„ACE?!"
Luffy's voice was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and pure, unadulterated joy. His jaw, already slack from the meat, dropped even further. „What are you doing here?!"
„Who is that?" the rest of the crew asked in a single, bewildered chorus.
Only Mario remained silent, his heart swelling with a potent mix of awe and poignant sadness. There he was, in the flesh: Portgas D. Ace. A worn brown sack was slung over his broad shoulders, strategically covering the proud mark of the Whitebeard Pirates tattooed across his back. His body shimmered with a corona of living flame, heat haze distorting the air around him. Mario had always wondered how a Logia-type Devil Fruit would truly manifest. Luffy's rubber was intrinsic, Wapol's gluttony was grotesque, but this… this was elemental power made flesh. It was breathtaking, a display of raw, controlled power that was far more spectacular than any manga panel could convey.
"Give it a rest, Smoker," Ace said, his voice laced with a confident, almost playful smirk. The flames around his shoulders danced with his words. "You might have the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, but you could never defeat my Flame-Flame Fruit. It's a bad matchup for you."
He then turned his attention from the fuming Marine captain, his gaze sweeping over the Straw Hats before landing fondly on his little brother. "Yo, Luffy! Always getting into trouble, I see." The affection in his voice was as warm as his flames.
"Go on now," Ace urged, his tone shifting to one of brotherly command. "I'll catch up with you!"
Luffy, trusting his brother implicitly, didn't hesitate. "EVERYONE, DEPART!" he yelled, already bouncing towards the Going Merry.
The crew, though confused, sprang into action with practiced efficiency. Zoro and Sanji began untying the ropes, Nami rushed to the helm, and Usopp helped a still-sniffling Chopper aboard. Mario was the last to move, forcing his feet to carry him onto the ship, his head craned for one last look at the fiery figure holding the line for them. As the Merry pulled away from the dock and into the open sea, the image of Ace standing tall against Smoker, a beacon of protective flame, was seared into Mario's memory—a brilliant, fleeting moment of glory before the long, dark shadow of a future.
***
„BROTHER?!"
The word erupted from the entire crew in a unified shout of disbelief, all of them crowding around Luffy where he perched on the ship's railing, grinning like a fool.
"Yep! Ace is my older brother!" Luffy announced, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I'm not surprised you have a brother," Zorro grunted, "but what's a guy like that doing here?"
"Ace is a pirate, too! He's also searching for the One Piece," Luffy explained proudly. "But he was older, so he left our hometown three years before I did."
"And he's a Devil Fruit user?" Sanji questioned, impressed despite himself.
"That surprised me, too!" Luffy laughed. "Ace is strong! But we haven't seen each other in a long time. I could probably take him now."
"Oh? You could take who on now?" a familiar, amused voice cut in.
In a blur of motion, Ace landed gracefully on the railing, his arrival so swift it seemed he'd materialized from the air itself. The impact sent Luffy tumbling to the deck with a comical yelp.
"ACE!"
Luffy sprang back to his feet instantly, not with anger, but with pure joy, launching himself at his brother in a rubbery, bone-crushing hug that Ace returned with a fond laugh.
Once disentangled, Ace turned his warm gaze upon the stunned Straw Hats. "You must be his crew," he said, a genuine, appreciative smile on his face, he bowed deeply. "I want to thank you all for taking care of my little brother. I know he can be a handful."
The sheer sincerity and respect in the gesture melted any remaining surprise. "No problem!" they all chorused back, their own smiles wide and welcoming.
Mario watched, still caught in a surreal daze. Ace was here. The chaotic black hair, the playful freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks, the confident yet easygoing posture—it was all so vibrantly, undeniably real. His voice, rich and cheerful, filled the space with a warmth no animated rendition could ever capture. Just like Luffy, Ace possessed a magnetic charisma that drew people in effortlessly. Within moments, he was chatting easily with everyone, his laughter mingling with theirs.
"Let me make you something!" Sanji declared, already rolling up his sleeves, the chef in him unable to let a guest go unfed.
"You really don't need to trouble yourself," Ace said, raising a hand in polite refusal. "I really must be going—"
But before he could finish, Mario spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "Come on now. As our captain said, you haven't seen each other in years. I'm sure that one day won't change anything."
Ace paused, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin. The weariness of a long, fruitless hunt was visible in the slight slump of his shoulders. "Well... it's true. The trail of the man I'm after went cold some time ago..."
"You're searching for someone?" Luffy asked, his head tilting.
"Yes," Ace said, his cheerful demeanor clouding over, his expression turning dark and serious. "For a pirate." He spat the word out like a curse. "His name is Blackbeard. He did the unthinkable... he killed one of his own crewmates." The air around Ace seemed to grow warmer, a subtle, dangerous heat radiating from him as he spoke, his fists clenching unconsciously. "I've been after him for some time now. I was close on Drum Island, but I lost the trail, which led me here to Alabasta." He let out a frustrated sigh, the fire in his eyes dimming to embers.
"Then you should definitely stay with us for a day," Mario insisted gently, seeing the perfect opening. "Maybe take a moment to unwind and clear your head. Surely, a fresh perspective could help a new idea come to mind?"
"Yes, Ace! We would love to have you as our guest!" Nami added with a warm, welcoming smile.
Ace looked at the earnest faces surrounding him—his brother's hopeful grin, the crew's open hospitality, and the simple, logical kindness in Mario's words. The rigid tension in his frame slowly eased. A small, genuine smile broke through his grim resolve.
"Well..." he relented, the warmth returning to his voice. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay for just one day." The decision made, the formidable Fire Fist Ace officially became a guest of the Straw Hat Pirates, accepting a brief, precious respite in his vengeful quest. The joyful reunion was abruptly interrupted by the ominous creak of wood and the shouts of approaching voices. Five Baroque Works ships, their gaudy emblems glaring in the sun, closed in on the Going Merry, having spotted the infamous pirate in their midst.
"Look! It's the 2nd Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace! On that ship!" a bounty hunter cried out. "If we can kill him, the reward will be immense!"
Their greedy voices carried clearly across the water, shattering the peaceful atmosphere.
"Sigh. Smallfry," Zorro grumbled, already reaching for his swords, his expression one of profound annoyance.
But before anyone else could move, Ace held up a hand. A relaxed, almost bored smile played on his lips. "Oh, don't trouble yourselves. Let me take care of that. Then we can have some peace and quiet."
With an effortless, fluid motion, he vaulted over the Merry's railing and landed squarely on his tiny, one-man boat. Then, in a display of power that left the crew staring, flames erupted from his legs, not to attack, but to propel. The small craft shot forward across the waves like a comet, skimming the surface and leaving a trail of steam in its wake.
"Awesome! Go get 'em, Ace!" Luffy cheered, bouncing up and down with excitement.
They watched, mesmerized, as the fiery skiff sped directly towards the line of enemy ships. As he neared them, Ace didn't slow. He leaped from his boat, using the momentum to soar high into the air. As he jumped, a roaring inferno enveloped him, and he became a living meteor, arcing gracefully over all five ships in a single, breathtaking bound. He landed lightly back on his boat as it slid out the other side of the formation.
He didn't even look back. He simply raised a single hand, clenched it into a fist, and coolly uttered, "Flame Fist."
A colossal, roaring fist of pure, concentrated fire erupted from his arm. It wasn't a wild blast; it was a precise, unstoppable lance of destruction. It punched a clean, smoldering hole clean through the hull of the first ship, then the second, and the third, until it had torn through all five vessels in a single, devastating strike. The sound was a deafening WHOOSH of igniting air followed by the groan of splintering wood. Almost instantly, the ships began to list, then sink, their structures utterly compromised.
Ace stood calmly on his little boat, the flames around him subsiding, a faint, confident grin on his face as he watched his work.
On the deck of the Going Merry, a stunned silence was broken by the synchronized, awe-stricken voices of Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper.
"So... COOL!" they breathed in unison, their eyes wide as saucers. It was a display of power on a scale they had rarely witnessed—not just destructive, but executed with an effortless, almost casual mastery that was both terrifying and magnificent.