Chapter 28

Title: Dumb Ace

"Stop!!"

"What have you done to Yizang, you bastard!"

"A lowly Marine dares to be arrogant in our territory."

"Let's take down that old man Xilan, he's older than Dad, we can handle him together!"

...

The Whitebeard Pirates, drawn by the commotion, arrived to witness one of the captains' humiliation. Fueled by righteous anger, these young warriors went to support. With unspoken coordination, dozens of them encircled Xilan.

Xilan, taking in the situation, found it rather exaggerated. More than a dozen captain-level elites had him surrounded. Even if a Marine Admiral were present, they wouldn't take this lightly. But...

"Young ones, you might not know me well," Xilan spoke with a kind smile. "I suggest you reconsider and inquire with Whitebeard about the consequences if you lay a hand on me."

"I don't care; I'm going to take you down now!" Ace declared as he leaped into the air, wreathed in flames.

Xilan's expression darkened at this sight. After all, he had saved Ace. Although he was paid, Ace would've perished if he hadn't intervened during the Whitebeard Summit War, an event that had resulted in the demise of Ace and the entire Whitebeard Pirates.

Now, they intended to harm their benefactor?

"Fire Fist!!!"

A colossal, blazing fist, enveloped in flames, hurtled toward Xilan, blotting out the sky and earth as it traversed the void. The impact scorched the ground along its path.

Boom boom boom!!!

Xilan bore the full force of the attack, flames erupting upon impact, consuming his entire form.

"Got him!" Ace exclaimed in triumph.

"No, it's far from over," Marco interjected, his keen eyes penetrating the inferno. Flickering in the depths of the blaze, he spotted Xilan.

"Your punch comes at a cost of 1 billion berries," Xilan's voice emerged from the flames. "I'll await for the payment of 1 billion berries as compensation for taking action against me by the others. Ace, That makes it 2 billion for you. This is the price for challenging me."

It was akin to attempting to scam an elderly lady crossing the street; she'd take a tumble, and in an instant, you'd go bankrupt.

"You charlatan!" Ace seethed. His fiery assault had failed to harm Xilan, and now the man wanted 1 billion berries?

"Who else dares to challenge me? I hope the Whitebeard Pirates go bankrupt soon. Step forward now," Xilan taunted.

Emerging from the sea of flames, Xilan activated his "Forbidden Hands" mode, donning bright red armor that rendered the flames' impact negligible.

"Don't underestimate us; this is the Whitebeard Pirates' territory!" Marco asserted, stepping forward. In the next moment, his entire body was enveloped in a ethereal blue radiance, like a dreamlike blue flame.

With a resolute cry, Marco transformed into a phoenix and soared into the sky.

Whoosh!

Marco descended from the sky, his claws ensnaring Armament Haki, ready to strike Xilan.

Xilan clenched his fists, preparing to retaliate.

Bang bang bang...

Simultaneously, the ground trembled as Diamond Jozu transformed into a solid ball and started rolling over. Ace, undeterred, launched another assault, a fiercer fiery fist hurtling toward Xilan.

Amidst the chaos, rose petals still fluttered in the air, a testament to an underlying, frigid intent.

From the corner of his eye, Xilan noticed Vista's presence also known as 'Vista of the Flower Swords'.

"How shameless, you all attacked me at once, bullying an old man like me," Xilan lamented, shaking his head. Then, his eyes turned icy, and he warned, "Do not underestimate me, you ignorant brats who don't know the limits of the sky and earth!"

Boom boom boom!

Xilan, like an ancient deity reborn, emitted a shockwave suffused with Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, pushing back his assailants.

Bang bang bang bang...

The fiery punch attack was ruthlessly crushed, Diamond Jozu, in his diamond ball form, was sent hurtling away, and Marco's blue flames dissipated as he screamed, plummeting from the sky. Vista, too, was bounced away.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"

"It hurts so much!"

The other captains also cried out in pain.

Everyone stared at Xilan in horror. Something was amiss; hadn't he just lost to Doflamingo? Why was he overpowering the Whitebeard Pirates so effortlessly?

"Damn it, I get it!" Marco, who had fallen from the sky, wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "That Xilan bastard isn't old at all. He lost because he took a bribe!"

Xilan regarded Marco attentively and offered a reminder, "Marco, the wise ones have already started gathering the money."

"So what? There are so many of us; are you afraid he'll succeed?" Ace challenged Xilan, his dissatisfaction palpable.

"You impudent child..."

A crimson killing intent flickered in Xilan's eyes. He rarely resorted to killing; he preferred to manipulate and exploit pirates rather than eliminate them. Especially someone like Ace, which has been the reason that enabled Xilan to extort over 100 billion berries from Whitebeard. Xilan was reluctant to kill him.

However, Ace's reckless and self-righteous behavior was truly infuriating.

"Listen up, the price goes up each time you retaliate, 3 billion berries."

"And..."

Xilan's expression grew cruel, and he moved with a subtle grace, almost as if traversing through space, and appeared instantly before Ace.

His outstretched hand delivered a resounding slap to Ace's cheek.

"Today, I'm going to wipe that arrogance off your face!"

...

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