Chapter 354 Detonation!

This was Whitebeard's territory, and Ace showed no signs of hesitation. Leading the entire Second Division, they disembarked at the port and shouted towards the bustling crowd at the port boundary.

"Hey! Where's the mayor of Mustache Town? Old Man has something for him to do!"

"This... he's here!" A skinny old man squeezed out from the crowd at the sound of Ace's voice. Under the unclear and curious gazes of onlookers, he scurried over to Ace.

"You're... 'Fire Fist' Ace, aren't you, sir?" The old man looked at him with surprise, then lowered his voice and whispered to Ace.

"Hurry up, Ace, it's too dangerous here! There's no one left in town, only unidentified people!"

Hiss...

Teach and Ace exchanged a glance, taking in a sharp breath of cold air.

Under Whitebeard's protection, the population of Mustache Town had increased to nearly 3,000. However, what did he mean by "no one left"? Had everyone been replaced?!

Using his peripheral vision, Teach glanced into the distance and was astonished to find that it was true.

The porters busy moving goods were exuding a daunting aura. The chubby merchant with a face full of smiles had a bulging waist, undoubtedly concealing firearms. Even a few children running and playing had one among them sneakily observing them. It was a dwarf disguised as a child, infiltrating the group of playful kids.

Hiss... What kind of place is this!!

Teach knew that he would face various challenges in his attempt to obtain the Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit), but he never imagined that such a dangerous trial awaited him.

More than just a simple case of walking into the lion's den, this was the enemy's headquarters!

"No, wait!"

Suddenly, Ace's eyes widened. He grabbed the collar of the old mayor, saying, "You're fake too!"

"W-what do you mean?"

The old mayor's face was full of shock.

"Old Man and the mayor here left behind a secret code. If he's okay, he'd say 'I'm not a pirate, why should I listen to you?' If something happened to him..."

"Damn it!"

The old mayor's expression instantly changed, full of malice. He sinisterly drew out a flintlock.

"Die!"

Bang!

"Commander!!"

"Commander Ace!!"

Such a close-range ambush was impossible to avoid. Everyone watched in horror as Ace was propelled backward, the shouts echoing loudly.

However...

"Seastone bullets? You really want my life!"

No blood flowed from the pierced head. Ace had Elementalized in advance to dodge the ambush. Then he grinned, and a bright orange flame ignited on his fist.

"Actually, Old Man never left behind anything! I lied to you!"

"Hiken (Fire Fist)!!"

Boom!!

An oval Fire Pillar surged along the street for hundreds of meters before exploding into a firework in the distance.

In the forested mountains, Fujitora, who was in position, finally understood what the so-called signal meant. He nodded lightly to the several CP0 agents in white suits beside him.

"Thanks for the trouble, everyone!"

...

On the other side, after Ace sent the imposter pretending to be the old mayor flying with a Fire Fist, the harmonious scene around them instantly disappeared. The sound of gun hammers being cocked filled the air as numerous firearms were aimed at them.

The entire Second Division members didn't back down, drawing their own weapons and facing off against them.

A major battle was about to break out!

"Everyone, stay calm. Don't always think about fighting to the death. Why throw away your lives when there's money to be made?"

A cloaked figure walked out from a distance. It seemed that he held some authority, and after a few exchanges with the others, they temporarily abandoned their attack preparations.

However, Ace and the others remained vigilant, keeping their eyes on him.

Seeing this, he quietly removed his cloak, revealing a scar that ran from his forehead to his jaw. He was dressed in a black suit.

"'Fire Fist' Ace, we have no intention of going to war with the Whitebeard Pirates. After we obtain what we want, we will leave on our own."

"So, can we ask you to... pretend you didn't see anything?"

"Is the Shipping King trying to get involved too?"

Ace's expression hardened.

He recognized this person. He was one of the trusted subordinates of "Shipping King" Umit, also known as one of the "Four Emperors" of the Underground World. While Umit's strength might not match Whitebeard's, his influence exceeded that of the entire Whitebeard Pirate crew.

After all, Whitebeard was just one of the Yonko of the New World seas, whereas this man controlled the underworld empire of global shipping, spanning all the seas. If it wasn't necessary, no one wanted to cross him.

But...

"I refuse!"

Under the astonished gaze of the newcomer, Ace lowered his hat and said, "This is my old man's territory. It's not your place to call the shots here!"

Behind him, members of the Second Division smirked, fingers resting on triggers...

That's right! No one could make the Whitebeard Pirates yield!

The newcomer watched the scene calmly, raising his chin in disdain. "I suppose there's no room for discussion, is there?"

"Do you know what this represents? Whitebeard has a feud with over thirty dark forces."

Ace had only one response to this.

"Get out of this sea! Otherwise, we'll consider it a declaration of war!"

It wasn't Whitebeard declaring war on them, but them declaring war on Whitebeard. Only the weak challenged the strong, and the dignity of the Whitebeard Pirate crew was not to be trifled with!

"Well then... everyone, it seems we've seen enough. I trust you all know what to do."

He sighed, about to say something, when suddenly, a spark bloomed in the distance. A figure with wings stumbled out of the fire, leaving a trail of blood as they fell.

"Asshole! Give me the Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) back!"

At this moment, a robust figure emerged from the woods in the distance. Many recognized him immediately by the iconic red drill on his back. He was the renowned pirate of the New World, "Blood Drill" Henry.

Many in the New World had suffered at his hands, thanks to the massive drill embedded with Seastone.

"Die!"

Henry ascended into the sky, the drill on his right hand spinning rapidly before he struck out.

It seemed that they hadn't anticipated Henry, with the giant drill, could jump so high. Caught off guard, the figure in flight was heavily struck on the back by the drill, coughing up a pool of blood before plummeting down.

The direction... was towards Mustache Town!!

On any other day, this scene might have drawn a slight bit of attention from passersby. After all, "Blood Drill" was known for being a fighting maniac. When he wasn't in a fight, he was on his way to one.

However...

"They just mentioned... the Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit)?"

Flash!

Everyone's eyes lit up, including Marshall Teach!

"The... Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) is over there! Seize it!"

In the midst of the chaos, someone shouted.

Those with discerning eyes could see through their intentions. It was a ploy to divert attention. The greatest threat still lay with Whitebeard's Second Division.

But once the arrow was shot, there was no turning back. If you didn't seize it, someone else would.

In an instant, the confrontational crowd erupted into chaos, no longer concerned with facing the visitors from Whitebeard.

"For the World Government, move aside!"

"Go to hell! Government lackeys dare to be arrogant in front of me?!"

"Kill! Kill anyone in the way. The Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) belongs to our Savage Bear Pirate crew!"

Watching the town descend into chaos, Teach felt anxious but had to hold back. He advised, "Commander Ace, let's go over there too! If they get their hands on the Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit), where will that leave Old Man's reputation?"

His words were carefully chosen. Everyone in the Whitebeard Pirate crew held Whitebeard's honor in higher regard than their own.

While the safest course of action would be to return to the ship and wait for the chaos to pass, if the Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit) were to be taken from their own territory, it would be a blow to Whitebeard's prestige.

"We can't let them get their hands on the Yami Yami No Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit)!"

Ace hesitated for less than a second, making a decision similar to what everyone else would do. Teach subtly nodded.

"Everyone, follow me!"

"Enkai (Flame Commandment!)"

An orange fireball emitted scorching heat, rolling towards the most densely populated area.

The situation had suddenly escalated, and Ace couldn't afford to hold back.

At the same time, in the woods...

Zi Zi...

Rowen, who had just woken up, appeared beside Fujitora and the others, yawning. Using his Observation Haki, he observed the situation below. He smirked and said to the CP0 agents in white suits.

"To assist me, you've lost two pawns and a small island nailed into Whitebeard's sea. I really feel guilty."

"Rowen-Sama, you're being too hard on yourself! Their years of undercover work were all for this moment. Please don't blame yourself, Rowen-Sama."

The agents in white suits waved their hands repeatedly.

This person in front of them was the jovial companion of Lirisk, the Noble of the Nibelung Household. They wouldn't dare to contradict him, even if he was just a lackey.

Even... though this loss still pained them.

It was a deep, throbbing pain!

"They volunteered to die for a greater cause. I'm ashamed of my own inadequacy!"

Fujitora stared with his unfocused eyes, raised his short blade, and bowed solemnly toward the distant figure.

The agents in white suits glanced at him, then at Rowen.

They really wanted to ask.

Does this friend of yours have a problem with his head?

(End of this chapter)