Chapter 18: Admiral Aokiji Arrives!

Chapter 18: Admiral Aokiji Arrives!

"He's not dead."

Seeing that the Celestial Dragon still had a pulse, Ace clicked his tongue in annoyance. Without hesitation, he stepped forward to finish the job.

Normally, even with enemies, Ace wouldn't strike someone already unconscious. But the Celestial Dragons were an exception. To Ace, they weren't "people." They were scum—pure and simple.

Perhaps not all Celestial Dragons were the same. But this one? Ace was sure he was 100% trash. He felt no guilt about dealing with him like this.

However, just as he approached the unconscious Saint Charma, a charred, blistered hand reached out and grabbed his foot.

"N-No… Don't… hurt… Saint Charma…" A dying man in black—one of the guards—muttered weakly, his voice trembling as he clung to Ace's ankle.

Ace looked down, surprised. The man's body was scorched, yet he was still trying to protect the Celestial Dragon. "Is it really worth it?" Ace asked with a frown. "To throw your life away for someone like him?"

The man didn't answer. But the sadness and desperate pleading in his eyes caught Ace off guard. Ace remembered clearly—when the Celestial Dragon had ordered the massacre of civilians, this man had been the only one who refused to lift a weapon.

Ace was silent for a while, then let out a long sigh. "…Fine. I'll let him off this once—for your sake."

The man in black slowly loosened his grip, and with great effort, forced out a smile. "Thank you… thank you…" Then he collapsed.

"I hope you make it," Ace muttered, glancing once more at the unconscious man before jumping to the rooftops. He scooped up the unconscious Yanliu and disappeared into the distance.

---

Marineford – Naval Headquarters

In the office of the Fleet Admiral, the usually composed Sengoku the Buddha was wearing a deeply troubled expression, glaring at a Den Den Mushi on his desk.

Seated before him were two imposing figures—both Navy Admirals.

One wore a spotless white uniform, his curly hair and ever-present sleepiness giving him an unshakably relaxed air. This was Admiral Aokiji, also known as Kuzan.

The other man, dressed in a deep red suit with a stern face and an aura of rigid discipline, was Admiral Akainu, Sakazuki—a man who lived and breathed absolute justice.

"Damn those Celestial Dragons," Sengoku muttered bitterly. "Always causing trouble…"

He slammed his fist on the table and looked at the two admirals. "That call just now was from Saint Charma. Something's happened. He's supposed to be in the Sabaody Archipelago. One of you needs to go check it out."

Akainu stood up without a word, his face stone cold, and walked straight out of the office.

Sengoku didn't even try to stop him. Akainu's disdain for the Celestial Dragons was no secret. Still, he couldn't just ignore the incident. So he turned to Aokiji.

"Ah… la la…" Aokiji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Looks like I've got no choice."

"I already contacted the local naval base," Sengoku said. "They're assessing the situation. Just head over and connect with them directly. Honestly, this should've been Kizaru's job, but he's out right now. Sorry, Kuzan."

"Don't worry about it, Fleet Admiral. I am part of the Navy, after all," Aokiji replied. He picked up his Justice cape from the sofa and slung it over his shoulder. "Guess I'll head to Sabaody."

---

Sabaody Archipelago

After rescuing Yanliu, Ace flew straight toward Coating Dock No. 41. On the way, he encountered an old man approaching from the opposite direction.

"Senior Rayleigh!" Ace descended and respectfully greeted him.

"I heard a commotion, so I came to take a look," Rayleigh said. Seeing that Ace was unharmed, he relaxed. "What happened?"

Ace scratched his head sheepishly. "Well… I may have caused a bit of a scene. I attacked a Celestial Dragon."

Rayleigh burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You really are like Roger—can't stand those pompous tyrants."

He paused, then added with a serious tone, "But after attacking a Celestial Dragon, the Marines are bound to send an admiral. We'll have to leave the Archipelago earlier than planned."

"Sorry for the trouble…" Ace apologized.

Rayleigh waved it off. "I already promised to help you reach Sky Island. We'll just move up the schedule."

Ace looked uncertain. "If an admiral catches up… I probably won't be able to take him. I might have to rely on you, Senior."

Rayleigh chuckled confidently. "A single admiral? They won't be enough to stop us. I might be old, but these bones still have some fight left."

He clapped Ace on the shoulder. "Let's get moving. To reach Sky Island, we'll need to find a rising current—those are tricky to locate."

"You head to Dock 41. Your crew should be waiting. I'll drop by the bar and ask Shakky if she knows where the current is."

"Understood. Thanks again, Senior!" Ace bowed, then partially turned to flames and shot off toward Dock 41.

Rayleigh watched him go with a smile. "Just like Luja… and surprisingly polite, too." With that, he sped toward Shakky's bar in Area 13.

---

Dock 41 – Rayleigh's Coating Workshop

As Ace descended from the sky, the Spade Pirates—who had been anxiously waiting near their ship—erupted in cheers.

"Captain Ace is back!"

"And he brought Yanliu too! Awesome!"

Though their numbers were small—barely more than a dozen—the Spade Pirates were a diverse and rowdy bunch. Fishmen, Longarm tribesmen, dwarves… all united under Ace's flag, and all incredibly loud.

"Alright, quiet down!" shouted Gumby, trying to calm the group. He turned to Ace. "Everything okay?"

"We're fine." Ace nodded, setting Yanliu down gently. "But we've officially pissed off the Celestial Dragons. Expect the Navy to send an admiral after us."

---

An Hour Later – Chambord Bay

A large Marine warship pulled into the bay. From its deck, a man in a white coat stepped onto the island, hands in his pockets, looking thoroughly unmotivated.

Admiral Aokiji had arrived.

As he stepped into the aftermath of the incident on Boman Street, his eyes landed on the heavily burned and blistered form of Saint Charma, now barely breathing.

"Ah… la la…" Aokiji muttered with a sigh. "He's been done in pretty badly. This… is going to be a mess."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at p@treon.com/Translatingfanfics