Chapter 26:The Crews improvements

"Ace! Can't you reconsider?"

Nami pleaded as Ace disembarked and marveled at the lush vegetation surrounding them.

"What incredible vegetation, hahaha!"

Nami sighed, resigned to Ace's enthusiasm.

"Then count me in for a look too!"

Vivi leaped off the Melly atop Karoo, surprising Nami with her boldness.

"Ace, mind if I tag along?"

Vivi asked, flashing a sweet smile at Ace.

"Of course, everyone's free aboard my ship."

Ace replied warmly, earning a smile from Vivi.

With that, Ace and Vivi vanished into the dense foliage.

"Quite the daring princess to infiltrate a criminal organization."

Nami mused aloud, watching the direction Ace and Vivi disappeared.

Meanwhile, from the Merry, Nojiko jumped down with her gun.

"I'll go gather some food. Supplies are running low on the ship."

Nojiko grinned at Nami, who protested.

"Nojiko?! You too?! No!"

Nami cried, reaching out to stop her.

"Snap!"

"Huh?"

Nojiko looked surprised at Tashigi beside her.

"Let me come too. Hunting shouldn't be a problem."

Tashigi's pretty face tightened under Nojiko's scrutiny, then she stammered.

"Alright then."

Nojiko's smile was mischievous.

It seemed no crew member Ace favored could escape adventure.

"Hey! Nojiko, Tashigi! Wait up!"

Nami knelt on the Merry, helplessly watching Nojiko and Tashigi walk away.

Just then, Kaya approached Nami with a medical book in hand.

"Kaya! You're not going too, are you?! Don't leave me alone!"

Nami exclaimed, horror in her eyes.

While Ace had acknowledged Nami's growing strength, her timid nature hadn't completely vanished.

"Don't worry, Nami."

Kaya smiled gently.

"While I'm curious about the island, I'll stay by your side."

Kaya's reassuring smile under the sunlight moved Nami deeply.

"!!!"

Nami stared blankly at Kaya in the sunlight.

"You're an angel, Kaya!"

Nami hugged Kaya tightly.

"Yoxi yoxi."

Kaya patted Nami's head, smiling softly.

Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over Nami and Kaya.

"Um?"

They looked up to see a towering figure over twenty meters tall.

Nami gasped and nearly fainted.

"Nami! Nami!"

Kaya rushed to her side, activating her healing powers.

"Huh? Nami, you're not passed out at all."

Kaya looked puzzled as Nami, pale and sweating, whispered.

"Oh, Kaya, let's play dead."

Nami was about to cry, cautiously opening one eye.

"Alright, alright, alright. It's been so long since I've had visitors. Why don't you two come over for a visit?"

Brogy's booming laughter echoed through the jungle.

"Why?"

Kaya turned to see the towering figure of Brogy.

Meanwhile, Ace and Vivi...

"Ga! Ga! Ga! Bang!"

Karoo panted and collapsed with a thud.

"Hahaha! Can't you run any faster?"

Ace laughed as he looked down at the exhausted Karoo.

"Karoo!"

Vivi looked sadly at Karoo lying tiredly beside Ace.

What kind of stamina did this man have to make Karoo, the fastest in their legion, collapse from exhaustion?

"Woah!"

Under Vivi's shocked gaze, a behemoth over thirty-five meters tall raised its head from the dense foliage and roared.

"A dragon? A dinosaur?!"

Vivi stood frozen, sweat beading on her forehead.

"I... I get it now. This is Little Garden!"

Vivi murmured.

"The climate, environment, and creatures here belong to ancient times. The Grand Line's magnetic fields make it possible."

Vivi realized, awestruck.

"A living dinosaur."

Ace watched the colossal creature with wonder.

People from the Blue Sea always had a fascination with dinosaurs.

"Whoosh!"

Ace blurred into motion, disappearing.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In a series of sonic booms, Ace reappeared on the dinosaur's head the next moment.

"Hahaha!"

Ace laughed as he slid down the dinosaur's long neck like a slide.

"Ace!"

Vivi's eyes nearly popped out.

"This is a dinosaur! It's not a toy!"

"Woo!"

The dinosaur noticed Ace and let out a low growl.

"Woo! Woo! Woo!"

To Vivi's astonishment, several more dinosaurs emerged, led by a forty-meter behemoth with menacing fangs.

"Woo!"

The lead dinosaur roared and lunged at Ace.

"Don't treat your guests like that."

Ace's lips curled slightly.

"Pfft!"

The next moment, to Vivi's horror and Ace's casual smile, Ace cleanly decapitated the dinosaur.

The other dinosaurs dispersed immediately.

What emerged next was a towering figure over twenty meters tall.

"Plop!"

Vivi collapsed to the ground in shock.

"A giant?! A legendary giant?!"

Vivi whispered in disbelief.

"Gah ka ka ka! Can't let you eat my guests. It's been ages since I've had visitors."

Dorry, with his trademark laugh, turned to Ace.

"What a brave young man. Want to be a guest at my place? Gah ka ka ka."

Dorry chuckled.

"You're worried about food?"

Ace grinned at the twenty-meter giant, his smile widening.

"The Kingdom of Giants, Elbaf. One of the former captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, Blue Ogre Dorry, with a bounty of 100 million berries?"

Indeed, he was a giant with extraordinary physical strength.

Ace's Observation Haki sensed Dorry, silently noting.

The races in this world were indeed fascinating.

"Gah ka ka ka! Such an interesting young man. Of course, I'll take care of the food."

Dorry chuckled, tears streaming down his face from laughter.

"Hahaha."

"Gahgahgahgah!"

Watching Ace and Dorry share laughter, Vivi felt a bit overwhelmed.

Only Ace could seamlessly interact with giants like this.

"Vivi, let's go try some dinosaur meat."

Ace gestured to Vivi, inviting her to join Dorry.

"Whoa!"

Vivi was hoisted onto Dorry's shoulder, smiling as they headed off.

Meanwhile, hidden on Little Garden, a candle-made hut stood.

"Crack!"

The candle door swung open, revealing a woman with an afro and a wide grin.

"Mr. 3, BOSS sent you to deal with such a fledgling brat? Aren't we enough?"

Miss Goldenweek, with her paint abilities, scoffed at Mr. 3.

"Not very elegant, are you?"

Mr. 3 sipped his tea, a sly smile playing on his face.

"To handle enemies, you need brains, not just brawn, and..."

Mr. 3 produced two bounty posters.

"On this island, we also have Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Oni Brogy, former captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, both with bounties of 100 million berries."

Mr. 3's eyes gleamed with greed.

"Isn't this bounty from over a hundred years ago?"

Miss Goldenweek was surprised.

"Hehehehe~ Let's take out that 85 million berries brat and Dorry and Brogy with their 100 million berry bounties together, hahaha!"

Mr. 3 laughed aloud, much to the annoyance of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, user of the Wax-Wax Fruit.

Miss Goldenweek calmly sipped her tea.

Meanwhile, back in the thick of the jungle, Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek prepared to confront Dorry and Brogy.

At that moment, Ace sat amidst Dorry's generous hospitality, having devoured nearly an entire dinosaur's worth of meat.

"Ace, are you really human?" Vivi questioned incredulously, watching as Ace momentarily swelled like a balloon before swiftly returning to normal.

"Gah, gah, gah, gah! I never expected you, young man, to out-eat even me," Dorry chuckled heartily.

"Tasty," Ace remarked contentedly, contemplating the nutritional value of dinosaur meat, rivaling even that of Sea Kings. He decided to stock up before leaving.

"Uncle, does it truly take a year to map out the magnetic fields?" Vivi asked reluctantly.

Dorry explained, "Those bones? They're remnants from creatures and diseases of this ancient island's time. They perished here before completing the mapping."

"Uncle, you mentioned fighting someone else?" Vivi's curiosity persisted.

Dorry's eyes softened with reminiscence. "Yes, more than a century ago."

"Why have you two been fighting for over a hundred years?" Vivi queried, perplexed.

Dorry smiled faintly. "The reasons for that have long been forgotten."

Meanwhile, the tranquility was shattered by the sudden eruption of the volcano. Dorry and Brogy swiftly excused themselves, running towards the island's center with purposeful strides.

"Let's go, Vivi," Ace said, rising to his feet with a knowing smile.

"In the jungle..."

"What an arrogant fellow, Mr. 3. He infuriates me," Miss Valentine fumed, kicking a stone in frustration.

"Hmph, once we eliminate that boy Ace, the Boss will see who truly rules," Mr. 5 declared calmly.

"Just watch me crush him," Miss Valentine boasted, her bravado cut short by a gunshot. She collapsed, clutching her chest in disbelief.

"Who?!" Mr. 5 roared, met by another gunshot that left him staring at his wound in shock.

"Fool! As an explosive Devil Fruit user, bullets are useless against me!" Mr. 5 shouted, trying to maintain his composure.

Undeterred, Nokigao, eyes closed, deftly avoided Mr. 5's explosives in the dense forest. She calmly loaded a bullet, reflecting on Ace's recent training.

With resolve, Nokigao, her bullet infused with Armament Haki, took aim and fired. The shot found its mark, leaving Mr. 5 bewildered and bleeding.

"Why...?" he gasped before succumbing to unconsciousness.

Tashigi emerged from the shadows, dragging the dinosaur carcasses, impressed by Nokigao's newfound strength.

"You're amazing," Tashigi murmured, acknowledging Nokigao's growth under Ace's tutelage.

Nokigao smiled knowingly, understanding Tashigi's unspoken thoughts about joining the Entei Pirates to gain similar strength.

Meanwhile, a figure appeared before Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week, disrupting their plans to confront Dorry and Brogy.

"Hehehehe~ What a giant. He'll fall before my cunning," Mr. 3 sneered as his hair ignited and his arms melted into wax.

"I'll help you decide the winner. After I kill you all, that kid Ace is next," he continued, preparing to unbalance Dorry with his molten candle.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several invisible slashes, known as Tempest Kick, sliced through the air.

"Wow!" Mr. 3 dodged as best he could, but his right arm was still cut.

"Who?!" he shouted in frustration.

Emerging from the dense forest with determination was Kaya.

This man intends to harm Ace, she thought.

"Kaya..." Nami gritted her teeth and stepped out with her weather stick.

"Oh? Are you the little girls working for Ace?" Mr. 3 mocked, eyeing the Entei pirate flag tattoo on Nami's arm with disdain.

"It's Portgas D. Ace!" Kaya corrected, her expression fierce.

"It looks like we have some appetizers before dealing with that brat," Mr. 3 sneered, hurling wax towards Kaya and Nami.

"Whoosh!"

In a flash, Kaya grabbed Nami and vanished.

The next moment, she appeared in front of Mr. 3, extending her index finger as Ace's teachings echoed in her mind.

"Kaya, these six techniques are called Marine Six Styles. Your medical knowledge lets you control every muscle and target the enemy's vital points perfectly. Your healing fruit can immediately heal any damage caused by these techniques. My only worry..."

"Ace, what are you worried about?" she had asked.

"I'm worried you're too kind to use these deadly techniques," Ace had replied lovingly.

Ace, I can do this for you!

Kaya's index finger hardened like iron, her medical knowledge from Crocus allowing her to strike with precision and strength. She aimed at Mr. 3's shoulder blade.

"Finger Pistol!"

"Pfft!"

"Ah!!!"

Mr. 3 screamed as his arms lost control, pain searing through him.

"Mr. 3!" Miss Golden Week, seeing him wounded, pulled out her emotional paint.

"Gulu! Gulu!"

"Bah! Bah!"

She looked up, horrified, at the massive thundercloud forming overhead.

"Bad kids need a lesson," Nami declared, smiling as she lowered her weather stick.

"Thunder and Lightning Weather!"

"Boom!"

Miss Golden Week was struck by lightning, her eyes rolling back as she collapsed.

"Miss Golden Week!" Mr. 3 cried in despair, feeling the pain and helplessness of his useless arms.

"Don't move, or you'll get struck too," Nami warned, pointing her weather stick at him.

"What did you do to me?!" Mr. 3 groaned, writhing in pain.

"I severed part of your nerves. Your arms are useless now," Kaya explained, smiling slightly.

Mr. 3's face was full of despair.

"Kaya, you're amazing," Nami said in awe.

"Ace taught me this," Kaya replied sweetly.

"Let's take them to Ace. I'll locate him," Nami said, closing her eyes and using Observation Haki.

"I found them. Let's go," Nami instructed, eyes opening.

"But first, let's disable him completely," Nami suggested, noticing Mr. 3 trying to escape by turning his feet into candles.

"What are you going to do?! Ah!!!" Mr. 3 screamed as Kaya and Nami approached.

Inside a candle hut, Ace found a phone bug ringing.

"Hey, Mr. 3, why haven't you answered? Did you kill that brat? Get the permanent pointer to Alabasta from Mr. 13 and return," a low, menacing voice instructed.

Vivi's eyes widened in recognition. "Crocodile?"

Ace picked up the receiver. "Portgas D. Ace."

Crocodile's expression darkened. "Have you killed Mr. 3 and Mr. 5?"

"No, they were taken down by my lovely crew before even seeing me," Ace replied, lounging casually.

Outside, Nami, Kaya, Nokigao, and Tashigi appeared with their captives.

"Crocodile, I'll give you a grand funeral," Ace said, hanging up before Crocodile could respond.

"Well done, my lovely crew," Ace praised, smiling at the girls and the defeated foes at their feet.

"Ace, what should we do with them?" Nokigao asked.

Ace handed out three apples. "Kill them, Nokigao."

Nokigao did so without hesitation.

The apples soon transformed into Devil Fruits, stunning the crew.

"These are the Explosive Fruit, Light Lion Fruit, and Wax-Wax Fruit," Ace explained.

"Sell them, Nami," Ace instructed, causing Nami's eyes to light up.

"Ace! Love you so much!" she exclaimed, kissing his cheek in excitement.

"Kaya, you're amazing," Nami said, beaming.

Ace smiled, thinking of the future battles they would face together.

"Little Garden is such a nice place," he mused, watching his crew with pride.