On an unknown small island in the New World, a massive pirate ship, almost rivaling the size of the Marine War Behemoth, was docked on the shore.
"Hā hā hā hā, an island, huh!"
"Hurry up, unload the stuff!"
"Here it comes!"
Laughter and excitement filled the air as a group of pirates poured out from the ship, carrying bags of supplies and setting up barbecue grills on the beach.
"Gūrararararar! What a coincidence, we found an island just when I was thinking of having a barbecue party!"
Among them stood a towering figure, over seven meters tall— a true giant. He was none other than Edward Newgate, known as "Whitebeard," one of the Yonko of the New World and renowned as the "World's Strongest."
During Roger's era, there were three legendary pirates: "Golden Lion" Shiki, who disappeared after escaping from Impel Down; "Pirate King" Roger, who was publicly executed in the East Blue. Among them, only Whitebeard remains active on the seas, living up to his legendary status.
"Since we've stumbled upon an island, let's make ourselves at home," Whitebeard proclaimed, his booming voice echoing across the beach.
Meanwhile, On the railing of the Moby Dick. Marco, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, rubbed his pineapple-shaped hair nervously and cautioned Whitebeard, "But, old man, you can't drink tonight!"
"Bakayaro! What nonsense are you spouting, Marco!" Whitebeard waved his hand and embraced Marco, trapping him in his waist… Marco's height only reached Whitebeard's waist.
His crescent-shaped white mustache curled high as Whitebeard brandished his naginata and shouted, "What's the point of living if there's no booze?! Isn't that right, all of you?!"
"Yes!"
"Hā hā hā! Marco, it's impossible for the old man not to drink!"
The pirates responded with enthusiasm, cheering in agreement. Marco sighed but relented, knowing it was futile to argue. He reminded Whitebeard, "Alright, but only for tonight! Starting tomorrow, you'll do whatever the doctor says, understood?"
"Gūrararara! Let's worry about tomorrow when it comes!" Whitebeard chuckled, raising his enormous jug to his lips and taking a hearty swig.
And then Whitebeard took his other enormous jug that could hold an adult inside and "gū lūgū lū" took a couple of swigs.
Marco: "…"
"Hey! Commander Ace, help us start the fire!" At that moment, a pirate shouted from the beach and as soon as the words were spoken, a ball of fire the size of a person's head shot from the deck…
Bang!!
After the wave of heat passed, the firewood was indeed lit, but the pirate who shouted was left with singed hair, a blackened face, and sparks on his clothes. He coughed and expelled a puff of black smoke from his mouth.
"Hā hā hā hā hā! Look at that stupid look on Road's face!"
"Well done, Commander Ace!"
The pirates were initially stunned but then burst into uncontrollable laughter. Even Whitebeard couldn't help but smile, his mouth wide open, and the strong liquor made his throat convulse as he leaned his naginata against his shoulder, his face turning red.
Shuā!
At this moment, a blaze soared over the sea and landed on the beach. Ace, shirtless, revealed his figure with the Whitebeard Pirates' symbol on his back. He turned his head with an annoyed expression as he stared at them.
"You idiots… When barbecuing in the wild, you need to let the heat gradually cook the meat after the large wooden logs have burned through. Have none of you ever grilled meat before?"
Saying that, Ace's eyes lit up, and he kicked away the smoky wet log. As a user of the Mera-Mera Fruit, he was impervious to high temperatures.
Having spent over a decade living in Windmill Town's mountains, Ace had already honed his barbecue skills. He first found dry enough logs, then shot out flames from his fingers, burning the wood until the thick smoke dispersed.
He then placed an iron grate on the frame and threw the cut Meat Blocks on top. Immediately, the aroma of the meat filled the air as the sizzling fat from the Meat Blocks spread on the beach.
"Gū lū… It smells so good!"
"No wonder you're Commander Ace!"
"Commander Ace, let me taste it too!"
"Get lost!"
While seasoning the barbecue, Ace blocked the pirates who were trying to pounce on it with his foot.
From harboring a grudge and attempting to assassinate Whitebeard, to eventually accepting him into the Whitebeard Pirates, several months had passed, and Ace had fully integrated into this big family. His smile had become more frequent on his face.
Seeing this, Whitebeard nodded slightly, then smiled, raising his arm and shouting, "Little ones, let the feast begin!"
"Ohhhh!"
After three rounds of drinks, a white seagull with a hat and a backpack flew over the sky above the island. It spotted figures below and swooped down.
"Hmm? A News Bird?" Ace, who was eating barbecue, looked up and was momentarily stunned. Then, a stack of Belly appeared between his fingers, and he flicked it upward.
Shoo!
Huā Lā La!
The stack of Belly flew like a bullet and hit the news bird, causing it to panic and quickly distance itself. Once it reached a safe height, the News Bird looked left and right, realizing it hadn't been hurt.
Afterward, it glared at the pirate flag below and decided that once it returned, it would tell the other birds never to deliver newspapers to this pirate crew again… not even for a tip!
Touching the roll of Belly stuck to its backpack, the news bird angrily dropped the newspaper from high above and flew farther away.
"Hā hā, Commander Ace, are you planning to barbecue and eat the News Bird? That won't do! Otherwise, we won't have any newspapers to read in the future!"
Marshall D. Teach, who was biting into a piece of lizard meat, chuckled and reached out to grab the newspaper that descended from the sky. As he spoke, he glanced at the newspaper.
"Uh…" Teach's expression changed immediately as soon as he took a look at the paper, and just as Ace was about to answer, he noticed Teach's face and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Teach?"
"Oh, it's nothing…"
Teach's eyes flickered with an inexplicable complexity, and in the next moment, he solemnly handed the newspaper to Ace.
"Commander Ace, you mentioned that your enemy is Vice Admiral Rowen of the Marines, right?"
"That's right… Are you saying…?!"
Ace's body trembled as he heard Teach Words and he took the newspaper.
On the front page of the black-and-white newspaper were two photos displayed prominently. One was of the Marine G-10 Branch being rebuilt after the war, with ruins and debris telling the story of the fierce battle…
The other was a charred figure, barely recognizable as a humanoid, wearing Seastone handcuffs, this figure was the imprisoned Doflamingo!
"Another Shichibukai Falls!"
Ace's pupils contracted, and his breath involuntarily caught in his throat.
"What is this?!"
...
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