The lively banquet in Amigasa Village gradually wound down as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. While the villagers, filled with rare, satisfying food, began to drift back to their homes with smiles on their faces, the core members of the Spade Pirates gathered around a crackling bonfire near their beached ship. The mood was somber, a stark contrast to the earlier festivities.
Deuce, ever the pragmatist, had a map spread out on a crate, weighted down by stones. His finger traced their location. "Alright, I've pieced together everything we learned from the village chief and the others," he began, his voice low and serious. "We've washed ashore near Amigasa Village, which is on the coast of the Kuri region in Wano Country. As you all know, this land isn't free. The current shogun is a man named Kurozumi Orochi, but he's just a puppet. The real power here, the one ruling this entire nation with an iron fist, is one of the Four Emperors—Kaido."
A heavy silence fell over the group. First Shanks, now Kaido. It seemed their journey into the New World was a crash course in confronting the world's most powerful pirates.
"Another Emperor's territory," Wallace, the stoic Fishman helmsman, rumbled, his deep voice laced with concern. "Our ship is in no condition to fight, and we're in no condition to flee. What's the plan, Captain?"
Deuce looked up from his map, his eyes scanning the faces of his crewmates. "That's the million-Berry question. The Piece of Spadille took a serious beating in that storm. We'll need days, maybe a week, to get her seaworthy again. Should we focus everything on repairs and slip away the moment we can, or… what?" He left the question hanging, knowing full well who would answer first.
Ace slammed his fist onto the crate, making the map jump. The firelight flickered across his face, illuminating the cold fury in his eyes. "Slip away?" he growled, the word tasting like ash in his mouth. "Did you see those people, Deuce? Did you see Tama? That little girl and all the other kids are starving while Orochi and Kaido feast. This country is sick to its core, and we're not just going to turn our backs on it." He stood up, his silhouette casting a long, dancing shadow. "We came to the New World to challenge the Emperors. Well, here one is. It doesn't matter if it's Whitebeard or Kaido. A ruler who lets his people starve doesn't deserve to rule."
Deuce sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked to the sky as if seeking divine intervention. "I knew you were going to say that," he muttered, a tone of weary resignation in his voice. "And you, Jerry? What's your take on this madness?"
Jerry had been staring into the flames, a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked up, his gaze steady. "I agree with Ace," he said calmly, causing Deuce to groan. "But not just because it's the right thing to do. Think about it strategically. Trying to sneak out is risky. We're in Kaido's territory. His surveillance must be everywhere. A quiet escape might not be an option."
He leaned forward, picking up a stick and drawing a line in the dirt. "If we're going to fight, we can't get bogged down in a war of attrition. We go straight for the head. We find Kaido and take him down. If he falls, his entire structure of control in this country crumbles. The people get their home back, and we do exactly what we came here to do." Jerry pointed with the stick toward the village, where the last of the families were disappearing into their small homes. "Look at them. They were ecstatic just to have one full meal. One. We have the power to change that. Why wouldn't we?"
The conviction in both Ace's and Jerry's voices was unshakable. The rest of the crew, who had been listening intently, nodded in agreement. They hadn't signed up for an easy journey; they had signed up to follow "Fire Fist" Ace, and this was the path he was choosing. The deformity of a country where children went hungry was a reality none of them could stomach.
With their course decided, the following days settled into a productive rhythm. Under the guidance of Mihar, who possessed the most theoretical knowledge of shipbuilding, the crew worked tirelessly to repair the Piece of Spadille. Planks were replaced, rigging was mended, and the hull was carefully patched.
Meanwhile, Jerry addressed their dwindling food supply. The game he hunted in the nearby forests, while plentiful, came with a dangerous caveat. The villagers warned that the meat was poisonous. As Deuce had grimly explained after a few crew members fell ill with stomach aches, the animals had been drinking from rivers contaminated by waste from Kaido's weapons factories. Their flesh was tainted.
For Jerry, this was a unique challenge. Recalling the principles of his Fishman Karate—the art of manipulating water—he began to experiment. Focusing his will, he found he could directly influence the moisture within the meat. By placing his hands on a cut of venison, he could feel the toxins suspended in the water. With intense concentration, he could literally squeeze the polluted water out, leaving behind purified flesh. The process was draining and couldn't remove every deep-seated trace of contamination, but it rendered the meat safe enough for the pirates' hardy constitutions. The worst side effect was, as one crewman crudely put it, "a few extra farts."
They gave their remaining ship stores to the villagers and subsisted on Jerry's filtered game, solving their food problem for the time being.
During breaks from work, the crew integrated into the small community. Ace, surprisingly, became fascinated with the local craft of weaving bamboo hats, a specialty of Amigasa Village. He spent hours sitting with Tama and her guardian, his large, powerful hands fumbling with the delicate reeds as he tried to learn the intricate patterns.
Jerry, in turn, became the village storyteller. While casting a line from the beach—a habit he couldn't break—he would entertain Tama and the other children with tales of the outside world, adapting stories from his past life. He told them of grand castles, talking animals, and heroic knights, his words painting vivid pictures that offered a brief escape from their harsh reality.
Time passed in this bubble of hard work and simple peace. The Piece of Spadille was beginning to look like a proper pirate ship again. The crew was united, their purpose clear. But they all knew this tranquility was borrowed.
The illusion shattered on a bright, clear afternoon.
A frantic cry erupted from the direction of the village. "They're here! They've taken the children!"
A group of villagers, their faces etched with terror, came sprinting towards the coast where the pirates were working. "A group of thugs from the capital! They came and rounded up dozens of our kids! They said something about experiments!"
"Hide! Everyone, hide!" a woman screamed, grabbing a child who had been playing near the ship and pulling him behind a large boulder. Tama and her Komainu, who had been watching Ace weave, scurried to hide within the ship's shadow, the small animal whimpering in fear.
Close behind the villagers, a gang of brutish men stormed out from the tree line. They were dressed in animal skins and heavy leather, their faces cruel and mocking. They were clearly not from Wano.
"Hey! What's that over there?" one of them shouted, spotting the pirate ship.
"Looks like a pirate crew! And look, more villagers and kids! Get them! The boss said not to leave any behind!"
The pirates stopped their work instantly.
"Beasts Pirates," Jerry said, his voice dangerously low as he recognized their attire. "Kaido's grunts."
Ace dropped the half-finished bamboo hat, his expression hardening into a mask of cold fury. "Good," he said simply. "We were going to go looking for them anyway. Let's get to it."
The two groups collided on the beach. It wasn't a battle; it was a rout. The Spade Pirates, moved with lethal efficiency. Punches landed with sickening crunches, and kicks sent the thugs flying. These were men used to terrorizing helpless villagers; against elite pirates, they stood no chance.
In less than two minutes, the sand was littered with the groaning bodies of Kaido's men.
The leader of the grunts, a man in a black coat and a cheap pirate hat, watched his crew get dismantled with wide, panicked eyes. He took a hesitant step back, intending to flee, but found his path blocked by Jerry.
Not wanting to waste a word, Jerry flicked his wrist. A small, smooth stone he'd been holding shot through the air and smacked the leader squarely on the back of his head. The man let out a yelp, staggered, and collapsed dramatically to the ground.
"Don't play dead," Jerry said, walking over to the prone figure. "I know exactly how hard I threw that. Get up, or I'll dig a hole and you can play dead in there permanently." He punctuated the threat with a swift, hard kick to the man's rear.
"Aaargh!" The leader scrambled up, clutching his backside and paling as he found himself surrounded by the grim-faced Spade Pirates.
Ace stepped forward, the air around him shimmering with heat. "No more games," he said, his voice a low growl. "Where did you take the children?"
"I-I-We're just the collection team!" the man stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. "We round them up, and then a higher-up comes to take them from us!"
Skull, ever the opportunist, stepped forward, casually pulling out a small, sharp knife and a polishing cloth. "Then you must know where the higher-ups take them, right?" he asked in a cheerful tone that was far more terrifying than any threat.
The leader's eyes darted to the gleam of the knife and he trembled. "I… I'm not sure! But… but I've seen the ships! They always head in the same direction! Towards Onigashima!"
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