Inside the Devil's Tower...
It was easy to tell who was a pirate and who wasn't.
The people of Heduka Island were being kicked, shoved, and whipped mercilessly.
Those aged 16 to 23 were forced to mine coal, those between 24 and 50 carried heavy sacks of it, while anyone 51 and older was tasked with evaluating its quality.
The children were spared from labor for one reason, they were kept as hostages.
On the way to the tower...
"Golass, handle Ganzack's men. I'll take down Ganzack myself," Ling said.
Golass nodded.
"Understood."
"I'm going ahead."
Shave.
Ling vanished, blitzing toward the tower. What normally took five minutes from Bran's house, he crossed in just three seconds.
At the tower...
Medaka was still struggling, her wrist gripped tight by the pirates.
"Oi! Let go of her!"
Ling shouted as he arrived, delivering a flying kick to both men.
They were sent crashing into the wall, groaning in pain.
"That pirate guy…?" Medaka murmured.
Villagers and pirates alike turned to look.
"Back off! Or I'll kill this man!" a pirate pointed at Herring while being held.
"Papa!" Medaka cried.
Just as the pirate blink, Ling disappeared and reappeared behind him in the same instant.
Wham!
A sharp punch to the back of the head knocked the pirate out cold.
"Your papa is safe," Ling said, offering a small smile.
Medaka was stunned into silence.
"That's enough!" a pirate growled.
Suddenly, they were surrounded. Thirty pirates encircled them, ten cannons was aimed directly at the villagers.
"If you don't surrender now you'll be putting the villagers at risk." one of them said.
Ling's eyes narrowed.
"Fine."
Meanwhile, at the top of the Devil's Tower...
Ganzack and his officers were feasting in a grand hall, unaware of the chaos below.
A long banquet table was covered in platters of food. Laughter echoed through the room.
Seated on a throne-like chair, Ganzack raised his wine glass high. "At last, the mortar is complete!"
"Cheers!" his officers chorused.
"With this weapon mounted on my ship, I'll conquer the Grand Line and become King of the Pirates!" Ganzack bellowed.
"I can't wait for it, boss!" one officer cheered.
"We can finally leave this boring island!" another added.
"That's right!"
Suddenly, someone muttered under his breath, "Man, this crab really tastes bad…"
The room fell silent.
Everyone turned to the unfortunate man who had spoken.
His face went pale.
Ganzack's wine glass cracked in his hand. "What… did you just say?"
The officer stammered.
"I-I didn't mean...!"
"You dare call me a crab… and say I look bad?" Ganzack seethed, pointing an accusing finger.
He stood up, grabbing the officer's face with one large hand.
"You'd better watch your mouth. I'll give you one more chance."
He shoved the man away.
"Someone bring me a blindfold," he commanded.
He pulled out a gun.
"Stand right there!" He pointed.
But just as Ganzack prepared to...
BOOM!
A massive ruckus erupted outside.
A moment earlier...
"Fine," Ling said calmly.
Shave.
He flickered to the side of the first cannon.
With a single, devastating kick, he launched it sideways sending it crashing through the other nine cannons in a chain reaction.
Ten cannons, destroyed in one go.
The pirates watched in disbelief as smoke and wreckage billowed around them.
Herring looked at Ling with fiery resolve.
"Thanks for helping us. But now it's our turn to fight back! Leave this pirates to us!"
He turned to the crowd.
"Right, everyone?!"
"YES!!" a hundred voices thundered in unison.
Herring looked at Ling.
"You came for Ganzack right? He's on top of the tower!"
The thirty pirates paled.
A few took a step back.
It didn't matter that they were armed. Against a hundred furious islanders, they stood no chance.
Then it happened.
Like a wave crashing onto the shore, the villagers charged.
Wooden planks, farming tools, fists, anything became a weapon in their hands. The pirates tried to swing to resist, but they were overwhelmed instantly.
One was tackled to the ground before he could even raise his sword. Another was punch to death by ten villagers .
Cries of panic rang out from the pirates as the villagers surged like a storm.
Ten pirates went down in seconds. Another five dropped their weapons and begged for mercy.
A moment later, the rest scattered, trying to run only to be blocked by villagers from every direction.
They never stood a chance.
Herring stepped forward, raising his fist.
"This is our island! And for what they did to us!"
The villagers erupted in cheers. For the first time in two years, hope filled the air.
Outside the Devil's Tower.
Golass arrived in front of the towering structure.
Fifty pirates block his path, forming a loose line of defense.
"Another one," one sneered.
"I know this guy! I saw his wanted poster, he have 8 million berries in his head." one afraid.
"The Mercenary, Golass!"
"It doesn't matter, there's only one of him. You think he can take us all?" One said.
Golass said nothing.
He reached behind his back and drew a massive blade.
The pirates readied.
Then...
"HAAAH!!"
Golass let out a battle cry and surged forward.
The katana swung in a wide arc.
CLANG!
Cleaving through swords, pistols, and men in one sweep.
A wall of pirates closed in from both sides.
"RRAAGH!"
He spun, his blade cutting through them.
Sparks flew.
Dust kicked up.
Bodies hit the ground.
Steel clashed against steel.
CLANG!
CLANG!
But none could match his strength. With each swing, more pirates fell, groaning or unconscious.
One tried to sneak him with a spear.
Golass sidestepped, twisted.
SLAM!
Butt of the hilt to the gut, the pirate collapsed, breathless.
The last ten hesitated, their weapons was shaking.
Golass fixed them with a cold stare.
"HRRRAAAHH!"
He charged again.
When the dust finally settled, all fifty pirates lay sprawled across the ground, either dead or unconscious.
The villagers emerged, stunned by the scene.
"Wh-What happened?..." Herring whispered, eyes wide.
"He's one of Ling's crew!" Medaka said, equally amazed.
At the tower...
"The islanders are rebelling, Boss!" one of Ganzack's officers shouted, panicked.
Ganzack clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his temple.
"Then I'll show them the full taste of my power!" he roared.
"Open the underwater cavern!"
One officer took out a remote-like device and pressed a button.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions erupted beneath the island. The tremors threw everyone off their feet.
"W-What's happening?!" a villager cried out.
"Did... did he blow himself up?" Herring asked.
"No," Ling said as he finally stepped outside.
"Boss!" Golass called out, balancing as the ground trembled.
Ling's eyes widened in wonder.
"I never expected to find a ship here..." he muttered.
"Ship?" Golass echoed.
The ground began to split apart, dust rising in thick clouds. The villagers shielded their eyes and then slowly, something massive emerged from the ocean.
A few moments later, the dust cleared.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The tower was gone. In its place was an enormous ship.
"I'm taking that ship. It willbe the ship that will carry us to the Grandline, Golass," Ling declared, his eyes gleaming.
Before them stood a 130-meter-long battleship. Cannons lined every edge, but the most striking feature was the massive mortar in the center.
"A battleship..." Ling whispered.
"Is this what we were building all along?" Herring muttered in disbelief.
The villagers began to murmur. They finally know why they were forced.
Aboard the battleship...
"Hahahahaha!" Ganzack laughed madly.
"You fools actually dared to rebel against me!"
"I'm no ordinary pirate! The others steal riches, but I steal fortunes after I ripen them!"
"You were all just livestock to me… and I have no use for wild livestock!"
He slammed a hand down on a control panel.
The top of the mortar started smoking.
The villagers took a fearful step back.
"Stay here," Ling said to Golass.
"I'll show you something I'll teach you later."
With a single leap, he soared onto the battleship.
Everyone watching gasped—including Ganzack and his crew.
"So cool!" Medaka whispered in awe.
Golass stared in silence, eyes fixed on Ling.
Ling landed atop the giant mortar. As the missile launched, he swiped his hand through the air, catching it and hurled it into the ocean.
Ganzack stumbled back, stunned, but quickly steadied himself.
"What a cheap trick!" he snarled.
"Men, attack him!"
Eight officers charged forward.
But before they could reach him, a wave of energy burst out from Ling blasting all eight into unconsciousness.
"Grrr! Don't play with me!" Ganzack roared.
"I'm the Pirate General, Ganzack! There's no way I'll lose to a nobody like you!"
Ling watched him do all his antics.
Ganzack's body was armored in crab-like plating. Giant claw-shaped gauntlets extended from his shoulders, attached to his back.
"…Are you pretending to be a crab?" Ling asked.
"I'm not a crab! I'm a pirate gen..."
"Blah blah blah," Ling interrupted, yawning.
"...eral, Ganzack!" Ling finished it.
"You bastard!" Ganzack lunged into the air, using gravity to dive straight at Ling with his claws extended.
"Watch closely, Golass!" Ling turned around and looked at Golass.
"Lesson one." He said.
Golass nodded silently from below.
"Watch out!" Medaka screamed.
The villagers all reacted in panic.
"Don't worry," Ling said calmly.
"You overconfident fool!" Ganzack howled.
But just before impact, Ling shifted slightly. With effortless move and without even looking, he dodged the strike.
CRACK!
Ganzack slammed into the floor, leaving a hole in the ship's deck.
"Hey! Not my ship," Ling said with a frown.
A tick mark appeared on Ganzack's temple.
"This is my ship!" he snapped.
The crab armor on his back opened, revealing a hidden gun.
"You dare to mock me? Then die!"
He fired a hailstorm of bullets.
But Ling closed his eyes.
Step by step, he began walking toward Ganzack slowly, casually weaving through the bullets with his eyes still closed.
Golass watched, stunned.
"Unbelievable…"
The bullets finally stopped. Smoke and silence filled the air.
Ling opened his eyes.
"Lesson two."
Ganzack, now furious and desperate, charged with his claw-blades out.
Ling raised his arm, coating it in Haki.
Sparks flew as Ganzack attacked relentlessly, but Ling blocked every strike with just his hardened hand.
Golass gulped.
He had never seen anything like it.
"Alright," Ling said, sighing.
"I'm done playing. Let's not damage the ship any further."
He dodged one last strike.
And with a single touch, Ganzack vanished.
-------------
IT'S ME!!
What do you guys think about Ace joining Whitebeard pirates. I just read both Ace Story novel by Oda, and the manga version of it.
I've been deciding whether to change Ace future of him not ending up being a Whitebeard pirate. I've written an outline of this story up to this point.
This could literally change the entire story of post time skip one piece.