For once, a ripple appeared in Mihawk's golden eyes.
He stared at the kid in front of him, a runt who did not even reach his knee, yet was dead serious about teaching him swordsmanship and even pitied him for "carrying a cross around to pray for safety." For a moment, Mihawk genuinely did not know how to react.
Kael finally lost it.
He collapsed back on the sofa, laughing so hard his whole body shook, tears spraying out.
"Hahahaha… Ace," Kael wheezed at last, wiping the corners of his eyes, "listen."
He pointed at Mihawk and explained to the still "teacher-mode" Ace, "This Mihawk big bro right here is the man most likely to become the World's Strongest Swordsman. As for that 'cross' he carries…"
Kael paused for effect.
"That's one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades, Yoru."
The air in the hall froze for three seconds.
The confidence, sympathy, reliability, and every other expression on Ace's face shattered instantly, then reassembled into pure blankness.
His little mouth fell open. He looked at Mihawk, who wore an exhausted, helpless expression. Then he looked at the huge black blade that radiated an ominous presence.
Then he whipped his head around, cheeks flushing red until he looked like an angry little pufferfish.
"Uncle Kaaeel!"
A grief-stricken roar echoed through the villa. "You tricked me!"
He charged at Kael like a tiny cannonball, only for Kael to casually snag him by the back of the collar and lift him up.
"Hahaha, how is that tricking?" Kael dropped him onto the sofa. "That was your first lesson, Ace. Once you go out to sea, don't judge a person by their looks, and don't measure the ocean with a bucket."
And whatever you do, do not pull a "fire guy blocks magma guy for sun god" kind of stunt later.
For the next few days, Rouge and Ace stayed at the villa.
Ace, who had finally escaped Mt. Colubo's "starter village," had enough energy to power a whole island.
And the biggest joke he made became the very thing that helped him get close to Mihawk.
"Mihawk big bro! I'm sorry!"
Ace hugged the "holy sword" water pipe like it was sacred and bowed solemnly to Mihawk.
Mihawk simply held his red tea and glanced at him, calm and indifferent.
"I want to learn swordsmanship! Real swordsmanship!" Ace lifted his head. In his eyes was a child's pure, untainted stubbornness.
Maybe that stubbornness moved Hawk-Eyes.
Or maybe he was just bored.
Either way, over the next few days, the villa's courtyard often hosted a bizarre scene.
A tall, expressionless Mihawk stood there like a statue, while five-year-old Ace struggled with a wooden practice sword made to fit him. Again and again, he drilled the most basic swings and thrusts.
"The hand that grips the sword must be steady," Mihawk would occasionally say.
"Yes!" Ace, drenched in sweat, gritted his teeth and held on.
Kael watched from the side, clicking his tongue in amazement. A personal beginner lesson from the future World's Strongest Swordsman. That kind of treatment.
Me, Ace, soloing Mt. Colubo at six!
And if I also eat the Mera Mera no Mi… Flame Breathing!
Yeah, no, I'm not saying that out loud. That is a real big bro.
Aside from clinging to Mihawk, Ace was also intensely curious about the other weird residents of the villa.
He met Moria, a pale-faced giant over six meters tall.
"Whoa! You're huge!" Ace craned his neck until it nearly snapped. "Uncle Kael said your shadows are super strong!"
Moria rarely got a kid fan, so he immediately got interested. He performed shadow manipulation on the spot, making his own shadow stand up and dance.
Ace watched with his jaw hanging open, then clapped like crazy. "Sugoi! That's awesome!"
Moria opened his mouth wide, about to let out his signature "kishishishi" laugh.
"But…" Ace rubbed his chin and added seriously, "it feels kinda dark. I don't really like it."
Moria's smile froze.
The next second, the nearly seven-meter-tall man silently walked to the corner, crouched down, and started drawing circles on the floor with his finger. The gloom radiating from his giant body was so intense you could almost see it, stronger than Perona's Negative Hollows.
When Ace met Robin, it was a completely different picture.
He noticed Robin always holding books so thick they could knock someone out cold, so he shuffled over curiously.
"Robin big sis, what are you reading?"
"An archaeological discoveries report from the West Blue," Robin said with a smile. She closed the book and, in simple words he could understand, told him a few adventure stories about an ancient kingdom.
Ace got completely hooked.
But when Robin asked if he could read, he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
So… to be a strong pirate, you had to read this much?
For the first time, little Ace felt genuine awe toward "knowledge."
Of course, the most unforgettable person in the villa for Ace was still the pink-haired girl who called herself the "Ghost Princess," Perona.
Perona finally found someone younger than her in the house, and her sense of superiority instantly skyrocketed.
She floated in midair with her hands on her hips and declared to Ace, "Runt, when you see a princess, you should bow!"
Ace was at that fearless age. He stuck his tongue out at her.
That set Perona off.
"How dare you disrespect me! I'll show you what I can do! Negative Hollow!"
Several white ghosts passed straight through Ace's body.
One second he was bouncing around. The next, he dropped to his knees with a thud, hands braced on the floor, his whole body turning gray.
"I'm sorry…" His eyes went blank as he mumbled to himself. "I'm an idiot who runs around bragging with a water pipe… I can't even read properly… I'm alive just to make Mom worry…"
Rouge walked out holding a fruit platter and saw her son kneeling on the floor questioning the meaning of life.
She did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Happy time always ends too quickly.
A week later, it was time to part.
The ship Kael arranged was already waiting at the dock, ready to sail back to the East Blue.
Ace had changed into a clean, neat little sailor outfit and stood on the deck looking bright-eyed and full of spirit.
These days had opened a door to a whole new world for him.
Rouge stood beside him, smiling gently as she waved and thanked Kael and the others on the dock.
"Uncle Kael! Mihawk big bro! Robin big sis! And… Mina!" Ace waved both arms hard, his smile bright enough to melt ice. "Bye! I'll come find you again for sure!"
The ship slowly pulled away from the harbor, leaving a long white trail across the sea.
Ace's figure grew smaller and smaller, but his crisp, loud farewell still echoed above the dock.
Kael stood there, watching the ship disappear into the distance, a faint smile resting on his face.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to add this story to your Library, drop a review, and leave a Power Stone if you enjoyed it!
If you're itching to see what happens next, check out the advanced chapters on my Patron!
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"