You old man! You called them, didn't you?" Ace asked after laughing, a grin still etched on his face. He wasn't angry at all. He suspected that this was some kind of final test on the last day. Zeff and the cooks won't be letting go of Soma without a fight.

"The deal is still on. If the restaurant's business is disrupted because you attract trouble, isn't that a big mistake on your part?"

"I get it, old man." Ace waved goodbye. "You better uphold your promise. Soma is our cook!"

Ace closed the door to Zeff's room, not bothering to hear if he would say anything. If Zeff decides to be stubborn, Ace can just kidnap Soma. Ace was sure Soma was willing to be kidnapped if things went that way. He quickly went to the kitchen to turn off his flames and tell the cooks he'll be out for a while to help his crew with a security problem.

Eight minutes until the marines arrive. Ace hurried up. He took off the apron he was wearing before going out to board the Ashen Dragon. When he got there, everything was already prepared. Doppol's Doubles and the rest of his crew had their hands on their proper station.

"The promise is still on! Let's deal with those marines without bothering the restaurant. For our cook!" Ace shot a hand forward. "Set sail! Let's sink those ships!"

"Roger that, Captain!"

The Doubles quickly got to work. They hoisted the anchor and unfurled the sails. The Ashen Dragon was pushed forward by the waves and the wind. Ace quickly took to the ship's helm to guide the Ashen Dragon to its prey.

"Ace! Turn left! The winds are shifting!" Terzo shouted to Ace as he hung on a rope ladder on the right side of the ship. As the navigator of the crew, his job was to find the quickest and easiest path.

"Got it!" Ace listened to his navigator and turned the ship slightly to the left.

The sails went taut, pushed by strong winds as the ship went forward. The ship gained more speed as it sailed straight for the marines.

"I see them!" Vash said as he stood at the bow, his sights set forward.

"Can you shoot them with the cannons, Vash?" Ace shouted. Vash's eyesight and aim was far better than his, so he trusted his gunslinging doctor.

"I can!"

"Good! Load the front cannons with a chain shot!" Ace ordered, and the Doubles listened. "Shoot their masts, Vash!"

"Roger that!"

Vash worked with Doppol's Doubles to shoot down the masts of the marine ships to immobilize them. The Doubles waited for Vash's order to fire. He assigned a target to each of the four front cannons.

"Fire!" Vash shouted. The Doubles shot the cannons.

Ace used Observation Haki to see the results of the first volley fired by the front cannons. The chain shots hit their targets. The main masts of one squad were broken. They'll have to use paddles. They'll be much slower than they were before.

"Keep firing, Vash! Take down the other squads' masts too!" Ace shouted.

The Doubles didn't need to be ordered. They quickly reloaded the front cannons with chain shots. Vash aimed again and fired. Ace saw three out of four hit their shots.

Vash and the Doubles on the front cannons kept firing. They fired two more volleys of chain shots. In the end, only three marine ships got out unscathed. They were now in front of the Ashen Dragon.

Ace heard the three marine ships fire their front cannons at them. He steered the helm to the right to avoid most of the shots. He couldn't avoid all the shots, but that was where Terzo and Hepha came in.

Using his longsword, Terzo cut up two cannonballs. Hepha, however, took out her hammer. With a wide swing, a strong gust of wind surged from Hepha's strike and blew the other cannonballs away. The Ashen Dragon was unharmed.

"Load the portside cannons! Oil up the round shots!" Ace shouted and the Doubles loaded up the cannons on the left side of the ship with the ammunition that was ordered.

Ace snapped his fingers. Large wisps of fire roared to life in front of the cannons that were jutting out of the left side of the ship's hull. The rounds they'll shoot will have to go through the flames.

"Fire!"

The left broadside cannons of the Ashen Dragon fired. The sound it made was similar to a dragon's roar. Doppol aptly named the ship he made.

The rounds shot by the cannons went through Ace's flames, igniting them in the process. A volley of flaming rounds shot towards the three marine ships whose masts were undamaged.

The marines fired back in an attempt to retaliate. Ace kept the Ashen Dragon moving forward to avoid the shots from the marines' front cannons. Those that did come close were dealt with once again by Terzo and Hepha.

"Keep firing!" Ace ordered.

Three volleys were shot by the Ashen Dragon, each one hitting a ship squarely on its front side. The three marine ships sank forward as they burned.

"Ready the shots! I'll line up the other ships!"

Ace guided the Ashen Dragon, circling it around the other marine ships reminiscent of a dragon flying above as it circled over a herd of prey. The cannons roared as the Ashen Dragon circled, shooting out volleys of flaming round shots.

One by one, the marine ships sank in a fiery blaze. They tried firing back, but the Ashen Dragon was unusually fast for a galleon. Vash, Terzo, and Hepha were there to deal with the shots that came close to hitting the ship.

…

"I repeat! Be wary of these pirates!" one of the marines on the last ship that hasn't sunk yet screamed into a Transponder Snail. "Their jolly roger is as I described! A flaming hat and a red spade!"

"What happened to the fleet?" the voice on the other side of the Transponder Snail asked.

"Gone!" the marine cried as he realized the truth of what he just said. One ship defeated a whole fleet. "Their names are still unknown! Captain ordered me to relay his words! These pirates are very dangerous! A high bounty should be given when their names are discovered!"

At that moment, one big explosion engulfed the last marine ship. The fleet was truly decimated.

…

"Doppol! You made a really great ship!" Ace patted the barfing Doppol on the back as they sailed back to the Baratie. "Everyone! Good work!"

The Royal Aces smiled at their victory. There wasn't much need to celebrate since they felt it wasn't a difficult battle. Their captain led them efficiently. It was a landslide victory.

The Baratie soon came into their sights. Ace saw Zeff standing at the dock, perhaps waiting for them. The Ashen Dragon soon docked once again at Baratie.

"Yo, old man! We're back!" Ace stepped out of the ship to greet Zeff.

"I see that. You really took care of those marines?"

"We did. They won't be causing any more trouble," Ace said, grinning at Zeff's blank face.

"Then, get back to work! The day is still long!" Zeff huffed before going back inside Baratie.

"Yes, Owner!" Ace gave a small salute to Zeff. He was feeling great. Today was the last day of the promised month. After this day, Soma will join them as their cook.

Ace went back to work as Zeff ordered. He did all his jobs with a pep in his steps, no doubt excited for the day to be over. When sundown arrived and Ace's shift was over, he waited for Zeff and Soma in anticipation.

The Royal Aces were on their pirate ship, eating the dinner they ordered from Baratie. Ace was with them. They're already prepared to set out. They were only waiting for Soma.

That was when Zeff came aboard their ship with Soma in tow. The young cook had a backpack, no doubt carrying his tools and equipment.

"It's good you kept your end of the promise. I was hoping I didn't need to kidnap Soma from you!" Ace said to Zeff.

"What kind of honorless fool would I be to not keep a promise after seeing you hold yours?" Zeff said. "As I promised, I'll let Soma go with you. Boy! Greet your Captain!"

"Yes, Owner Zeff!" Soma eagerly went forward and faced Ace.

"It's good to finally talk to you face to face, Soma!" Ace grinned. The cooks didn't really let Soma interact with the Royal Aces this past month.

"Likewise, Captain!" Soma grinned. "My name is Cauldrons D. Soma! I'll be happy to serve the Royal Ace Pirates from now on!"

"You're a D?" Ace was surprised. He didn't expect that.

"Is it a bad thing?" Soma winced, not expecting his name to have that kind of reaction on Ace.

"No! Not at all!" Ace laughed. "We're the same, you and I! Let me introduce myself. My name is Gol D. Ace! The man who'll be Emperor of the Seas!"

"Gol D. Ace?" Zeff gasped when he heard Ace's name and ambition.

"What is it, old man?" Soma asked Zeff. It was unusual to see Zeff with such a look on his face.

Much to Soma's confusion, Zeff laughed. The Royal Aces had an inkling as to why Zeff reacted that way. They already knew who Ace was. Zeff, an old pirate, should know what Ace's name means.

"Soma, you found yourself one hell of a captain!" Zeff said to Soma before walking away from the Ashen Dragon. "When you come back here, it better be when you fulfill your dream!"

"I will, Owner Zeff! Thank you for taking care of me all these years!" Soma bowed to Zeff, slightly teary eyed.

"Soma! You damn Meat Head! Are you really going?" Sanji's shout from one of the Baratie's balconies was heard by everyone on the Ashen Dragon.

"Sanji!" Soma waved to Sanji. "I'll be going on ahead! One of these days, you better set out! I'll find the All Blue before you if you don't!"

Ace smiled at their interaction. They frequently butt heads, but it seems their relationship was like brothers and not enemies.

"The All Blue? Is that your dream? To find that sea of legend?" Ace asked Soma after he waved goodbye to Sanji and the cooks who were peeking from behind a door.

"Nah. Maybe? If we find it, I guess I'll have to include it," Soma said before explaining. "I want to make a world food map! It's the reason why I run off with pirates."

"A food map?" Vash asked.

"Yeah. It's a map showing what kind of ingredients there are in a specific region. I'm done mapping East Blue. I wanted to join a crew that isn't afraid of going to the Grand Line to continue my dream, but," Soma sighed. "Most pirates I encounter are cowards."

"Well then, you found a good crew," Terzo said to Soma. "We'll be sailing all around the world!"

"I knew it!" Soma laughed. "You guys are crazy! I'm glad I joined!"

"Wait, I just realized. You're a cartographer too?" Ace asked.

"I am! Do you already have one onboard?" Soma asked.

"No. This is perfect!" Ace laughed. "Alright, you guys! Soma's with us now! This calls for a celebration! Let's go back and eat at Baratie!"

"Oi, Captain! I just said goodbye to them! Don't make this awkward, please!" Soma begged on his knees, much to the amusement of the Royal Aces.

In the end, they stayed the night at Baratie partying. They set sail the next day.