Chapter 94 Ace, Headquarters Talk, Invicible Tokikake

Author: Xiao Yifeng

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

In the chaotic port city of Alabasta, a storm was brewing. A white serpent of smoke, a living lasso conjured from the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, shot through the streets. Captain Smoker was on the hunt, and his prey was Fire Fist Ace.

Ace's eyes narrowed. In a flash of defiance, his right arm erupted into a column of fire. "Flame-Flame Fist!" he roared, the inferno colliding with the smoke in a hissing, swirling vortex.

But the confrontation was a feint. As fire and smoke battled for dominance, a new threat sliced through the air—a black, sea-stone tipped spear aimed directly for Ace's heart. With reflexes born from countless battles, Ace snuffed out his flame, tapping the ground with his toes to launch himself backward. The spear slammed into the spot where he'd just stood, kicking up a crater of dust and shattered stone.

Ace landed lightly, his gaze locking onto the two Marines who now stood before him: Smoker, chewing on his signature trio of cigars, and "Black Cage" Hina, her expression unreadable.

"Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace," Smoker's gravelly voice cut through the tension. "What business do you have in Alabasta?" He pressed further, his eyes sharp with suspicion. "And where are you headed?"

Ace, normally all easy smiles and charm, was a mask of cold fury. The warmth had vanished, replaced by an icy edge. "You're not qualified to ask me that," he snapped, his voice tight with an irritation that bordered on desperation.

He was anxious. A brief, tense conversation with Princess Vivi had sent him racing to find his younger brother, only to run headlong into a Navy roadblock. Normally, a scrap with a few Marines wouldn't faze him, but now was different. A cold dread gripped him—the fear that Luffy was in danger, hurt, or worse. That worry eclipsed everything else.

He glared at Smoker and Hina, his posture leaving no room for negotiation. "I'm leaving," he stated, his voice low but carrying the unmistakable weight of command. "And I'd like to see who dares to stop me."

As the words left his lips, a palpable wave of pressure rolled outwards—the raw, untamed force of his Conqueror's Haki washing over everyone in the vicinity.

-----

In the Fleet Admiral's office at Marine Headquarters, the air was thick with tension, punctuated only by the rhythmic snoring of a living legend.

"Zzzz... zzzz..."

Sengoku's eye twitched. Finally, his patience snapped. He slammed his fist on his desk, the sound echoing like a cannon shot. "Garp! Wake up, you old fool! This is not your nap room!"

Garp startled awake, a look of pure confusion on his face. "Huh?" The confusion quickly melted into a booming laugh. "Hahaha! What's wrong, Sengoku? Want to challenge me to a rice cracker eating contest?"

Sengoku's face turned purple. "Who wants to compete with you?! And those crackers are mine!" Garp just laughed harder, thoroughly enjoying his friend's irritation.

Sighing, Sengoku forced himself to calm down. Arguing further would only result in another broken desk. "Forget the crackers, Garp. We have a bigger problem," he said, his tone heavy. "Your grandson has stirred up a real hornet's nest."

Garp, far from concerned, beamed with pride, nonchalantly digging in his nose. "Hahaha! That's my boy!"

Sengoku's frustration boiled over. "Your son, Dragon, is the World Government's most wanted man! Now your grandson is out raising hell as a pirate, attracting this kind of trouble! You need to reflect on this, Garp! This can't continue!" He slammed his hand down again, this time cracking the wood. "And don't think I don't know you went to have a word with Tokikake before he deployed!"

Garp remained utterly unfazed. "Hahaha! I just asked the kid to rough him up a little for me if he ran into Luffy," he replied, his grin wide and shameless.

-----

The battle was a whirlwind of chaos. Vice-Admiral Tokikake moved with a terrifying, almost lazy grace. A single, contemptuous slash from his sheathed katana sent Zoro hurtling through a building. He then flowed toward Luffy, his left fist, blackened with Armament Haki, snapping forward to smash into the rubber captain's face. Without pausing, he pirouetted, his right leg lashing out in a Tempest Kick that sent a volley of air blades crashing into Bai Ye, the crew's enigmatic strategist known as the Priest, shattering his Golden Light Curse. With a final, fluid motion, he used Paper-Drawing to weave through a storm of Usopp's explosive stars.

"Still not ready to give up, Straw Hat boys?" Tokikake's voice was calm, almost cheerful, cutting through the din. After ten minutes of combat, he was untouched. Not a speck of dust on his immaculate uniform, his breathing slow and even.

The Straw Hats were another story. Luffy, their captain, was a wreck. Tokikake seemed to be taking a perverse pleasure in aiming exclusively for his face, and Bai Ye grimly wondered if Garp's "request" was being followed to the letter. The Priest himself was in a bad way. He had thrown every Qimen technique in his arsenal at the Vice-Admiral, but his most powerful attacks barely seemed to register, doing little more than rustling the man's coat.

The problem wasn't his art; it was his own raw power. Bai Ye knew that with greater mastery, his techniques could shift landscapes and challenge emperors. But that knowledge was useless here, now. He pushed his Golden Light Curse to its breaking point, drawing on forbidden skills from the Taomen Jilu just to keep up. The borrowed power came at a steep price, leaving hidden fractures throughout his body, injuries far worse than the visible cuts. His clothes were shredded, his signature shawl hung in tatters, and a dozen deep gashes crisscrossed his body.

Zoro and Sanji fought with valiant ferocity, but their strongest attacks whiffed through the air as Tokikake sidestepped them with insulting ease. Nami and Usopp, despite their improved abilities thanks to the Bai Ye's tonics, were hopelessly outmatched, relegated to harassment fire from the sidelines. Across the battlefield, Chopper clutched three Rumble Balls, ready to unleash his monstrous side on Luffy's command.

The situation was grim. Even Bai Ye, the always-confident Priest, wore a mask of solemn focus.

Tokikake, observing their battered forms, simply smiled. "Whatever your purpose in Alabasta is, it's irrelevant now," he declared, his tone dismissive. He gestured with his sheathed sword, the tip seeming to lock onto all of them at once. "I'll be taking you in. Unless," he added, his smile widening into a predatory grin, "you'd like to go another round?"