Deuce, having finished treating Ace's wounds, left the ship's infirmary.
He had carried Ace back to their ship, the Piece of Spadille, after Ace collapsed in the arena. The rest of the Spade Pirates were waiting anxiously outside, worried about their captain.
"Deuce-san, how is the captain…?"
"He's asleep. He's exhausted… It was a tough fight."
It was an understatement to say Ace had been utterly defeated.
But even then, Ace had refused to admit defeat, declaring he would continue the fight the next day.
Deuce understood how his crewmates felt, seeing their captain battered and bruised. But he was disgusted with himself for being unable to support Ace.
Deuce had been born into a family of doctors on an island in the East Blue. He had left home after being ridiculed for his lack of talent, and met Ace on a certain island.
He had witnessed Ace's growth firsthand ever since, but… Even though he could offer advice and support, he couldn't protect him.
He wasn't weak, but he was weak enough to not have a bounty. Rayleigh had told him on Sabaody Archipelago, "Being the second-in-command is a tough job," but Deuce was acutely aware that he lacked the strength to be worthy of that title.
If only he was stronger, strong enough for Ace to rely on him – He knew it was a pointless thought, but he couldn't help but dwell on it.
He sighed, pushing aside the negative thoughts, and headed for the galley.
"I knew Twilight was powerful. They're said to rival the Four Emperors, but… seeing it firsthand is something else."
He and Skull, who was gathering information, were discussing Ragnell, the woman Ace had fought against.
But information about her was scarce. She rarely appeared in public, and since she didn't have a bounty, she didn't attract much attention.
The Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates, their enemies, might have some information, but he couldn't just walk up to them and ask.
"It's common knowledge that Twilight is at war with the Big Mom-Beasts Pirates alliance. It's not surprising that she's fought one of the Calamities… But…"
"Don't you know who it was?"
"We have a theory… It was probably King the Wildfire."
"Probably?"
"It can't be helped. Twilight never leaks information, even if they defeat or sink someone. We were lucky to find someone who knew about Ragnell."
A fleet from the Beasts Pirates had invaded Twilight's territory, and Ragnell had clashed with one of their executives. They had fought, causing widespread damage, and in the end, Ragnell had repelled the attack.
King was a powerful pirate with a bounty exceeding 1.3 billion berries.
"No wonder Ace couldn't win…"
She was on par with an admiral. Ace had defeated a Vice Admiral on Sabaody Archipelago, but it had been a close call. Even if he had grown stronger, he still wasn't on an admiral's level.
…And Ace was going to fight her again tomorrow.
He should stop him, but it would be easier said than done.
"It was fortunate that she wasn't serious, but it's still disheartening to see him get beaten up like that."
"Yeah…"
He had never seen Ace lose so badly. Saying anything would only add salt to his wounds.
Ace wasn't the type to give up.
Fortunately, there was a no-killing rule in the Colosseum. He wouldn't die, but…
"…I just hope this ends peacefully."
Their initial objective was simply to meet the owner of the Vivre Card. But things had gotten complicated.
Deuce, sighing, placed his hand on his forehead. He was frustrated with his inability to help Ace.
***
The next day…
Sabo and Koala, having arrived at the Colosseum, joined the general admission line.
They noticed that the man who checked their tickets at the entrance seemed nervous, but they dismissed it, assuming it was nothing. They followed the map that had been included in the letter.
They arrived at a VIP room.
They knocked and entered. Someone was already inside, watching the arena.
The person, noticing them, turned around.
"You're… Ragnell."
"Sabo and Koala, right? Her Excellency told me you would be coming."
"Yeah, we contacted her. So, where is Kanata?"
"She stepped out for a bit."
Ragnell shouldn't be here.
It was her fight today – against Ace. Sabo and Koala had heard about it when they entered, and they knew the arena was packed with people eager to see the fight.
She should be in the waiting room…
"Her Excellency asked me to speak with you."
"Speak with us…? But the match is about to begin…"
"That was the plan, but I'm not fighting today."
It wasn't a deathmatch, after all. Ragnell's sword was meant to destroy enemies, not for entertainment.
Besides, it was stressful to fight without using her full strength.
Only the weak were allowed to fight seriously in the Colosseum.
But Ace had defeated Samuel, one of the strongest fighters in Twilight. There were very few who could be his opponent.
Sabo asked about this, and Ragnell simply looked towards the arena.
"You'll see."
She didn't say another word.
Sabo and Koala, exchanging glances, sat down next to her, waiting for Kanata.
***
Ace, as he did yesterday, entered the Colosseum and waited in the waiting room.
His wounds hadn't fully healed, but they didn't hinder his movements. Ace had been on the offensive against Ragnell, a fortress of a woman. Most of his injuries were from her counterattacks.
He wouldn't be here if she had been serious about defeating him.
But he still had a chance.
He had learned something from yesterday's battle. The best way to master Haki was to use it in real combat.
"It's time… Ace, I don't have much to say…"
Deuce, who had come to the waiting room out of worry, gave Ace a reassuring pat on the back.
"Do what you want. I'll heal any injuries you get."
"Ha! I'm not getting injured. I'm going to defeat her today."
"…Ace."
Deuce wanted to say something, but he stopped himself.
Should he have joked about Ace's bravado, or said something else? He didn't know.
"I'm going. My goal is right in front of me. I can't back down now."
Ace, avoiding Deuce's gaze, left the room.
The arena was just ahead. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.
"Alright! Ace, the "Fire Fist", is back! I heard he was beaten up by Ragnell yesterday, but can he turn the tables today?! Not many can make it this far! I have high hopes for you!"
Demaro Black announced Ace's arrival.
The stage, damaged from yesterday's fight, had been repaired. It seemed the time limit was partly to allow for repairs.
"Now then, as we all know, his opponent is one of the top Valkyries, Ado– Huh?!"
The crowd gasped.
She shouldn't be here. Black stood up in disbelief, rubbing his eyes.
"W-w-what…?!"
Long black hair. Porcelain skin. Red eyes – she wasn't dressed formally, but it was undoubtedly…
"What are you doing here?! Kanata-san!!!"
Kanata, the Witch of Twilight, had appeared in the arena.
Ace, surprised, stared at her.
Meeting her was his objective, but he hadn't expected it to happen like this. And he had a feeling this wouldn't be a simple fight.
"Nice to meet you, Portgas D. Ace. Ragnell told me about you."
Kanata, with a friendly smile, greeted him.
She was shorter than him, a stark contrast to Ragnell, who had been an intimidating figure, radiating Haki. But what surprised him more was her appearance. She didn't look that much older than him, despite being active for over three decades.
Ace, caught off guard, bowed politely, remembering his manners.
"Ace. Nice to meet you too."
"Good, you have manners. I like that."
"…I was fighting Ragnell to meet you. Why are you here?"
"Something came up. She asked me to take her place."
"Something came up?"
"I'll explain after the match. This is a great opportunity. Let's have a spar."
Kanata was unarmed. Ace, knowing she was a spear user, wondered what she was planning to do. He asked, "Where's your weapon? I thought you were a spear user."
"Hmm? I don't need a weapon to fight you."
Perhaps he should have been offended.
But Ace didn't think so.
"…Don't regret this."
"Try me."
Ace charged at Kanata, engaging her in close combat.
He punched, kicked, and even used his flames, but Kanata effortlessly dodged and parried his attacks. She wasn't even counterattacking.
He was being underestimated, but that was fine.
He continued to attack relentlessly, trying to create an opening.
"Hmm, is that all?"
Kanata, blocking Ace's Haki-coated fist, gauged his strength.
She adjusted her Haki output to match his.
He would understand the difference in strength more clearly this way. And it would also serve as an example of what he could achieve with more training.
"Damn it, my attacks aren't working…!"
"Your Armament Haki is sloppy, and your Observation Haki needs work. It's understandable, considering you're self-taught."
The Marines and Twilight taught their members how to use Haki, but most pirate crews didn't. Even in the New World, there were many pirates who couldn't use Haki.
Kanata was using her Haki in a way that seemed almost instructional.
She created an ice knife in her hand and began explaining Armament Haki.
"You can channel Armament Haki into objects, not just your body. Like this."
She touched the blade of the ice knife with her fingertip. The point of contact turned black.
"This is Armament Hardening. It's a simple technique. Can you do it?"
"No… I can't."
"Then train. If you don't need weapons, you can combine it with your Devil Fruit ability."
Kanata dispelled the ice knife, then created a large, square block of ice at her feet.
She challenged Ace, "Attack it." Ace, focusing his flames, attacked, but the ice block didn't even budge.
It was like the transparent wall that surrounded the arena. It had been reinforced to withstand ordinary attacks.
"Your flames are powerful, but with Haki, you can make them even stronger."
"…Why are you teaching me? I'm your enemy."
"Fufu, why indeed?"
Kanata, smiling, didn't answer.
Ace, frowning, clenched his fist. He was still determined to fight.
He channeled his Haki into his flames, compressing them, just like Kanata had shown him.
"Fire Fist!!"
His Fire Fist, more powerful than before, engulfed the stage in flames as it shot towards Kanata.
But Kanata simply sliced it in half with a chop of her hand.
It wasn't that his attack had been blocked. His flames had been nullified.
"…?!"
"That's good. You're learning fast. It's still weak, but I'm looking forward to seeing how you grow."
"My flames… aren't working…"
His attacks had been blocked before, but this was the first time his flames had been nullified.
Their Haki output was the same. She didn't seem to be doing anything special, and she hadn't used her Devil Fruit ability. It had to be some kind of technique, but he couldn't understand it.
All he knew was that his flames, his most reliable weapon, were useless.
Then, he had to find another way to fight.
"You're not giving up, even though your ability is useless. Interesting."
But Kanata didn't have time to waste.
She coated her body in Armament Haki, like armor, and struck Ace in the solar plexus with a palm strike.
Ace gasped, his vision blurring as his knees buckled. Kanata, seeing this, raised her arm.
"I haven't reached the top yet, but… Let me show you the depths of power."
Black lightning crackled around her arm.
Everyone who saw it knew Ace was going to die. No one could survive such an attack.
The pinnacle of power attainable by a human.
Ace, frozen in fear, could only watch as Kanata prepared to unleash the full potential of Haki.
The Spade Pirates, realizing the danger, rushed towards the arena, only to be stopped by the transparent wall. Black, the commentator, shouted, "It would be bad if someone died!" but they ignored him.
Ace, kneeling like a prisoner awaiting execution, glared at Kanata.
Kanata asked, "Will you run away?"
And Ace replied, "I won't run away!!!"
Kanata smiled, seeing his unbroken spirit. He reminded her of someone.
She swung her arm down like a guillotine – and someone suddenly attacked her.
A Haki-coated iron pipe slammed into the side of her head, momentarily stopping her attack.
And someone grabbed Ace, creating distance.
"…What do you think you're doing?"
Kanata, though struck by a surprise attack, was unharmed. A crack appeared on the side of her head, shards of ice falling to the ground, but it quickly regenerated.
She lowered her arm and asked the man who had attacked her, "What do you think you're doing, Sabo?"
"…I don't know!"
He was a young man with blond hair, wearing a black top hat and a black coat. He held an iron pipe in one hand, and Ace in the other.
He didn't seem to understand why he had done that. More than anyone, he was confused.
"I don't know…! But… I couldn't just stand there and watch him die!"
"Interesting… You acted without even understanding your own motivations…"
Kanata, seemingly unconcerned about the attack, placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought.
Sabo, taking advantage of her distraction, lowered Ace to the ground and took a fighting stance, holding the iron pipe with both hands.
Ace looked up at Sabo and his eyes widened in recognition.
"Sabo?!"
"…You know me?"
"Is that really you… Sabo?! You're alive?!"
"W-wait! How do you know my name?!"
"Of course I know you! Don't you remember me?!"
Ace had sworn brotherhood with two others on Mt. Colubo.
Ace, Luffy – and Sabo.
Sabo had been attacked by a Celestial Dragon for sailing in front of their ship. His ship had sunk, and he had been presumed dead. But he had been rescued by Dragon and was alive.
He had lost his memories.
"Ace, he has amnesia. He doesn't remember his childhood."
"Amnesia?! But then…!"
His brother, whom he had thought was dead, was alive. It was a joyous occasion, but the situation was grim.
"And he attacked me. Are you prepared for the consequences?"
"…I'm sorry. I don't even know how to face Dragon! But!! I couldn't just stand there and watch him die! I would have regretted it for the rest of my life!"
Sabo still didn't understand why he had done that. But his body had moved on its own. He couldn't control it.
Koala would be furious. He couldn't even face Dragon. But even then, Sabo didn't regret his decision.
Ace stood next to Sabo, clenching his fists.
"You still want to fight?"
"I'm not giving up yet! I don't know what your relationship with Sabo is, but… Let him go if I win! We're even then!"
"Oh?"
It was a bold statement. An impossible one, even. Kanata, her eyebrow raised in surprise, challenged him to try.
The fight wasn't over yet.
"Sabo's alive, and he saved me. If he's in trouble because of me, then I'll take care of it. We're brothers! I can't abandon him!!"
"…Brothers. You don't look related. You must have sworn brotherhood."
Ace clenched his fist, and Sabo held his iron pipe tightly.
They were both determined to defeat Kanata and settle their debt.
Kanata couldn't help but smile. They were refreshingly foolish.
"Very well. Attack me, both of you. If you can even scratch me, I'll forgive Sabo."
Having secured her promise, Sabo and Ace charged at her simultaneously.
But their determination wasn't enough to bridge the gap in strength.
Kanata knocked both Ace and Sabo unconscious with a flick of her wrist. They collapsed to the ground, lumps on their heads.
The audience, thrilled to have witnessed Kanata fighting, cheered wildly. Some might have been disappointed that they couldn't see Ragnell fight, but they would have to wait for another opportunity.
"Take them to the infirmary."
Kanata, leaving the arena in high spirits, gave orders to the staff.
"First, I need to speak with Koala," she thought.