Ace looked at Logan with obvious doubt.
"Big Brother Logan, are you serious? Won't Tuanzi be scared? That ship alone has at least a hundred people on it—and they're not weak."
Nami and the others immediately voiced their objections as well.
"Big Brother Logan, this really isn't okay. Tuanzi is still just a child!"
"How can you let a lady do something like this? I absolutely refuse!"
"Look at her—she's trembling! She's clearly terrified!"
Logan pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly.
"Take a closer look. Does she look scared to you?"
Everyone froze.
Tuanzi slowly lifted her head.
Her delicate brows arched upward, her lips pressed tightly together as she fought desperately to keep herself from smiling. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down—but the hand gripping the Dragon-Slayer Blade trembled uncontrollably.
A faint, eager hum resonated from the blade itself.
"Master…" Tuanzi looked at Logan cautiously, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Do I need to think this through carefully this time?"
Logan's expression was calm.
He stepped up beside her, gently unfastened the Zhenhai Sword from her back, and spoke softly:
"Some things don't require thinking."
"Like when someone wants to kill you."
In that instant, Tuanzi felt both her body and her heart lighten completely.
The restraint shattered.
She threw her head back and burst into wild laughter, like a mad, peerless demoness unleashed upon the world.
"Ahahahahaha! Today—I'm going to kill to my heart's content!"
Ace sucked in a sharp breath.
Only now did he finally understand why Tuanzi had been harboring such resentment toward him earlier.
Looks like I really have to leave her a ship…
Otherwise, she'll never forgive me.
Having made up his mind, Ace didn't hesitate.
He leapt straight down onto a small boat and charged alone toward the five pirate ships ahead.
The next moment—
A blinding flash erupted across the sea.
A thunderous explosion tore through the silent waters, followed immediately by a scorching wave of heat crashing toward the Going Merry.
A vast sea of flames bloomed across the ocean.
Of the five Baroque Works ships, four were pierced straight through by towering pillars of fire, instantly engulfed in inferno.
The sea became hell itself.
Screams echoed everywhere.
"Help! I don't want to die!"
"Aaaah! My arm—my arm is burning away!"
With a single attack from Ace, four massive pirate ships were reduced to floating wrecks, utterly stripped of combat capability.
Only one ship remained.
Silence fell over it instantly.
Every face was drained of color—terror, disbelief, and deep, desperate relief all mixing together.
"That's Fire Fist Ace… from the Whitebeard Pirates!"
"He's not someone we can afford to provoke—run! Turn the ship around, now!"
The captain roared orders, but the ship was too large to turn quickly.
Sweat poured down his face. For a moment, he seriously considered jumping into the sea.
But seeing that Ace had no intention of attacking again, he barely managed to suppress that urge.
On the Going Merry, Zoro, Sanji, and the others stood frozen in shock, staring at the blazing sea.
The raging flames painted their faces crimson.
"So strong…"
"That's insane…"
"Are all of Luffy's brothers monsters like this?"
"Luffy, how many brothers do you even have?! If a few more show up, becoming Pirate King won't be a dream anymore!"
Only Luffy laughed loudly.
"I've got another brother too! His name's Sabo—and he's really strong!"
Tuanzi didn't seem to notice any of this.
She licked her lips slowly, her index finger and thumb rubbing along the hilt of the Dragon-Slayer Blade again and again.
Her eyes locked onto the last remaining pirate ship, which had finally begun turning to flee.
Anxiety burned in her chest.
Too far…
She wanted to go—but the distance was just beyond her reach.
Helpless, she looked back at Logan.
"Flying Nimbus," Logan said quietly.
Above them, a golden cloud materialized instantly, plunging down from the sky at incredible speed.
Tuanzi's face lit up with delight.
Without hesitation, she sprinted off the deck—
—and fell straight toward the sea.
Just before her body touched the water, the Flying Nimbus swept in and caught her.
"Ahahaha! I'm coming—don't run!" Tuanzi shouted excitedly.
The cloud responded as if it understood her heart.
It surged forward at full speed, dragging a golden trail across the blue sky, forcibly splitting sea and heavens apart.
By the time it arrived, the pirate ship had only just finished turning around.
Seeing the golden cloud, many aboard thought Fire Fist Ace was chasing them again.
Some pirates screamed and leapt straight into the sea, their courage completely shattered.
The captain, steadier than most, waited grimly—determined to see who had come.
When he finally saw the figure descending—
He burst into mocking laughter.
"I was wondering who it was! Turns out it's just a yellow-haired little brat!"
Hearing that, the remaining pirates stopped jumping overboard and joined in the ridicule.
"Hey, little girl! You here to die?"
"Did your parents abandon you, sending you off to get yourself killed?"
Tuanzi said nothing.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her breathing rhythm—
—and her aura exploded.
She leapt off the Flying Nimbus, gripping the Dragon-Slayer Blade as she descended like a falling star.
"Water Breathing — Chaotic Blade Flow!"
The air itself surged.
Raging currents condensed into blue, flowing water, wrapping tightly around the blade.
From the sky, Tuanzi raised the sword with both hands, swung it over her head, and brought it down in a single, devastating arc—blue torrents trailing behind.
Only then did the captain's expression change.
He hastily lifted his nine-ringed broadsword, bracing it above his head to block the strike.
Clang!
The moment steel met steel, sparks exploded outward.
The nine-ringed blade split cleanly in two—like tofu sliced by a kitchen knife.
The Dragon-Slayer Blade didn't slow in the slightest.
It continued forward, slashing diagonally—
A brilliant spray of blood bloomed across the captain's neck.
His eyes widened.
Before he could even scream, his head separated from his body and tumbled across the deck.
Tuanzi looked down at the severed head—
Then kicked it like a ball straight into the remaining pirates.
The survivors stared at her in horror, every last trace of contempt erased.
Tuanzi's jet-black eyes were devoid of emotion.
She licked the blood from the corner of her mouth, tightened her grip on the blade—
And vanished forward in a sudden burst of motion.
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