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Chapter 109: I Am a Qilin
"Have you ever heard of the Qilin?" Ganyu raised her glass, taking a small sip as a faint blush dusted her cheeks.
Meeting an important character from the original story, she naturally had an interest in chatting.
Back when she saw him die in front of Luffy, she had contributed quite a few tears herself.
"That's a legendary creature, isn't it? Do they actually exist?" Ace opened his mouth wide, genuinely surprised.
"Of course. Because I am one." Ganyu smiled faintly.
"Really? Then can you transform back into your original form? I'd love to see it!" Ace said with a look of anticipation.
Ganyu shook her head. "Not right now. Once I revert to my true form, I can't turn back into a human. I'll be able to do it when I get stronger in the future."
"Is that so? That's a shame."
Ace sighed regretfully, but an optimistic expression quickly returned to his face. He grabbed a bottle of alcohol and raised it.
"I hope to see your true form one day. I bet it's really cool and majestic."
Looking at the smiling face before her, Ganyu was stunned for a moment.
The conversation just now was partly meant as a joke, but she hadn't expected this man to believe her words so readily.
I tell you I'm a Qilin, and you just believe it?
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled brightly. She raised her glass and clinked it against the bottle in front of her.
"That day will come."
.....
Outside the city, the boundless desert steamed under the scorching sun, radiating searing heat waves.
Three figures walked through the desert. The wind whipped up fine sand, slapping against their windbreaker robes with a rustling sound.
"So you're the Princess of Alabasta, and you're returning to your country to expose that guy Crocodile's conspiracy."
Amidst the dust, Ace had also put on a windbreaker. His eyes, visible beneath the veil, looked at Vivi with some surprise.
After settling the bill and leaving the restaurant, Ace thought for a moment and decided to travel with Ganyu and Vivi.
Rather than waiting dryly in the city for Luffy to arrive at some unknown time, it was better to accompany his brother's crewmates; they were bound to meet up eventually.
Moreover, he needed to search for traces of Teach within Alabasta anyway, so moving around was actually more beneficial.
Thus, after purchasing a few supplies, the trio left the city and headed in the direction of the capital, Alubarna.
Through their conversation along the way, Ace finally understood the reason for the Straw Hat Pirates' presence in this desert kingdom.
"That's right. Baroque Works is the real culprit behind the country's unrest, and Crocodile is the boss behind the scenes. He must be doing this to seize this country!" Vivi stated firmly.
"Crocodile, huh..."
Ace frowned slightly, resting his chin on his hand as he walked, falling into deep thought. "I remember that guy. He didn't seem very interested in things like 'political power' in the past. Or rather, his ambition... shouldn't be limited to just a small kingdom."
He had heard people on his ship mention Crocodile before and knew that the guy had once tried to challenge Whitebeard.
Although he failed, Ace didn't think that someone who dared to provoke one of the Four Emperors would be content huddling in a small country in the first half of the Grand Line.
However, he couldn't figure out what the guy's true objective was.
He shook his head, temporarily casting aside his doubts. He looked at Ganyu on his other side and asked, "Since Luffy asked you to take Princess Vivi into Alabasta ahead of him, does that mean he's already decided to take down Crocodile?"
"He hasn't explicitly said 'I'm going to send Crocodile flying' yet."
Ganyu shook her head gently, her hair fluttering slightly in the wind and sand. Her spirited eyes curved slightly.
"But given his personality, once he knows about Vivi's plight and what Crocodile has done, there's absolutely no way he'll be able to hold back. I'm afraid when that time comes, no one will be able to stop him."
"Haha! That guy is definitely that kind of person." Ace laughed loudly upon hearing this. His laughter carried far into the empty desert, his face showing a mix of nostalgia and pride.
He laughed for a while before gradually composing himself, his tone becoming a few degrees more serious.
"Since it's something he's decided to do, I won't interfere much. However, I can escort you to the Royal Palace. On this journey, even if Crocodile comes personally, I won't let him harm you."
As he spoke, he tipped the brim of his cowboy hat with his finger. A wisp of flame rose from his fingertip, and then suddenly shot out in a specific direction!
A massive creature hiding under the golden sand had just burst from the ground, preparing to attack the three delicious meals before it, when it was suddenly enveloped in a massive ball of fire.
Whoosh—
The small wisp of flame had looked insignificant when it was fired, but upon landing on the monster, the tiny spark expanded instantly, transforming into a blazing orange-red inferno that completely swallowed its entire body!
In the blink of an eye, the massive creature—suspected to be a scorpion—was cooked through.
"Is that... a Sand Scorpion?!" Vivi gasped in shock, the reflection of the charred monster visible in her eyes.
The Sand Scorpion was one of the most dangerous top predators in the Alabasta desert.
They lurked beneath the sand, ambushing any living creature that passed by. With hard shells, immense strength, and deadly poisonous stingers, they were formidable.
Usually, it would take a squad of dozens of well-equipped Royal Army soldiers—prepared for potential casualties—to have a chance of exterminating one.
Yet now, this man before her had roasted the giant scorpion into food with a mere wave of his hand.
The whole thing took less than three seconds.
Ace seemed completely oblivious to Vivi's shock.
He walked up to the roasted scorpion, tore off a claw whose shell had cracked from the heat, took a bite, and chewed thoughtfully.
"The taste isn't bad, but it's a pity there's no salt."
"If it's seasoning you lack, there should be some in my bag."
Ganyu opened the backpack Sanji had prepared for her. After rummaging for a moment, she pulled out a jar of seasoning.
That guy Sanji really did prepare everything.
She looked at the other items in the bag: energy bars, a water bottle, sunscreen, a parasol, underwear...
Wait.
Was there something strange mixed in there?
Black lines filled Ganyu's forehead as she stared at a very conspicuous item in the backpack: black underwear with lace trim.
She was very certain she did not own such a piece of underwear.
Which meant Sanji had prepared this himself.
Ganyu gritted her teeth and silently closed the backpack, deciding to tell Nami about this as soon as they reunited.
At that time, someone would naturally receive their punishment.
"You actually have that? That's perfect!"
Ace took the seasoning jar with a happy face, sprinkled some on the meat, and began to eat with a look of bliss.
While eating, he invited the two girls.
"Do you guys want some too?"
Both of them shook their heads in refusal. They were already full from the restaurant, and they had no desire to eat such a strange creature.
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