Chapter 18: Ace
Mt. Colubo, early morning.
"ACCCCE—!!!"
Garp's roar exploded like a cannon, startling every bird in the forest into a panicked flight.
Ace, who was still asleep, shot bolt upright, his black hair a total mess, his eyes barely open. "You damn old geezer?! You're back again?!"
BAM!
Garp kicked the wooden door off its hinges, his laughter echoing. "Bwahahaha! Rise and shine! Time to train! We're starting my 'Fist of Love' special training today!"
Ace's face went pale. He clutched his blanket, refusing to let go. "I don't want your 'love'! That's attempted murder!"
"No complaining!" Garp snatched Ace up by the collar like a kitten. "Today, you learn the 'Fist of Love'!"
"HEEELLLP!" Ace kicked wildly in the air, almost in tears. "You old bastard! Put me down!"
BAM!
A punch landed on his head, instantly raising a new lump. "This is tough love!"
Ace clutched his head. "That hurts! I'm gonna report you for child abuse!"
Roy stood to the side, facepalming. He tortures his grandson daily and then leaves him with mountain bandits to be raised... It'll be a miracle if he doesn't become a pirate.
In a clearing in the back mountains, Ace was sprawled on the ground, already black and blue, panting, with a fresh Garp-sized lump on his head.
Garp stood over him, hands on his hips, laughing. "Bwahahaha! Only fifty laps and you're already wiped? Back in my day, I ran a hundred laps carrying a cannon!"
Ace glared up, gritting his teeth. "Who... who'd compare themselves to you... you old freak..."
Roy walked over and handed him a water bottle. "Drink. Don't pass out."
Ace chugged it, then glared at Garp like a wolf pup. "You old bastard! I want a different teacher! I want 'Big Bro' Roy to teach me!"
Roy raised an eyebrow. "Me?"
Ace nodded frantically. "Yeah! You're way nicer than this old geezer!"
Garp's eye twitched. "What was that, you little brat?!"
Ace shot back, "Big Bro Roy's training just tires me out! Your training is trying to kill me! I know the difference!"
Garp: "..."
Roy couldn't help but laugh. "Fine, I'll train with you for a bit."
Ace's eyes lit up. "Awesome! Teach me that trick! The one where you made the giant rock fly up and smash down!"
Roy sighed. "That's a Devil Fruit power, Ace. You can't learn it."
Ace immediately deflated. "Tch... Lame."
Roy thought for a moment. "But, I can teach you some basic Marine combat forms."
Ace's eyes lit up again. "Combat forms? Yeah! Let's do it!"
Garp sulked on the sidelines. "Hmph! Ungrateful brat. Ditching your old grandpa for the new guy. I'm so mad!"
Ace stuck his tongue out. "Blehh!"
Garp's eye twitched. "You little..."
For the next two days, the mountain became a temporary training ground.
"Aaaargh—!"
Ace swung his staff in a wild flurry, only for Roy to catch it effortlessly between two fingers. "Your form is off. Tighten your grip, center your balance."
"Damn it!" Ace, his face red with frustration, reset his stance.
Garp sat on the side, waving a bag of rice crackers. "Brat! Hit him already!"
Roy was patient. "Hey! Don't swing like you're half-asleep! Put some power into it!"
Ace got so mad he threw the staff at Roy's head. Roy just tilted his head and caught it, snapping the wood between two fingers. "Don't throw a tantrum. Continue."
Ace: "..."
Garp was rolling with laughter. "Bwahahaha! Those two brats get along perfectly!"
...
"Ace, try to keep up."
"Huh? But you can teleport!"
Roy smiled. "I won't warp. Just my normal speed."
Five minutes later—
"Hah... hah... Y-you call this... 'normal speed'?!" Ace was sprawled on the grass, panting like an exhausted dog.
Roy stood over him, not even breathing hard. "Yeah."
Garp was laughing from a nearby stump. "Bwahahaha! See the gap, brat? His 'normal speed' is so fast even I can't catch him!"
Ace's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Wh-WHAT?!"
...
After a rest, Roy casually lifted a boulder taller than himself with one hand. "Here, you try."
Ace's jaw dropped. "That... That's massive! Are you trying to kill me?!"
Roy said flatly, "Mr. Garp's iron balls are a hundred times heavier."
Garp interjected proudly, "That's right! They're custom-made!"
Ace: "..." (On the verge of tears).
He gritted his teeth, his face turning purple, but the boulder didn't move an inch. Roy sighed and quietly swapped it for a much smaller rock.
Ace's pride was crushed.
Two days later, Mt. Colubo, at dusk.
Ace was lying on the grass, panting, his tattered shirt soaked with sweat. He took the apple Roy handed him and took a huge bite. "Big Bro Roy, are you guys leaving tomorrow?"
Roy nodded. "Yeah. Back to Marineford."
Ace was quiet for a moment, then looked up, his eyes stubborn. "I'm going to be stronger than you one day!"
Roy smiled and ruffled his hair. "You'll have to work for it."
Ace clenched his fists. "Of course! I'm not gonna lose to you!"
Garp walked over and slapped him on the head, raising another lump. "You listen to Dadan, brat! And stay out of trouble!"
Ace winced but just scowled. "Yeah, yeah, I know!"
Garp laughed, but there was a weight behind it.
Roy stood up and looked past the mountain, out toward the sea. He was quiet for a moment, then spoke. "Old Man, we need to talk."
Garp paused, then nodded. "Alright."
They walked a short distance away, making sure Ace couldn't hear.
Roy looked Garp straight in the eye. "Leaving him here to be raised by mountain bandits isn't a long-term solution."
Garp's smile faded, but he didn't speak.
Roy continued, "I asked around. Dadan gives him one bowl of rice and one cup of water a day. He has to fend for himself for everything else. Growing up like this... I'm worried he's going to run off and become a pirate."
Garp was silent, the lines on his face seeming to deepen. His fists clenched and unclenched.
Roy pressed, "If you want to keep him from going down the wrong path, I recommend you take him back to Marineford."
At this, Garp's expression turned dark, as if he'd finally come to a decision. He took a deep breath, his voice low and heavy. "What if... he's the son of the Pirate King?"
He stared at Roy, waiting for the shock or the fear.
Roy just replied flatly, "Oh."
Garp stared, shocked. "Wait... that's it? That's your reaction?"
Roy was perfectly calm. "The child is innocent. He can be saved now. If he actually becomes a pirate, it'll be too late."
The words struck Garp like a bolt of lightning.
Roy continued, "His bloodline isn't his fault. That's something he can't control. But if we let him fall into darkness because of it, that will be our fault!"
Garp closed his eyes, his breathing heavy, as he wrestled with himself. Finally, he opened his eyes. "Roy... do you have any idea what this means?"
Roy nodded. "I do."
Garp stared. "The moment his identity is exposed, the Marines, the World Government, and the entire world will hunt him as an enemy!"
Roy said flatly, "All the more reason to make sure he's standing on the side of Justice."
"Besides, you've already protected him this long. Even if it means making an enemy of the whole world, are you scared?"
Garp was silent for a long, long time. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, as if a great weight had been lifted. "...Maybe you're right."
He turned to Ace, his eyes now firm, and yelled, "Brat! Pack your things!"
Ace, startled, looked up. "Huh? Go where?"
Garp grinned, his old boisterous smile returning. "You're coming back with me to become a Marine!"
Ace's eyes went wide, and the apple in his hand dropped to the dirt.
"...HUH?!!"
A small smile touched Roy's lips. Maybe... I really can change something after all.