Chapter 36: Flames & Petals (I)
Ace POV:
Ace was having a bizarre day. It started when a Navy captain named Smoker recognized him as the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. People in 'Paradise' didn't usually know much about the 'New World,' but here was this guy, barging in to arrest him—right in the middle of his meal.
Who interrupts someone while they're eating?
Then, out of nowhere, someone crashed into both of them. Turns out it was his idiot brother. And he was so carefree that he started eating after crashing into them.
The 'Smoker' guy seemed really bent out of shape to catch Luffy. After seeing that he was a logia type, Ace decided it was time for him to intervene.
With a smirk, Ace launched his counter.
"White Blow!"
"Heat Haze!"
Flame clashed with smoke, each dispersing the other, and Smoker watched in frustration as Luffy made his escape with his crew.
Smoker, teeth clenched, still smoking, glared at Ace. "Why are you helping Straw Hat?"
Ace shrugged, smirking. "Isn't it natural for a big brother to worry about his kid brother?"
"Big brother…? You mean–?"
But Ace had already dashed off before Smoker could finish. The sky above Alabasta turned shades of red and gray as fire met smoke, and in the chaos, Ace slipped away to find Luffy—who, unsurprisingly, was already lost.
Their reunion didn't contain any tears. After all, they were men now. Luffy has grown stronger, but not strong enough to beat him. Strong nonetheless. That 'crybaby' is now a pirate captain.
He talked about how great his crew was. Watching Luffy laugh and shout, Ace felt reassured and truly at ease. But he also worries; he is the big brother after all.
Ace wanted to meet Luffy's crewmates, so he made a grand entrance by landing directly on Luffy's head. Just as he opened his mouth to introduce himself, his Observation Haki sensed someone new—a tall man, dressed in black, with a sword at his side and a faceless mask concealing everything but piercing green eyes. The man looked nearly as tall as Ace, with a presence that marked him as someone powerful. Whoever he was, it was clear he didn't belong to Luffy's crew.
The stranger spoke first, calm and composed. "Portgas D. Ace, 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. I was about to look for you, but it seems fate has handed you to me instead."
Ace raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh? So, you were looking for me? And just what are you doing on my little brother's ship?"
"Just a passenger," the man replied coolly. "Though I didn't know he was your brother. Seems Lady Luck is smiling on me today."
Ace felt his guard go up. "And what do you want with me?"
The stranger didn't hesitate. "I heard you were after Blackbeard, and it so happens that I know where he'll be."
Ace's eyes narrowed. "How could you know something even I don't know?"
"Because I got the information on Drum Island," the man said with a laugh, then added, "Maybe next time, pay your food bill."
Ace felt the heat of embarrassment rising. Right. He'd dined and dashed on Drum Island. But he wasn't about to believe this guy just like that.
"Alright," he said, crossing his arms. "I'll listen, but only if you're strong enough. How about a little contest?"
He didn't know why he said that. Maybe it's because he hasn't faced anyone noteworthy after coming to 'Paradise,' or maybe it's because he wanted to show off in front of his little brother's crew. It didn't really matter. He was a pirate, and sometimes a pirate just needs to let loose.
The masked man tilted his head, intrigued. "A contest, you say?"
"Yeah, you sense it too, right? Five ships are coming our way. Let's make a game out of it. If you score less than me, we go our separate ways. Oh, and by the way, what's with the creepy mask?"
The small reindeer—Chopper, ducked behind a blonde guy, shivering.
The stranger chuckled, touching the mask. "This? It's just a necessity for now. The world thinks I'm dead, and I'd like to keep it that way. But I suppose you should know my name. It's Zephyr."
At this point, Luffy was hopping with excitement. "Yay! Zeph-guy and Ace are gonna have a contest! This is gonna be awesome!"
But the rest of the crew looked wary, keeping a cautious eye on Zephyr. As the five Baroque Works ships approached, Ace glanced at Luffy and said, "Luffy, you be the judge."
Before Luffy could even answer, Zephyr interrupted. "No, don't let Luffy judge. How about the green-haired swordsman?"
"What?" Ace snorted. "You think he'd let me win just because I'm his brother?"
"No, because Luffy's attention span is about as short as a goldfish."
"Hey!" Luffy protested, tilting his head. "What's a goldfish?"
Ace held back a laugh. No denying it—his brother was an airhead.
Ace leapt onto his small, fiery sailboat, propelled by his Devil Fruit powers. Zephyr, meanwhile, unsheathed his sword, smirking as he eyed Ace.
"Let's see if you can keep up," Ace taunted, shooting forward on his boat.
Zephyr's chuckle was quiet but sharp. "Devil Fruit users... always relying on their powers. Who needs a boat when I can just jump?" And with a powerful leap, Zephyr shot through the air, launching himself toward the enemy ships.
On the Baroque Works vessels, the members of the 'Billions' began to scatter, realizing this was not a battle they wanted any part of.
Ace smirked and channeled his Mera-Mera-no-Mi powers into his signature attack, 'Fire Fist', mirroring his fiery personality. Intense flames burst from his fist, creating a massive, blazing column that surged forward, leaving a burning trail in its path. The fire punch soared with tremendous force, melting and incinerating everything in its way, its sheer intensity reducing obstacles to ash in a single, overwhelming burst.
Meanwhile, Zephyr used 'Black Lotus Style, 7th form: Thousand-Petal Storm'. With fluid, sweeping motions, he executed a rapid, relentless flurry of sword slashes, each as delicate and precise as a single petal. The cascading strikes coated with a thick layer of armament haki created the illusion of a thousand swirling black petals, surrounding his target from every direction.
Ace's fiery fist struck with a force that turned the sea red with flames, while Zephyr's Thousand-Petal Storm cloaked it black. By the time the smoke and embers settled, all that remained were the shattered remnants of the five Baroque Works ships.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TestSubject5
TestSubject5 The new cover is based on Zephyr's current appearance.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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