Fire Fist Ace

Chapter 7: Fire Fist Ace

"I absolutely won't! Absolutely won't! I will never go back to see that old man with you!" Ace retorted loudly.

"That's none of my business. My mission is to take you back. Lieutenant General Garp paid me," Rodney said, moving his body. "The natural department is really troublesome. I'll cover you as Colonel Smoker." With more kunai and shuriken in his hand, he threw them directly at Ace.

"Fire Gun!"

Ace's index and middle fingers of both hands pointed at the two of them like guns and small fireballs spewed out from his fingertips, shooting at the two of them. Rodney jumped up, pirouetted, and kicked Ace's upper body with a steel whip-like leg.

"How many times have I said, stop fighting in the downtown area?"

"Tashigi, you guys arrange for the townspeople to evacuate the scene," Smoker smoked a cigar and asked Tashigi to evacuate all the people around him from the battle site.

For a while, a large number of townspeople fled when they heard that someone was fighting there, and they didn't care about their shops or homes. It's nonsensical. The battle between the marine and the pirates can easily cost lives and cause significant damage.

Rodney is not domineering, and his kicks are of no use to Ace, let alone dodge.

The flame formed Ace's upper body, and he said, "It's really a powerful attack method. Maybe you should consider joining my crew."

Rodney's face darkened. Why are the two brothers alike?

"Bastard, don't recruit pirates in front of me!" Smoker stepped on the ground and disappeared.

Rokushiki Shaved!

His hands slammed towards Ace. Sensing the threat, Ace didn't elementalize but dodged.

"It's so dangerous. Huh? What is this?" Suddenly, there was a kunai at his feet, and an Explosive Tag was tied to the kunai. Flames suddenly appeared from the Explosive Tag, and with a bang, Ace's body was blown away, not even his head remained.

The flames burned, and Ace reappeared with a solemn expression and said, "It seems that you are not an ordinary marine."

"I am a pirate hunter. It's just that I have been out of clothes recently."

Smoker snorted coldly and said, "Rodney, don't waste time, grab him."

Rodney clamped six kunai between his fingers, each with an Explosive Tag tied to them. Then he threw them at Ace and took out a shuriken from his pocket, trying to hit each other in turn and change the flight trajectory of the kunai to avoid being destroyed by Ace's flames.

Boom boom boom boom boom!

Explosions occurred, stirring up a lot of smoke and dust. A ball of flame rushed out of the smoke, forming Ace's appearance. He lowered the brim of his hat in mid-air and laughed, "My crew is still waiting for me. Let's go first." 

"Boy, do you want to run?" Smoker used Shave to approach Ace immediately.

Ace was startled and waved his hand. The flames swallowed Smoker, but he smashed through the flames with ten hands and struck Ace, who was caught off guard, causing him to crash into a house.

"It hurts, it hurts. What's going on? I couldn't elementalize just now?" Getting up from the ruins, Ace had a few scratches on his body, but nothing serious.

As expected of a child raised by Garp, it's no wonder he has survived until now.

"By the way, how long have you had this ability?" Rodney asked.

Ace patted the ashes on his body and replied without thinking, "I got it two days ago."

Rodney: "..."

No wonder he doesn't use much power. He hasn't fully developed his abilities yet. He's still new to them, right?

"Very well, it will be very troublesome for me to deal with you once you become more experienced." Smoker took a deep puff of his cigarette. The two cigars in his mouth quickly turned into small cigarette butts.

He drew two new cigars from his body, stuffed them into his mouth, and lit them with the remaining two butts.

Sip it, suck it, and re-ignite it. He looked like an old smoker. "Marine, you're really troublesome." Ace pressed his hat down. He won't give in easily. "I will be the one to find One Piece in the future. I won't stop here."

However, Ace's dream remained unchanged.

"One Piece? What a boring dream. The last person who pursued One Piece died here," Smoker said. Ace's previously relaxed expression suddenly changed, and he roared, "Who died here like that guy? I will definitely find One Piece and live a better life than him!"

He had a deep hatred for his Pirate King father and felt disgusted when others mentioned him.

"I don't care about that. I'm just responsible for bringing you back to Vice Admiral Garp. After that, you can stay or run. I have nothing to do with your rain," Rodney said, feeling helpless. Facing Logia-type Devil Fruit, he was at a disadvantage when everyone else was fighting.

A tiger bites a hedgehog and has no place to bite its teeth! (1)

On the other hand, Smoker said, "Captain Smoker, lend me your hands."

Smoker glanced at him but said nothing. The meaning was already clear: don't even think about it.

Rodney, who faced a setback, sighed, and Ace asked, "What benefits did that old man give you?"

"Half of the Rokushiki and the knowledge of how to cultivate Haki," Rodney laughed. "Ace, don't underestimate your old man. He was a formidable man who chased after Roger all over the sea. It's only because you're his grandson that he indulged you all the time." 

Garp is a man worthy of the justice he stands for, but justice can be a stumbling block. He watched his beloved grandson die in front of his eyes, helpless. It wasn't Sengoku that held him back; it was justice!

Never mind whether Akainu dies at Garp's hands. Serious injuries are certain. Ace was silent for a while and said, "Talking won't get us anywhere. I will definitely escape today. My crew is still waiting for me."

"I will capture all of you one by one. White Blow!" Smoker's limbs instantly turned into smoke. He had eaten the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, which allowed him to turn his body into smoke to attack and track enemies.

His fists and feet remained solid, but his arms and legs turned into smoke, accelerating his attacks and causing a lot of trouble for Ace.

Rodney could only watch the fight between the two in embarrassment. While they had extraordinary abilities, he was not a Devil Fruit user, and he lacked Haki. He could only watch from the side, shivering and holding the melon in his hand.

The Flame-Flame Fruit ability was particularly good at attacking. Ace had only recently obtained a Devil Fruit, and he wasn't yet proficient in using his powers. Otherwise, no one knows who would win in a fight against Smoker.

"Fire Fist!"

Ace swung his fist suddenly, and his entire right arm turned into flames. The three-story-high flame fist slammed toward Smoker.

Boom!

The buildings on the entire street were smashed, and the flames burned the broken walls. Smoker secretly thought that it was fortunate that Tashigi had evacuated the civilians. Otherwise, many people would have died.

The determination in his heart to capture Ace became even stronger. Even if his grandfather was Garp, he must arrest him and bring him to justice. So what if your grandfather is a Vice-Admiral? He dares to fight against his boss and doesn't mind offending a Marine Hero.

Rodney, who emerged from the ground, looked at the empty surroundings and said, "Damn it! How many times do I have to say it? Don't use large-scale attacks like that. What if you hurt civilians? That's why I hate you, pirates!"

Looks and actual experience are two different things. His values cannot be indifferent. The world may be inherently twisted, but he is not. He can only take care of himself, but he will definitely help in any way he can. He can't understand Ace's behavior of disregarding the lives of others.

"Sorry!" Fortunately, Ace acknowledged his mistake and apologized.

At that moment, Smoker seized the opportunity and attempted to strike Ace. With his hands made of Haki-infused smoke, he aimed for Ace's throat. If he landed a hit, it would be devastating for Ace.

However, as Garp's grandson, Ace's quick reflexes and physical fitness, honed since childhood, allowed him to dodge the attack and counter with a powerful punch, hitting Smoker's chest with his flaming fist.

Smoker continued to attack with his ten hands, forcing Ace back.

Rodney approached, pulled out the short knife on his leg, and slashed at Ace. Ace helplessly remarked, "You know, physical attacks don't do much damage to my body." 

"Don't attack twice if it's embarrassing." Rodney shrugged and looked helplessly at Smoker. "Captain Smoker, aren't you proficient in Haki? Can you lend me your weapon?"

"I still need this for Haki" Smoker replied. He would have to practice later to fully master Armament Haki, but for now... he was still learning.

Ratoon's Note:

(1) A tiger bites a hedgehog and has no place to bite its teeth!- is an idiom that is often used to describe a situation where someone encounters an opponent or obstacle that they are unable to overcome or defeat.