Chapter 68: Attention from the World (Part 1)
On board the Spade, as soon as Carols stepped onto the ship with Ace, the crew immediately swarmed around her.
"Whoa, elves are real?!"
"She's so delicate, like a porcelain doll. Are those wings real?"
"Let me touch—she's too cute!"
"Idiot! Carols is a lady! You can't just touch people like that!"
Kerla punched Yanliu away as he reached out, then protectively hugged Carols.
"It's fine, Kerla-chan," Carols said gently, sweeping her gaze over the curious and diverse crew. It was her first time seeing so many humans from different races gathered in one place.
"Everyone, meet Carols—a genuine elf! Amazing, right?" Ace grinned proudly, then declared, "From today, Carols will be a member of our crew! She's officially joined the Spade Pirates!"
"Ohhh! A new crewmate!"
"Time to party!"
"Waaahhh! We finally have a female member!" cried Aki, dramatically covering his face.
At the banquet that followed, Ace explained how he met the Sun Elf Tribe on Sun Island, while Carols shared fascinating tales about her people. The crew was particularly shocked when she revealed that Sun Elves could normally live up to a thousand years.
The longest-living known humans on the seas were the Giants, whose average lifespan was around 300 years—but Sun Elves lived over three times longer.
"Hey, Carols-chan, how old are you this year?" asked Finamore from the Dwarf Tribe, curious.
Bang!
Kerla gave him a hard knock on the head. "Idiot! Asking a lady's age is totally uncool!"
"It's fine, Kerla-chan. I'm thirteen this—"
Before she could finish, Kerla quickly covered her mouth, whispering, "Carols, listen carefully. A lady must never reveal her age, okay?"
"Huh? Really?" Carols blinked in surprise.
"Absolutely. A woman's age is top-secret!" Kerla nodded seriously.
"Okay, I get it!" Carols replied with the same solemnity. Then, sipping her juice and watching the lively scene around her, she murmured, "Ace's friends are all really kind people. I hope Brother Karkus can feel this joy too…"
"Hehe. I like him a lot. I'll definitely bring him into our crew," Ace replied with a grin.
"Mm-hmm!" Carols nodded eagerly. After meeting Ace's companions, she truly hoped her brother could become part of this warm, cheerful pirate family too.
That night, the crew held a banquet that lasted until dawn.
---
The next day, construction began on a new base for the Spade Pirates on Sun Island. They chose a spot on the island's northern side, which had a good environment and was far enough from the Sun Tree.
The Sun Tree emitted intense heat—only people like Ace or the Sun Elves could endure it. Fortunately, the heat radius wasn't too wide, so staying at a safe distance made it bearable for the crew.
Aki took charge of building the base. The rest of the crew helped with transporting materials and handling various tasks. Ace, meanwhile, focused on absorbing residual flame energy from the island, helping to regulate the environment.
Everything progressed smoothly and in order.
---
While Ace and his crew were focused on building their new stronghold in the New World, his newly updated bounty poster had already reached the desks of every major power across the sea.
---
Wano Country – Onigashima
King the Wildfire handed the bounty poster to Kaido of the Beasts, saying:
"Lord Kaido, a powerful rookie has surfaced in the New World. Should we try to recruit him?"
Kaido glanced at the poster. "A Logia user, huh? There's no need to recruit him. If he sets foot in our territory, show him the horror of the New World. If he survives, maybe he's worth keeping. If not—"
Kaido grinned darkly, "—sink him and feed him to the sea kings."
"This sea isn't a playground for kiddie pirates."
"Yes, sir." King bowed and withdrew.
---
Totto Land – Whole Cake Chateau
The Big Mom Pirates had a similar stance. Like Kaido's crew, they were wary of new forces disrupting the balance in the New World, which was already divided among the Four Emperors.
Each Yonko crew preferred newcomers to either submit to their flag or disappear beneath the waves.
---
Grand Line – Primitive Island of Watson
Docked at Watson Island, the Heart Pirates rested while Trafalgar D. Water Law sat in his cabin, reading a newspaper with a smirk.
"Eight hundred fifty-five million berries…"
"Captain Ace making his return after a year of silence has rocked the world!" Law muttered, reading about the events at Sabaody Archipelago.
"To leap by 500 million in one go… it's not surprising, considering what he pulled off."
"Escaping from two Marine Admirals without a scratch? That kind of strength deserves this bounty." He folded the paper, stepped outside, and looked toward the New World.
"Captain Ace is out there, making waves... I need to speed up, or the next time we meet, I'll be left in the dust."
---
Grand Line – Nearby Route
Sailing calmly was a ship manned by figures resembling monks, each with white wings on their backs.
This was the ship of the Fallen Monk Pirates, captained by Urouge, who had descended from Skypiea a year earlier.
In that time, the crew had earned a solid reputation in the first half of the Grand Line. Urouge's bounty had risen to 88 million berries.
Inside the cabin, Urouge sat cross-legged, reading the same newspaper with a gentle grin.
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