The Spade Pirates' ship cut through the New World's unpredictable waters with practiced efficiency, but today they carried some unusual passengers. Three beaten and bound pirates sat huddled on the deck, their faces bearing the clear marks of recent defeat. They were the survivors of yet another encounter with the rapidly rising Spade Pirates.
The prisoners had been tied up and left on deck not out of cruelty, but because Ace needed information. In the New World, knowledge was often more valuable than treasure, and these particular pirates might hold the key to the crew's next move.
"Fire... Fire Fist, please have mercy," the leader of the captured pirates begged, his voice cracking with fear. His eyes were fixed on Ace with the kind of desperate terror.
"We don't want any trouble. We just want to go back to Paradise where it's safe."
Jerry looked up from where he sat fishing near the ship's railing, Kotatsu purring contentedly in his lap as he scratched behind the lynx's ears. The sight of these groveling pirates amused him more than it should have.
"That's funny," Jerry said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Weren't you the same guys who came charging at us with cannons blazing about an hour ago? I distinctly remember you shouting something about teaching the 'rookie crew' some respect."
The other two prisoners shifted uncomfortably, clearly remembering their earlier bravado and how quickly it had evaporated when faced with the reality of the Spade Pirates' power.
"Look," Ace said, stepping forward with his characteristic grin. A small flame danced playfully around his fingertips, causing all three prisoners to flinch backward. "Since you're so eager to get back to Paradise, I'm willing to help you out. But first, you're going to answer some questions."
"Yes! Yes, anything!" the pirate leader nodded frantically, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool ocean breeze. "I'll tell you everything I know, I swear!"
"Good," Ace said, moving the flame closer to the man's face. "Now, you guys know about the Four Emperors, right? Specifically Red Hair Shanks? I need to know his exact whereabouts."
The mention of Red Hair Shanks sent visible shivers through all three prisoners.
Red Hair Shanks and his crew were arguably the most mysterious of the four great powers. Unlike the other Emperors, who maintained massive territories and thousands of subordinate crews, the Red Hair Pirates operated as a relatively small, elite force. But what they lacked in numbers, they more than made up for in sheer individual power.
Shanks himself was a figure of contradictions. Stories spoke of his legendary duels with Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman, battles that had supposedly shaken entire islands. Yet somehow, he had lost his left arm under mysterious circumstances—a loss that, rather than weakening him, seemed to have only made him more formidable.
The most intriguing rumors suggested that Shanks had once been a member of the Pirate King's crew. If true, it would explain both his incredible strength and his meteoric rise to Emperor status.
But perhaps most importantly for the Spade Pirates' current situation, the Red Hair Pirates were notoriously nomadic. While Whitebeard held court from his massive flagship, Big Mom ruled from her cake-themed archipelago, and Kaido lurked in his fortress-like stronghold, Shanks and his crew moved constantly throughout their territory, making them incredibly difficult to track down.
"I... I do know something," the pirate leader stammered, relief evident in his voice that he actually had useful information to offer. "But if I tell you, you'll let us go, right? You're not planning to challenge him, are you?"
Skull looked up from where he'd been sharpening one of his bone-handled knives, his skull mask giving him an appropriately menacing appearance. "Just answer the question, or we'll let Jerry practice his new Fishman Karate techniques on you."
"Okay, okay!" the man practically shouted. "I heard—just rumors, mind you—that they've been spotted near a winter island recently. We actually just came from that area ourselves. That's... that's part of why we were running back to Paradise."
Jerry raised an eyebrow, his fishing momentarily forgotten. "Really? You just happened to know exactly what we were looking for? That's awfully convenient. You didn't just make up some random island name to save your skin, did you?"
The threat was implicit but clear. If they were lying, the consequences would be unpleasant.
"No! I swear on my mother's grave, it's the truth!" the pirate leader protested. "We were trading in that region when word came down that Red Hair's ship had been spotted. Everyone cleared out fast—nobody wants to accidentally run into one of the Four Emperors."
Ace was about to respond when Skull suddenly perked up, rifling through a collection of papers and maps he kept in his coat pockets.
"Wait, Boss Ace," Skull called out, his voice excited. "The island name he mentioned—it matches one of the locations in my intelligence network! Jenny passed along reports about increased Emperor activity in that region just last week."
Ace nodded, the flame around his fingers extinguishing as he bent down to untie the prisoners' ropes. "Well, if you're telling the truth, then we're square. Get lost."
He punctuated his words with a firm kick to the pirate leader's backside, sending the man stumbling toward the ship's edge where a small boat waited.
As if summoned by the commotion, Kotatsu leaped down from Jerry's lap and began stalking toward the freed prisoners, growling low in his throat. The lynx had developed an amusing habit of chasing defeated enemies, as if making sure they really understood who had won.
"Go on, Kotatsu," Jerry encouraged with a grin. "Make sure they get the message."
The sight of a large, predatory cat advancing on them was apparently the final straw for the former prisoners. They practically threw themselves into their boat, frantically working the oars to put distance between themselves and the Spade Pirates.
"Boss Ace," Skull said once the other pirates were out of earshot, "are we really heading straight for Red Hair's location?"
Before Ace could answer, Deuce looked up from his navigation charts with an expression of barely contained panic.
"Hold on just a minute!" Deuce exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. "Are you seriously suggesting we go after another Four Emperor? First Whitebeard, now Red Hair? Do you have any idea what you're asking for?"
Deuce's distress was understandable. The reputation of the Four Emperors was built on decades of absolute dominance.
"Ace, you need to understand something about the Emperors," Deuce continued, his voice growing more urgent. "Whitebeard might be known for his honor and treating his crew like family, but Red Hair? He's got a completely different reputation. They say he's one of the most ruthless fighters in the world when you make him angry. And showing up uninvited definitely counts as making him angry."
Jerry watched Deuce's mounting hysteria with amusement.
"Relax, Deuce," Ace said with his trademark grin. "Red Hair isn't as scary as everyone makes him out to be. I can handle this."
What Ace didn't mention—and what Jerry suspected—was that his captain wasn't planning to challenge Shanks to a fight. At least, not yet.
"Besides," Jerry added, turning back to his fishing, "instead of worrying about things you can't control, why don't you focus on plotting our course? And make sure you keep that little notebook of yours handy. If we do end up fighting one of the Four Emperors, you'll want to document every detail for your novel."
"Assuming any of us survive to read it," Deuce muttered, but he was already moving toward his charts and instruments.
Jerry couldn't help but smile at the navigator's resigned acceptance. "Look at it this way—if we all die horribly, maybe someone will find your book and publish it posthumously. You could become a famous author. 'The Final Voyage of the Spade Pirates: A True Account.' Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"You're not helping," Deuce replied, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
The other crew members had been listening to the exchange with various expressions of excitement, nervousness, and determination. Some of the newer members looked understandably concerned about potentially facing one of the world's most powerful pirates, but the veterans who had been with them since the early days wore expressions of eager anticipation.
"Well," Skull said, breaking the momentary silence, "if we're going to challenge the Four Emperors, at least we're starting with the one who's supposed to be reasonable."
"Reasonable by Emperor standards," Mihar corrected with a nervous laugh. "Which probably still means he could sink our ship without breaking a sweat."
"That's the spirit!" Ace declared, his enthusiasm infectious despite the dangerous nature of their mission. "Set course for Winter Island. It's time the Red Hair Pirates met the crew that's going to surpass them all."
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