Chapter 125: Those Who Were Broken
News of the great upheaval shaking the world had reached even the distant seas, remote frontiers, and skies above.
In the Grand Line, the world's most perilous sea, it wasnât unusual for certain islands to remain completely cut off from the outside worldâbe it due to untouched jungles or islands floating in the sky. Many existed in such unique environments.
And on one of those sky islandsâthe newspaper had arrived as well.
âNo way...!!? The World Government...!!â
On the small sky island of Weatheria, a beautiful woman reading the paper turned pale.
Her name was Nami, a pirate with a bounty of 16 million Berries, known as the âCat Burglarâ and the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates.
After losing to a Marine Admiral and a Warlord of the Sea at the Sabaody Archipelago, she had been flung to this island through strange powers. Now, from that paper, she learned of the Summit War, the fall of the World Government, the alliance of the Four Emperors, the founding of a new government, the collapse of Impel Down, and more.
âI can't believe something like this actually happened...â
âHmm... it seems the whole world is in chaos. Even this island may not be safe. We must be more cautious than ever...â
Responding to Namiâs murmur was Haredas, a weather scholar and the island's leader. Studying the skies and weather, he spoke gravely, concerned about the seas to come.
Even if it was a sky island, there were ways for others to reach it. It wasnât completely safe.
And sure enoughâit came sooner than they expected.
âUwaaahhh!!?â
âWhatâs going on!?â
Screams echoed across the island. Being a small island, it didnât take long to locate the source.
âGyahaha!! Can you believe it?! There really is a sky island up here!!â
âJust like the intel said!! That hefty bribe paid off!! âHey, old geezers!! Hand over all your valuables!!â
âHiii...!!â
âPlease, spare our lives...!!â
The residents of Weatheria were all elderly scholars.
None of them were fit for combat. Faced with these sudden, marauding pirates, they could do nothing but beg for mercy.
But pirates showed no mercy to the weak.
âHahaha!! Like hell we will!! Donât you get it!? The worldâs a âsurvival of the strongestâ now!!â
âOnly tough guys like us pirates get to win. Weak little citizens like you get everything taken from you!!â
âN-No way...!!â
Yes, the order that once governed the seas had already collapsed.
Especially within the Grand Line, pirate activity had surged, with raids and destruction breaking out across many islands.
The weak perish. That was the new rule the pirates followed, and they now sought to rob the elders of everything.
âThunderbolt Tempo!!â
âGyaaaaaaaahhh!!?â
â!! Oh... young lady...!!â
âââNo time to talk! Get inside! Now!!â
â...! U-Understood!! You too, miss, hurry and get to safety!!â
But in that moment, dark clouds floated over the piratesâ heads, and lightning rained down.
It was Nami, wielding her strange blue staff to call down lightning and protect the elders.
Though she'd been trapped here, she couldnât turn her back on defenseless old men. She stood alone against the pirates. She was the only one who could fight right now.
âGh...! You bitch...!! What the hell did you just do!?â
âA Devil Fruit user...!? Think youâre clever, huh!? You think youâll get away with this!? Standing up to pirates...!!â
â...Unfortunately for you, I am a pirate too.â
âHuh!? Youâre a pirate!?â
âOh my, donât you know me? Iâm NamiââCat Burglarâ Nami, navigator of the pirate crew known as the Straw Hat Pirates.â
â!!?â
â...!! Now that you mention it... She does look familiar...â
Gotcha, Nami thought, relieved her bluff seemed to be working.
She could handle herself in a fight, but there were dozens of pirates. That number was too much for her alone.
Thatâs why she deliberately name-dropped the Straw Hats, hoping to scare them off. If they were just petty pirates, this might save herâand the island.
She remembered a certain long-nosed companion who often pulled this kind of trick.
âThatâs right. If you lay a hand on me, my crewmates wonât sit quietly. âStraw Hat Luffy,â âPirate Hunter Zoro,â âBlack Leg Sanji,â and âDevil Childâ Nico Robin... Iâve got plenty of powerful allies. You really want to attack an island where theyâre staying?â
âStraw Hat Luffy...!!â
âWait... Isnât he the lunatic who brought down Enies Lobby...!?â
âThe same guy who stormed Impel Down and even Marineford...!?â
âDonât tell me... this island is Straw Hat territory...!?â
Seeing the pirates panic, Nami flashed a defiant grinâa villainous pirateâs smirk. Playing it cool, she kept up the pressure.
âThatâs right. So back off. Do it now and I wonât say a word to Luffy or Zoro. Iâll let you goâjust this once.â
âââGahahahaha!! In that case, perfect!! All right, boys!! Get fired up!! Weâre gonna take the Straw Hatsâ heads and storm the New World!!â
â! Whoa... thatâs our captain!! Not an ounce of fear in him!!â
âEh?â
But the pirate captain suddenly burst out laughing, rallying his crew to launch their assaultâand Nami, dumbfounded, let out a flat âEh?â
âW-Wait just a second!! Are you serious!? I am giving you a chance to walk away here...!â
âWe donât need your mercy!! I know no fear!! My hero is none other than one of the Four EmperorsââKaido of the Beastsâ!! Iâm going to the New World and joining his ranks!!â
â...!â
This is bad, Nami thought, panic rising.
These pirates werenât backing down. Even knowing she was a Straw Hat, they still wanted to fight.
They probably werenât strong enough to beat Luffy or Zoroâbut to Nami, they were still a serious threat. These were Grand Line pirates, after all.
She might manage one or two... but this many? That would be impossible.
âTaking Straw Hatâs head will be the perfect offering!! And weâll start with you, âCat Burglarâ!!â
â! Noooooooo!!?â
Namiâs eyes welled with tears as she dropped the tough act and boltedâbut the pirates were faster.
âYouâre not getting away!!â
â!!? Oww!!â
One of them struck at her legs with surprising speed, knocking her down. She couldnât get up in time. The pirates closed in.
âGahahahaha!! Die, you wench!!â
â...!! (This is bad...!!)â
As the blade came swinging down, Nami couldnât help but thinkâIf only Luffy and the others were here...
There would be no help. No salvation. In this world now, few had the luxury to save others. The weak were stripped of everything and left to die like dogs in the street.
But Nami refused to accept that ending. Even if she had to do it alone, she would fight. She steeled herself, resolved to stand as one of the Straw Hat Piratesâ
âââWhat do you think youâre doing?â
â!!?â
âHuh...?â
âAnd then it happened.
A large man appeared behind Nami. He was muscular and imposing.
Speaking in a strange mix of courteous and rough, old-fashioned speech, he suddenly stepped forward with a smile, addressing the pirates.
âViolence against women is most unseemly.â
âWha... Who the hell are you!?â
âW-Wait a sec... Iâve seen that guy somewhere before...!!â
One of the pirates hesitated, a flicker of recognition on his face. He mumbled that the man was one of the rookies making headlines latelyâ
âI owe no one a rescue... But Iâve come to this island myself to recover. And if that young ladyâs plea wasnât enough to turn you away... then Iâll be your opponent...!!â
âEhâBUFH!!!?â
âAnd with that, the man smashed the pirates away with a single powerful blow.
âC-Captain!!â
âNo way!! The captain got dropped in one hit...!?â
The pirates panicked.
Their most trusted leader had been utterly destroyed in an instant. Terror gripped them as they realized how overwhelming this manâs strength was.
Yet the man continued to smile down at them.
âFufu... Still willing to fight?â
âGh...!! This is bad... RUN!!â
âI remember now... That guyâs...!!â
And with that, the pirates grabbed their fallen captain and bolted from the island.
Only the giant of a man and Namiâcollapsed to the groundâremained.
âWell then... Navigator of the Straw Hats... âCat Burglar,â wasnât it? Are you injured? I see no sign of your captain or other crewmates, but I never expected to run into you in a place like this...â
â! Y-Youâre...!!â
Nami, too, finally remembered the man.
Though his body was wrapped in bandages, he wore a gentle smile and spoke to her with graceful formality. He was one of the Eleven Supernovasârookies mentioned in the same breath as Luffy and Zoro.
âA pleasure to make your acquaintance. I serve as the monk and captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates... Fufufu, though I suppose thereâs no need to introduce myself any further...!!â
âHe was the âMad Monk,â Urouge.
ââSabaody Archipelago.
âThe townâs completely in chaosâŚâ
âOf course it is. The Navy Headquartersâno, the World Governmentâhas fallen. Itâs not just this island, the whole worldâs in an uproar.â
âThey say the âPirate Allianceâ is on the rampage too. Look at this newspaper. Itâs unconfirmed, but word is that the âMad Monkâ was one of the first to clash with them and got defeatedâŚâ
âNo way⌠Weâd better watch our backs too. This might not be someone elseâs problem anymoreâŚâ
Outside a building in Grove 13âone of the lawless zones of the archipelagoâmen in white jumpsuits conversed. Even here, far from the city, the townspeopleâs panic and uproar could faintly be heard. Everyone was anxious about the future of the world, and their own.
These men were no different. Shachi and Penguin of the Heart Piratesâone of the Eleven Supernovasâalso felt a deep, indescribable unease about the world to come, and the fate of pirates in it.
And yet they remained calm. Because they were piratesânot helpless civiliansâand because they had something unwavering, something absolute they could rely on.
That pillar of support was now inside the building, listening to the words of a certain female shopkeeper. She leaned against the bar counter, exhaling cigarette smoke as she spoke, as if recalling distant memories.
âThe Rocks Pirates⌠were, simply put, an all-star lineup of outlaws.â
ââŚâŚâ
Before the womanâShakky, the owner of this shady barâstood Trafalgar Law, captain of the Heart Pirates, listening intently with his arms crossed.
Heâd returned to the island by chance and encountered Shakky. Wanting to hide a patient he was treating, he and another man were accepted into Grove 13, and the Heart Pirates were currently docked there temporarily.
During that time, Law had asked the other man about the victors of the recent warâthe "Remnants of Rocks."
But it was Shakky who spoke instead, saying she was better suited to tell the tale. With a knowing look, she began explaining the legend of Rocks to Law, one of the rising pirates of the new era.
âLetâs see⌠Imagine all of you Supernovas joining the same crew. Thatâs what it was like. Whitebeard⌠Big Mom⌠Kaido⌠Nue⌠Golden Lion⌠More than forty years ago, all of them sailed on the same ship.â
â...That sounds impossible to manage.â
âExactly. The Rocks Pirates were a vicious crew, constantly murdering each other on board. It was a collection of infamous pirates thrown together.â
âAnd the one who kept them in check wasââ
âYesâRocks.â
A pause. Just saying that name silenced the room.
Law couldnât have known, but for the others present, merely uttering that name dredged up a flood of emotions.
âBack then, on Pirate Island Hachinosu, Rocks pitched a lucrative scheme and formed the Rocks Pirates. From then on⌠the world lived in terror, day after day.â
âIf he was that famous, itâs strange weâve never heard the name before.â
âThe Government erased him.â
Shakky explained. With the World Government now gone, she was free to speak. Whether she wanted to was another matter, but under these circumstances, she no longer cared.
âCaptain Rocks dreamed of becoming âKing of the World.â He bound those terrifying crewmates together with overwhelming power, and turned his fangs on the World Government⌠butââ
â?â
She suddenly paused. Law gave her a curious look.
But another person picked up where she left offâsomeone who had more right to speak of the past than Shakky.
âWe were the ones who stopped him.â
â! The âDark Kingâ⌠no, the Roger PiratesâŚ?â
An old soldier with white hair sat at the bar. But his aura hadnât faded one bit. Silvers Rayleighâthe âDark King,â right-hand man to the Pirate King Gol D. Rogerâtilted a bottle of strong liquor and continued the story Shakky had started.
âThatâs right. Thirty-six years ago, we clashed with the Rocks Pirates on an island called God Valley.â
âThen the Roger Pirates destroyed the Rocks PiratesâŚ?â
âYes, but we werenât alone. The Navyâs Garp fought alongside us.â
â!? Garp did!?â
Law was stunned. Why would the Navyâs hero team up with the Pirate King to fight Rocks?
The full details were complex, but Rayleigh recalled and summarized them simply.
âYeah⌠Luffyâs grandfather Garp was on a mission to protect the Celestial Dragons. We just happened to be there, finishing things with Rocks.â
âThe Celestial DragonsâŚ!?â
Rayleigh explained. Luffy, battered and barely clinging to life, was now being treated by Law and Jinbe.
After Jinbe had fled with Luffy into the sea, it was the Heart Pirates who had rescued them by chance. That coincidence also led to their reunion with Rayleighâand now they were hearing about Rocks for Lawâs mission.
âWe, the Roger Pirates, and the Navy under Garp, joined forces to fight the Rocks Pirates⌠and we won.â
Rayleigh added that the credit went solely to Garpâthanks to the Governmentâs manipulation of information. As a result, the hero who defeated the Rocks Pirates became Garp, and he was henceforth known as the Navyâs Hero.
But what happened after was what truly mattered.
âAfter that, God Valley vanished without a trace⌠and the Government buried all information about the Rocks Pirates, who had touched too deeply on the worldâs taboos. The former crew members scattered, gathered new allies, and rose to fame across the seas.â
Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom⌠Rayleigh listed the surviving former members of the Rocks Pirates one by one. But his tone dimmed, as only a few were still alive.
âAmong them, Kaido and Big Mom were like cats and dogs⌠even with Nue mediating, their alliance caught the Government completely off guard. It was a devastating oversight. In the end, the World Governmentâafter 800 yearsâcollapsed, and order crumbled.â
Rayleigh opened the front page of todayâs World Economy News, commenting solemnly on its content.
âIf youâre going to keep sailing these seas, youâd best be careful. It says here that the Revolutionaries and remnants of the Navy formed a new government to restore order. They plan to keep the bounty system and partner with bounty hunters and national armies. But⌠I doubt this will be enough. The Pirate Alliance⌠the world of violence⌠wonât stop so easily.â
ââŚâŚâ
At that, Rayleigh took another swig from the bottleâas if mourning the cruel era, and honoring a friendâs sacrificed future.
Law said nothing. But within, he was deep in thought. Rocks. Kaido. Big Mom. Nue. He processed this new knowledge and weighed his next move.
If they entered the New World as they were now, theyâd just be easy targets. In that caseâ
âAh!! Youâ!! What the hell are you doing here!?â
â!â
âOh? Monkey-chan, youâre up already?â
Just as Law was about to reaffirm his decision, the bar door flew openâand in walked a boy, wrapped head to toe in bandages, battered but full of life. His name: Monkey D. Luffy.
Behind him was another man still undergoing treatmentâa fish-man. As soon as Luffy spotted Law, he was shocked.
âSorry, Captain! I told him to stay in bed, but he wouldnât listenâŚ!!â
âWhat are you guys doing here!?â
âHow many times do I gotta say it! We, the Heart Pirates, patched you up and saved you!!â
âThe Heart⌠Oh, that was TraâTra-manâs crew! My bad, thanks!!!â
âWhat the hell is âTra-manâ!?â
ââŚâŚâ
Law simply stared at the commotion as Luffy loudly bickered with the Heart Pirates crew.
As he debated whether to scold him, someone stepped in front of LawâJinbe, who knelt down and bowed his head deeply.
âTrafalgar Law⌠Iâm in your debt. If not for you, both I and Luffy-kun would be fish food right now!!â
âOh yeah!! Tra-man!! Thanks a bunch!!â
ââŚNo need for thanks. Just a whim. But seriouslyâkeep moving like that and youâre gonna die.â
âIâm fine! I just gotta eat some meat!!!â
âWhat kinda body is that!?â
Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo all chimed in. Despite his injuries and fatigue, Luffy was already full of energy. Seeing him like that brought a smile to Shakky and Rayleighâs faces as well.
âLuffy-kun⌠you look well. But as he said, you really should rest for now. You saved your brotherâif you collapse now, heâd be heartbroken.â
â! Got it, Old Man Rayleigh!â
ââŚLuffy-kun. Things are rough right now, but Iâve got to thank you too. For this timeââ
âââCaptain!! Weâve got a situation!!â
"!"
Just as Rayleigh showed concern for Luffy and Jinbe was about to express his gratitude to him, a member of the Heart Pirates rushed in from outside in a panic. Law responded with his usual composure.
âWhat is it?â
âOutside⌠thereâs a Warlordâno, a former Warlord!!â
â!!? WhatâŚ!!â
A former Warlord. At those words, the face of a certain manâLawâs grinning nemesisâimmediately flashed through his mind. His expression stiffened and turned pale in an instant. Jinbe and the others also tensed, wary. Who could it be?
ââOut of my way. Do not block my path.â
âS-Sorry, but I canât allow thatâŚâĄ Gwah!!â
â! YouâreâŚ!!â
While Law and Jinbe hesitated about whether to intercept or wait, the figure forcefully shoved the Heart Pirates crew aside and stepped into the room with regal confidence.
Seeing her, Law felt a sliver of reliefâbut Jinbe remained on guard. After all, she was someone who had once betrayed the Government and sided with the Beasts Pirates. It wouldnât be strange if she came to target Luffy or even himself.
âBoa Hancock!!?â
âHancock-chanâŚ?â
ââŚShakky, Rayleigh⌠Jinbe⌠and that oneâs Trafalgar Law, yesâŚâ
With a serious expression, the womanâPirate Empress Boa Hancockâscanned each face in the room one by one.
Rayleigh and Shakky knew her personally, so they werenât overly alarmed. Even so, given her current affiliations, this couldnât be a cheerful reunion. Everything now depended on what she was about to say.
âHancock~~!! Iâm so glad!! Youâre okay!!â
â! LuffyâŚâ
âH-Hey, Luffy-kun!! That woman isâ!!â
Despite the tension in the air, Luffy greeted Hancock with a big smile. Jinbe, flustered, tried to stop him, but there was no holding Luffy back. He had no reason not to welcome her.
To him, Hancockâlike Jinbeâwas someone who had saved him. She was an ally, someone he owed his life to.
âBut despite being greeted with a smile by the man she loved, Hancockâs pale expression didnât waver.
ââŚLuffy⌠I came here⌠because I have a proposal.â
âHuh? A proposal?â
Seeing Luffy alive and safe, she let out a small sigh of relief and composed herself. The mere thought of him having died had nearly broken her. So seeing him aliveâtruly aliveâwas the greatest comfort she could receive.
But for that very reason⌠Hancock had come to ask something of him. To protect Luffy from the ones she feared above all elseâ
ââŚWould you⌠join the Beasts PiratesâŚ?â
ââŚHuhâŚâŚ!!?â
âShe asked, her voice trembling with fear.
âThe New World, a certain island.
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
In a vast grassland, where gentle winds blew and both weather and waves remained calm, a man gripped by despair stood aloneâbefore a grave.
The grave, perched atop a hill, was massiveâlarger than any other.
It stood imposingly, as if to testify to the sheer presence and greatness of the man who had once lived.
A massive naginata, once wielded as a weapon, was thrust into the earth beside it. Tied to it was the flag of the man who had once been the most renowned pirate on these seas.
Around the grave were othersânumerous ones. And in place of gravestones, swords and spears had been thrust into the ground.
ââŚStill here, huh⌠Ace.â
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
A man sat slumped at the foot of the grave.
He, too, bore the same skull insignia on his back as the one on the flag tied to the grave.
But his back looked painfully smallânot in physical size, but in spirit.
The current AceâPortgas D. Ace, drowned in despairâseemed a mere shadow of the man who once led others forward with unwavering confidence. Thatâs what both Deuce and Marco felt as they looked at him.
Seeing this, Marco let out a sigh. It had already been three days since Whitebeardâs funeral. And in all that time, Ace hadnât changed.
ââŚI wanted to talk about what comes next⌠but Ace. How long are you planning to stay like this?â
ââŚIf itâs just talk⌠handle it without me.â
ââŚ! Hey, AceâŚ!!â
Deuce couldnât bear it anymore. He took a few steps closer, unable to watch the man in front of him wither away.
Ace now was far too fragile. Like the flame of a candle, ready to vanish at the slightest breezeâhis spirit barely clung to existence.
Theyâd left him be, thinking he needed time. But over two weeks had passed since the war ended, and three days had already gone by since the funeral.
And all that time, Ace hadnât eaten or drunk anything, just sat by the graveâno one could ignore that. Left alone, he seemed like he might simply fade away. Butâ
ââŚLeave me⌠aloneâŚâ
ââŚ! Thatâs enough, Ace!! At this rate, youâll die too!! I get that youâre in pain⌠but donât you dare throw away the life you were saved for!!!â
ââŚYeah⌠youâre right⌠I was savedâŚâ
Even as Deuce yelled right in his face, Ace didnât lift his head.
He responded flatly, as if Deuceâs words meant nothing at all.
âYou say you understand my pain⌠but you donât. You couldnât possibly understandâŚâ
âWhatâŚ!?â
As Deuce frowned in confusion, Ace let out a bitter, mocking smile and muttered what was in his heart.
âYou guys who saved me⌠you canât understand the pain of being the one who was saved. I was the one saved. But because of me⌠Pops died, my crew died⌠you guys got hurt⌠and the whole world got turned upside downâŚâ
â! ThatâsâŚâ
Deuce faltered. That kind of painâDeuce truly didnât understand.
Aceâs pain, his sufferingâit went far beyond physical wounds. These were scars of the heart.
âBecause of me⌠so many people are sufferingâŚâ
And no, it wasnât the guilt over being the son of Gol D. Rogerâthe sin Ace had always struggled with.
It was what he had done. Chasing after Blackbeard in rage. Losing. Getting captured by the Navy. Put on public execution. Becoming a target. And as a result, the world fell into chaos, and many comrades, including Pops, had died.
They had once said Whitebeardâs life wasnât just his ownâit protected the lives of tens of thousands who lived in the territory under his name.
And Ace had destroyed all that. Through his own actions.
Not because of his father's sinsâbut because of his own choices.
ââŚI just⌠canât go on anymoreâŚâ
Thatâs why Ace had sunk so deeply into despair.
âI canât keep being a pirate⌠Iâve got no guarantee I can beat them⌠and I donât want to hurt anyone else because of meâŚ!!â
He had pushed forward with reckless confidence.
Heâd believed he could beat anyone. Acted selfishly. Never held himself back. Ignored everyone who tried to stop him. Believed only in his own sense of justice.
âAnd this was the result.
âSorry, but Iâm done⌠Marco⌠tell everyone for meâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Marco listened in silence. To Aceâs decision. To his suffering.
ââŚSorry, Deuce⌠go find someone else to write your next adventure aboutâŚâ
ââŚ!! YouâŚâ
And then Deuce understood. Ace had truly broken.
âI guess⌠I never shouldâve been bornââ
ââŚ!!! YouâŚ!!!â
But that was the one thing he couldnât let slide.
Something boiled over in Deuce the moment those words reached his ears. Without thinking, he acted.
âYou damn idiot!!!â
â!!!?â
âHis fist flew.
Deuceâs right hook slammed into Aceâs cheek and sent him flying.
ââŚ!!? Deuce just⌠punched AceâŚ!!â
Marco watched in shock. Normally, there was no way Deuce could lay a hand on Ace.
But he had. And the reason was simple. As Ace sat stunned, he muttered in disbeliefâ
ââŚDeuce⌠used⌠HakiâŚ!?â
âHahh⌠hahh⌠Haki or not⌠youâre so weak right now, even I can hit you!!!â
â!!â
Deuce punched him again.
But Deuce was weak. Among the former Spade Pirates, he hadnât been much of a fighter. Even after joining the Whitebeard Pirates, his role had been in Marcoâs First Divisionâspecifically, as a ship doctor.
Sometimes Ace and Marco had taught him to fight, and he had grown more used to combat over the yearsâbut he never became significantly stronger. He couldnât even use Haki. His true role remained organizing the medics and acting as the âyoung doc.â
Heâd helped treat Whitebeardâs body with Marco. That frail, worn body. It had been sheer madness for Whitebeard to go to war like thatâbut even with his heart pierced, heâd fought those monsters to the very end.
âCompared to that, both he and Ace were nothing.
âDonât you dare say crap like that, Ace!!!â
ââŚ!â
Deuce, breath ragged, screamed after flooring Ace.
âWhat the hell were you just about to sayâŚ!!? Thatâs the one thingâthe one thingâyouâre not allowed to say!! Ace, if you want to quit being a pirate, do it. If you want to disappear, fine. Thatâs your freedom. But I will never forgive you for saying you shouldnât have been born!!!â
ââŚ!!â
His fist landed on Ace again.
Ace took it without blocking, fell, but then slowly roseâfeeling a spark of anger he hadnât felt in days.
ââŚBut Iâm right!! Everyone died because of me!!! If I hadnât been there, none of this wouldâve happened!!!â
âBecause of youâŚ!? Ace, donât flatter yourself!!!â
â!?â
Deuce punched Aceâs face again. This time, Ace didnât fallâbut he was shocked by the words.
âYou really think Whitebeard died because of you!? If thatâs what you believe, then let me tell you something! Youâre wrong!! Whitebeard⌠Pops⌠his time had already comeâŚ!! He was going to die sooner or laterâŚ!!!â
âGhhâŚ!! Even so, Iâm the one who sped it up, arenât I!!!?â
âNo. Youâre not, Ace. Whitebeard died because he chose to go to that warâŚ!!!â
ââŚ!!â
Deuce knew it as a doctor. Whitebeardâs body had long been past its limits.
If heâd rested, he might have lived a little longer. Whitebeard knew that too. He knew he carried countless lives on his back, and so he took care of himself.
But when his family was threatened, he chose to fight. Even knowing the cost.
And when he made that choiceâdid Whitebeard ever really believe he would survive?
âGo ahead, say it again!!! If you really believe that crapâ!â
âYeah, Iâll say it as many times as it takes!! Whitebeardâs death was his own responsibility!!! It was never your fault!!!â
"âŚâŚ!! YouâŚ!!!"
"!!"
Ace, furious, punches Deuce across the face. His strength is overwhelmingâon a completely different level. Deuce doesnât even come close. The kind of power that made Ace the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates at such a young age. That single blow is enough to leave Deuce staggering, nearly unconscious.
And yet⌠thatâs exactly why Deuce lets out a faint smile.
"Heh⌠youâve still got that fire in you, huh⌠AceâŚ!!"
"! Ah⌠damn it, DeuceâŚ!! Are you okayâŚ!?"
Ace remembersâDeuce is still recovering from injuries suffered in the war. Regret floods him for lashing out. Concern takes over.
But Deuce doesnât seem to care. He plops down heavily on the grass with a wry grin and speaks.
"Geez⌠following you has never been a walk in the park, has it�"
"âŚThen maybe⌠you shouldâve just abandoned me. Iâm just some reckless, hopeless kid."
"Maybe so. âŚBut donât underestimate me, Ace. Iâm no rookie anymore. Iâm a full-fledged pirate. I donât switch captains halfway."
Deuce says it plainly. Recalling the past.
"That day⌠when I met you on that deserted island, when you saved me⌠from that moment on, I chose to liveâand dieâfor you. Thatâs the kind of life I decided Iâd live. No regrets."
From that moment, Deuce had already found his purpose.
So did the rest of the Spade Pirates. They had chosenâto follow him, to support him.
"Our tale⌠our journey⌠itâs not complete without you!!! Ace!!!"
"! Deuce⌠you guys⌠you all did that⌠for someone like me�"
"Itâs not for 'someone like you,' Ace⌠Youâre more valuable than you think. Some so many people care about youâwho believe in you. Me, the old Spade crew⌠the Whitebeard Pirates⌠even Oyaji himself⌠All of us love that reckless, hopeless kid that you are."
"!!!"
âThat was what Ace had always longed for.
As the son of a world-damned criminal, Ace had been scorned since birth.
The world insisted he should never have been born. That his very existence was a sin.
Thatâs why he went to sea. Why he set out to surpass the Pirate Kingâto force the world to recognize him.
But that wasnât it. What Ace truly wantedâwas something else entirely.
"Hey, Ace. This fight⌠we lost a lot, didnât we?"
"âŚâŚYeah."
"But⌠youâve still got so much left."
"!!"
A crowd begins to gather around Ace, whoâs still kneeling before a grave.
"Weâre all here⌠the former Spade PiratesâŚ"
Deuce, Skull, Miharl, Isuka, Kotatsu⌠a total of 21 members and one animal of the Spade Pirates.
"And the Whitebeard PiratesâŚ"
Marco, Vista, Izo⌠commanders and crew alikeânearly a thousand of them.
"And⌠those brothers you talk about all the time⌠theyâre still alive!!!"
"âŚâŚ!! Luffy⌠SaboâŚ!!!"
Theyâre not here, but theyâre alive somewhere in this worldâhis sworn brothers.
When they were young, they were family. Brothers who helped each other, laughed together, fought side by side, and survived.
"Ace⌠we donât regret going to save you."
"Yeah. The worldâs a mess right now, but⌠weâll deal with that later. Thereâs a lot to mourn, sure⌠but right now, weâre just glad you made it."
"Iâm sure Oyaji and the others we lost feel the same way⌠So donât blame yourself, Ace!!!"
"You guysâŚ!!"
They say itâhow glad they are that he came back alive.
No one blames him. Everyone celebrates that Ace survived. Thereâs no reason not to be happy.
The funeral is over. The mourning is doneânow itâs time to celebrate what was saved.
"Ace⌠we were hated from the start, yoi. Piratesâve always been like that⌠So donât give a damn if the whole world hates you, yoi!!!"
"MarcoâŚ!!"
Marco, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Heâd been silently watching Ace and Deuce this whole time.
Heâd originally come to report something. As the de facto leader of the remaining Whitebeard Pirates, he had a decision to make.
"Itâs trueâwe lost a lot. Oyaji, our crewmates⌠too many things to count."
And thatâs exactly what theyâd already discussedâwhat had already been decided.
"But weâre gonna stand and fight. Against Teach and that pirate allianceâto settle the score!!"
Thatâs the path Marco and the others had chosen.
Marco would take over as acting captain and lead the Whitebeard Pirates forward.
âBut that was only if Ace didnât recover.
"âŚâŚâŚBut thatâs only if you refuse, yoi."
"âŚWhatâŚ!!?"
Marco speaks, and the others turn their eyes to Aceâserious, unwavering.
Around a thousand crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates. All of them had shared a sakazuki cup with Whitebeardâlived under the banner of the worldâs strongest pirate crew.
These veterans, pirates whoâd sailed the New World long before Ace ever had, were all looking directly at himâlined up before him.
"We talked it over⌠and if youâre willing to take this on⌠weâll follow you from here on out. Youâll lead us."
"âŚâŚ!! Thatâs⌠No wayâŚ! Youâre telling me everyone agreed to this!?"
"ââWe did, yoi. Canât you see it in their eyes? Ace⌠this is your⌠true worth, yoi."
"âŚâŚ!!"
Tears spill from Aceâs eyes.
Itâs unthinkable. Himâjust a reckless, stupid kidâand yet every single person is looking at him with purpose in their gaze.
"You damn foolsâŚ!! Every last one of youâŚ!!!"
"ââSo, itâs decided. Glad this trip wasnât for nothing."
"!!? Huh�"
A sudden voice makes Ace turn. From a different path than where the Whitebeard Pirates are gathered, a man walks toward them.
Itâs the one who saved Ace. The one who brought him here. One of the Four Emperors who rules the seas of the New World.
"Red-HairedâŚ!!? I thought youâd already left the islandâŚ!!"
"âŚHad some business to take care of. Now that itâs done, I came back⌠Got another matter to handle now."
"Huh�"
"Iâm here as a witness, yoi. For the succession ceremony."
The man standing before AceâRed-Haired Shanksâgives him a small smile. Though an enemy, he had returned for this moment.
"âŚAce. I didnât come here just because youâre Captain Rogerâs sonâŚ"
And Shanks tells himâhe came because Ace himself is worth it.
âWhen we met a few years back... honestly, I didnât think you had it in you... But now, maybeâyou just might become a great man like Whitebeard someday. I believe that possibility isnât zero.â
âRed-Haired... You really think I...?â
...But even so, Ace hesitated.
Was he really the right one? Would he fail again? Would he once again lose many alliesâthose he loved?
The thought made his legs tremble. Pathetic. Pops would never have faltered like this. He couldnât become like Pops.
â...Ace. And... I hate to bring this up now, but Iâve got a message for you.â
â...A message?â
â...Itâs from Musashi.â
â...!!â
Just as Ace was on the verge of collapsing beneath the weight of his own doubts, Deuce told him there was a message.
And the one who left that message... was Musashi.
Despite being the biological daughter of the Supreme Commander of the Beasts PiratesâKaido of the Beastsâshe had joined Aceâs Spade Pirates and later sided with the Whitebeard Pirates.
She was likely already captured by the Beasts Pirates now. Even so, Ace wanted to hear her message. He looked to Deuce.
â...What did Musashi say...?â
â...Just one thingââ
Deuce took a breath and delivered it.
âââThe next time we meet... it'll be at the peak of piracy.ââ
â!!!â
It was a fateful echoâwords Ace himself had once promised his little brother when they parted ways.
From Musashi, who knew Ace was striving for the topâher greatest show of support. Deuce, aware of the meaning behind it, added more words to carry that weight.
â...Hey Ace. Yeah, maybe if you keep fighting, youâll get hurt again... But still, Musashi and your brothersâtheyâll keep fighting. Even if youâre not around, theyâll face whatâs coming.â
â...Yeah... youâre right.â
Ace nodded. It was true.
Musashi, Luffy... and Sabo, who turned out to still be aliveâthereâs no way theyâd just sit back and do nothing.
No matter what kind of world they found themselves in, they would resist, face it head-on to fulfill their dreams.
They had been hurt before. And they might be hurt again. Even soâ
â...Yeah, thatâs right... I forgot.â
He wanted... to protect them.
â...I donât want to lose anyone I love ever again...!!!â
If thatâs the caseâthen he had no choice but to become stronger.
He had to fight. Keep fighting.
â...So, youâve decided.â
âYeah... I have.â
â...Ace... once again, we entrust our lives to you.â
Shanks, Marco, and Deuce each spoke, smiling.
But only for a moment. Their expressions turned serious again, remembering Marcoâs words.
âAll of usâWhitebeard Pirates captains, crewmates, and our entire fleetâwe all stand with you.â
They pledged to support the new captain.
â...Come on, Cap-tain. Say something. Give us your greeting.â
â...Iâm...â
And so, the new captain stood before the great manâs grave and made his vow.
âIâm still a kid. Not that smart, canât do things all that well. I rush into fights without thinking things throughâa reckless, naive kid...!!â
âHa! Pops was the same way back in the day!!â
âYeah!! Everyone knows that!!â
...But even so, he led them all forward.
âBut... even so, I canât stand seeing my crewmates get mocked... And anyone who hurts themâIâll knock them the hell out myself!!!â
âWe all feel the same way!!â
âHell yeah, letâs do it, Captain!!â
âAnyone who lays a hand on our crew... thereâs not a soul in these seas who doesnât know what happens to them!!â
...Thatâs how itâs always been.
âThatâs why... Iâll get stronger. Iâll get stronger, andâI donât know how far Iâll go, but Iâll protect what matters to me!!!â
âDamn right!! Big Bro Ace!!â
âWeâre not gonna let you be the only one protecting us forever!!â
...So they would carry on that willâjust as they always had.
âIf youâre okay with someone like me... then Iâm asking you too...!!! Let me carry your lives...!!!â
âYeah!!!â
A pause. And thenâMarco spoke the words with conviction.
ââUnder the witness of âRed-Hairedâ Shanks, the next captain of the Whitebeard Pirates is... Portgas D. Ace!!!!â
âUWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!â
â...!!!â
Cheers loud enough to reach the heavens erupted. A roar that echoed far and wide.
Before Whitebeardâs flag, they all swore their loyalty to the new captain.
âWe, all captains and belowâthe one thousand strong of the Whitebeard Pirates!! We pledge our lives to our new captain!! Fire Fist Ace!!!â
They lit the flames and celebrated the new captain, and the new voyage.
âIâll carry your lives!! But donât ever forget!!! The will of Whitebeard... Pops lives on!!! Weâre family!!! Anyone who harms our familyâno matter who they areâwe wonât forgive them!!!â
âUWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!â
âA new era of the Whitebeard Pirates is born!!!â
âWeâre counting on you, Captain Ace!!!â
...No matter what hardships awaited them from here on outâ
For now, they celebrated. And looked to the future with hope.
â...Looks like itâll be a damn fine crew...â
Red-Haired Shanks saw a glimmer of his former captain in the side profile of the resolute Ace.
And thatâs precisely why he worried. The seas ahead... would be too harsh for the current Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates to survive.
They would no doubt become enemies. But Ace was the son of a departed comrade. The older brother of the boy he once entrusted the straw hat to. If he could help itâhe didnât want Ace to die.
â...I have to buy them time... somehow...â
Shanks made a quiet vowâto stall for time.
And he prayedâthat one day, they would rise above it all.
âLuffy... Ace... until you both rise to the top...â
And with that, having witnessed the naming ceremony and the piratesâ wild celebration, Red-Haired Shanks quietly left.
ââAnd soon after, the appointment of Portgas D. Ace as the second captain of the Whitebeard Pirates was reported across the world.
To those who knew them, it offered a faint glimmer of hope... to many more, despair. But nothing could stop it.
The world of violence accelerated with each passing second and began to engulf the world.
What would the Whitebeard Pirates do next? What would they leave behind? No one yet knew.
ââNot even the girl who should have known the world.
âHeh... Ace becoming the Whitebeard Piratesâ captain, huh... Thatâs actually pretty great. I love seeing fiery young guys giving it their all!!â
She didnât know.
From here on, it would be uncharted waters for her as well.
âSo then... what are you planning to do, Musashi-chanâĄ?â
â......I... no, I will...â
ââShe, too, would make a new choice.
âââIâm going back... to the Beasts Pirates.â
â...! ...Fufufu, I see... Then weâd better say hello properly, huhâââ
ââWelcome home⥠the beast said.
â...Iâm back.â
ââWith a new resolve burning in her heart... Musashi returned to the place where it all began.
...To the world of violence.
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