"About time, isn't it?"
"Still no word from Miss All Sunday?"
Night fell.
As the heavy darkness draped itself across the world, the desert kingdom—scorching and brutal beneath the sun—was now shrouded in a creeping chill.
Inside the Spider Café, a small, dimly lit establishment on the outskirts of the city clearly not meant to host many guests—
Mr. 2 Bon Clay, flamboyant as ever despite being a grown man, leaned back with a dramatic sigh.
But his gaze quickly shifted toward the quiet little girl sipping her drink beside him—Miss Goldenweek.
"Speaking of which, that guy Mr. 3 went out on a mission and never came back."
"As his partner, you're not the least bit worried?!"
"Hmm?"
Miss Goldenweek blinked blankly, turning her head with the emotionless calm of a doll.
Her voice was flat as she replied, "I've already applied to the Boss for a new partner, so there's no need to worry."
"Hey, hey, hey! Mr. 3 isn't even confirmed dead yet! And you've already decided to replace him!? Isn't that way too cold-blooded!?"
Mr. 2 immediately twisted his face in exasperation.
"Babababa~"In that moment, a strange laugh rose from the corner of the table—coming from a woman who looked suspiciously like a mole.
It was Miss Merry Christmas, the Mole-Mole Fruit user.
Her expression twisted into disdain.
"If he can't even complete a mission, what use is he?"
"Even if we find traces of Mr. 3, the only thing waiting for him is the Boss's personal execution order."
"Honestly, they should just let us replace Mr. 3. Our rates and commissions would get much better."
"Fufufu…"
"What a cold and ruthless organization!" Mr. 2 cried again.
Just then, the man seated at the head of the table—Mr. 1—suddenly twitched an ear and spoke in a deep voice:
"Someone's coming."
The Spider Café immediately fell silent.
Chaotic footsteps echoed from outside—growing clearer and clearer.
Gulp—
The top agents of Baroque Works, who had prepared for this moment for so long, suddenly swallowed in unison.
Because according to the intelligence they'd received…Tonight, they would finally meet the elusive, unknowable Boss—
Their ultimate superior.
Jingle—Jingle—
With the light chime of a wind bell, the café door was gently pushed open.
All eyes instantly snapped toward the entrance.
A figure they all recognized stepped into the doorway.
"Miss All Sunday!"
Seeing Robin, no one was surprised.
After all, she personally handled every internal assignment and coordination within Baroque Works.
As the Boss's partner, she had to be here.
"Oh my~ You all seem to be getting along splendidly."
"That's great. It means our next plan will run even more smoothly."
Robin, dressed once more in her Baroque Works coat and round-brimmed hat, leaned casually against the doorway with a hand on her hip.
She strode inside.
But at that moment, the agents weren't looking at her—they were staring past her.
Through the gaps created as she walked, two silhouettes stood outside under the dim moonlight.
The café's bright lighting made their figures blurry, but the presence of two newcomers was unmistakable.
"Miss All Sunday… Those two… are they…?"
The disguised café owner, Miss Doublefinger, pointed uncertainly toward the door.
"Oh? You saw them already?"
Robin's violet-toned lips curved upward.
She stepped aside, clearing the entrance completely, then extended her arm toward the door with a theatrical flourish.
"Well then—since you all must be very eager—"
"Allow me to formally introduce the one you have never once laid eyes upon…"
"Our Baroque Works' true mastermind…"
"Portgas D. Ace!!!"
Her voice rose like that of a brilliant show host, igniting the entire room's tension at its peak.
And at the very moment her words fell—
FWOOOM—!!!
A torrent of brilliant flames erupted outside.
Fiery light illuminated everything.
A freckled young man stepped into view, wearing a confident smile as he strode into the café.
"Yo~ First time meeting everyone. Hope we get along."
"The time is right—so I figured it was about time I showed my face."
Ace spoke with the swagger of a corporate CEO, casually greeting the agents.
Flames rippled behind him, instantly igniting all non-electric light sources in the room.
The lingering cold vanished in moments.
Completely unlike Luffy—who wrote his lines on his hand—Ace, despite his young age and even after Red warned him about potential flaws in the cover story, exuded overwhelming presence.
His entrance alone subdued the room.
"Portgas…"
"D…"
"Ace…!!?"
The agents gaped in disbelief, staring at Ace's still-young face, too shocked to even breathe loudly.
"No way… Does this mean we've been working under a pirate this whole time!?"
Mr. 2 whispered, stunned:
"Our Boss is… the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates!?"
"No way—am I dreaming!?" Miss Merry Christmas whispered harshly, her usual sarcasm completely gone.
Miss Doublefinger nodded stiffly. "He's an incredible figure…"
Mr. 4 shook, sweating like a waterfall.
Only Mr. 1 furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
"Fire Fist Ace… I didn't expect you to be our Boss."
Thump, thump, thump…
Ace walked confidently to the main seat—guided by Robin—sat down without a hint of guilt, and swept his gaze over everyone.
"What? Dissatisfied?"
"N-no…"
The senior agents all shook their heads rapidly.
Miss Doublefinger clasped her long fingers together nervously.
"It's not dissatisfaction… merely… hard to believe."
"With your importance to a Yonko crew, you should have far more critical matters to handle."
"So why would you create Baroque Works in the first half of the Grand Line?"
"Oh, that's because…"
Ace leaned forward, expression steady.
"This organization was something I created before I ever joined the Whitebeard Pirates."
He smiled lightly.
"Three years ago, when I first entered the Grand Line, I met Miss All Sunday. With her help, we built Baroque Works together."
"I intended to forge a force in the first half of the Grand Line—something that could clear a path for me."
"But when I entered the New World… I realized how laughably naïve that idea was."
"Make you all my blades?"
Ace snorted.
"Even a mountain of ants cannot threaten an elephant."
"I thought the finest bounty hunters from the four seas would impress me."
"But reality is… you're all far too weak."
His tone turned frigid—exactly as Red instructed.
Neither Red nor Ace wanted Whitebeard's name involved, so the two fabricated this background.
And since Baroque Works indeed began operating three years ago—coinciding perfectly with Ace's debut—they used that truth to bolster the lie.
There were definitely holes.
But when a Whitebeard commander himself said it, none of the agents dared question further.
…
…
"Weak!?"
The senior agents stiffened immediately.
Though they knew they couldn't compare to a Yonko crew, they dominated the first half of the Grand Line—"weak" wasn't a word they associated with themselves.
Mr. 2 opened his mouth to argue—
But Ace didn't let him.
"So—"
"To avoid letting you all become stains on my record, I found an expert to take my place as the new leader of Baroque Works."
Clap clap!
Ace clapped twice.
"Red, you can come in!"
"Finally my turn."
Red chuckled softly, stepping into view beside Ace under the puzzled stares of the agents.
Ace immediately stood, vacating the main seat for him.
"Well then, the handover ceremony is officially complete."
"From today on, you'll follow Red's orders."
"W-wait!"
Miss Doublefinger shot up anxiously.
"This is way too abrupt! Why suddenly replace the Boss?!"
"And also—"
She turned to Red.
She said nothing more, but her silence conveyed her distrust plainly.
The other agents wore similar expressions.
Though they feared Ace, they were clearly unconvinced by Red.
Fortunately, Red had expected this.
His lips curved confidently—not Ace's domineering style, but an unmistakably superior posture.
"Looks like your subordinates don't trust me much, Ace~"
"Well, can't blame them. You hardly ever show your face."
Ace laughed, playing along flawlessly.
"But if you plan on using these weaklings, shouldn't you show them something?"
"True enough."
Red lifted a hand.
His palm faced the coffee shop window.
"Surf."
BOOOOM——!!!
Brilliant blue light burst from his palm, condensing instantly before exploding outward like a scattering storm of water.
With a deafening crash, the sealed window shattered outward—
Revealing an impossible sight.
A massive tidal wave rose from the barren desert, roaring across the sands like a living beast.
Stone, sand—everything along its path was crushed into the earth.
The wave raged onward for hundreds of meters before slowly fading into the night.
In mere seconds, a colossal trench carved itself across the desert landscape.
Gulp—!!
The agents swallowed hard again.
When their eyes returned to Red…
Their fear was unmistakable.
Compared to the awe of Ace's identity, this was pure, overwhelming terror.
Even Ace—who was acting alongside him—forgot the script as he stared in shock.
He had come prepared after hearing the Straw Hats defeated Blackbeard…
But seeing Red's power firsthand still stunned him.
Creating a tidal wave—in a desert.
As a fellow Devil Fruit user, Ace knew exactly how terrifying that was.
"The Pokémon world… really is mysterious and terrifying," Ace whispered to himself.
Meanwhile, Red sat calmly in the main seat, watching the top agents one by one before smiling faintly.
"Now then… I trust you're ready to listen?"