Gray ducked to dodge an incoming attack. He then spun and kicked Ace in the face with the back of his feet.
Ace was able to dodge in time by swaying his head backward, just narrowly avoiding the attack. What he did not expect, though, is that Gray would quickly throw a right hook, gaining power by twisting his body from his ducked position.
Not able to react in time, Ace was hit and staggered sideways for a few steps. He quickly recovered, and taking advantage of his superior speed, he lunged forward and punched Gray in the face.
Gray could only use his arms to block the attack but quickly realized how big of a mistake it was.
Ace's punch, weighing ten tons, made contact with Gray's arms. Gray swayed backwards, feeling a sharp pain from his arms.
It was a normal day. The weather was just right. They were just sparring casually when a fisherman saw a pirate ship approaching the island. The villagers became nervous but were reassured that reinforcements from the palace would soon come.
Ten guards from the Silverstone household lined up at the shore, holding their short swords and wearing serious expressions. Elder Haff, Gray, and Ace were at the front, waiting for the pirates to arrive.
"Don't overdo yourselves. We just need to hold them for 30 minutes," Elder Haff said.
As the ship got closer, their jolly roger became clearer. And when Elder Haff saw it, his expression became grim.
"Axe Pirates?"
Gray and Ace looked at Elder Haff.
"You know them, Elder Haff?"
"Yes. They've been eyeing the weight fruits for a long time. They must have known that Grock was sick, so they decided to attack."
"Are they strong?"
"Don't underestimate them. Their captain, Kroll the Axe, is a power holder. He ate the Axe fruit, a psychic-type power that allows him to summon a battle axe."
"That's it? He can summon a battle axe?" Gray asked.
"Of course not. The Axe Fruit enhanced his strength by many times. It may seem simple, but if you add an axe to that strength, it would spell disaster. I'm not confident I can defeat him."
Gray and Ace were surprised, especially Ace. He knew how powerful Elder Haff was. Even before eating the Weight Fruit, his sword skills can already go toe-to-toe with a Power Holder. His strength only increased when Grock rewarded him with the Weight Fruit for his loyalty.
A man like Elder Haff is not confident enough to beat him?
Ace frowned.
"He's currently wanted with a bounty of 5 million silvers on his head."
Elder Haff added.
"Bounty? What's that?" Gray asked.
"The World Alliance put bounties on criminals to encourage the people to hunt them and also to deter them from becoming criminals."
It was Ace who explained it to Gray. Elder Haff nodded.
"They put bounties based on your threat level, not just your strength. And to be honest, a 5 million bounty is not much compared to other criminals in big seas, but it's still a big number here, nonetheless."
"Their vice captain is Polo, also known as 'The Cat.' He ate the Cat Fruit, a morphic type of power that lets him turn into a cat. He has crazy senses, like those of a cat. He has a bounty of 3 million silver. You two think you can hold him? I'll handle Kroll, and the guards can handle the rest of the crews. If I'm not mistaken, they have about 10 people on board, and besides Kroll and Polo, no one in their crew is a power holder."
Elder Haff looked at them. They nodded.
"Don't underestimate them. Just hold them for 30 minutes, and we'll be fine."
"Yes, Elder Haff!"
The guards shouted.
It was at this moment that a cannonball flew towards them. The guards panicked as well as Ace and Gray. However, Elder Haff stayed calm and unsheathed his sword. He looked at the incoming cannonball and drew his sword downward.
"Overhead Slash"
A crescent-shaped air slash flew in the air, splitting the cannonball into two and causing it to explode before it even arrived.
Gray wore a look of amazement. Ace and the guards were already used to it, but they still couldn't hide the amazement in their eyes.
"HAHAHA! I suppose you still had it in you, Haff the 'Wind Calamity.'"
A rough voice echoed through the surroundings. Because of the smoke, they couldn't see the ship.
Suddenly, a figure tore through the veil of smoke and landed at the shore, a few meters away from Elder Haff.
It was a bulky man, about 3 meters tall. He wore nothing but green shorts just above his knee, showing off a big scar that ran from his right shoulder to his abdomen.
"Kroll the Axe, long time no see."
Elder Haff said calmly, not surprised at the sight of the man.
So, that's the Axe? What an intimidating presence.
Gray frowned, feeling a dangerous vibe emanating from the man in front of them.
Kroll wore a big smile on his face, showing his gold teeth. It did not make his face look any less intimidating, though; instead, it only strikes fear in those who see his scarred face. A scar from his left ear to his right ear, along with his braided hair, made him look less like a human and more like an animal.
"I see you're still annoying as ever, Haff. Why not join my crew? Do you really want to be a dog your entire life?"
Kroll raised his hands forward.
"It seems like that scar did nothing to shut you up, Kroll. Do you want me to add another one?"
Hearing this, Kroll's face went dark. He touched his face and said chillingly.
"You got lucky, Haff. If only that bastard Grock did not get in the way, I would have killed you."
Kroll then smiled again.
"Anyways, it's all in the past. Let's now get down to business. Give me the fruits, and we will retreat."
"Not a chance."
"So you want to do it the hard way, huh?"
At this moment, the smoke was already gone, and the ship could now be seen. It stopped just beside the shore, with people standing on it.
"You really want to fight us?" Kroll asked threateningly.
"Bring it on."