The ice spread across Bon Clay's ship until it reached the sea, freezing it. It didn't stop there; it continued expanding toward the coast. Meanwhile, Allen walked across the ice bridge suspended above the ocean.
Each of his steps left behind a trail of freezing mist and carried a sense of oppression into the hearts of Mr. 2's crew.
'Incredibly, Level 3 allows me to do something like this,' Allen thought.
They were in the Kingdom of Alabasta, whose island, Sandy Island, was famous for its dry climate and intense heat.
Calling this place an island was almost funny. Its surface was so vast that it contained its own desert. It was so enormous that even the previous three islands—Cactus, Little Garden, and Nanimonai—combined couldn't compare to it in size. It was so expansive that once you traveled deeper inland, you could easily forget that you were surrounded by the sea, unlike on other islands.
Even so, the entire coast of Nanohara was slowly freezing due to the Ice Logia's Skill.
[That only demonstrates the capability of the original Ice Logia. I wouldn't be surprised if the current user of that fruit could freeze hundreds of miles, perhaps even connect two islands with ice.]
Allen had once heard that there were twenty million islands in the world, but in the Grand Line, crossing only four islands was enough to reach the first half of Paradise, meaning the distance between islands was measured in hundreds of nautical miles.
Freezing that sounded insane, but seeing how only Level 3 of the Hie Hie no Mi's basic freezing ability allowed him to freeze the entire coast of a city made him think it wasn't that far-fetched.
'Original user.' Allen frowned, paused, and turned to look at Robin.
The woman was slightly hunched over. There seemed to be beads of sweat on her face and a faint paleness to her complexion, but when she noticed Allen's concerned gaze, she shook her head and returned his look, assuring him that she was fine.
Allen knew Robin had seen her homeland disappear. It had happened under the orders of the World Government, but the real issue was how it had happened.
One of the causes was something called a Buster Call. According to Robin, it was a coordinated assault by five warships commanded by five Vice Admirals. Their firepower had wiped out everything on that island.
Allen clenched his fist. Just imagining an eight-year-old Robin watching her entire homeland engulfed in flames made him furious.
It had caused a trauma she was still trying to overcome, yet that wasn't the only thing she feared.
At that time, an Admiral had appeared. He was the current user of the Ice Logia, Admiral Aokiji.
According to Robin, the Admiral had frozen her old friend, the giant Saul, to death when he tried to help her escape.
Knowing that, Allen had confessed to Robin that he had a skill of the Ice Logia. He had no intention of using them in front of her, but unexpectedly, she insisted that he should.
– You can't hold back for something like that. Every bit of power that can help you is essential. If you got hurt because of that, I'd never forgive myself. Besides, I can't keep running away forever either. –
Allen smiled at Robin upon seeing her try so hard, then turned toward Bon Clay and continued walking.
...
As Allen approached, everyone on the ship descended into hysteria. They pointed their weapons at him and prepared to fire, yet no one dared to be the first, fearing retaliation.
"..." Allen ignored all of it and continued walking across the ice.
"Don't come any closer!" shouted a Baroque Works member, aiming a pistol at Allen, but his hand trembled before he fired.
The bullet passed by Allen's head without even grazing him. Seeing that Allen neither retaliated nor even reacted, the rest of the crew gathered their courage.
"Fire!"
"We have to attack or we'll die!"
Whether human or animal, when faced with mortal danger, there are three possible reactions: freeze, flee, or fight.
They chose the third.
The guns roared, and dozens of bullets flew toward Allen. In response, he stopped walking.
"Tekkai Lv. 3."
The bullets struck his body with metallic clangs before falling to the ground. Even at Level 1, this Skill had allowed him to block Hachi's attacks. Now, at Level 3, not even hundreds of bullets posed a problem.
By instinct, Bon Clay's men continued firing until they ran out of ammunition. Yet Allen remained standing there without a scratch, while the deformed bullets lay scattered at his feet.
"What a monster..." one pirate gasped.
"We're dead!" Another fell to his knees and grabbed his head.
Despair filled every heart.
"I feel like I'm being underestimated," Allen mocked. "Did you really think bullets could pierce my body? Did you really think five ordinary ships could stop me? Did you really believe you could take my head?"
Many men fell backward onto the deck in terror. It was true. They were facing a pirate with a bounty of 300 million. Their ambush had been nothing more than a joke.
After seeing that no one dared fire again, Allen lost interest. He jumped and landed on the ship's deck, focusing his attention on Bon Clay.
"Based on your appearance, I'll assume you're Mr. 2... Bon Clay."
Having Robin on his side was a devastating blow to Baroque Works. She knew far more than Mikita and Vivi, meaning Baroque Works was completely exposed before Allen.
"..." Bon Clay didn't answer.
This was supposed to be Crocodile's second-strongest subordinate, yet he had fallen to his knees.
"Was I mistaken?" Allen asked in disappointment.
Aside from Mr. 2's strange appearance, he had remained steadfast even after witnessing the Black Pearl's power. Because of that, Allen had decided he deserved at least some respect and intended to face him personally. Apparently, that wouldn't be necessary.
"Fine." Allen pulled out a gold coin and began flipping it through his fingers. "Among pirates, blood and gold are the currencies of payment. I won't be a monster. My issue is with Crocodile. If you hand him over, you can leave."
In most pirate crews, loyalty had a price. When their own lives were at risk, many chose to abandon their comrades. Sometimes treasure or gold alone was enough to buy betrayal. Of course, Allen had no intention of allowing his own crew to become like that. That was why he still hadn't truly accepted Mikita and that's why he hadn't forced Hina and Tashigi to join his crew. He wanted them to join him wholeheartedly, or at the very least, like Vivi, who had done so sincerely.
Upon hearing Allen's words, Crocodile's men were stunned. Some exchanged glances with one another. Though there was doubt, Allen could tell that many of them were beginning to consider talking.
As for why Allen was doing this when he already knew Crocodile was in Rainbase, it was because he didn't believe Crocodile was stupid enough to remain there after learning of Robin's betrayal.
"Wait!"
Bon Clay, who had remained silent all this time, slammed his head into the deck, cracking it. Then he raised his head, blood running down his forehead, and looked at Allen with an angry, grim expression.
"Oh..." Allen smiled with interest. "A moment ago, you'd already given up. What changed?"
"I lost," Bon Clay said solemnly. "I accepted that and accepted my fate. However, if your target is my friend, then I must fight you!"
Allen was surprised.
"I don't understand." Allen frowned. "As far as I know, Crocodile isn't exactly the best boss. On the contrary, he lied to all of Baroque Works. He doesn't want a utopia for you. He's after something else... and you, Mr. 2, should know that."
Bon Clay's men looked bewildered. The Millions and Billions had joined Baroque Works with the hope that once Mr. Zero took over the country, they would be able to live peacefully without fear of the Marines.
"Because Zero-chan is my friend!" Bon Clay smiled as he assumed a fighting stance. He was a martial artist who practiced Okama Kenpo.
"What a waste of loyalty. But fine, I respect it." Allen smiled as well, his gaze sharpening. "Now show me that resolve, Bon Clay!"
"That's exactly what I intend to do! Okama Kenpo!"
Bon Clay leaped forward, extending his leg like a ballet dancer.
Allen blocked the kick and immediately punched Bon Clay in the stomach. The impact launched him off the ship and into the ice, creating a crater.
That was it...
Bon Clay didn't get back up.
Allen walked to the ship's railing and looked down at him. Bon Clay's eyes had rolled back, and blood trickled from his mouth, yet he was still breathing.
"You, go save him," Allen ordered Bon Clay's men.
They remained stunned and didn't move immediately.
"A man who dies with honor deserves respect, but a man who fights for someone else is worthy of admiration. Now don't make me repeat myself."
The men quickly obeyed.
Allen was prepared to return to his ship. Of course, he intended to take everything valuable from this vessel. After all, he was still a pirate, and they had to pay for their offense.
...
"I've seen something interesting..." a male voice said with an amused tone.
"...!"
Allen stopped in his tracks, and his gaze shifted toward the ship's swan figurehead.
Someone was crouching there—a young man with black hair wearing shorts and black boots. He was shirtless, exposing his torso and the tattoo on his left arm that read A(S)CE. He wore two bracelets, one of which was a Log Pose, along with two necklaces, one made of red beads and another of a pendant. Most striking of all was his orange hat decorated with one smiling face and one sad face.
"Allen, be careful!" Hina shouted from the Black Pearl. "That's Portgas D. Ace! Whitebeard's Second Division Commander!"
The girls paled. They had heard that name more than once because whenever Allen acquired a Skill, he also learned the name of its current user.
"What do you want, Whitebeard man?!" Allen smiled, his gaze sharp. There was no courtesy in his voice. After all, this man appeared as a red dot on his mini-map.
"Just curiosity and a question." Ace smiled slightly as he tipped his hat with a finger, revealing his eyes. "Curiosity about the crazy guy who challenged that old bastard right after leaving his nest, and a question. Why do you have Pops' power?"
"No way..." Robin felt her legs weaken from aboard the ship.
She knew who Ace was and how powerful he was. It was far too dangerous for Allen to face him already.
She had to do something, and she crossed her arms.
Not only Robin. Nojiko raised Belle-mère's rifle, and Uta prepared herself to sing. Even if she couldn't drag Ace into her world, she might at least weaken him.
Seeing this, Nami sprang into action and ran toward the cargo hold to aim the cannons at Ace.
Hina and Tashigi didn't know what to do. No matter how one looked at it, even most vice admirals couldn't say for sure that they would defeat Portgas D. Ace if they had to fight him.
That's the level Portgas D. Ace was at!
Tashigi tightened her grip on her katana's hilt. She didn't even think about her own safety or whether she should help Allen. She was already prepared to fight.
As for Mikita and Vivi, they didn't understand the sudden change in atmosphere, though they paled the moment they heard Whitebeard's name.
Kaya gripped the railing anxiously.
"I see..." Ace said as he stood up and grabbed his hat. "I'd heard some unpleasant rumors, but it seems you're not trash after all."
'Lenalee, move the ship away...'
[Alright. Be careful. This will be a dangerous fight.]
'I know!'
The Black Pearl's sails unfurled, and the ship began to move. Naturally, Allen hadn't frozen his own ship, allowing it to sail freely.
"What is Lenalee doing?!" Nami exclaimed.
A scroll appeared in front of her.
[Sorry. Captain's orders.]
"That idiot!" Nami clenched the scroll as she trembled and fell to her knees.
She knew it. They were too weak to help Allen. It was almost ridiculous that all they could do was watch him fight from afar.
The scroll didn't disappear. Instead, Lenalee spoke again.
[Nami, are you willing to become stronger?]
Nami raised her head. Those words were peculiar. Lenalee hadn't asked if she wanted strength, power, or whether she was willing to make sacrifices. She had simply asked if she was willing to become stronger.
[Allen has a method that could make you all stronger. However, he hasn't done it, nor has he even mentioned it, because it involves something uncomfortable for him. More than that, he may be afraid of hurting you and Kaya in particular.]
"..." Nami remained silent before wiping away her tears and adopting a determined expression.
"What is this method?"
...
"Thank you," Allen said.
He had waited until the Black Pearl had moved away. There had been no need for it, but Ace had allowed it, so even with Allen's ego, he offered his thanks.
"You're an interesting guy," Ace said with a smile that didn't diminish his hostility. "You're willing to lower your head for your crew."
"They're not just my crew," Allen replied.
He remained calm, though he couldn't stop a faint smile from appearing.
"They're everything I have in this world."
Ace's eyes widened before he lowered his hat and smiled again. One might think this could be resolved through words, since Ace appeared less hostile now, but that wasn't the case.
Allen activated his Observation Haki.
They were pirates on the sea—two crews with no personal grudge against one another, yet no reason to be friendly either.
In the New World, pirate crews were often destroyed by Yonko crews.
Even Dracule Mihawk, a relatively peaceful man, had destroyed Don Krieg's fleet for no apparent reason.
The moment you raised a Jolly Roger on your ship, the games were over. You were risking your life.
Allen understood that, which was why he didn't attempt further conversation. After all, he didn't know Ace's personality. However, he did know that Whitebeard wasn't Mother Teresa.
As for Ace, he stood before the super rookie everyone was talking about—the guy who had dared challenge the Marines and now appeared to be after Crocodile's head.
There was a moment of silence before everything exploded into action.
Ace's arm transformed into fire.
So did Allen's.
"HIKEN!"
Bon Clay's ship erupted into flames. As for the crew, they had already escaped.
Allen retreated and landed on the frozen sea, his expression serious.
At the moment of impact, his own fire fist had been swallowed by Ace's. It was normal. According to Lenalee, Ace had mastered his Devil Fruit to Level 5. For Allen to withstand that level directly, he would need at least 500 million in strength.
"Interesting..." Ace said as he stepped out of the burning ship completely unharmed.
"..." Allen frowned.
[He's stronger than you. You'll have to enhance your Skills by using them in synergy!]
Just like with the punch he had used against Garp, Allen could combine Skills to unleash power beyond his current level. Of course, doing so drained him quickly, which meant he needed to finish Ace as fast as possible.
"Oh, I see you haven't given up—" Ace said.
"Soru!" Allen appeared directly in front of Ace and immediately extended his hand, activating the Slow-Slow Fruit Skill.
"Noro Beam!"
"Wh—?!"
Ace felt a strange power slowing his movements. All he could do was watch as Allen's fist turned jet black.
Haki?!
"Fist of Love Lv. 3!" Allen struck, and the impact created an explosion of flames.
Ace smiled, a bead of sweat running down his cheek, as he blocked Allen's punch with his arm.
Even after being caught off guard and affected by the Noro Beam, he had still managed to stop the attack. As expected of Whitebeard's Second Division Commander.
The two looked at one another before smiling, letting themselves be carried away by the heat of battle.
"Gura Gura Lv. 3!" Allen shouted.
"Enkai!" Ace shouted back.
The air shattered beneath Allen's punch as it collided with Ace's wall of flames.
An eruption of fire rose into the sky while the entire city of Nanohara began to tremble.
No one understood why, but out of nowhere, Portgas D. Ace and Allen Walker had begun fighting in Alabasta—a piece of news that would undoubtedly shock the entire world.
====
A/N: Why is Haki visible when it's supposed to be invisible? Who knows—ask Lucifer. 🍷🗿
Patreon.com/_Aizen