C6 My Luck Is Really Good

"Ding! A side mission has been triggered."

The previously inconspicuous system sprang to life, issuing a new task.

Huh? There's a side mission?

"Mission: Capture the Pirate Portgas D. Ace.

Level: C

Reward: Fire Escape Technique, Three-Magatama Sharingan, 800 Mission Points.

This is an optional side mission. You may choose to decline. Do you wish to decline?"

Rodney gasped at the sight of the reward. It wasn't just the Fire Escape Technique; the Three-Magatama Sharingan was also up for grabs. With Mission Points, a single Magatama was worth three thousand points, and here they were offering the Three-Magatama Sharingan outright. He absolutely had to accept this mission!

"Alright, I accept. But since he's your grandson, I'll need a Sea Building Stone for insurance."

What if Ace had consumed the Flame-Flame Fruit at this time? Nature Type was a game-changer, so how would he handle it?

"You greedy kid, I never use Sea Building Stones. I'm here on vacation; where would I get one from? And besides, you don't need it to handle Ace, do you?" Garp retorted.

From his response, it seemed Ace hadn't consumed the Flame-Flame Fruit yet. There was no indication of it in the original story, so it seemed feasible to attempt the capture.

"Do you have his Life Paper?" Rodney inquired.

"If I had that, would I need you?"

Point taken, Rodney sighed and conceded, "Fine, I'll figure out a way to catch him."

He was determined to complete this mission.

The Three-Magatama Sharingan and the Fire Destroyer technique from Master Sparrow—were these really just a Level C reward?

"Which of the Six Moves are you planning to teach me?"

"Well, let's start with the Shave technique. I'll teach you, but whether you master it is up to you."

Rodney's life, which seemed more torturous than death, carried on.

...

Half a month later, in Rogue Town.

Rodney strolled down the street in a naval uniform, not because he had joined the navy, but because he had no other clothes left and had to wear what was available on the ship.

Meeting Garp had been a stroke of luck, albeit with a touch of misfortune.

Could this be karma for bullying the Sea King Species?

Garp had managed to learn the technique, but mastering it would take some more time. His grueling training regimen had significantly enhanced his physical capabilities, allowing him to unlock the second gate of the Eight Gates Escape Armor.

Afterwards, he borrowed a small boat from Garp and caught a Sea King Species to hasten his travel.

It took him a week to reach Rogue Town.

The main reason was that Garp's sailing route was the complete opposite of his own. He had set out for Rogue Town from Rob Village, while Garp had been heading from Rogue Town to the Gaya Kingdom.

Thus, he switched Sea King Species several times and finally made it to Rogue Town.

The system came equipped with its own locator. Ace hadn't left the East Sea and was on his way here, so all he had to do was wait for his arrival.

"Mr. Joestar?"

He turned to see who was calling him and recognized Tashigi.

"Lieutenant Tashigi, what's the matter? You seem to be in quite a rush."

"We've got a report of someone dining and dashing at Uncle Frank's restaurant—a Pirate, no less. I'm on my way to handle it. I must go immediately." With that, Tashigi hurried off with her squad.

Who could it be? Who had the audacity to dine without paying in Rogue Town? Quite the bold move.

Rodney decided to follow and see what the commotion was about.

It's in human nature to be drawn to excitement, and Rodney was no exception. It was ingrained in his DNA, an unchangeable trait that made spectating all the more enjoyable.

On the main street of Rogue Town, a group of people were sprinting, one of them carrying a man with an orange cowboy hat slung over his shoulder, bare-chested and snoring away.

"Is the captain asleep again? Are we out of money?" asked a man armed with a gun.

"Eating and sleeping are normal for the captain. Plus, we're known for dining and dashing—it's the captain's way!" retorted the man with blue hair, glancing back at their pursuers. "Pick up the pace! The navy's on our tail, and they're not fans of the captain like Lieutenant Isca. Hurry! The harbor's just ahead."

"Sorry, but you can't go this way!" Rodney, having benefited from Garp's training, had seen a significant boost in speed. He overtook the group and blocked their path.

"Who's there?"

"Move aside!"

One of the burly men charged forward, only to be met with a punch to the forehead by Rodney.

"Bill!"

Rodney looked at his fist, reveling in the sensation... it was exhilarating!

"Navy, move aside!" The armed man shouted before opening fire.

Rodney swiftly dodged and leaped forward, landing a punch that floored another assailant.

"Shadow Dance, Ye!"

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"

He continued to knock down several more, but as he prepared to strike the next, his leg was caught.

"Sorry, but I can't let you continue to harass my crew," said the freckled young man, his palm radiating intense heat.

Startled, Rodney quickly retreated, only to see flames igniting in the man's hand.

Nature Type Devil Fruit, the power to burn!

Rodney's expression turned grim. He hadn't expected to encounter his target so soon, nor that Ace had already consumed the Devil Fruit.

Portgas D. Ace!

"Sorry, I dozed off for a bit. Shishi, how's everyone doing?" Ace inquired of the blue-haired young man beside him.

Masqued D. Shishi, Ship Doctor of the Spade Pirate Group.

"They're all superficial injuries. They won't wake up for another three hours," Shishi replied with composure.

"Then there's no problem. Let's get the unconscious to the ship, and I'll handle this," Ace said, his gaze fixed on Rodney.

Rodney paid no mind to Ace's crew; his task was to deliver Ace to Garp.

"Take care of yourself, Captain," Shishi said, trusting in Ace's capabilities and not concerned about his safety.

Nature Type Fruit was an unsolvable enigma in the first half of the Great Voyage, so there was no reason to worry about Ace. Their presence would only complicate matters.

"Portgas D. Ace, your grandfather sent me to bring you back. Surrender now," Rodney declared, feeling fortunate. It had been only a few days since he had set the coordinates, and Ace had already arrived.

"No way, I'm not going back. I refuse to see that old man!" Ace exclaimed defiantly. "You can't stop me. Solar Flare!"

An arm transformed into a blazing pillar of fire and charged at Rodney.

"Earth Escape: Earth Flowing Wall!"

Unlike Kakashi, who would embellish the Earth Flowing Wall with a dog's head, this was just a plain, unadorned wall.

The fiery column slammed into the wall, shattering it to pieces.

"Damn it, there are too many people here. What do you think you're doing?!" Rodney couldn't tolerate this guy launching area attacks. What if innocent bystanders were hurt?

"Sorry about that." Ace quickly apologized. Seizing the moment, Rodney surged forward, his fist crashing down on Ace's head.

The punch obliterated Ace's head, but regrettably, the wound was nothing but flames.

"How low! A sneak attack!" Ace's headless body staggered back in a ghastly fashion. Flames surged, and his head reformed.

"Without Haki, the Nature Type really is invincible. No wonder they introduced Haki later on." He grumbled to himself, feeling at a loss. How was he supposed to fight now?

Flame attacks were clearly futile against him. And with Fire Escape and Body Technique, what effective means of attack did he have left?

The Explosive Talisman could only serve as a temporary distraction. Even if blown apart, Ace would just regenerate.

Seeing Rodney hold back, Ace smiled and said, "Step aside. You can't defeat me."

"He might not, but I can, White Snake!" A white smoke billowed forth, leading with a leather-gloved fist aiming straight for Ace.

Ace leaped to avoid the punch, landing atop a building. A white-clad man strode forward, his right arm shrouded in smoke, sporting a silver pompadour and a white biker jacket open to reveal a muscular chest, with the word "justice" emblazoned across his back. Cigar clenched in his teeth, his fierce expression made him look more like a pirate than any Pirate.

He was none other than Colonel Smoker from the Navy Headquarters.

"Ah, perfect timing, Colonel Smoker. Vice Admiral Garp has tasked me with bringing back his grandson. Lend me a hand, will you?"

"Vice Admiral Garp's grandson?" Smoker paused, then scoffed, "Even if he is Vice Admiral Garp's grandson, he should be thrown in jail, not handed over to him."

Rodney shrugged, recognizing the gravity in the man's demeanor. "Let's focus on capturing him first," he said.

Smoker's ten fingertips were inlaid with Sea Building Stone, the bane of any Devil Fruit Ability User.