Capítulo 49: Cedric's Game #49
Sharing a brief glance, Ace and Luffy nodded at each other as they emerged from behind cover and charged the first pirate they could find before them. The pirate was understandably confused by the sudden appearance of two children, causing him to draw a blank. Still, he quickly gathered his bearings and drew his sword a moment later.
"Get out of here, brats!" The pirate said as he threateningly brandished his blade, scowling to scare Ace and Luffy, but the two boys didn't seem to be in the mood to listen. "I mean it, you little scamps, scram or I'll--" He added, pausing halfway through his sentence as Ace jumped into the air and smashed his head with a steel pipe.
The two brothers didn't spare the fallen pirate another glance as they continued sprinting toward the ship. However, the racket attracted the attention of the remaining pirates, and the sight of their friend on the ground was the reason they needed to draw their weapons.
"What do you brats think you're doing here?!" Said one of the pirates as he aimed his flintlock at Luffy and promptly fired without waiting for a reply. The bullet hit its mark and, to everyone's surprise, merely stretched the boy's skin before flying back where it came from.
"What the fuck?!" Another pirate exclaimed in surprise. "Is this brat some sort of monster?!" He added, nervously stepping back as Ace and Luffy continued their charge.
"Don't panic, you idiots!" Came Gally's voice from the ship as the noise drew his attention, and he came out to investigate just in time to see Luffy deflecting the bullet. "It's just a devil fruit ability... shoot the other kid first!" He instructed, and the pirates instantly regained their calm at his words.
"You got it, boss," The pirate, who was nearest to the two boys, said as he raised his pistol and aimed at Ace. "Die brat!" He added as he reached for the trigger with his finger, only for the gun to suddenly fly away from his hand as a gunshot echoed in the cave.
"What the fuck?! Is the other kid also a devil fruit user?!" The pirate said with a pained expression as he shook the hand previously holding the pistol before it went flying.
"No, they just have someone hiding nearby with a gun, you idiot!" Gally said, feeling the urge to go down and kick his dense subordinate's ass himself. "Just get in there and stab them to death!" He instructed, and the pirates could only oblige.
"As for you two, look for the third guy!" The pirate captain went on as he gestured toward the two pirates guarding the ship. "Find him and kill him quickly!" He added, prompting the two men to move, only to fall after taking a couple of steps as two gunshots echoed in the cave.
Looking at the two pirates falling, Gally instantly realized he was dealing with someone capable, unlike the incompetent bounty hunters that usually came after him. He internally cursed as he took cover behind the ship's mainmast to assess the situation and figure out a plan, but he was running out of time as the two boys made quick work of his subordinates.
Grunting reluctantly, the pirate captain realized he was fighting a battle he couldn't win and accordingly reacted. Gally ran toward the halyard, intent on lowering the sails and fleeing with his ship.
He quickly cut the halyard's rope and managed to get the ship moving, causing him to sigh. Still, his relief was short-lived as he heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see a tall young man standing near the mast.
The young man, Cedric, grinned at Gally before bringing his fist back and burying it into the mast, instantly snapping it in half, much to the pirate captain's horror.
Gritting his teeth, Gally reached into his jacket and retrieved a flintlock, only for Cedric to shoot it out of his hands before he could raise it and aim, never mind fire a bullet.
"I'm just here to watch..." Cedric said with a shrug. "The two kids there are your opponents..." He added, gesturing toward Ace and Luffy, who had already knocked out most of Gally's subordinates.
"Don't insult my intelligence!" Gally exclaimed through gritted teeth as he unsheathed his sword. "Even if I beat the two little monsters, you'll still be around!" He added, promptly charging toward Cedric.
Gally was by no means a brave pirate, not by a long shot, but he was smart enough to notice when someone tried toying with him. And if he had the choice between going down on his own terms or someone else's, he'd always choose the former. That said, it didn't matter either way since Cedric had no intention of humoring the pirate captain.
"True, but I'll let you walk if you manage to beat them," Cedric said, promptly leaping off the ship before Gally could close the distance between them. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Gally firmed his resolve as he realized he had no choice but to play Cedric's game.
"Fine. If that's what it takes, I'll make you regret underestimating me..." He said as he buried his swords into the ship's deck and crossed his arms, waiting for the two boys to reach him. Unaware of the situation, Luffy and Ace slowly cleaned up Gally's crew before making their way to the ship.
"I'm sorry, but we have to kick your ass..." Ace said, sounding not too sure of himself as he spoke.
"You can certainly try, brat," Gally replied, scoffing as he dislodged his sword from the deck. "It won't go your way, though..." He added, tauntingly brandishing the weapon as he gestured for the two boys to make the first move.
Ace and Luffy shared a look before nodding and charging the pirate captain, with the former making the first move as he jumped into the air and swung his steel pipe at Gally's head.
The pirate captain scowled in response as he raised his sword with one hand to block the attack. He managed to stop Ace's steel pipe, albeit with some difficulty, and Luffy came running soon after him.
The boy jumped up and lunged at Captain Gally, and the pirate responded with a fist to the former face that didn't even faze him as he clung to Gally's arm and bit his wrist.
"Punches don't work on me because I'm a rubber human!" Luffy said as he buried his teeth into the pirate captain's wrist, causing him no small amount of pain as he began flailing his arms and screaming in agony.
Naturally, Ace promptly took advantage of Gally's momentary distraction as he slipped under his guard and kicked him in the crotch, causing the pirate captain to fall to his knees.
Then, Ace raised his steel pipe and smashed it into the pirate captain's head before prying Luffy off his arm and retreating. "Look out... I don't think it's over yet..." He said as he pushed his younger brother behind him, keeping a vigilant eye on Gally.
He tightly gripped his steel pipe, waiting for the pirate captain to suddenly spring to his feet. Ace patiently waited, and then waited some more, but Gally only lay on the floor, much to his annoyance.
"Is this guy playing dead..." Ace muttered as he cautiously approached Gally and poked his back with the steel pipe, sighing at the lack of reaction. "I guess he's really out..." He added as he flipped the pirate captain on his back and noticed his upturned eyes and drool leaking out of his mouth.
"That... that was actually disappointing..." Ace concluded, awkwardly scratching his head.
"Tell me about it..." Cedric said, suddenly jumping the secondary mast, landing behind the two boys, and almost causing them heart attacks. "But we get to claim this guy's treasure and keep your grandpa off our backs now," He added with a chuckle.
"What do you mean?" Ace asked in confusion. "How will this help us get grandpa off our backs?" He asked with a skeptical expression as he scratched his head.
"Well..." Cedric remarked with a grin. "Think, what does your grandpa want from you and Luffy?" He asked, gesturing to Luffy, who was too busy running all over the ship in excitement and curiosity to listen.
"He wants us to be marines like him..." Ace replied, still confused.
"And what do marines do...?" Cedric went on with a grin, and Ace's eyes instantly lit up in realization. "They catch pirates..." He added, gesturing toward the unconscious Gally.
...
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