You Have the Potential to Be the Miner of the Year

"Hey, kid, this has nothing to do with you. It's already generous of us to let you leave after meddling in our affairs. You'd better know your place."

Although the Beasts Pirates allow members to challenge for higher positions, their hierarchical system is very strict. They would never disobey such an order. Seeing Ace not knowing what was good for him, some people couldn't stand it anymore.

"Take them somewhere else first; I'll handle this."

"Understood, Sister Isuka."

After the fight ended, they planned to leave with the people they had taken in. Meanwhile, Isuka posed a question to Ace.

"Even if we really were planning something, what can you even do to stop me? Even so, do you still want to stand in our way?"

"So what if I do? Some things just have to be done. Don't underestimate me—I still have plenty of moves I haven't used yet."

"No matter what you use, it won't change the inherent gap between us. If you want to beat me, go train in the New World for a year or two first. Without Haki, you're not even qualified to say this."

She paused and added, "But don't overthink it. We're not human traffickers. We're just taking them somewhere to learn."

Considering that Ace took action to stop the cannonballs earlier, Isuka offered him a brief explanation.

"If you're that worried, you can come along. How about it? Want to join us? If it's you, Lord Arceus and Lord Kaido probably wouldn't object."

Arceus valued character, and Kaido only cared about strength. Judging by either standard, Ace seemed like a good fit for now.

Although he wasn't a Zoan-type, his status as a Super Rookie already met Kaido's recruitment threshold. Even Ace's meddlesome nature could be considered a kind of virtue.

Recruiting rookies was a common practice for all major pirate crews, and Isuka also had the authority to suggest candidates.

Caught off guard as the conversation turned to him, Ace was momentarily at a loss—this was the first time he had ever received such an offer.

Before he could respond, several Marines, surprisingly, got back on their feet.

"Lami!"

"Ah, sorry, Sister Isuka, I misjudged the dosage. These guys have pretty strong constitutions."

Seeing the Marines getting up, Lami repeated her earlier actions. The poison she used wasn't lethal. If Queen had been the one here, not a single Marine would have survived—he never held back.

But Lami and Isuka were different. They didn't like killing, especially since Lami's ability allowed them to subdue opponents quickly.

The Marines here were a prime example. After a period of paralysis, they would return to normal.

"Such a waste of potential," was Queen's evaluation of Lami. To him, Lami had failed to grasp the essence of her ability, her concerns limiting her from fully showcasing this ability's potential.

This strange situation, however, made Ace believe their words. These people were fundamentally different from human traffickers, who would never show mercy to their enemies.

"Kid, are you still hesitating? This is an invitation from the Beasts Pirates! Do you know how many pirates dream of using this flag but aren't qualified? If you join us, you won't need to fear anything in the New World."

"The New World is nothing like Paradise. It's hard to survive there without a backer. You'd better think it through."

As Ace remained silent, a few of the people on the side chimed in with their own opinions. But Ace showed no sign of being tempted.

"Well, sorry, but I don't want to join anyone—not Kaido, nor Whitebeard. They're all just obstacles on my path. I'll defeat every single one of them!"

For a moment, the air was still. The Beasts Pirates members stared at Ace in disbelief, even patting their ears as if to make sure they had heard correctly. But as they remembered this was Sabaody Archipelago, it all started to make sense.

"Pfft... Hahaha... Haha! Sorry, that was too funny. I couldn't hold it in. Please, continue..."

Lami covered her mouth and walked off to the side, but her laughter sparked a chain reaction among the surrounding pirates. They began to laugh one after another, their eyes containing a hint of disdain.

"Interesting. So, you are planning to challenge Mr. Kaido?"

"No. According to my plan, I'll first visit Shanks, then challenge Whitebeard. As for Kaido, I'll deal with him after I defeat Whitebeard."

Hearing Ace's grand ambitions, Isuka blinked in mild disbelief. Among the four Emperors of the New World, Ace seemed intent on challenging nearly all of them by himself.

"In your dreams, anything's possible. You can't even beat me. Where do you get the confidence to challenge Mr. Kaido?"

"I told you, don't underestimate me! If you don't believe me, find a bigger place. That was only part of my strength..."

"Not interested. But I do look forward to seeing you challenge Mr. Kaido. By the way, do you know how to mine?"

"Mine? No, why are you asking?"

"Because I think you have great potential to become this year's best miner. Best of luck staying alive long enough to reach our territory. When that day comes, I'll recommend you to Mr. Kaido."

Isuka didn't explain the meaning behind "miner" and simply turned to leave with her subordinates.

Convincing a rookie with such lofty dreams was impossible. They'd never admit defeat until they hit a wall themselves.

So, Isuka understood that she couldn't persuade him with words. Besides, if a Logia User truly went all out, the destruction caused would definitely be significant. Anyway, her main task wasn't to recruit such people. With her goodwill rejected, she naturally lost interest.

What Ace didn't know was that, at that very moment, Wano Country's mines were full of "troublemakers" like him—idealistic young men with grand dreams. This reflected the unique approaches of the Sea Emperors.

Challenge Charlotte Linlin, and there's a slim chance you might become her son-in-law, though it's far more likely she'll steal your lifespan.

Challenge Shanks, and you'd typically lose a piece of yourself—most often your left hand. If Shanks takes a liking to you, he might just throw a banquet and send you on your way.

Challenge Whitebeard, and if he doesn't see a value in you, he might hand you over to the Marines for a bounty. If he does see value in you, he'll adopt you as one of his "sons."

Challenge Kaido, and you'll end up in the mines for forced labor if you lose. You either join him or work until death.

These were the consequences of losing the challenge. And as for succeeding? That was nothing but a joke. These four monsters aren't someone a rookie without a halo can defeat.

…..

After wrapping up the chaos of the day, Ace and Deuce returned to their ship and shared their experiences with their crewmates.

"Boss Ace, it might be inappropriate to say this, but... you need to understand the gap in strength."

After listening to Ace's story, Skull mulled it over and decided to speak up.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked.

"Those two women... did they have tattoos or symbols resembling numbers on them?"

"Uh... the one using poison didn't, but the leader's clothes had a number seven on them. Why?"

"That's how the Beasts Pirates rank their members by strength. They fight among themselves to determine their status. If she's ranked seven, it means there are at least six people stronger than her. Boss Ace, do you understand what that means?"

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