Chapter 658: The Young Eagle Takes Flight!
You should know, Ace used to be the one who loved adventure more than anyone.
Even after he became a division commander in the Whitebeard Pirates, he was still the guy on the ship who was the most eager to go exploring.
But now, because of his position and the crew, he had forced that nature down.
For the Whitebeard Pirates, that was not necessarily a bad thing.
For Ace, though, the problem was far too big.
"Ace, if you want to go, then go," Whitebeard said plainly.
"Everyone, we are not so weak that we need your protection as captain all the time."
Ace raised his head and looked at his father.
That face, no longer young, was filled with warmth, doting affection, and kindness.
To the world, this man had once been known as the strongest.
To Ace, he would always just be his father.
"Dad, I…" Ace's eyes were already full of tears.
You had to understand, this was Dad's lifelong dream.
Ace had only just become the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Yet he could not let go of what was happening with Ryuunosuke and the others.
If he left now…
"Alright, I know what you're thinking," Whitebeard said, his voice gentle.
"I don't want you to look back someday and think about today."
"And feel like today's decision became a regret."
Whitebeard placed his huge hand on Ace's head, his expression full of indulgence.
"Dad!"
"Waaaaah…"
Ace called out again, then threw himself into Whitebeard's arms.
"Heeey, hey, hey…" A familiar voice cut in, half laughing.
"Captain Ace, you really think…"
"We're all useless now that you're captain?!"
Marco stepped forward, grinning as he looked at Ace bawling his eyes out.
"Yeah, Ace, you really think we're useless, huh?"
"Even if you're not here, we can still take good care of Dad."
"Haha, don't worry. We'll all be right here waiting when you come back!"
One by one, the commanders stepped forward.
All of them wore smiles.
Ace looked at his friends, his family.
And the tears he was already shedding completely overflowed.
The dam broke.
He sobbed loudly, without restraint.
Yet the people around him only smiled.
Because they understood.
Ace's tears were for them.
"Dad, everyone…"
"I'll go take a look!"
"Those idiots definitely won't be able to help Big Brother properly!"
"I'll come back for sure, after my brother finishes what he has to do!"
After he said that, Ace grabbed an iron ship that had been prepared at some unknown time, leaped into the sea, and exploded forward.
A huge burst of flame roared across the water.
In an instant, Ace disappeared beyond the horizon.
"Dad, Ace has finally grown up," Marco said softly, walking up beside Whitebeard.
"Yes," Whitebeard replied.
"If it weren't for these special circumstances, Ace would probably have stayed captain of the Whitebeard Pirates forever."
"And he wouldn't be Ace anymore."
He sighed, a trace of helplessness in his voice.
Ace's choice was indeed a continuation of Whitebeard's dream.
After all, what Whitebeard wanted was a crew that felt like family.
But Whitebeard had finally realized something.
That dream carried a serious drawback.
It limited everyone's growth.
This home could become a cage.
When Whitebeard was strong, he could handle the hardships and setbacks his children faced.
He believed that was the best way to protect his family.
But children always have to grow up on their own.
Young eagles always have to face the vast sky by themselves.
They always have to spread their own wings.
Otherwise, they will not survive in this world.
When parents are too powerful, they often miss that truth.
That was why, even as one of the Four Emperors, the Whitebeard Pirates had a clear gap.
Aside from Whitebeard himself, those beneath him were noticeably inferior compared to the other Yonko forces.
Because they could not be Whitebeard.
From the moment Ace became captain, he quietly folded his wings.
Because he knew that was what Whitebeard wanted.
What Ace wanted stopped feeling important.
Now, both Sabo and Luffy had already gone to Ryuunosuke's side.
Compared to the other two, whether it was strength or the depth of his bond with Ryuunosuke, Ace was far stronger.
And yet, under these circumstances, Ace could not move forward.
Because of the shackles tied around him, called family.
That would have become a lifelong regret.
That was why Whitebeard made this choice.
"Dad, should we keep the banquet going?" Jozu asked with a grin, carrying a massive barrel of liquor.
Bang!
Whitebeard punched Jozu on the head.
"The reason we held this banquet was so Ace wouldn't have to think about so much."
"Now Ace has made his decision."
"So we also have things we need to do."
"I'm not letting that brat think his father is really old."
As he spoke, Whitebeard lifted his beloved blade.
"Haha, I knew it. Dad would never fully leave us behind!"
"Dad, what are we going to do?" Vista asked excitedly.
"Yeah! We should prepare a gift so Ace gets a huge surprise when he comes back!" Marco chimed in.
"Gurararara!"
"Kids, let's properly consolidate all our territories!"
"And we're running low on supplies. Those Sea Kings will make fine resources!"
"Whitebeard Pirates, set sail!"
Whitebeard raised his blade and pointed forward.
The Whitebeard Pirates immediately sprang into action.
Not long after they left, a massive pirate crew arrived at the same area.
"Where are they?"
A deep voice echoed across the deck.
"I don't know!"
"I'm not lying, they've been holding a banquet here for days!"
"When our people returned yesterday, they reported they were still here!"
The speaker was a burly man who looked like the captain of the ship.
At that moment, he was kneeling on the deck, trembling.
He did not even dare to raise his head and look at the man in front of him.
They were terrified of being killed for the slightest mistake.
The man before them was a true demon.
"Captain, Lord Blackbeard!"
Just then, a pirate came running over in a panic.
"Someone just reported it!"
"Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates set sail alone!"
"The target is unknown, but it's suspected he's heading toward where the Dragon Hunter Pirates are right now!"
"Ace is gone?" Blackbeard's mouth curled into a pleased grin.
"Pops… you actually let Ace go…"
"Hehehe…"
The smugness lasted only a heartbeat.
Then the cruelty surfaced just as fast.
Bang!
Blackbeard grabbed the kneeling captain's head and smashed it hard into the deck.
"I want the Whitebeard Pirates' location within one day."
"If you can't find it, then I don't need you looking."
"Get lost."
After speaking, Blackbeard kicked the pirate away.
.....
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