Chapter 87: Splitting It With You
At first, the onlookers were just watching out of curiosity, but as they kept watching, they began to realize something was off.
Hey!? The ones running at the front seemed to be the Spade Pirates, right? Why did the thing their captain was holding in his hand look a bit like a Devil Fruit!?
Ace knew what Devil Fruits were, because his little brother Luffy was a Devil Fruit user. However, since he hadn’t actually witnessed Luffy eating the fruit, he didn’t really know what one looked like. So not only did he treat the fruit he’d picked up as a “strange” after-dinner snack, but he was also boldly clutching it in his hand as he fled through the streets.
Bebicol Island was one of the seven starting islands of the Grand Line, and it was also known as the City of Gourmet Food. So, gathered here were pirates from all four seas. Ordinary pirates might lack knowledge, but among the leading captains, there were always a few who recognized valuable things, right?
When they realized that what Ace was holding was likely a Devil Fruit, a hidden undercurrent surged through the crowd of pirates watching the spectacle.
Suddenly, the pirates watching understood what was going on with the group chasing at the back: they probably thought Ace was holding a Devil Fruit too, which was why they joined the chase, right?
It wasn’t the pirates’ fault for misunderstanding—how could they know that the Pike Pirates were actually the ones who’d been wronged?
A Devil Fruit! That was something that could grant you superhuman powers instantly after eating it! Even if you didn’t eat it yourself, selling it would get you enough money to live comfortably for several lifetimes!
Wealth stirs the heart. Some pirate crews that understood what was happening quietly began to move. They huddled together, whispering among themselves, abandoning their food and drinks, and started making their moves in secret.
Soon, several more groups joined the chase after the Spade Pirates.
The group of chefs chasing in the middle quickly sensed something was wrong. They stopped in their tracks, stepped aside, and watched as a large number of pirates took their place, charging ahead. The chefs stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what was happening.
Anyone could tell that this was no longer just about skipping out on a bill…
The chefs didn’t dare get involved, so the chasing crowd turned entirely into pirates. Not only were there people chasing from behind, but some smarter ones had already taken shortcuts to get ahead of the Spade Pirates, trying to block them from the front.
The Spade Pirates members running alongside Ace glanced back as they ran, and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads!
The chefs chasing them had disappeared at some point, replaced by over a hundred pirates with bloodshot eyes!
“Captain Ace, what kind of person did you just run into!?” The Spade Pirates members felt a bitterness they could hardly express.
But at that moment, Pikes was the most frustrated. As he chased, he suddenly noticed many unfamiliar pirate crews joining in, all pursuing Ace and his group ahead. He immediately realized that the Devil Fruit had been exposed. Now, countless competitors had appeared out of nowhere.
Gritting his teeth, Pikes decided he couldn’t worry about it anymore. He hadn’t wanted to cause a big commotion, hoping to quietly catch up to Ace and retrieve the Devil Fruit. But now that it was exposed, he didn’t care about the consequences. He activated his Devil Fruit ability, transforming into a half-beast form covered in sharp spines, and fired them directly at Ace and his crew ahead.
With a few whooshing sounds, the spines missed but grazed past Ace’s head.
Ace realized something was wrong and stopped in his tracks. Being attacked meant a fight was coming, and in such a situation, Ace wouldn’t back down.
Turning around, he saw a large group of pirates chasing from behind. At the same time, more pirates appeared ahead in the direction they’d been running. Ace understood—he was surrounded.
Anyone else in this situation would probably be trembling with fear, but not Ace. Instead, he felt excited. Even though he didn’t understand why these pirates were surrounding him, when it came to fighting, Ace wasn’t afraid of anyone.
The Spade Pirates members had never seen such a scene. They huddled around Ace, gripping their weapons nervously, staring at the grinning pirates slowly closing in.
After spending this time with their captain, they knew him well: whenever a fight broke out, he never backed down. Seeing Ace clench his fists, they knew this fight was inevitable.
What now? There were too many of them—how could they fight this?
Just as they were thinking this, they saw Ace suddenly freeze, staring at a direction on the street, then a smile spread across his face.
“Aha!!” Ace suddenly cheered and dashed toward a gap in the street that hadn’t been surrounded yet.
The Spade Pirates members were stunned, thinking Captain Ace had finally come to his senses and decided to run since they couldn’t win. They quickly followed, only to see Ace stop abruptly at the street corner, slap the shoulder of someone with their back to him, and shout happily, “Ian!?”
The Spade Pirates members were on the verge of tears. Boss Ace! So you weren’t trying to escape!?
Surrounded by all these people, and you still have the mood to find an acquaintance!? Even if that person is your friend, dragging them into this—is that really okay!?
Ian was also getting a headache. He had just finished eating with Bill and come out for a stroll when he suddenly heard a commotion, then saw that idiot Ace running over from the other side of the street, chased by a huge crowd.
Based on his earlier assumption, Ian had already concluded that the dine-and-dash maniac on Bebicol Island was Ace. So, when he saw Ace being chased by a group, his first thought was: Damn! How many restaurants did you skip out on, to get this many people hunting you down!?
So, Ian instinctively turned his back and muttered, “You can’t see me, you can’t see me!”
He didn’t want Ace to spot him and drag him into being an accomplice to the dine-and-dash!
But who would have thought that Ace, of all people, would stop right on this street and spot Ian in the crowd?
After Ace ran over and slapped his shoulder, Ian felt utterly helpless. This was definitely the result of making bad friends! You get chased for skipping out on bills, and you still drag me into it?
Ace, however, was grinning happily. “I thought it wasn’t you when I saw you earlier! By the way, when did you change your sword? If it weren’t for that hat you’re wearing, I wouldn’t have dared to recognize you!”
Damn! It’s the Bear Ear Hat again! Ian was too exhausted to complain.
No wonder Ace could spot him in the crowd at a glance—Ian couldn’t hide even if he wanted to.
“Fine, just tell me, how much is it?” Ian sighed. “I’ll help you pay the bill. Can you let me off?”
“What are you talking about!” Ace laughed heartily. “These guys don’t look like they’re here for money!”
“Huh?” Ian looked up and glanced around again.
By now, the bystanders on the street had scattered in fear, leaving only Ian, Ace, and the five or six Spade Pirates members.
The menacing pirates were closing in, and the local residents had already cleared the area to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
“What’s going on?” Ian looked at the hundred or so pirates surrounding them and asked Ace in confusion. “Did you provoke them?”
“I have no idea!” Ace shrugged. “But they seem to want to fight me!”
Pikes, leading his men, walked through the crowd. Seeing Ace still standing there calmly, he was furious. “Kid, hand over what you’re holding!”
He didn’t dare say the words “Devil Fruit” outright, afraid of attracting even more greedy pirates. There were already enough competitors.
But the other pirates weren’t fools either. Seeing the fruit in Ace’s hand up close, their greed grew even more apparent. They shouted too, “No, hand it over to us!”
The pirates were clamoring, but Ace was a bit puzzled.
“They’re chasing me for this?” Ace raised the fruit in his hand, confused.
When he held up the Devil Fruit, Ian saw it too, and his eyes went wide!
Isn’t that a Devil Fruit!? And… and it’s the Flame-Flame Fruit!?
With any other Devil Fruit, Ian might not have recognized it, but the Flame-Flame Fruit looked exactly like the one he’d seen in the manga! He recognized it instantly.
So this was where Ace got his Flame-Flame Fruit!?
Ian stared blankly at the Flame-Flame Fruit in Ace’s hand, at a loss for words.
Ace noticed Ian’s expression. He tilted his head, thought for a moment, then suddenly gripped the Flame-Flame Fruit with both hands and started struggling to break it apart.
“What… what are you doing?” Ian asked, stunned.
“Splitting it with you!” Ace replied without looking up. “So many people want this, so it must taste great! We’re friends, so I have to share it with you… Strange, why won’t it break?”
Ace was straining with all his might, trying to snap the Devil Fruit in half, unaware of the impact his words had on Ian…