One Month Later
South Blue — Baterilla Island
Baterilla Island lay quiet under the afternoon sun.
Ace and his crew were staying there—the island where Ace had been born, the land that carried the weight of a truth few people in the world knew.
After hearing the full story of Ace's birth, the atmosphere around him had grown heavy. Some of the crew already knew fragments of it, but many were hearing it for the first time.
The name Gol D. Roger carried too much weight.
The sacrifice, the secrecy, the months of silence, and the price paid by innocent people… none of them spoke for a while. Even the sea seemed calmer, as if respecting the silence.
Just then, the familiar call echoed through the air.
"News—News!"
A News Coo circled above before descending. Ace instinctively reached out, paid for the paper, and took it in his hands. Wanting to break the heavy mood, he passed the newspapers around to the others.
But the moment Ace read the headline—
He froze.
His eyes widened slightly.
The headline read:
"Worst Generation Pirate Crew — Straw Hat Pirates ZORO Attacked Celestial Dragons!"
"Crew Dispersed Across the World by Warlord of the Sea, Bartholomew Kuma!"
The crew members around Ace gasped as they read further.
Ace lowered the paper, staring at the horizon.
---
Ace frowned slightly, his gaze still fixed on the distant sea.
Why were the Celestial Dragons still roaming Sabaody Archipelago?
Perhaps it was arrogance.
The blind, absolute arrogance of people who believed nothing in this world could touch them. Creatures raised to think of themselves as gods, convinced that no matter what chaos shook the seas, they would remain untouchable.
Or maybe they were simply idiots.
Or—
Ace's eyes narrowed slightly.
Maybe they thought this was the perfect time.
After the World Government's war against Big Mom, after the display of military might and authority, perhaps the Celestial Dragons believed their position was more secure than ever. That no one would dare challenge them now.
…Or worse.
Maybe they were bait.
Bait meant to draw out another rebel. Someone foolish—or desperate—enough to attack a Celestial Dragon. Someone the World Government could publicly crush, capture, or execute to remind the world who truly ruled it.
Ace exhaled slowly.
Then there was something else.
The report mentioned Zoro—and only Zoro.
No mention of an auction house incident. No slaves. No large-scale chaos. Just a single name tied to the act.
Ace remembered of the anime scene.
Back then, at Sabaody, Zoro had been walking straight toward a Celestial Dragon. If not for Bonney pulling him aside at the last second, blood would have been spilled even then.
Maybe this time… no one stopped him.
Maybe history had simply followed a slightly different path.
---
Ace let out a slow breath and folded the newspaper, his interest already fading.
He didn't care much about it.
Luffy and the others needed time—real time. Two full years to train, to grow, to understand how cruel the New World truly was. In that sense, this wasn't a tragedy. It was a blessing.
Ace looked around. Yamato's brows were slightly furrowed, and the rest of the crew wore worried expressions. Seeing that, Ace smiled—easy, confident, familiar.
"It doesn't matter," he said calmly. "They're still too weak to travel the New World right now. This is actually good for them."
He paused, then continued.
"At least now they won't rush in and start attacking the Four Emperors the moment they arrive."
The Spade Pirates exchanged awkward glances.
They understood that feeling all too well.
Once, they too had believed they were chosen—the ones favored by heaven itself. Strong. Special. Destined. They had challenged the Whitebeard Pirates with that belief…
And were utterly crushed.
Only their captain, Portgas D. Ace, had managed to fight Jimbe for five days and five nights. But Jimbe wasn't Whitebeard.
Whitebeard was something else entirely.
And Ace had been crushed by him just as thoroughly.
So yes—training first, learning Haki, understanding the world before challenging it… that was the right path. Ace knew it. He remembered how it would all unfold.
Luffy would become an Emperor not long after the time skip.
Absurd or not—Devil Fruit awakenings, Nika, Joy Boy—it would still happen.
Ace smiled faintly.
"Well," he said, standing up and stretching, "we don't need to bother with all that trouble."
He turned toward the sea.
"Let's go to North Blue next. We'll travel all four seas this year. And next year—"
His grin widened.
"—we'll return to the Grand Line."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
"OOOHHHH!!"
The shout echoed across Baterilla Island, carried by the wind and the waves.
And just like that, their journey continued.
---
Seven Months Later
West Blue — Twin Snakes Island
Seven months passed quietly.
By the time the Spade Pirates reached Twin Snakes Island, their voyage across the four seas was already well underway. To most of the crew, this island was just another stop along the journey—another port, another set of streets, another culture to explore.
But to Ace, it was different.
This island mattered.
Because somewhere in this kingdom lived a man who, in the future, would become an Admiral of the Marines.
Isshō.
The blind swordsman who would later be known to the world as Fujitora.
At present, however, he was nothing more than a bodyguard.
The reason was simple—and almost ridiculous.
Isshō had gambled away everything he owned. With no money left and debts piling up, he had been forced to work as a bodyguard for the kingdom. Later, the World Government would notice him, buy out his debt with an absurd sum, and pull him into the Marines.
That future hadn't happened yet.
And that was precisely why Ace was here.
Maybe he just wanted to see him with his own eyes.
Maybe he wanted to test his strength.
Or maybe—just maybe—he wanted to convince him not to join the Marines at all.
The Spade Pirates docked at the harbor without incident.
But the moment they stepped onto land, kingdom guards surrounded them—tight formation, weapons ready, eyes cautious.
Ace didn't even slow down.
He simply walked forward, hands in his pockets, expression relaxed.
None of the guards dared to move.
After all, everyone knew who these pirates were.
The Spade Pirates—traveling freely across the four seas.
Their captain, Portgas D. Ace, the second division commander of Whitebeard Pirates.
The strongest man in the Whitebeard Pirates after Whitebeard himself.
And beside him walked Yamato—the daughter of Kaido.
No single kingdom could afford to provoke monsters like these.
So the guards parted, step by step, allowing Ace and his crew to pass.
Just like that, the Spade Pirates entered the streets of Twin Snakes Island.
They sampled local dishes, laughed over unfamiliar flavors, and explored the island's specialties like ordinary travelers—as if they weren't pirates whose names could shake the seas.
But beneath Ace's relaxed smile—
He was searching.
For a blind swordsman who hadn't yet chosen his path.
---
The next day, Ace finally found him.
Isshō was sitting alone in a small roadside restaurant, calmly eating a bowl of soba noodles. His posture was relaxed, chopsticks steady, movements unhurried—nothing about him suggested danger at first glance.
But Ace immediately sensed something else.
Sitting across from Isshō was another man.
His face was completely hidden beneath a cloak, yet the pressure he gave off was overwhelming. Not violent, not hostile—just vast. So vast that even Ace felt a faint tension in his chest.
Strong…
No—this is on another level.
As Ace observed them, both men turned their heads toward him at the same time.
Ace didn't bother pretending he hadn't been noticed.
He walked over casually, pulled out a seat, and sat on the third bench.
"One soba noodles please," Ace said to the waiter, who nodded quickly and hurried off.
Ace leaned back slightly, smiled, and spoke as if greeting old acquaintances.
"Well, if it isn't the infamous, most-wanted criminal in the world—Monkey D. Dragon,"
then he turned his head slightly,
"and Isshō-san. Nice to meet you."
Silence fell over the table.
Dragon's eyes narrowed beneath his hood—not in hostility, but in curiosity.
How did this pirate know who I am?
Isshō, on the other hand, frowned faintly.
Why do powerful figures keep finding me one after another?
Dragon spoke first.
"How did you know I was here?"
Ace nodded calmly.
"I didn't," he replied honestly. "I only came to find Isshō. Seeing you here was… a surprise."
Dragon studied Ace for a moment, then relaxed. He made no move to leave, nor did he show concern.
After all, Dragon knew who Ace was.
Garp's adopted grandson.
Whitebeard's son.
By relations—or at least by fate—Ace could even be considered his nephew, though the two had never met before.
Ace suddenly spoke again.
"Hey… is Sabo with you?"
This time, Dragon froze.
His expression shifted ever so slightly.
Ace noticed the confusion and continued.
"Sabo, Luffy, and I made a brother's pact when we were kids," Ace said casually.
"But the day Sabo left for the sea, the Celestial Dragons attacked his ship."
Dragon's grip tightened almost imperceptibly.
"I heard you saved him," Ace went on. "But he lost his memories. So… I was wondering if I could meet him."
For a moment, Dragon said nothing.
Then, after a brief pause, he spoke.
"I'll pass your message to Sabo," Dragon said quietly.
"He'll contact you himself."
Ace smiled faintly.
"That's enough."
---
For the next ten minutes, the table remained quiet.
The sound of chopsticks against bowls and the distant murmur of the restaurant filled the silence. No one rushed to speak. Whatever needed to be said… could wait.
Once the meals were finished, the three of them stood and began walking toward the beach.
That was when Ace noticed two familiar figures in the distance.
"Hey—Yamato! Deuce!" Ace called out.
Both of them turned, recognized Ace, and quickly made their way over.
A few minutes later, the five of them were seated on the sand, the waves rolling in gently before them.
Ace spoke first.
"Well… introductions first," he said casually.
"This is Yamato, and this is my first mate, Deuce."
Then he gestured toward the blind swordsman.
"And this is Isshō—the one I told you about."
Yamato and Deuce both turned toward Isshō.
Their gazes were a bit of scrutiny and a bit of admiration.
Isshō noticed.
"…You know about me?" he asked calmly.
Both Yamato and Deuce nodded.
"Ace told us," Deuce replied simply.
Ace then continued, pointing toward the cloaked man beside Isshō.
"And, well… Yamato—consider this guy our senior."
Ace grinned.
"The world's greatest criminal—Monkey D. Dragon."
Deuce's mind went blank.
…The most wanted man in the world?
Yamato, on the other hand, had grown up around emperors. Just a month ago, she herself had challenged kaido. Compared to that, Dragon's presence didn't overwhelm her.
She tilted her head and asked casually,
"Why do you call him a senior?"
Ace answered without hesitation, pride clear in his voice.
"Because he has also killed Celestial Dragons."
Silence fell instantly.
Even Dragon went quiet, his expression unreadable beneath the hood.
Yamato's eyes lit up.
She leaned forward eagerly, staring at Dragon with admiration.
"Hey—how many did you kill?"
She grinned.
"Let's have a competition."
The beach went dead silent.
Because the moment she said that, it was obvious.
Yamato.
Ace.
Both of them had killed Celestial Dragons too.
Isshō finally broke the silence, letting out a dry sigh.
"…So this is the new trend of this era," he said calmly.
"To become a strong man, one must kill Celestial Dragons."
Deuce stared blankly at the group.
He wasn't sure anymore whether this was a joke—
Or whether the world had truly gone insane as recently Celestial Dragons have really died and a few months ago Ace's brother's Pirate group also knocked a Celestial Dragon out.
---