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The Strongest Frost Loli (149)
🕑 Added 2024-10-29 17:00:02 +0000 UTCChapter 149 - Adonis Ragnell’s Might
A massive building stood in the Rommel Empire.
While giants couldn’t enter, it was large enough to accommodate even the largest of humans. It was a radio station.
It was still early in the morning. They had invited Ace to appear on the radio, saying it wouldn’t take long, and he had agreed.
“Good work. Would you like some water?”
“Oh, thanks.”
Ace, leaving the recording studio, was handed a bottle of water by a young girl who was waiting for him at the entrance.
She had long, straight white hair, tied with a red ribbon, and seemed rather lethargic.
“How was it? Your first radio appearance?”
“Hmm… It doesn’t feel real that people all over the world were listening to me."
“I see. That’s how it usually is.”
He was simply talking into a Den Den Mushi. It wasn’t that different from having a normal conversation.
He hadn’t been able to mention it on air, but he hoped the message had reached the mountain bandits who raised him, and his brother. They probably knew he was doing well because he occasionally appeared in the newspapers, but hearing his voice was different.
Deuce arrived as Ace left the building with the girl.
“You could have told me you were going to be on the radio. Everyone was surprised.”
“Sorry, it was a last-minute thing."
Ace glanced at the girl next to him.
She bowed to Deuce. “He’s a celebrity in this country. It was just a bit of fun,” she said.
Deuce, wary of the stranger, narrowed his eyes.
“Even so… Who are you?”
“I’m Iris, a member of the Valkyries.”
“The Valkyries… You mean Twilight’s elite unit?"
“Yes. I was told to show him around… By my superior.”
Iris shrugged.
Deuce, looking skeptical, said, “We’re technically enemies…”, but Ace simply asked, “Can you show us where the good restaurants are?” He didn’t seem to be suspicious at all.
“Ace!”
“It’s fine. They wouldn’t break their promise after making such a big deal about the match.”
It would damage Twilight’s reputation if they attacked a lower-ranking crew like the Spade Pirates after making such a grand gesture.
Ace seemed to trust them because he thought, “It wouldn’t be honorable.”
Deuce sighed. It seemed he had no choice but to follow them.
“By the way, about the next match… Is the date set yet?”
“Yes, it’s in three days. Please keep your schedule clear.”
Iris said this casually, as if she had forgotten about it. Ace and Deuce couldn’t help but sigh at her nonchalant demeanor.
“Three days, huh… How are your injuries?”
“I’ll be fine. They’re not that serious.”
“That’s good. It’ll be an executive next time. Don’t be careless."
“I won’t. I can’t afford to lose now."
Ace, adjusting his hat, seemed determined.
He didn’t seem particularly anxious, but Deuce couldn’t shake off the feeling that Ace was becoming obsessed.
***
Three days later…
Iris arrived to escort them again. They had reserved seats for the Spade Pirates at the Colosseum, and they headed there together.
A large crowd had already gathered, hoping to see the fight. Tickets were scarce.
“There are a lot more people than last time.”
“That’s to be expected. One of the top Valkyries is fighting today. She’s only second to one other person. And they both rarely participate in matches."
There were a few others in Twilight who were stronger, but among the Valkyries, she was the second strongest.
Iris was also a Valkyrie, but the difference in strength between the top and the bottom was significant. Even if they all attacked her together, they wouldn’t be able to defeat her.
Ace turned to Iris.
“Do you know who it is?”
“Yes. But I’m not going to tell you. It doesn't matter who it is.”
“Why not?”
“Because almost no information about us is leaked to the outside world. Pirates often use bounties to gauge strength, right? We don’t have bounties. And we rarely fight anyone other than the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates.”
Ace probably wouldn't recognize the names of her comrades. The World Government and the Four Emperors were different, but ordinary pirates couldn't obtain such information.
Of course, this often led to rookies underestimating Twilight.
“Hmm… Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll defeat whoever it is."
“You’re confident, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. I’m going to meet the Witch, no matter what.”
“I see. Good luck, then.”
Led by Iris, they arrived at the waiting room. After a brief wait, they were called to the arena.
Ace, taking a deep breath, walked down the hallway and entered the arena.
The commentator’s voice, distant at first, became clearer.
“Alright! Your commentator for today is yours truly, Donald Moderato!”
A man with prosthetic limbs, sitting in a distant seat, spoke enthusiastically.
“We have a full house today!! And it’s no wonder! One of the top Valkyries is fighting! You don’t want to miss this!!!”
Moderato, seeing Ace, began his introduction.
“First, let’s introduce our challenger! With a bounty of 350 million berries, Ace, the “Fire Fist”!!! He’s the promising rookie who defeated Samuel to reach this stage!!!”
Some of the audience cheered, excited to see the man who defeated Samuel.
It seemed Samuel was a well-known figure. Many were expecting great things from Ace.
Next, Moderato introduced Ace’s opponent.
“And his opponent is one of the Valkyries! The woman who repelled one of the Three Disasters, the Calamities of the Beasts Pirates! A fortress of a woman! Adonis Ragnell!!!”
A blonde woman, clad in silver armor, entered from the opposite side of the arena.
She was over twice Ace’s height, and her sword was thick and sturdy.
Ragnell, standing on the stage, glared at Ace and drew her sword. She was ready to fight.
“You’re my opponent.”
“Yes. Any complaints?”
“No, I thought you were strong the moment I saw you. I can meet the Witch if I defeat you, right?”
“Yes – Don’t die. It would be troublesome.”
The gong sounded. Ace immediately took a fighting stance, and Ragnell swung her sword horizontally.
The attack, a raging tempest, sent Ace flying into the transparent wall.
“One hit! What a powerful attack! Is Ace, the “Fire Fist”, already defeated?!”
“No… He blocked it well. He would have been cut in half if he had misjudged it.”
Ragnell, ignoring Moderato’s commentary, glared at the dust cloud where Ace had landed.
After a few seconds of silence – Ace charged out of the dust cloud.
His feet were enveloped in flames, increasing his speed.
“What a greeting! I thought I was going to die!”
“You’re not worthy of meeting Her Excellency if you can’t even block that. But you did well to block it with such weak Haki.”
Ace entered Ragnell’s range, trying to force a close-quarters fight, but Ragnell effortlessly parried his attacks.
Ace’s Haki was unstable, unlike hers. His control was erratic, and the color of his Armament Haki wasn’t consistent.
He was still new to Haki. He was self-taught, so his control wasn’t perfect.
“Shut up! I’m going to kill you!”
Ace was furious.
He had barely managed to block her attack by focusing his Haki at the last moment. If he had been a second slower, he would have been bisected.
What happened to “no killing”? But complaining now wouldn’t change anything.
He could meet the Witch if he defeated her.
Ace created distance, then, spreading flames around Ragnell, created a net of fire, trapping her.
“Fire Fist!!!”
A massive ball of fire shot towards Ragnell, but she simply swung her Haki-coated sword, extinguishing it.
She wasn't even fazed by the surrounding flames.
“You’re weak.”
She stepped over the flames and, standing before Ace, sheathed her sword.
Ace, surprised, raised his fists, but Ragnell, choosing to fight unarmed, punched him in the face.
Ace, despite blocking with both arms, was sent flying into the wall. The impact shook the ground.
“You’re distracted, thinking about meeting Her Excellency. You can’t even injure me with such a pathetic display.”
She retrieved her sword and slowly backed away.
He was still conscious. She knew that from her Observation Haki.
“…You’re right. I’m sorry.”
His arms were numb.
Ragnell’s punch had resonated through his entire body. It wasn’t just brute strength. It was something… different.
“My arms are killing me. Was that Haki?”
“Yes, I held back, though. Some try to join Twilight just to learn how to use Haki like that.”
But most of them ended up breaking down after witnessing the strength of Twilight’s upper echelon. It was difficult to believe in one’s own strength when faced with such overwhelming power.
“I see…” Ace chuckled, and raised his numb fists.
“If I learn how to use it properly, I can do that too, huh?”
“How arrogant. Show me what you can do, then!”
The previous exchange was just a warm-up. Ragnell wasn’t even serious yet.
Ace grinned and began to spread flames around him.
“I think I’m starting to understand. This is how you do it, right?”
His arms turned black as he coated them in Armament Haki.
He had learned by observing Samuel during their fight. He had seen how to use Haki. All he had to do now was try it.
Ace, enveloping his legs in flames, charged at Ragnell and punched her in the face.
But her Haki-reinforced body was as hard as steel. It didn't seem to have any effect.
“What the hell?! Is your body made of iron?!”
“The level of our Haki is different. This is how you punch.”
She punched Ace in the face with her free hand, sending him flying into the wall.
Ace, struggling to maintain consciousness, managed to stay awake.
That feeling again – the impact that resonated through his entire body. He was using Haki to defend himself, just like Ragnell, but the difference in power was obvious.
“Damn it…!!”
He couldn’t help but curse. She was an executive of an organization that rivaled the Four Emperors. He knew she was strong.
And she was probably holding back.
It was humiliating to be underestimated, but even then, he couldn't land a decent blow.
But even then, Ace roared.
“Why won't you fight seriously?!”
“I don’t need to, but… If I use my full strength, I’ll destroy the barrier. I don’t want to hurt the audience.”
Samuel had mentioned that only a few could destroy the arena’s walls. Ragnell was probably one of them.
She had to abide by the rules of the arena. Protecting the audience was part of that.
He might encounter her on the battlefield someday, but if that happened, he probably wouldn’t survive.
“I acknowledge your spirit, being able to stand up after taking two of my punches. But you can’t defeat me with that."
Ace, gritting his teeth, stood up, facing Ragnell, who had drawn her sword.
He couldn’t meet the Witch if he didn't defeat her.
Ace, burning with fighting spirit, glared at Ragnell.
“You’re not planning on running away, are you? Still want to fight?”
“Of course! I won’t run…!!”
Ace clenched his fists and charged at Ragnell.
***
“…Wow, I didn’t think he would last this long, Ace, the “Fire Fist”!”
Moderato, his voice hoarse, stood up in surprise.
The sun was setting. Ace had been fighting Ragnell since morning.
But Ace was battered and bruised. He was practically standing on willpower alone.
Ragnell, on the other hand, was breathing evenly, showing no signs of fatigue. She had a few wounds, but… it was obvious who had won.
“But unfortunately, we have a time limit! Since he couldn’t defeat Ragnell within the time limit, Ace is the loser!"
“Hold on, Moderato."
“Hmm? What is it, Ragnell?”
“According to the rules, if the time limit is reached, we can either decide the winner based on the current situation or postpone the match until tomorrow, with both participants' consent."
“That’s true, but… that rule has never been used. And besides, it’s obvious who’s winning…”
“You’re not the one who decides.”
Ragnell looked at Ace.
His spirit hadn’t been broken. He had fought relentlessly, trying to defeat her. She decided to give him a choice.
“Choose, Fire Fist – Admit defeat, or continue fighting tomorrow?”
Ragnell was strong.
She had repelled an attack from one of the Four Emperors’ top executives. Ace, who was weaker, had no chance of winning.
But even then…
Ace couldn’t admit defeat.
“I’ll fight!”
Ragnell, seeing his unwavering determination, sheathed her sword.
“Then we’ll continue tomorrow. Make sure you heal your wounds.”
An ordinary opponent wouldn't even be able to injure her. In that sense, Ace had potential.
Crushing him would be easy, but breaking his spirit and recruiting him was also part of an executive’s job. It was unclear how far Big Mom and Kaido’s alliance would expand. They had to gather as many allies as possible.
It was common knowledge within Twilight that the Marines were unreliable.
They might be able to crush the alliance with the combined forces of Twilight, the Red Hair Pirates, and Elbaf, but it was better to have more manpower.
***
That night, Koala received an envelope.
She and Sabo had been staying in a hotel room Kanata had arranged for them, hidden from the World Government and the Marines.
They had been exploring the city, trying to stay inconspicuous, and it seemed they had finally received a date for their meeting with Kanata.
Koala opened the envelope and found a simple letter and a ticket.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a ticket to the Colosseum.”
The letter simply said, “Meet me here.”
The castle was a conspicuous location. It would be easy to be seen entering or exiting. Considering the World Government’s suspicions about Kanata's relationship with Dragon, it was best to avoid drawing attention.
…Koala and Sabo, realizing this, made a face. “Perhaps that was a mistake,” they thought.
“It says to enter through the main gate and then come to this location. She’ll talk to the guards.”
A rough map was also included. They wouldn't get lost.
Koala, suddenly nervous, began pacing around the room.
“Calm down, Koala. It won't change anything.”
“I know, but! I’m meeting someone important! I can’t help but be nervous!”
“Hahaha… Let’s go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”
“Can I even sleep…?”
“You’re acting like a child.”
Sabo, placating the pouting Koala, was also lost in thought.
Dragon had simply told him to meet with Kanata, but he wanted to observe her.
