26 Paths

As the three came to the deck of the ship, Mars, Beth, Kuina, Ace and his crew surround them.

Mars: Nojiko nee-san you are awake.

Beth: Congratulations captain on the awakening of Nojiko-san.

Kuina: Hi Nojiko it's as been an hard time dealing with Larch-kun without you to supporting and helping me.

Nojiko: Hihihi. I bet. I am sure that he certainly isolated himself from everyone and most of the time hasn't left my side right.

Mars: Yup. And the training he as put us through was like hell.

Ace: Hey why don't you introduce me to your wife, brother.

As they were talking, Ace intervened speaking towards Larch and Nojiko, which still was in Larch arms.

Larch: Oh, i still haven't presented you to her. Nojiko, this is my twin brother, Ace and this is my girlfriend Nojiko.

Kuina: LARCH-KUN, if Nojiko is then so am i, right!

Larch: Yes.

Nojiko: So you are Larch-kun' brother. Nice to meet you.

Ace: Nice to meet you. So brother what will you be doing now?

Larch: I am not sure, i wasn't expecting for Law to succeed in curing Nojiko. I think that we should now go towards the New World. What about you, Ace?

Ace: I also think the same, i wanted to talk you about it. You know Whitebeard?

Larch: Yes, let me guess, you want to challenge him as he was one of father' enemies, right?

Ace: Yes, i wanted to know your opinion on the this?

Larch: I know that you now are the user of the Devil Fruit of Fire and from the aura you are emanating, it seems that you are still spearsman. Kuina.

Kuina: Yes Larch-kun. Ace i think that you know were this is going.

Hearing both his brother and Kuina made Ace sighing.

Ace: Please go easy on me Kuina-san.

Larch: If i were you, i would take her seriously. Begin.

As he finished speaking, both, Kuina and Ace, dashed at the same time towards each other, while taking out theirs weapons.

Bang

Clashing with their weapons, Ace piercing with his spear while Kuina blocked the attack, turning her sword to the side.

Srrrr

As she did, she then bent down to the right dragging her sword on the spear.

Ace: "Shit she knows my weak side."

Slash

Ace to prevent this, he brought his spear to the side to hit Kuina, which in the process made Kuina bent even more down dodging the spear, while doing so she swinged her sword horizontally to cut down Ace. Ace seeing this used the momentum from the swing, to rotate his body and block the attack of the sword.

Boom

Ace: Kuina, you are still very merciless when it comes to fights, but i have advantage as i now have a devil fruit.

As he spoke, the temperature in the surroundings increased greatly. Ace now had flames coming out of his body, while his spear was covered in flame.

Ace: See, even if you use Haki, i will also use it.

Kuina: That is where you are wrong, having the fruit doesn't make it necessarily great, as the time you will spend train your domain over it, you won't spend it in Haki, or your mastery over your weapon. As for your fruit i know about it, it's a logia fruit of the element of fire, which makes all the physical attacks useless, unless someone uses the Armament Haki. So shall we test, if you are right or if i am.

Kuina' sword turned completely black, as she used Armament Haki, at the same time she closed her eyes concentrating on the surroundings using the Observation Haki.

Tension rose between the both of them. As Ace observed Kuina, he found no openings or weakness in Kuina' stance, even though she was with her eyes closed. Ace swinged his spear horizontally, as he did Kuina swinged her sword blocking the spear, while doing so, she swifted the sword away, making so that the clash didn't stop her continuing from attacking Ace.

Ace seeing this covered his body with Armament Haki, as the sword hitted him, it passed through the Armament Haki, as well with the flames of the devil fruit. Ace retreating from Kuina, turned his head to see where Kuina' sword hit, there was deep wound crossing his torso bleeding greatly.

Larch: See, even though you used your fruit and haki to protect yourself, Kuina' Haki is stronger than yours, while her weapon mastery as improved, while you haven't as much. If you want to face Whitebeard with your level of strength, you will be massacred, but don't forget that you have just begun your journey, a year as not even passed, so don't worry.

As Larch talked, he approached Ace with his hand glowing in white light.

Larch: Come here.

Ace: Yes brother.

Larch putted his hand over the wound, as it did Ace' wound started healing rapidly, making in a few seconds all healed.

Ace: Thank you brother. Have you heard about Sabo?

Larch: What happened to him?

Ace: He as gone missing a month ago.

Larch: If that is only it then there is nothing to worry about, from what i heard he also possess a devil fruit, so in Paradise there isn't much who could harm him. "Could it be?"

Larch: We from now will set sail, see you later Ace. Improve in this time, as in this match you have lost to Kuina.

Ace: Yes brother.

Kuina: Larch-kun what location should i put in the controls of Pluton?

Larch: Hmmm, make it to head towards Water 7, then pass over it.

Kuina: Ok, so then we won't stop at Water 7.

Larch: For now no. Later maybe for our 'little' mechanic to gain knowledge.