https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-26-The-Kind-hearted-Person-s-Aid/13535737/
Chapter 27: Might as Well Start the Top War Early
Chapter 27: Might as Well Start the Top War Early
Flames and smoke twisted together, then dissipated. Several blazing fireballs plummeted from the sky, slamming into the ground and sending nearby Navy soldiers scrambling to escape.
From the dissipating smoke, a figure gradually emerged.
"Escaped, huh?" Smoker narrowed his eyes at the empty space where Ace had stood moments ago, his brow furrowing. "What did that man want here anyway?"
Portgas D. Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Smoker had no interest in his bounty, but as a Navy officer, he'd acted instinctively when their paths crossed.
"Smoker Commander!"
Tashigi rushed over from behind.
"Tashigi, what about Kuro?" Smoker asked, glancing around.
Tashigi shook her head. "Haven't seen Mr. Kuro and the others."
"Tch! Mobilize the Navy! While searching for Luffy's crew and Ace, if you spot Kuro, drag him back too. Now isn't the time to be leisurely! Otherwise, why would I bring him to the Grand Line in the first place? If he'd been here earlier, Portgas D. Ace definitely wouldn't have escaped!"
"Achoo!"
Suddenly, Kuro sneezed violently in a nearby alley.
"Hm? You monster catching a cold?" Lida shot him a puzzled glance.
"Don't be ridiculous! Maybe someone's thinking of me—say, a certain gentle, big-sisterly type who cooks well, eats light, and isn't spoiled or unreasonable." Kuro grinned, rubbing his nose.
"Hmph! Someone like that would never look twice at a lazy bum like you!" Lida stuck her tongue out.
Kuro shrugged nonchalantly and kept wandering through the city.
"I'm starving! Let's raid one last time, then we eat!"
Lida began whining.
"You scream 'starving' like this with one million beli? We still need start-up funds! There's that famous gambling den, Rainbase in Arabasta—we'll build our fortune there!" Kuro reasoned.
"I don't care! I can't hold out anymore! One last search—if we don't find anything, we're going home!"
Determined to eat soon, Lida's Observation Haki flared crimson, sweeping across the entire city.
"Got them! There's twenty or thirty people's auras in that direction!"
Her eyes lit up with excitement as she dashed off.
"You're impossible", Kuro sighed, chasing after her.
...
Back in the alley, Luffy chuckled. "Hahaha, Ace, thanks for the help!"
Ace leaned casually against the wall, smiling. "You're still as energetic as ever."
Dozens of unconscious Navy soldiers littered the ground around them.
"Ahahaha! I'm super happy!"
Luffy and Ace strolled side by side toward the harbor, ignoring the remaining attackers.
But suddenly, a small figure darted in front of them. "There! Kuro's right here!" she yelled excitedly.
Her expression froze as she spotted the two men.
"Kids?"
Ace glanced at Lida and smiled, reaching to pat her head. "Little one, go home quietly. It's too dangerous here."
In his eyes, she was just a child who'd wandered in. Seeing so many armed men, she should've been terrified.
Lida stood motionless, staring at Ace like she'd seen a ghost.
Ace's hand touched her head.
Instantly, his legs gave out. His body went limp, and he Crashed to his knees.
"You—?!"
Wham!
A foot smashed into Ace's face, sending him flying backward.
"Ace!"
Luffy stretched his arm to grab Lida. "What did you do to Ace—"
His voice trailed off as his hand touched Lida's arm. His body suddenly sagged. "Aah... so tired... no strength left..."
Lida didn't even look at him, swatting his hand away.
"Who told you to pat my head? And isn't this Luffy's brat?"
She remembered Luffy vividly from the execution platform in Loguetown Square. That was also when Kuro had first lost his temper.
Kuro turned the corner just then. Seeing the scene, his brow twitched. Trouble, pure and simple.
Ace? Luffy?
Two massive headaches.
Lida's Observation Haki could only sense quantity and aura, and Kuro had forgotten to activate his own. Otherwise, they'd be dining peacefully now instead of getting into this mess.
"Luffy brat!"
Klah stormed up behind, veins bulging. "Perfect! Finally found you! Let's settle the score for Syrobu Village!"
"Got a grudge with Klah too? Let's just capture this one too! Thirty million's not that much." Lida pointed at the drowsy Luffy.
Kuro rapped her head. "When did you get so arrogant? Thirty million, 'not much'?!"
"Ow! You said to target average bounties before! East Blue averages three million, so Grand Line should be thirty million!"
Lida rubbed her head, pouting.
"Troublesome..." Kuro groaned, already calculating mentally.
Let them go? Probably best—neither's background is something I can handle.
But then he remembered—after a decade of careful planning, one reckless voyage by Luffy forced him into the Grand Line too. All his caution had been shattered in an instant.
Maybe it's time to believe in fate.
"If I catch Luffy before he causes trouble, he'll just get locked up. With Garp's connections, he might even get released. If not, he wouldn't die—that'd keep the seas peaceful, and I could live safely forever."
What? The tides of history?
What does that have to do with a man wanting to retire ashore?
Kuro's eyes narrowed, glinting dangerously.
"Looks like it's time for one last heist."
He reached slowly for his sword hilt.
"Fire Fist!"
A massive fireball roared toward them.
Lida instantly shifted into her mature form, crossing her arms coated in Armament Haki to block the attack.
The flames exploded against her arms, scattering into a fiery wall that blinded everyone.
"Fire?!"
Lida sensed the surroundings, then reported, "Kuro, they escaped!"
"Hm."
Kuro drew [Huazhou], slicing once to extinguish the flames with a shockwave. The two pirates were already gone.
"Forget it. If they ran, then let them run."
Kuro clicked his tongue, abandoning his plan. Better this way—less trouble.
"Logia?"
Lida suddenly realized, puzzled. "Fire... that Logia ability seems familiar."
"You guessed right. That was Portgas D. Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
Lida's eyes widened. "That super rookie pirate who became famous two years ago? 'Fire Fist' Ace?!"
"W-was I asking for trouble? If Ace holds a grudge, the Whitebeard Fleet will target me too!"
Her face crumpled like she might cry.
Kuro had felt uneasy too, but seeing her terrified expression, he reached to pat her head. "You're my recruit. I promised you safety, and I'll keep that. If he comes, then—might as well start the Top War early!"
Trouble? Maybe. But he'd never run from a fight.
If it came to that... he'd start the Top War ahead of schedule!
(End of Chapter)
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