Flames and smoke fiercely intertwined in the air!
For a moment, fierce flames surged, smoke billowed, and the entanglement of fire and smoke was like a confrontation between heaven and earth!
"Sizzle—!!"
The high-temperature flames furiously burned Smoker's smoke, the two constantly entangled, instantly plunging the entire battlefield into a chaotic heatwave!
Smoker's figure trembled slightly in the smoke, and he involuntarily took a step back, his gaze sinking as he suddenly looked up at the sky!
..."Who is this flame?!"
The afterglow of the setting sun spread, yellow sand rolled across the battlefield, and the air still lingered with the aftermath of Sword Qi and Haki clashing.
Flames danced high in the sky, gradually condensing into a tall figure. That person slowly stepped out of the flames, landed in the center of the battlefield, and looked calmly at Smoker.
His short black hair fluttered slightly in the wind, carrying a hint of wild and unrestrained temperament.
He wore an orange cowboy hat, with two ornaments, one smiling and one crying, hanging from either side of the hat.
His chest was exposed, revealing well-built muscles, black shorts paired with a dark belt from which a short knife hung.
However, what was most striking was the tattoo on his back!
Engraved on it was a large white skull flag with a white mustache drawn on it.
That was the symbol of the strongest man on the seas—"Whitebeard" Edward Newgate!
—This was the emblem of the "Whitebeard Pirates"!
—This symbolized the glory of the "World's Strongest Pirate Crew"!
Ace stood amidst the flames, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, revealing a defiant smile.
"Smoke cannot block fire."
His voice carried a hint of playfulness, yet it exuded an undeniable Haki that commanded attention!
Smoker's face immediately darkened. He stared intently at Ace, his gaze sharp, his mouth, which held a cigar, twitched slightly, and he said in a low voice:
"Whitebeard Pirates, Second Division Commander, Portgas D. Ace..."
"Why are you stopping me from attacking the Straw Hat Pirates?!"
His voice was like thunder, carrying the authority and anger of a Marine officer, and at the same time, his eyes showed deep confusion.
As the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the Four Emperors, Ace should have had no connection with the Straw Hat Pirates.
But now, he actually intervened to stop Smoker, even actively standing against the Marine!
Ace heard Smoker's questioning, smiled lightly, slowly raised his head, and said with a firm gaze:
"Because Luffy is my dear younger brother..."
"How could I just stand by and watch?"
One sentence plunged the entire battlefield into a brief silence.
"Eh?!"
Luffy, standing in the crowd, heard Ace's voice and was suddenly stunned, then his eyes widened, and a surprised yet excited smile appeared on his face!
"Ace!!!"
The next second, Luffy excitedly rushed over, spreading his arms to pounce, but Ace raised his palm and pressed down on Luffy's head, smiling as he blocked him.
"Haha, calm down, Luffy."
Ace smiled and ruffled Luffy's head, his gaze full of doting affection and relief: "Long time no see, little brother."
"Hahaha! Ace!!! It's Ace!!"
Luffy danced with excitement, jumping up and down happily.
At this moment, the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates finally reacted, all showing shocked expressions!
Nami's mouth dropped open in surprise: "I didn't expect Luffy to have such a reliable older brother?!"
Usopp's mouth twitched: "Hey, hey, wait, Luffy's brother is actually an executive of the Whitebeard Pirates?!"
Zoro narrowed his eyes slightly, thoughtfully: "Whitebeard Pirates... an interesting fellow."
Lin Ning stood to the side, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and said faintly: "So that's it, a Four Emperors-level connection... things are getting more and more interesting."
Amidst this commotion, the Marine Soldiers, led by Tashigi, surrounded Crocodile!
"Click!"
A pair of Sea Stone handcuffs were firmly clamped onto Crocodile's hands!
Crocodile's face was pale, and there was no hint of struggle in his eyes, as if he had already resigned himself to his fate. He was being escorted by two Marine Soldiers, ready to be taken away.
The elite members of Baroque Works saw this scene and immediately wanted to resist, but—
"Whoosh—!"
A flash-like Sword Qi streaked across the sky!
"Boom!!!"
"Ah ah ah!!"
Before the elite agents of Baroque Works could even act, they were struck down by Momousagi's casual attack, falling directly to the ground, unable to get up again!
Momousagi coldly scanned the battlefield, slowly sheathed her sword, and said nonchalantly:
"Resistance is futile, all of you stay put."
At this point, the crisis in Alabasta was completely resolved!
As Crocodile was taken away by the Marine, the battlefield finally quieted down.
Ace stood on the scorched earth where the flames had receded, his arms crossed, his gaze slowly sweeping over the Straw Hat Pirates, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Luffy, your companions... they seem quite reliable."
His words carried a hint of teasing, but his eyes were full of scrutiny and approval.
Hearing Ace's evaluation, Luffy immediately grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth, and stood proudly with his hands on his hips.
"Hehe, of course!"
"I'm the man who's going to be the Pirate King, so of course all my companions are amazing!"
Saying this, Luffy pointed to his companions one by one, introducing them individually—
Ace heard this, smiled lightly, a hint of brotherly affection in his eyes: "...You really haven't changed at all, Luffy."
Luffy pointed to the man standing to the side, still panting heavily, his face showing the afterglow of battle.
Zoro's figure was tall and robust, his muscles sculpted like steel, standing over two meters tall.
The aura of battle still lingered around him, exuding a beast-like pressure!
"Three Sword Style swordsman, Roronoa Zoro!"
"Zoro is our ship's swordsman, he's super strong!"
Ace's gaze fell on Zoro, he examined him carefully, and nodded slightly.
"Good swordsmanship, and a killing intent about him... This guy is a battle maniac."
Next, Luffy pointed to another man, a blond man in a black suit with an elegant demeanor, Sanji.
"This guy is our cook, Sanji!"
"Sanji's leg techniques are super strong, kicking through steel is no problem at all!"
Sanji lit a cigarette, gently exhaled a puff of smoke, and said with a hint of laziness in his eyes: "...Thank you for the compliment, Captain."
Ace glanced at Sanji, frowning slightly.
..."This guy seems relaxed, but the feeling he gives off is also quite unusual."
Finally, Luffy pointed to the man standing on the side of the group, holding a heavy halberd, with well-proportioned muscles all over his body.
"This is Lin Ning!"
"Lin Ning is super strong! He can wield huge weapons with one hand, and he can even shatter mountains with a single halberd!"