Chapter 14: Luffy & Ace

Flames and smoke intertwined, then dispersed, and several balls of fire descended from the sky, crashing onto the ground, startling the nearby Marines, and causing them to collapse one by one.

Amid the smoke, a figure gradually emerged.

"Escaped, huh?"

Captain Smoker gazed at the burning flames, frowning. "What's the meaning of that man coming here?"

The captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, Portgas D. Ace.

Captain Smoker wasn't interested in his bounty; he had just fulfilled his duty as a Marine when they crossed paths.

"Captain Smoker!"

Tashigi rushed over from behind.

"Tashigi, where's Kuro?"

Captain Smoker glanced around.

Shaking her head in denial, Tashigi replied, "Haven't seen Mr. Kuro."

"Tch...order the Marines to continue the search. While looking for the Straw Hat crew and Ace, if you see Kuro, bring him back. It's not a time to be carefree; otherwise, why would I have him come to the Grand Line with me? If he had been here a moment ago, Portgas D. Ace wouldn't have escaped!"

.....

"Achoo!"

In the alley, Kuro suddenly sneezed.

"Huh? Does this monster catch a cold too?" Lida looked at him strangely.

"Don't joke around... maybe someone is thinking about me. For example, a gentle, beautiful, not wilful but reasonable big sister."

Kuro rubbed his nose and chuckled.

"Hmph! Someone like that won't be interested in a lazy guy like you." Lida stuck out her tongue.

Kuro shrugged indifferently and continued wandering through the city.

"I'm starving, I'm starving. Let's go eat after one more round of searching."

Lida began to pester.

"Is a million enough for you to eat? Stop yelling here. Besides, we need some capital. In Alabasta, there's a famous gambling city called 'Rainbase.' Let's get some capital there and make a fortune." Kuro suggested.

"I don't care. I can't resist any longer. This is the last search. If we don't find anything, we'll head back."

To quickly get something to eat, a hint of red flashed in Lida's eyes as she opened her Observation Haki, covering the entire city.

"I found them. There are the auras of twenty or thirty people in that direction!"

Lida showed a hint of joy and quickly ran towards the source.

"I can't stop you."

Kuro sighed and followed suit.

...

In the alley, Luffy grinned, "Hahaha, Ace, thanks a lot."

Leaning against the wall, Ace smiled slightly, "You're still so energetic."

Around them, a row of people lay defeated.

"Ahahaha, I'm so happy."

Luffy and Ace walked side by side, ignoring the remaining attackers, heading towards the harbor.

However, at that moment, a petite figure suddenly ran past them, excitedly pointing ahead, "It's here, Kuro, right here!"

Then, her gaze froze as she looked at the two figures in front of her.

"A kid?"

Ace glanced over, chuckled, and reached out to pat Lida's head, "Little one, go home obediently. It's too dangerous here; don't run around."

In his view, this little girl seemed to have wandered into the scene, probably frightened upon seeing so many uncles holding knives.

Lida's reaction confirmed his assumption; she stood there, staring blankly at Ace, not making a move.

Ace's hand reached out to pat Lida's head.

In an instant, he felt his body go weak, legs losing strength, and he knelt before her with a thud.

"You—"

Bang!

A foot swept across his face, sending him flying.

"Ace!"

Luffy exclaimed in shock, extending his arm to grab Lida, "What did you do to Ace?"

At the end of his sentence, his hand touched Lida's arm, and then his body went limp, "Ah... so tired, no strength left."

Without even looking, Lida patted her head, moved away from Luffy's hand, and said, "Who allowed you to touch my head, and... isn't this the Straw Hat kid?"

In Loguetown Square, the scene on the execution stand left a deep impression on her, and she remembered this person. Also, Kuro getting angry happened around that time.

Kuro and Clow happened to walk out from the corner, saw the situation, raised an eyebrow, and felt trouble.

Ace? Luffy?

Two big troubles.

Lida's Observation Haki currently could only sense the number of auras, and Kuro forgot to activate his Observation Haki, leading to not sensing the aura of strong individuals. Otherwise, he would have gone to eat earlier and avoided this trouble.

"Straw Hat kid!"

Closer to them, Clow also saw Luffy, his veins popping, "Great, finally ran into you. Let's settle the score for the East Blue Village!"

"Do you have a grudge against him too? Then let's catch him. It's only 30 million," Lida looked at the exhausted Luffy and said.

Kuro knocked her head, "When did you become so detached? 30 million, 'only'?"

"Ouch."

Lida held her head, pouting, "You said before we only catch the average, right? East Blue is 3 million, so the average bounty in the Grand Line is 30 million."

"Troublesome indeed," Kuro slapped his forehead, contemplating in his mind.

Release them?

It seemed like the right move; he couldn't afford to provoke the backgrounds of both individuals.

However, he suddenly thought, despite being cautious, he ended up setting sail after Luffy did, forced into the sea himself. A decade of careful planning had gone down the drain. This made Kuro reluctantly consider some cautiousness.

"If I arrest Luffy now before he causes trouble, at most, he'll be thrown into prison. With Garp's influence, he might even be released. If not released, he won't die. In other words... if he gets arrested now, the seas will calm down, and I can safely live out my life."

What?

The tides of the era?

What did it have to do with someone like him who just wanted to get ashore?

Kuro squinted, a dangerous glint shimmering in his eyes.

"It seems... I can stir up some trouble."

Kuro reached for the hilt of his sword, contemplating a move.

"Fire Fist!"

A massive flame shot directly at them.

Lida instantly transformed into a young girl, covering herself with Armament Haki, intercepting in front of Kuro.

The flames exploded from her hands, scattering in all directions, forming a wall of fire that blocked everyone's line of sight.

"Fire?!"

Lida was momentarily surprised, then sensed for a moment, "Kuro, they escaped!"

"Hmm," Kuro unsheathed [Kashu], and with a single swing, the pressure from the wind extinguished the flames. There was no trace of the two before him.

"They ran... well, let them run."

Kuro clicked his tongue, giving up on his thoughts.

It's better if they run; it saves trouble.

"Logia."

Lida pondered, feeling a bit doubtful. "Fire, Logia... it seems familiar."

"You guessed it. That's Portgas D. Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates." Kuro explained.

Lida widened her eyes. "The super rookie pirate who became famous two years ago? 'Fire Fist' Ace?!"

"Did I get into trouble? Will Ace hold a grudge? If he sets his sights on me, then Whitebeard might do the same."

Lida looked like she was about to cry. After all, everyone in the Grand Line knew how terrifying Whitebeard was.

Kuro, initially thinking it was troublesome, smiled and patted her head. "You're recruited by me. I promised to keep you safe, so I will. If he doesn't come, fine. If he does, we'll just capture him!"

His fear of trouble didn't mean he was afraid to face it. If it came to that, he wouldn't hesitate to start a war.

Kuro's plan was destined not to be implemented. After Ace ran away, he never returned.

That's fine. Only a fool would confront Whitebeard.

After collecting the money from those defeated by the two, Kuro and the others left.

Lida had some worries before. She ran to the East Blue because the Grand Line was too terrifying. Honestly, during this time, she felt extremely comfortable staying by Kuro's side, and she had even developed a dependence.

But the thought of Whitebeard made her face fall.

"Kuro, will you protect me? I eat so much and make trouble for you. Forget it; I'll go back to the East Blue. Being alone is better."

Walking on the road, Lida suddenly said.

Looking into Kuro's eyes, there was a hidden desire.

If Kuro agreed, she wouldn't be surprised. She had experienced such things before. She was used to it.

At least she shouldn't burden Kuro.

"What are you thinking all the time!"

Kuro sighed, "I'm a Marine. Not to mention you are now, even before, as long as you haven't committed a crime, you're a civilian. It's only natural for the Marines to protect civilians."

Lida pursed her lips, nodded heavily, took a deep breath, and suddenly said seriously to Kuro, "I believe you. If you betray me, I won't forgive you!"

"Kid, talking about forgiveness and betrayal, isn't that something you should be thinking about at your age!"

In his previous life, eighteen was an age of innocence and romance, carefree and without worries. Looking at this world, many people set out to become pirates at sixteen or seventeen, risking their lives.

Too darn different.

Like an old father, Kuro tousled Lida's head, then ran off first.

"Kuro!"

Lida yelled angrily, waving her fists, and chased after him.

Watching the playful pair, Clow pushed his glasses up, a slight smile on his lips, and followed them.

This kind of life is not bad at all, at least better than being a pirate, with fewer worries.

.....

On the way, they found a pawn shop, sold the gold and silver jewelry donated by the kind-hearted people, bought some snacks for Lida to fill her stomach, and then encountered the Marines looking for them, urging them to return.

Sitting on a broken wall, Smoker stared at the sea, silent for a while before saying, "Princess Vivi and the Straw Hat crew are mixed. How do you see it, Kuro?"

"There must be something fishy about this," Kuro said.

"Speak in plain language," Smoker said impatiently.

"How should I know?" Kuro rolled his eyes.

"Crocodile," Smoker held a cigar, slowly saying, "He is the only pirate in this country. If the Straw Hat crew came here, their target must be him. Find Crocodile, and everything will be clear."

Why are you asking me if you already have an idea?

Kuro smirked, "I mean, the Seven Warlords are in the same camp as us. Why bother looking for trouble with them?"

He had no desire to get involved with the Seven Warlords, especially the kind he didn't even want to see.

Meeting one Hawkeye was already troublesome enough. If he met another, he might not survive.

"I have no good feelings towards the Seven Warlords, Kuro. Regardless of what they are like, the essence of a pirate remains unchanged." 

"Moreover, that man was always good at scheming. Staying in a country for a long time, there must be no good intentions."

Smoker stood up, "Go to Rainbase. I want to know the truth."

Kuro shrugged, remaining silent.

Smoker glanced at him in surprise, "I thought you would object."

"I am a Marine. Anything related to pirates falls under our jurisdiction," Kuro stated firmly.

In reality, he just wanted to go to Rainbase to try his luck and make some money. 

At that time, with a disguise and observation haki, he could make a quick profit and leave without being recognized.

The group set off for Rainbase, and as soon as they arrived, Kuro slipped away.

This time, he didn't bring anyone with him. Despite comforting Lida earlier, she seemed a bit unpredictable and ready to cause trouble.

To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, he decided not to bring anyone and handed over the Kashu to Clow. After all, it wouldn't be good if someone recognized it.

He specifically changed into a Western suit, wore sunglasses, and attached a fake beard. The large gold chain and gold watch he left behind during the previous robbery came in handy.

As a result, Kuro's walking posture became swaggering, with hands in pockets, strides, and sways, just like Doflamingo.

A perfect imitation of an arrogant nouveau riche.

This appearance, let alone colleagues, even his parents from his past life wouldn't recognize him. Even if they did, they would probably pretend not to have a son like him.

While Kuro went gambling, Smoker and his team started investigating Rainbase.

Inside a secret office in the gambling city, a woman dressed in a sexy white outfit with a small white hat smirked slightly, saying to the man sitting across from her:

"It's interesting. The Straw Hat crew and Vivi are here. Strangely, the Marines are here too, led by Smoker."

"Smoker?" Crocodile, holding a cigar, spoke with a deep voice, "He has always disliked me since before. Don't worry about him. The Seven Warlords and the government are in the same camp. If he keeps bothering us, let him meet an unexpected death. What do you think, Nico Robin?"

"I thought we agreed not to call me that name. Despite that, there is a troublesome person we can't ignore."

Robin smiled gently, "That person is called Clow. I heard about him and used my ability to check. That man has a sword at his waist, supposedly belonging to our Mr. 11. Rumor has it he was captured by the Marines, so it should be him. He's the man praised by Hawkeye for having the potential to challenge the world's top spot."

"Clow?" Crocodile's expression darkened, "Ah... I've heard of him. He's a Marine, but isn't he in the East Blue?"

"That kind of man coming to the Grand Line is quite normal," Robin said.

"He's a trouble."

Crocodile was well aware of Hawkeye's strength. Although he wasn't afraid, having this man praised by Hawkeye causing trouble would indeed be troublesome.

"The plan is approaching, we can't afford any accidents. If the Marines cause trouble... I will personally deal with it!"

Crocodile stood up, squinting his eyes, his voice cold, "For this, even if we have to give up Rainbase, it's worth it!"

...

"So boring, Kuro goes to play fun things without taking me." Lida pouted, kicking stones out of boredom.

Tashigi was commanding the Marine divisions to search for the Straw Hat crew they encountered earlier. 

Smoker had chased after them earlier, but no one knew where he had gone.

...

"Ah-choo!"

Kuro sneezed inexplicably, "Who's talking about me?"

"Big!" Inside the gambling city, Kuro went all-in with his chips. "Open, big!" The staff announced loudly as they rolled the dice.

Using Observation Haki for gambling was unstoppable. Kuro never lost, and to avoid drawing attention, he would win and leave, then switch to other games.

However, because he never lost, it attracted quite a few people's attention, and some were planning to follow Kuro and make a move, much to Kuro's annoyance.

"That's enough, won about a small thirty million, it's time to stop."

Kuro was about to cash in his chips and leave when a massive roar echoed through the hall.

Boom!

The entire hall was shaking.

"Earth... earthquake!"

Guests panicked and started to flee, turning the entire hall into chaos.

Holding his chips, Kuro surveyed the deserted hall and asked a panicking staff member nearby, "Uh... can I continue?"

With everyone gone, it was the perfect time for him to showcase his skills!

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