Chapter 106: Black Arm

—If you ever see that on this sea, drop everything and run.

Otherwise, you’ll come to know true fear—who was it that first said that?

Regardless, in this Grand Line, it was a symbol of terror.

“……!! Report!! Red UFO spotted at eleven o’clock!!”

“It’s here…!! All hands!! Prepare for battle!! Keep watch in every direction!! If you notice anything suspicious—no matter how small—report it immediately or act on your own judgment!!!”

Yes… a UFO—a mysterious flying object—and more than that, a sign that the most terrifying creature on this sea is about to appear.

Even hardened veteran officers can’t help but be on guard against this unknown life-form.

Its arrival goes unnoticed by even the fiercest warriors.

“You’ve aged quite a bit, haven’t you?”

“!!?”

As he stood at the prow, surveying the area, the man—Zephyr—heard the voice of a young girl ring out from behind him.

“Zephyr-sensei!!”

“Sensei!! Reporting in!! Multiple UFOs sighted in the sky…!”

Everyone who saw that girl felt an eerie, unplaceable dread.

She manipulates UFOs floating in the air, twists living things and inanimate objects into unrecognizable horrors, and spreads seeds of fear among people—a monster of unknown nature and a pirate.

“Well, at least your instincts haven’t dulled. Coming all the way out here… that must’ve been a lot of trouble ♡”

“…And you haven’t changed one bit in appearance…!!! Phantom beast Nue…!!!”

The girl who now stood before the Pirate Assault Unit led by former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyr—the Deputy Governor of the Beasts Pirates, known as Beastly Nue—spoke with the same smile and youthful face she had shown for decades.

“Fufufu~ ♡ Aren’t you happy to see cute little me? …Well, I’m happy too. You actually came out here to fight me, didn’t you?”

“!”

As she spoke, Nue moved the UFOs above, making them float in erratic patterns before aligning them in a line.

They were guideposts. Markers to lead her enemies straight into the depths of fear.

“If you want to fight me, then follow along~ ♪ Up ahead is an uninhabited island near Alabasta. No civilians. Perfect place for a good old-fashioned death match, don’t you think?”

“…Zephyr-sensei.”

“…I don’t know what kind of wind blew you back in, but fine. That island will be your grave.”

Considering the possibility of a trap, his aide Ain called his name, seeking confirmation—but Zephyr’s instincts told him this wasn’t a trap.

After several seconds of thought, Zephyr nodded and ordered the ship to follow the UFOs’ path—so he could send this vermin that tormented humanity straight into hell.

---

In the Kingdom of Alabasta, the city of Nanohana was starting to stir.

The cause wasn’t the ongoing civil unrest that had gripped the country for years…

But rather, the sighting of a certain pirate in a certain restaurant.

“You hear? They say he’s one of Whitebeard’s men…”

“I’ve heard of a Marine called Smoker too…!!”

People murmured in hushed voices, peeking at the faces of two men facing each other in the restaurant, tension thick in the air.

“…So? What do you want me to do?”

“Turn yourself in quietly.”

“Pass. Not interested.”

The man with the kanji for Justice on his back and a specialized jitte—Smoker, a Marine HQ Colonel—urged the pirate to surrender.

But the young man with Whitebeard’s skull on his back—Fire Fist Ace—rejected the offer with a fearless grin. Of course. No pirate would willingly submit just because a Marine showed up.

Besides, the young man had confidence—confidence that even if this elite Marine came at him seriously, he could still handle it.

“…I’m actually looking for another pirate right now. I’ve got no interest in your head…”

“Then let me go.”

“No can do.”

Smoker, too, understood this pirate wasn’t someone ordinary—and just as he said, he had no real interest in capturing him.

But he wouldn’t back down. As smoke curled from the cigar in his mouth, his right arm turned to smoke as well—

“As long as I’m a Marine, and you’re a pirate…!!!”

“…What a lame reason… Let’s just have some fun.”

Smoker took a combat stance, showing his pride as a Marine. Ace, seeing this, stayed relaxed and cocky. The two couldn’t have been more different in temperament.

And just as Smoker was about to make his move—

“ROCKETOOOO!!!”

“GUAAAH!!!”

“Wha!!?”

Suddenly, something flew in at high speed from behind Smoker and crashed into him.

The impact was so unexpected that even Smoker, a natural Logia user, let out a grunt of pain. Ace’s eyes bulged in shock as he too was blown away, crashing through several walls of the building.

“GYAAAAAH!!”

“Uwooooh!!! A restaurant!!! I’m starving!!!”

The culprit, completely unaware of what he’d just done—Monkey D. Luffy—walked right up to the counter, sat down, banged the dishes, and demanded food.

“Hey old man! Food food food!!!”

“Uh… Sure. But you might want to… run…”

With mouths agape, patrons stared. The shopkeeper, drenched in sweat, still managed to cook with steady hands—whether out of professional pride or panic overload—as he served the Straw Hat-wearing customer.

“DEEEEELICIOUS~~~~!!! This place is AMAZING!!!”

“T-Thank you… but really, you should…”

The Straw Hat boy didn’t listen. He just kept shoveling food into his mouth like nothing was happening.

Then another man entered the restaurant.

“So this is the place—hey you lot!!! That’s far enough!!!”

“!!”

“?”

The moment he entered, he barked with authority, making customers stir uneasily again.

Wearing a half-white, half-green cap with horns, and a black-and-white split mask over his sharp eyes, the newcomer caused a stir—though Luffy, still eating, didn’t even blink.

The man—Mr. 6, a.k.a. Page One—narrowed his eyes at the state of the restaurant.

“…He’s not here?”

He scanned the place and muttered. Nowhere in sight. The man he was after.

Could his underlings have made a false report? Unlikely. There had definitely been a strong presence here. It wasn’t a complete lie.

He noticed a broken wall. Maybe his target fled through there? As he began to move again, he sensed a somewhat decent presence and turned.

“! You’re…!”

“…?”

He recognized him from the bounty posters he’d just reviewed.

The man stuffing his face at the counter—Straw Hat Luffy.

Bounty: 30 million berries. A pirate from East Blue.

But even upon hearing Page One mutter or catching his gaze, Luffy only looked confused and didn’t stop eating. He was an absurdly carefree guy for someone in the middle of this chaos.

“…(Wait. Don’t tell me he’s Fire Fist…?)”

“……Mabeh moba meh? (Who are you?)”

—No way.

Sure, there’s a bit of Haki there, but nothing close to Fire Fist’s level.

Just one idiot rookie pirate who got caught up in this mess and kept eating through it all. That’s all.

Nue also told him not to make a move unless necessary, so he decided to ignore him and keep hunting Fire Fist—when it happened again.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…!!”

From far behind the broken wall, the young man who’d been struck earlier stood up, politely bowed to the locals, and stormed back into the restaurant—to see the face of the one who sucker-punched him.

But the moment he saw the man at the counter—and the moment the man at the counter saw who had returned—their eyes widened in recognition.

“Lu—”

“!!”

“! There you a—!”

Three different voices, three different reactions of surprise.

“Hey!! Lu—”

And just as the young man broke into a joyful smile, about to call out, his head was seized by someone else and slammed into the ground.

“Straw Haaat!!!”

“Gwah!!!”

Marine Headquarters Captain Smoker the White Hunter stormed forward, bellowing at Straw Hat.

Luffy said nothing and simply watched.

──Page One, too, was caught off guard. His eyes were fixed on Fire Fist Ace, the one he had come for, but now that Ace had suddenly been dragged down by a group of Marines, he froze where he stood, unsure of what to do.

“So he did come to this country after all...”

──Chomp munch crunch munch munch munch.

“Stop eating already!!!”

Even with a Marine standing right in front of him, Luffy continued devouring his food, forcing Smoker to finally snap.

At that moment, Page One noticed the Marine in front of him. A Marine Headquarters captain—and a Logia-type at that. Among pirates, that level of fame didn’t go unnoticed.

“! Babomobo memebu!!! Nanbebanbe mopapi!! (That smoke guy from before!! What the hell’s he doing here!?)”

“!! That bastard…!!!”

Luffy also suddenly remembered. That strong Marine he ran into back in Loguetown. In a panic, he spat half-chewed food in Smoker’s direction.

The unexpected act pissed Smoker off. But before he could react, Luffy shoved the rest of the food into his mouth, mumbled a garbled “thanks for the meal” to the owner who wouldn’t understand him, and bolted.

“Get back here!!!”

“—Gwah!!”

Page One, standing in Luffy’s escape path, barely managed to shift his body aside—only to get socked in the gut by Smoker and fold in half.

A complete blindside. It didn’t hurt that much, but it sure as hell was infuriating.

“That damn Marine…!!”

He only has eyes for Straw Hat…!! That disrespect was enough to make Page One seethe. He was just about to forget about Fire Fist and go after the Marine first when—

“Hold it, Luffy!!! It’s me!!!”

“Guhhh!?”

This time, Ace—finally on his feet—stomped Page One from behind, smashing his face into the restaurant floor.

“…Dine and dash…”

“…Lord Page One!!?”

“What on earth…!?”

Even the Waiters—Page One’s own men—burst into the restaurant at the commotion, too stunned to even remember to call him Mr. 6. Their boss was face-down on the floor like he was making out with it.

But Page One got up almost immediately. He was a dinosaur-type Devil Fruit user. Something like this couldn’t possibly knock him out.

“Tch… Those bastards…!!! Think this is funny, do they…!!!”

Fueled by pure rage, Page One immediately gave chase after Ace.

He’d lost sight of both Luffy and Smoker, but Ace’s back was still in view. Locking onto that, he shouted the name.

“Get back here, Fire Fist!!!”

“Huh…!? Who the hell’s yelling at me now…!? Wait, no way…”

Just when he was about to take off after his little brother, someone else was now coming after him.

He glanced back over his shoulder, half-expecting a Marine—and froze.

Standing there was an executive of one of the most dangerous crews on this sea.

“…Why the hell’s he here…!!”

Even Ace couldn’t help grimacing at this pursuer.

Marines were annoying, sure—but this guy was on a whole other level of trouble.

Still, Ace turned his body into fire and leapt between Luffy and Smoker up ahead.

“You’re not getting away!!! White Blow!!!”

“Mirage Heat!!!”

“!!?”

“What!?”

Smoker’s smoke fist—intercepted by a wall of flame. Ace stood tall, blocking the path to his little brother with his back.

“So it’s you…”

“Back off. You don’t want this.”

Luffy and the others stopped in their tracks at the sight. Smoker, wary of the man now in front of him, had no choice but to halt as well.

After all, this was the Whitebeard Pirates—and in front of him stood a Logia-type with the power of flame.

“You’re ‘Smoke’, right? I’m ‘Fire’. You know how this goes. Neither of us is walking out with a win.”

“…! Who is that…!? That guy…?”

“Ace…!?”

“You haven’t changed a bit—Luffy.”

Flames rose from Ace’s body as he spoke, catching Luffy’s attention.

After years apart, the two brothers finally exchanged words.

But there was no time for a heartfelt reunion—the Beast Pirates’ forces were closing in from behind the ranks of the Marines.

“Outta the way, you Marine grunts!!!”

“……!!?”

“Colonel Smoker!!?”

Smoker’s body, turned to smoke, was struck from behind in the side and sent flying straight through a building.

It was a surprise attack—but what truly shocked those who saw it—mainly the Marines unfamiliar with the situation and the Straw Hats—was the result itself.

“Who the hell is it this time!!?”

“Whoa, whoa…!! Smoke Guy just got launched… What kind of freak are we dealing with now!?”

“…? That face… I’ve seen it somewhere…?”

A man who seemed to know Luffy—one who could turn his body into flames—suddenly stepped in to shield him from the smoke-wielding Marine who had been chasing him. And now, a masked man who managed to blow away that very Marine with a physical strike.

The Straw Hats were thrown into confusion.

Only Vivi narrowed her eyes at the man’s face, tilting her head in suspicion—but there was no time to think it through.

“Tch… So much for catching up…! Hey, you guys, get outta here!! I’ll hold them off!!”

“Ace… got it!! Let’s go!!”

“Eh!? Who even are those guys!?”

Luffy hesitated for just a moment, but ultimately chose to trust his brother’s words and left the situation in his hands. Ignoring his crewmates’ confusion, he pointed ahead and ordered them to run. And so, the Straw Hats turned and fled.

Left behind were Ace, the Marines, and… the Beast Pirates led by Page One.

“…You’re disguised, but you can’t fool my eyes. You guys… you’re with the Beast Pirates, aren’t you?”

“!!?”

Ace’s words drained the color from the faces of the nearby Marines and the townsfolk who overheard.

“Th-The Beast Pirates!!?”

“N-No way… it’s really them…!?”

“Why are pirates from the New World… here of all places!?”

“…Tch. Way to spill the beans…”

Page One let out a sigh as the atmosphere turned to panic and people began collapsing in fear.

After all, they were currently in disguise as Mr. 6 and his subordinate Millions—members of Baroque Works.

That’s why all their usual gear bearing the Beast Pirates’ insignia had been removed. They wore none of the signature outfits like leather pants, cloaks, or bikini armor—only whatever local clothes they could find in this country.

But Ace had recognized Page One’s face immediately. And Page One hadn’t exactly been hiding his identity from Ace, either… but now that it was out in the open, there was no helping it.

“…So you’re looking to fight? One of the ‘Flying Six,’ right…? Hate to say it, but I already fought someone at your level two years ago. If that’s all you’ve got, you’re gonna have a hard time.”

“You mean Komurasaki, huh…? Don’t lump that rookie in with us…!! I’ll make sure you know the difference—right here and now!!!”

Both men wrapped themselves in Haki, preparing for battle. Page One charged headfirst through the flames, while Ace looked for a way to shake him off.

“…!! First Whitebeard, now the Beasts…!? What the hell is in this country that’s drawing them here…!?”

“Colonel Smoker!! Are you alright!!?”

Smoker, who’d been blown away by Page One, coughed up blood but somehow managed to get back on his feet. The Marines, worried for his condition yet still bound by duty, readied their weapons to apprehend the pirates.

But the Beast Pirates stood in their way.

“Oi, boys!! Take care of the Marines!!!”

“Roger that, Page One-san!!”

“Gyahahaha!! Time for a fight~~~!!”

“Hahaha…!! Do you lot even know who you’re messing with!? We’re the Beasts, dammit!!”

“Kh…!!”

Grinning as they readied their weapons, the Beast Pirates clearly relished the opportunity to go wild against the Marines.

Even if they were from Headquarters, the Marines were still human. And these ones were from the East Blue—no match for New World pirates, let alone the Beast Pirates.

And as chaos broke out, the two powerhouses—each possessing strength worthy of the New World—hardened their arms with Haki.

Then, finally, they clashed.

『Beast Pirates “Tobiroppo” – Page One, Bounty: 510,000,000 Berries』

『Whitebeard Pirates Second Division Commander “Fire Fist Ace,” Bounty: 550,000,000 Berries』

“Kaido gave the order—if we find you, we’re to kill or capture you on the spot…!! Now be a good boy and give yourself up!!!”

“Every damn one of you… first thing you say is always the same. Too bad—I’ve got someone waiting for me. I don’t have time to waste on you!!!”

---

—A small island off the coast of the Alabasta Kingdom.

"So, this spot should do, right? —Man, it’s been a while, huh~♪"

"...I don’t have a single fond memory of you worth reminiscing about."

There was nothing around them. Just flat land with some sparse grass. Zephyr and Nue stood face to face.

Their physiques were like night and day—an adult versus a child. Zephyr, a hulking giant, and Nue, who looked no different from an ordinary girl you might find in town. But her true power and malice were beyond words.

"Aw~~!! Don’t be like that! Let’s chat a bit! Not many people left I can talk about the old days with, y’know? Come on, remember how things used to be? Everyone was so full of life back then!!"

"...Nothing's changed—then or now. Scum like pirates still infest this world... You're nothing but a plague."

And yet, that very dissonance was what made the beastly youkai so terrifying. People let their guard down around Nue, who appeared to be a cute little girl. Most couldn't bring themselves to strike a child, much less a young girl—especially those with good in their hearts.

"Hmm? You sure about that? Wouldn’t you say things were better back when your wife and kid were still alive, and your students hadn’t started dying?"

"...!!"

"You filthy—!!"

—This was the kind of creature that would trample over landmines without hesitation.

The youkai did not fail to consider others' feelings—on the contrary, she trampled them knowingly.

Some say those who commit evil with malice are easier to understand than those who do it without, but even malice has its limits.

Nue, with full awareness of human emotion, acted purely on her own ego—spreading fear, pursuing whatever amused her most.

Pillaging, destruction, torture, slaughter... Occasionally she’d do something helpful, but more often than not, her acts were selfish and cruel.

They were the deeds of a true beast. Not the kind of pirate Zephyr once respected—those with ideals and honor.

Even if Nue had beliefs, they were vile enough to be spat upon. Unforgivable.

That’s why he had to kill her here—before the cost spread any further.

"You’re old, your arm’s been sliced off... Honestly—"

"—Shut your mouth!!!"

Zephyr raised his prosthetic right arm—his Smasher—and glared at Nue from behind his sunglasses, seething with hatred.

This foe was even stronger and more monstrous than the pirate who had taken his arm. If he didn’t give it his all, he’d never bring her down.

"Spare me your nonsense...!! Today, I’m dragging you to hell...!! Even if it costs me my life...!!!"

He never believed he could take her down without sacrifice.

That’s why Zephyr had come here fully prepared to die—to do whatever it took to kill this monster.

—But Nue—

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

She tilted her head mockingly, giggling at Zephyr’s resolve.

"You seriously think you can take me down alone? Please. You’d need all of you to even have a shot... and even then, it’s still impossible. If you can’t see that, you really must be senile."

"...!!"

"Y-You dare mock Zephyr-sensei...!?"

Even the marines—members of the Pirate Guerrilla Unit who had followed Zephyr and resolved to fight by his side despite his efforts to stop them—flared with rage at her mockery of their teacher’s resolve.

"Whoa now."

"!! Bins!!"

That rage turned to action.

One of the marines, Bins—Zephyr’s lieutenant and a survivor of the pirate attack that had taken Zephyr’s arm—used a strange dance to summon plants from the ground, binding Nue tightly.

"Moss-Moss~~!! How dare you insult Zephyr-sensei...!! That’s unforgivable!!! You’ll pay with your life...!!!"

"Damn right...!! Your very existence is a sin...!!!"

Then another—Lieutenant Ain—charged forward using Soru, her hand glowing with a mysterious energy. She touched the bound Nue, her hand sparking with the power of the Mod- Mod Fruit.

"Mod- Mod!!"

"!"

The Mod-Mod Fruit’s ability.

It rewinds a target’s age by twelve years. With it, Ain had captured countless pirates by turning them into children, rendering them powerless—or erased them entirely with repeated use.

It was a dangerous power, one she rarely relied on. But this opponent warranted no hesitation. She used it to weaken Nue, or if lucky, erase her.

But—

"Aah~ So that’s the Mod-Mod Fruit’s power~♡"

"!!? Wha—!?"

—It had no effect.

Nue’s appearance didn’t change. Not one bit.

There was no way she hadn’t aged. Such a creature couldn’t exist. Shouldn’t exist.

Yet it was true. Either Nue hadn’t aged at all, or her appearance simply never changed.

Ain was shaken by the impossible. So were Bins and the other marines.

"Too bad for you..."

"!!"

Nue smiled, watching their shaken faces, and casually broke free of the vines with minimal effort.

"—I’m forever fourteen♡ So no matter how many times you use that power, it’s totally useless♡"

"Kh...!! Mod-Mod...!!"

"Tch... Moss-Moss...!!"

"Stand down!! Ain!! Bins!! Don’t engage her recklessly!!!"

Fueled by the insult to their mentor, Ain and Bins charged forward—this time toward a clearly unguarded Nue.

Zephyr tried to stop them. He knew reckless attacks could be fatal, especially against someone like her.

He called out—but just a moment too late.

"Too ba~ad♡"

"A...!"

"Kh...!!"

"Ain!!!"

—The trident pierced Ain’s chest.

It happened in an instant—too sudden, too anticlimactic.

Ain was no weakling. She had risen to Vice Admiral at a young age. She hadn’t let her guard down.

If there was any blame—

"Guess you were just too weak."

—It was that the enemy was too strong.

Nue yanked the trident from her chest and looked down at the collapsing Ain with clear disinterest.

Zephyr simply watched.

Once again, he hadn’t been able to stop it.

Just like before. Another student stolen by pirates.

"You damn... all of you...!!!"

Zephyr’s voice cracked.

Why—why does justice never prevail?

"You bastards... how can you kill innocent people so easily...!!!? How can you do something so cruel!!!? How many lives have you taken doing things like this!!?"

Why does evil thrive in this world?

Why is this sea so merciless to those who uphold justice?

In this Great Pirate Era, why is it that pirates can steal the most precious things from others so effortlessly?

He trembled with rage and despair, his body groaning under the strain, and shouted his question at the monstrous pirate before him—one who had lived since the era of Gol D. Roger.

But the answer was—

"—Do you remember how many slices of bread you’ve eaten in your life?"

“……!!!”

It was—something incomprehensible.

To a monster like Nue, striking fear into humans was no different from having a meal. Just a mundane part of everyday life.

"Well, I mean, I’m alive, so it can’t be helped, right? Don’t you think so? Living things can’t survive happily without eating or hurting other living things. And from my point of view, there’s no reason to let this kid live if they’re not even planning to use Modomodo on you—ah, unrelated to that, there’s also something I just can’t quite get over. Or, more like… it kinda pisses me off?”

“Shut up……!!! I don’t want to hear another word from you……!!!”

An insane beast that couldn’t be reasoned with.

She might’ve looked like a human girl, but her words and actions were that of an animal. Speaking to her was pointless. Understanding her values? Impossible.

“I mean, look. You guys were sent here to kill me, right? But you’re not really serious about it, are you? Or wait… don’t tell me—you’re underestimating me?”

“……Enough. I don’t understand a single thing you say……!!!”

He raised his Smasher, flooding it with Haki. Made from seastone, this weapon was tailor-made to counter Devil Fruit users.

They had come here, specialists in anti-ability combat, for the sole purpose of exterminating this abomination. They hadn’t underestimated her. Not one bit.

“If Kaido were standing here instead of me… you’d be taking this way more seriously, wouldn’t you? You’d bring a whole fleet, at least a Buster Call, maybe more. And leading it would be a fleet admiral, minimum—well, I guess I could understand it if it were Garp or someone like that. But right now, the only ones here are… just you guys.”

You get it? Nue’s gaze sharpened, her eyes shifting from human to beast.

“So you really think this is enough to handle me…? You don’t think you’re seriously underestimating me?”

“……!!!”

Something shifted.

The air around them changed, filled with an oppressive, unnatural pressure. It ran cold down their necks, made their spines tremble.

It was Haki. Conqueror’s Haki, at that—but tainted by something else. Something strange and otherworldly, something that blurred the line between pressure and presence. The only word that fit was youki—a kind of monstrous aura.

The weak would faint. The strong would feel fear.

There may be no such thing as real monsters in this world—but if there were, even a veteran like Zephyr would imagine they’d feel exactly like this when standing in front of one.

And within that pressure, Nue curled her lips into a crescent smile and whispered to them:

“Being underestimated is useful, and I do enjoy tricking people… but being looked down on? That I hate. I’ve got a reputation to maintain as a pirate, you know?”

“……!! What is this……!?”

Dark mist began to spill out.

It spread, creeping across the island, thickest around Nue herself—until even her form could no longer be clearly seen.

Only her outline remained. Zephyr and his Pirate Suppression Force felt their instincts scream in warning, and braced themselves at full alert.

But Nue just laughed. A high, sharp giggle. She could probably feel their fear. And she was amused by it.

“So… this time, as a special treat—I’ll fight you for real.”

“!!?”

The weak die. The strong live. That was all the world amounted to.

And that truth was embodied in the form and existence of the girl before them.

“Be grateful, okay? You’re the first ones—aside from Kaido—to ever see this form…!!”

Her silhouette changed.

Her body grew slightly larger, and her elbows and knees began to resemble those of a tiger. A long, serpent-like tail extended behind her. Her wings remained the same twisted shape—one red, one blue—and her hair lengthened, flickering like flame.

“W-what the hell… is that……!?”

“A m-monster……!!”

“……!! Don’t flinch!! It’s just a Zoan transformation—an animal-type form!!”

Yes. That was technically all it was.

But the dread it evoked, the grotesque shift—it was unlike any other animal Zoan form. Unmatched. Incomparable.

And more than anything… it was far more powerful than the girl they had faced mere moments ago.

“Now that you’ve seen this form, I’ll be killing all of you. Can’t have people forgetting the fear of the unknown. I need to reclaim what makes me Nue.”

Within the black mist, her beastly red eyes locked onto the marines.

“Humans who’ve forgotten the fear of Nue!!! Tremble and die in terror before me—the strongest, most unknowable creature in existence!!!”

“!!!”

And in that moment—they understood.

What it truly meant to face the most terrifying creature alive. Why she, despite being only second-in-command to a Yonko, had a bounty in the tens of billions.

But even that bounty—was a gross underestimate of her danger.

And they understood that, too—right before the fear of death swallowed them whole.

---

A pirate ship lay anchored off the coast, just beyond the edge of Nanohana.

"Big bro!?"

"That guy earlier… he’s your brother!?"

"Yeah. He’s my big brother."

The pirates flying the jolly roger with a straw hat—Straw Hat Luffy and his crew—were gathered around, chatting excitedly about the freckled young man they’d seen in town.

The conversation revolved around how this young man, Ace, was Luffy’s older brother—how he’d set out to sea as a pirate three years earlier, and how, despite once being just an ordinary human, he’d grown so strong that Luffy had never beaten him, not even once. Luffy told these stories with a smile.

But as their conversation tapered off, a certain thought began to weigh on them.

“Ace sure is takin’ his time~~…”

“...Well, if he’s up against that smoke guy, even your brother might have some trouble shaking him off.”

“Yeah. And there were some weirdos with him too.”

Zoro the swordsman and Sanji the cook—two of the crew’s strongest members—chimed in after Luffy’s mutter. Even from their perspective, Ace’s strength seemed undeniable.

Still, the people Ace had fought—a Marine who could turn into smoke, and a masked man who’d managed to knock that Marine away—were clearly no slouches either. Going up against both would naturally take some time.

Luffy’s crew and Vivi had things they needed to do. They couldn’t just hang around here forever. Just as the mood started to shift toward making a move—

“Haaah… there we go.”

“! A~~~~~ce!!”

“Yo.”

The man who landed lightly on the edge of the ship—Ace—was greeted with joy as Luffy called out to him. Ace, too, smiled at the sight of his younger brother after so long, and politely greeted his crew.

But before they could get too caught up in talk, one thing couldn’t be ignored—Ace’s condition. The crew’s doctor, Tony Tony Chopper, a reindeer who had eaten the Human-Human Fruit, spoke up in alarm.

“You’re hurt! You need treatment—”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. This is nothin’—just a few scratches. Haha.”

Chopper had noticed the bruises and cuts on Ace’s body, but Ace simply laughed them off, brushing aside the concern. It didn’t seem like he was in any serious danger, and he acted like he was just fine.

“…He knew what he was doing, huh?”

“Ahh… yeah. Took me a while to shake him.”

“For Ace to get hurt, that guy must be really strong… You know him?”

“Hmm… nah, technically we just met. He called himself Mr. 6, though…”

“Mr. 6!!?”

“?”

Ace responded casually to Zoro and Luffy’s questions, but his answer sent a jolt through the group. Most visibly shaken were Usopp, the crew’s sniper, and Nami, the navigator. Nami quickly turned to Vivi, who knew the organization best.

“S-So someone strong enough to fight Luffy’s brother evenly… is Mr. 6!?”

“Vivi! That guy from earlier—!!”

“No! That’s not what Mr. 6 looks like!!”

Vivi flatly denied it. The Mr. 6 she remembered looked completely different, and if Ace’s opponent really had been that strong, it just didn’t add up.

“Mr. 6 is one of the top Frontier Agents. Sure, he’s no pushover… but compared to Mr. 5 or Mr. 3, he’s way weaker…!!”

“…I see. That doesn’t make sense then… I figured he was a higher-ranking Number…”

“…True, I’ve never met Mr. 1 or his partner, so I can’t say for sure, but… if that guy was Mr. 1, he’d be targeting us, not Ace… since we know the boss’s identity…”

“Yeah. And the organization probably thinks we’ve already been dealt with. Even if our cover got blown—maybe by that Mr. 2 guy we ran into—it’s way too soon for them to send assassins…”

Vivi dismissed Zoro’s assumption, saying it was unlikely. Sanji also found the timing strange, since he himself had faked being Mr. 3 and submitted a false report after Little Garden.

But if they had been exposed—and if this self-proclaimed Mr. 6 really was with Baroque Works—why didn’t he come after Vivi and the crew?

Even if he truly was Mr. 6, it didn’t make sense. If he were someone else—say, Mr. 1—it still didn’t make sense.

And if he wasn’t part of the organization at all… then why claim to be Mr. 6?

Baroque Works was supposed to be completely off the government’s radar. So who was this mystery man that knew about them…? A new unease began to stir, directed at this unknowable enemy.

“…I dunno what’s goin’ on, but can’t we just beat him up anyway?”

“…If he’s one of their agents, that’s fine… but if he’s a third party, we’d just be making more enemies…!!”

Luffy’s typical suggestion to just punch the problem away was quickly shot down by Vivi.

Until they knew who this Mr. 6 really was, they couldn’t afford to make a move.

“…Hey, mind if I say something?”

“!”

The one who broke the tension was Ace, who had been listening quietly until now.

He looked thoughtful, head tilted as if he were turning something over in his mind. Then, with a more serious expression, he asked:

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wanna, but… Luffy. Who exactly are you guys about to pick a fight with?”

With Vivi’s permission, the crew explained the situation to Ace. He was Luffy’s brother, after all, and also the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. His reputation was known, and they had every reason to trust him.

Besides, if Baroque Works did send someone after them, Ace was clearly strong enough to deal with it.

“…I see. So Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords, is trying to take over a country…”

After listening, Ace repeated the key point, lost in thought.

A pirate trying to become a king—it sounded like a joke, but Ace knew it had happened before. There were at least two Warlords who held royal status, and even among pirates on par with Whitebeard, some had claimed nations for themselves.

So it wasn’t impossible. But if a pirate was making a move like that, there had to be some kind of hidden agenda.

And now, one of the people Ace had just fought… was also in this country.

“…Can’t be helped—Luffy.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

Ace made his decision.

He had his own important mission. And this was Luffy’s adventure. No matter how hard it got, it wasn’t his place to interfere. Even as his brother, even as a member of another crew, it wasn’t his role to step in.

If Luffy wanted to fight a Warlord, so be it.

But if his little brother and his friends were at risk of being hurt—here, in the first half of the Grand Line—he couldn’t just stand by.

“I’ve got a good idea who that Mr. 6 might be. And I’ve got a bit of history with him.”

“Okay.”

“So at least when it comes to them… let me handle it. Mind if I stick with you guys for a while?”

“──Sure!!”

And just like that, with Luffy’s easygoing approval, Ace decided to travel with the Straw Hat crew—if only for a little while.

---

——A secluded inlet on the outskirts of Nanohana.

“Damn it… that bastard Fire Fist… got away…!!”

Gathered there were several members of the Beasts Pirates, dressed differently from their usual appearances.

Page One and his men had withdrawn to a quiet, unpopulated area after the commotion in town. Now, they were preparing to cross the desert.

The rest of the work involved treating the wounded. As powerful as they were, their opponent had been no pushover, and even they hadn’t come out unscathed.

“Page One-san!! You took a lot of fire back there—what about your wounds…!?”

“Yeah, it’s fine… If I leave it alone, it'll probably blister up, but… it’ll heal soon enough…!!”

“That’s it!?”

Page One had taken multiple hits from Fire Fist Ace’s flames in the earlier fight, but the burns he sustained were surprisingly mild. His natural toughness left his subordinates stunned.

Even compared to the Gifters and real Devil Fruit users, Page One’s resilience and healing abilities—granted by his Ancient Zoan—were far from ordinary.

“But I still couldn’t finish off that bastard Fire Fist… Damn it… What a failure.”

Even with all his power, he hadn’t managed to take Ace down.

He knew full well the strength of the man—former captain of the Spade Pirates, now Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. His reputation echoed throughout the New World. But that didn’t matter.

If the target had been one of the Four Emperors or someone of comparable strength, it might’ve been understandable. But a mere division commander—one around his own age—getting away? That was nothing short of a blunder.

They were part of the Beasts Pirates. Their mission was to crush the enemy, instill fear, and assert their dominance through overwhelming strength.

Failing to do so was a disgrace. Even if Kaido or Nue didn’t seem to care, Page One’s pride wouldn’t let him accept that.

“What should we do? Should we go after him?”

“…No. Keep preparing to cross the desert. The odds of finding him now are next to nothing.”

“Understood!!”

Once they’d lost him, the chance of finding him again was slim.

Besides, they had other orders. Capturing Ace would’ve been a bonus, sure—but chasing glory at the expense of the mission was out of the question.

“So, what about reporting this to Nue-san?”

“! …Right. But the fight might still be going on. Once it's over, she'll probably contact—”

“—Someone called my name~!!?”

“!! Nue-san…!!”

Just as Page One turned to instruct a subordinate about reporting in, Nue suddenly appeared from behind a rocky outcrop.

As usual, she was completely unpredictable. Page One broke into a light sweat. Even with decent Observation Haki, detecting Nue’s presence wasn’t easy.

“…Don’t tell me… it’s already over? I thought your opponent was that former Navy Admiral…”

“Ah—yeah, that’s right. It's already over~. Look.”

“Wha—!?”

The subordinate who received the human head Nue pulled from who-knows-where recoiled in horror. …He wasn’t the only one startled.

“Mmm~~!! Man, that dragon fight the other day left me all unsatisfied, so I figured I’d go all out this time. But he didn’t put up much of a fight. I mean, even if they’re kinda strong, old guys with no stamina are just a letdown. I was hoping he’d hang in there at least a day out of pure stubbornness, but nope—he went down right away♡ —Oh, gimme some cold water~”

“R-right away!”

“…………”

Everyone stared at Nue in silence as she sat cross-legged atop a nearby crate, demanding water from a subordinate.

She’d set out for battle just a few hours ago. In that time, she’d wiped out an elite Marine unit, including a former admiral. The overwhelming might she displayed inspired fear, awe, and admiration in equal measure—fitting for someone in the Beasts Pirates, who worshipped power above all else.

Page One knew just how outrageous she could be. He and his sister had grown up within the crew. His sister, especially, looked up to Kaido and Nue like parents, and Page One respected them too. …Even if they made him sigh on a regular basis.

“U-um… Nue-san, what should we do with this head?”

“Keep it somewhere safe~♪ We’re sending it to Mary Geoise—collect on delivery♡ I’ve gotta start thinking about what to write in the letter too~!!”

“…Nue-san, I have a report…”

“Hmm? What is it? —Ah! Don’t tell me you ran into Ace and fought him? And since he’s not here, I’m guessing he got away?”

“! …Yes, ma’am… that’s exactly what happened.”

Despite the disappointing words, Nue looked unusually cheerful as she spoke—catching Page One off guard by guessing the entire situation before he could say anything.

Had she used Observation Haki to see it coming? Or had she just guessed? Either way, Page One didn’t know. All he could do was admit it and apologize.

But Nue just burst into laughter—

“Ahahahaha!! Oh, don’t worry about it!! I mean, you’re pretty strong, Pei-tan, but Ace is no slouch either!! Can’t help it if things go south sometimes!! No biggie, no biggie♪ Just get him next time!!”

“I’ll definitely take him down next time…!!”

Nue didn’t scold him for failing—something that, in fact, wasn’t uncommon within the Beasts Pirates.

They had a reputation for brutality, but that was mostly toward enemies and outsiders. When it came to their own crew—especially the strong ones—Kaido and Nue rarely punished failure without reason. Unless someone royally screwed up while they were drunk, they didn’t go in for executions or torture.

The only one who might deliver a beating as punishment was the overly serious All-Star, Jack. The others would just give a tongue-lashing at most. And that was enough.

Everyone in the crew looked up to Kaido and Nue. No one rested on their laurels or let failure slide.

The weak rose through the ranks by growing stronger.

The strong, even after gaining status, kept getting stronger—for Kaido and Nue.

“Okay okay!! Then let’s get moving to Alubarna!!! Hustle up!!”

“Yes, ma’am!!”

——They had power, and they still craved more—charging forward in the name of destruction and terror.

Their relentless advance had only just begun. Drawn by the scent of blood, the pack of beasts turned toward the heart of a rebellion steeped in conspiracy.