Chapter 3
As we continued our journey, the New World was before us.
We'd already made it halfway through the Grand Line. You could say the first half the struggle was over.
At this time, the Spade Pirates had grown to a total of 29 people and 1 animal.
Starting with Ace, the members of the Spade Pirates became people who could be placed apart from other pirates at a glance. With this, Ace's bounty as our Captain also greatly increased.
With this excitement ringing in us, we thought we could go bursting into the New World, but it seemed that it wasn't quite so simple as we were immediately waiting for a while on Intelligence Officer Skull.
"Coating?" Ace tilted his head at the unfamiliar word.
Lamplight filled the room inside the ship. Ace was sitting in a chair and at his feet Kotatsu's big body was curled up tight in a pleasant looking nap.
On the desk a sea chart was spread before him as Skull continued his explanation.
"Yep, you cover the boat in a special natural resin. With that you can travel underwater. It seems you can even dive all the way to the seafloor."
The next destination the Log Pose pointed to was the distant island on the seafloor: Fishman Island.
To get to the seafloor, you couldn't just continue sailing naturally as we had. It seemed going to the seafloor required us to get the ship covered in the special product, the Coating, by a specialized craftsman.
Furthermore, the one place to get that Coating was─
"Sabaody Archepeligo...?" Ace mumbled, eyes down on the map Skull had spread out. It was a collection of different sized islands. On Skull's recommendation, the Spade Pirates' ship was currently heading for Sabaody Archipelago.
"Sabaody Archipelago isn't actually made of islands. Each 'island' is actually one of the world's largest mangrove trees, a Yarukiman Mangrove. And the Coating resin requires sap from the tree roots that make up the surface of the islands."
"I see, so because they're not islands, even if we stay there the Log can't be overwritten, right?" I mumbled, also looking at Skull's map. The map had 79 islands marked on it. That they were all a collection of trees and people lived on top of their roots was a surprise.
"Our goal is to get a skilled Coating craftsman. However, no matter how fast they are, it's going to take three days."
"So we'll be stuck here for three days…?"
Ace made a serious face.
Ace doesn't look at maps much normally, so to see him making a serious face at the map before him now was an unfamiliar and strange sight. Though to say that we were 'stuck here' and not 'staying here' was an Ace-like expression.
"So, is the food good?"
That was also an Ace-like worry.
"It's the Sabaody Archipelago, as entrance to the New World it has great attractions. There should be plenty of restaurants with delicious food."
"Hmmm. I see…"
Even though he was worrying before, Ace quickly brightened up.
"Anyways, what's so bad about going to this spot with the skull mark?" Ace asked, pointing to the huge mark drawn on the map. With that, Skull raised his voice in full blown surprise.
"What are you saying, Master Ace? That's my mark. That's my aim for where we should land. Our goal point. The place we're currently headed for?"
"Is that so…? Hey, isn't this mark hard to understand…?"
"Eh!? Is that right? Well, guess it can't be helped…"
Skull reluctantly dipped the pen in red ink and surrounded the skull mark with a big heart.
Ace looked at me with a speechless expression. I understand the feeling.
o-o-o
The ship continued forward, steadily drawing closer to Sabaody Archipelago. We would soon be arriving at the goal on Skull's map, the marked place.
From up on the deck, we looked up to the trees towering up high into the heavens.
"Huge…" unconsciously slipped out of my lips. Towering before my eyes were trees even bigger than what I'd imagined.
From the roots of those big trees came the special natural resin. The ingredient for Coating. It was inflated by the air of the root's breath. Becoming big bubbles dancing up into the air. Countless bubbles made like this danced above the island.
The bubbles shined with rainbows as the reflected the sunlight. The sight was so fantastic that I was at a loss for words. In front of the city where bubbles danced I could see a big Ferris Wheel.
It was just like a dream. The problem was: could words even capture the entirety of this beauty?
"No, I'm not gonna lose."
Rethinking it, I pulled my notebook from my coat pocket. Turning to a blank page, I began writing, turning the scene before my eyes into words.
I wrote words down to the best of my ability in a haze. Smoothly, my pen continued without getting lost.
Today I was feeling even better than normal. My own genius was a bit scary.
Maybe I could do this. As I thought that, I heard whispering from behind me.
"Let's see here… 'Really tree. Super islandy.' What is this?"
"'Dancing up soap bubbly. Unable to say anything but awesome, I wondered where they might take me away to.' Just where in the world are you trying to go with this…?"
"'Was it okay for I, one of grass without roots for 10,000 years, to live on top of these roots? It was! Yes Sabaody.' That's just bizarre…"
I shrieked, "Uuwaaaaaah! Don't read it, you guuuuuuys!"
As I screamed, the deck was filled with laughter.
"Y-you, kukuku, want to write an adventure story, right!?"
"Isn't it, fufu, i-impossible like t-this?"
To my crewmates laughing questions I replied, "T-these are my idea notes! A prototype! It's going get even better than this! Just you wait!"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, it's what I expected."
"Anyways, just make it cool, please. I'm an active character."
Looking at the crew's backs as they said that and returned to work, I decided. Whenever I write an adventure story, no matter what, the only thing about them I won't use is their names.
o-o-o
The Spade Pirates' ship was docked between the roots coming out of the sea's surface.
To dock the ship, we searched for a place people shouldn't be able to spot.
Sabaody Archipelago of course has properly maintained ports, but those weren't near here. That's because to get the ship Coated, at the very least we'd have to stay on the island for three days.
In that time, if the Marines and bounty hunters and other bad professions' people spotted us, we wouldn't get that Coating.
There are plenty of lawless zones where the government's eyes don't reach in the Sabaody Archipelago, so we dared to choose such a place to dock our ship.
Compared to being pinned down by Marines and unable to move the ship, the lawless zones were preferable and could be called a familiar home to us.
Finding a shadowy place behind the trees, we quietly docked the ship.
As we prepared to anchor the ship, Skull warned the crew, "It's not just the Marines and bounty hunters. The World Nobles kidnap people… There's a lot of troublesome things to get you. Until the Coating is done, please stay out of trouble." Skull looked especially at Ace. "I'm begging you, Master Ace."
"Ah? What was that?"
Eyes shining as he looked at the island, Ace made a stupid face.
"Agh, if only nothing troublesome will happen…"
"I get it. Anyways, are those Graman things any good?"
"No you don't 'get it'…"
Grand Line Manjuu─ for short, Graman. A souvenir for this island. It seemed Ace's head was already filled with considerations of what to eat now that we were making land.
Talking a calming breath over Ace's behavior, Skull turned to me. Seeing what Skull wanted to say, I gave him a bitter smile and nodded.
"I'll keep an eye on him. If he went on his own, he might get over excited and burn some World Nobles…"
"Oi, oi! Listen to me! You know how good I am at intelligence gathering, and none of that is assumptions! So don't do it! Absolutely don't! Don't even consider it!"
Looking at Skull's suddenly frantic behavior, I laughed. Then Skull let out a laugh with me. As we were doing that, the ship came to a full stop. We'd arrived.
Once we finished carefully tying the ship down, the deck was wrapped in a relaxed atmosphere.
"Well, there's no way you'd find a World Noble in a dive like this, but we shouldn't be found by the Marines─"
"I've been waiting, Fire Fist! I didn't think I'd see you here for a long while yet!" a familiar voice said, mixing in with Skull's words.
"─ei…ther…"
Skull turned his head like he was covered in rust towards where the voice came from. I fearfully checked the area outside the ship.
"Get out here! I'm going to arrest you today!"
The owner of that vigorous voice was, needless to say, Isuka. She proudly stood there with her arms crossed, looking up at the ship.
"Did the captain already leave…?"
"How many times has it been…?"
At Isuka's voice, the crew started sagging. Not so much in fear as much as being a bit fed up with her.
Since entering the Grand Line, the Spade Pirates' ship has been persistently followed by a single female Ensign. That would be Isuka. A ridiculous woman with a burning obsession to arrest Ace, appearing at the next island and following us no matter how many times we shake her off.
But, as you can understand by how we've continued our journey safely until today, she hasn't succeeded a single time in achieving her goal. Ace was excited today too.
"Oh, if it isn't Isuka. What are you doing here? On vacation?" Ace called out from the deck in a rather easygoing voice.
"Like hell I'm on vacation! I came to arrest you, you stupid idiot!"
"Oh? By the way, are there any other specialties here besides the Graman?"
"You mean souvenirs? My subordinates bought Grasen because they're long lasting… I told you I wasn't on vacation!"
Isuka had screamed, but lots of people around here, including me, were probably thinking in the silence:
A vacation…
It's a vacation…
She's clearly on vacation right now…
That's because this time Isuka was not wearing her Marine specified uniform like always, but what was obviously tourist clothing.
Didn't she just coincidently find this ship while on leave? If anything, she didn't have to meet us on the huge Sabaody Archipelago. Was that just the sort of insuperable relationship we had…?
If there was one thing to be said of Isuka, it was that she was a "good person."
Here feelings for justice were strong and she was seriously honest to a fault.
In a fight, she demonstrated monstrous strength, but it disappeared at the crucial point. That's why she always treats Ace as a nice person. We could escape from here.
That aesthetic had become something like a deciding punch line.
It wasn't just Ace. Even among the Spade Pirates crew members, Isuka was now established as a completely familiar existence.
If she heard that herself, she'd probably call it unwitting, but rather than a Marine, anymore there was a part of us that recognized her as a somewhat familiar odd acquaintance that often pops wherever we go.
"Geez… At least she didn't bring her subordinates."
Skull gave a sigh of relief. Because she was on leave or something, Isuka was all alone.
"If it's just her, it's just like it always is," Skull said as well in the end.
"Yeah, we'll have to hide the ship afterwards…"
Watching Ace and Isuka's very different temperaments in this exchange, I quietly nodded.
"Get down here, Fire Fist! Surrender quietly for your own good!"
"Well, looks like we can't head out for a while…"
While impressed with Isuka yelling up at us from down below all this time, I sighed. She doesn't change, this obstinate woman.
"That woman's got a spine. I'm so jealous. I want a woman with a spine following me around too…"
Skull had assessed her as a spitfire woman from before Isuka was always following us without giving up.
"She's a Marine…" I whispered back.
"That she is… There she is…" Skull sighed.
"You're getting your ship Coated, right? Then you can't run anymore!" Isuka said, letting out a high-pitched laugh. As for me, I wondered when exactly it was that this woman's voice became scolding.
As I indulged that thought, Isuka continued to rant. After a little while, my stomach growled.
I thought we'd make land and get something to eat, but with the current situation it couldn't be helped. Until Isuka tired and gave us an opening, we had no choice but to eat leftovers on the ship as we waited.
"Well, Ace, looks like we'll eat here─" I said, looking around the deck, but Ace was gone. At this point, I noticed that since a little but earlier Ace hadn't replied to Isuka.
"He…!"
I peeked down in a panic at the shouting Isuka's behavior.
Isuka still had her arms crossed and her attitude was unchanged from when we first spotted her staring straight up at our ship. That's right, she was staring directly straight up.
"Which means her view is narrow as well!"
Surprisingly, Isuka was straightforwardly watching our front only. Knowing that, Ace would unapologetically leave from a spot she wasn't watching.
"Fufu, you know you can't run, so you're too scared to talk, huh, Fire Fist!? Today you'll pay for everything! Oi, Fire Fist! Can you hear me? Answer me! What's wrong? Are you asleep?"
─he's already run, don't you see…
As Isuka continued ranting, I looked at her with pitying eyes. Right about now, Ace was leisurely eating specialties in the city.
However─
"Where is Ace-san?"
With a uselessly creepy squeak, the door to the ship's interior cracked open. The face you could see in the door's gap was that of the man who rarely came outside, Mihal.
"Sensei, how rare…!" I unconsciously said upon seeing the glasses and mustache peeking out.
Despite being a teacher, outside of teaching classes, Mihal shuts himself away out of shyness.
That the guy who usually squirrels himself away in the archives without hesitating when we arrive at a new island had come even one step onto the deck meant that something wasn't quite right.
Using the door like a shield, Mihal extended only his arm out onto the deck. Held in that hand was─
"It seems Ace dropped his wallet in front of my room…"
In that second I paled. Definitely not right.
"H-he… d-doesn't have… any money…? Then, w-went to t-town to e-eat…?"
"T-this is bad, Master Deuce. We have to stay here for three days still…!"
In a daze, Skull grabbed on to me.
"Y-you said you'd keep an eye on him!"
"I didn't think he'd disappear so soon!"
"W-what do we do!? If it keeps going like this he's going to burn a World Noble!"
"Burn one!? He's seriously going to burn one!?"
Considering the worst outcome, Skull and I shivered in terror. The Coating wouldn't be done for three days. Until then we couldn't leave this island. We couldn't move. That's why we couldn't afford any extra trouble happening. Even so, we'd already been found by Isuka…
"Damn it, I have to go! I leave things here to you!"
Taking the wallet from Mihal's retreating hand, I leapt off the ship to follow after Ace.
In front of the ship, Isuka was still standing firmly and yelling something.
She's just like a monkey.
It was easy to slip out from the corner with her eyes drawn elsewhere. It's probably how Ace made it ashore too.
To find Ace, the first thing to do was head for a place that a lot of people passed through.
Bubbles would sometimes float up from the ground before me. I ran as I dodged people and bubbles. The ground beneath my feet wasn't earth but roots and it felt really strange.
I noticed buildings and vehicles that used the sturdy bubbles. It seemed the roots that secreted the bubbles formed of the special resin served simultaneously as the ground and a support of the local islanders' economics. The island's businesses aside, I headed for the downtown area.
It didn't take long to find Ace. Or rather, it didn't take long to find the various restaurant employees chasing Ace.
"Dine-and-Dasheeeer!"
"He's over here!"
Angry shouts were flying all over the downtown. The street was overflowing with all the angry restaurant employees. Seeing this unusual scene, there was no two ways about it that this was the work of a beri-less Ace.
Since the long line of employees hadn't pushed that far ahead of here, Ace should be nearby. But even though it wasn't great, I couldn't just keep going. I had to get to Ace as soon as possible, yet─
Mind made up, I fixed my sights on what lay before me.
"It can't be helped… guess I have to talk with them a bit… 'Scuse me, coming through…!"
Lightly elbowing and pushing my wat forward, I caught the shoulder of the employee at the very back of the line.
"Oi."
When the strong employee looked back at me, I gave them a disarming smile.
"So… how much was it?"
And so I steadily worked my way forward bit by bit, apologizing to the employee and paying, apologizing and paying again and again.
o-o-o
When I finally laid eyes on Ace, it was at the Amusement Park where lots of attractions using the bubbles were lined up ─he was under the Sabaody Park Ferris Wheel.
Apparently the scent of the food stalls in the park had invited him this far.
Once I finished paying the last of the employees following Ace, I breathlessly turned to where he was.
Sitting on a bench near the Ferris Wheel, it seemed he was asleep. It looked like he was having a good nap with his mouth stuffed full of food. He had partially eaten skewers of grilled meat firmly grasped in both hands. I wonder if that's what I was paying for earlier?
"If you're going to eat it… pay for it!"
With that extremely common phrase, I chopped my hand against Ace's head.
"Ngh!?" Ace startled awake with his cheeks stuffed full of food. Looking around with sleepy eyes, he swallowed all the food in his mouth in one go.
"Pwah, good food… Now that I've eaten, it's time to run. Ah, but running well just make me hungry again…"
"What the hell is going on with your body…"
Polishing off the last of the skewers of grilled meat, Ace turned towards another food stall and I threw his wallet at him.
"Just take it and quite causing a mess."
"My wallet! …is it just me or is it lighter?"
"It's lighter, of course."
"…?"
Having caught the unrepentant Ace, I finally took a breath. Listening to children shout in joy, I idly looked up at the Ferris Wheel.
Looking up at that giant Ferris Wheel from directly under it, it was even more beautiful than when I saw it from the ship. The transparent gondolas shining in a rainbow of colors were elegant, twinkling in the sunlight as they slowly went around.
It must be a really nice view from the top, I idly thought. Well, it's not something for a grown man to ride alone, much less a pirate…
"Do you want to ride it?" Ace asked, having returned from the food stall.
"Me? Ride the Ferris Wheel? I'm not a damn kid, you know…" I answered with a snort.
"Have you ever ridden one before?"
"Well, no, but…"
"Then it's fine, isn't it? Don't worry, let's ride it!" Ace said, slapping me on the back.
And like that Ace pushed me towards the platform. I acted like I was unwilling, but on the inside I was excited.
The unsmiling attendant led us up the step as the bubble-made gondola slowly came closer.
"Alright. Please look forward to a fabulous view of the Sabaody Archipelago."
In the moment the attendant grabbed the door─
"I finally found you… Fire Fist!"
With her threatening attitude, Isuka forced her way into our gondola.
"Uwah! A-are you stupid…!" I said as I got pushed into the wall.
"You bastards, sneaking away…! Why didn't you come out the front!?"
"But you were there."
"What!? Even then you should come out the front! You're men, aren't you!?"
"That doesn't change anything!" Ace bit back at Isuka.
As the two began to argue, a terrible click came from behind Isuka.
"Hm…?"
Isuka looked behind her. The Ferris Wheel door was locked.
o-o-o
The Ferris Wheel moved without a word. Inside the gondola was an uncomfortable air. Why'd it end up like this? I thought.
I was sitting curled up against the wall of the gondola. Sitting next to me, Ace was enjoying the view outside the window without a care in the world
Sitting across from us was a rather displeased looking Isuka. Without even glancing at the view outside, Isuka wordlessly glared at me and Ace.
─I want off…! I screamed in my heart even though the ride had barely started.
It was like I couldn't breathe. Why did Pirates and a Marine have to ride a Ferris Wheel together?
I couldn't enjoy the view outside like this. It's just like being in prison. When would we get back to the ground? I never thought the slow pace of the Ferris Wheel would be this terrifying.
─back to the ground, quickly… no, wait. What would we do when we reached the ground…?
Isuka was probably behaving because it was too small inside the gondola to do anything, but I had no clue what she'd do once we reached the ground.
I took a gasping breath. This was hell.
Inside the gondola, on the ground, everywhere, it's nothing but hell.
"The bubbles that come out of the ground float all the way up before they pop, huh?"
Oblivious to my distress, Ace looked up at the sky without a care. Up until now Ace has been the only one to say anything, mostly things like "Ooo" or "Wow."
Aaace, how can you be that calm? That woman is, Isuka is staring really hard at us. Hard enough that it wouldn't surprise me if lasers came from her eyes.
I was so scared I couldn't bring myself to properly look at Isuka.
Avoiding looking Isuka in the eye, I somehow ended up looking at her hands.
There was a terrible burn scar on her hand. The same one I saw when we first met her. Seeing it again up close, it looked like a pretty old wound,
"What are you looking at?" Isuka unexpectedly asked.
I jumped in surprise at her sudden words. The inside of the gondola descended into silence.
"I guess I was wondering about that burn scar on your hand." When I finally realized what I'd said, I back pedaled. "Ah… I mean, sorry…"
"It's alright." Isuka gently smiled. "I got this when I was a child. The village I was born in was attacked by pirates. It was turned into a sea of fire in an instant. That raging fire swallowed up my parents…"
At the word "fire" Ace showed a faint reaction. But he continued to silently look out the window.
"While I was trapped by the flames and smoke, I was saved by a single Marine Officer rushing in to me. Lieutenant Commander Draw… He's been promoted to a Vice Admiral since then, but I joined the Marines because I wanted to be like him."
As she spoke, Isuka gently stroked her burn scar.
"When I look at this hand, I remember my childhood… More than that, I don't want the number of kids with memories like mine to increase. I'm going to arrest all the bad pirates."
Isuka kindly smiled. To her, that burn scar was a bitter memory, yet at the same time it was like a guide for her life.
Seeing this gentle expression on Isuka's face, that was the first thing I thought. Was it something that could only be seen while she wasn't wrapped up in her Marine uniform like always? Or was it─
"Fire Fist… You─" Isuka unexpectedly finished her story with, "should quit being a pirate."
o-o-o
At those unexpected words, I gasped.
"I don't think you're a bad person…"
Inside the gondola, time seemed to hold still. The hustle and bustle of the children in the park seemed far away. However, the gondola got closer to the top. Ace stayed silent and continued to look out the window.
"Wh-what are you saying…?" I stared in disbelief at the female Ensign before me. "Q-quit being a pirate? If he quits being a pirate… what about… the rest of us…?" My sluggish words quickly faded.
"If you have nowhere to go, come to the Marines. I'll recommend you." Isuka stared right at Ace with strong willed eyes. "You'd definitely look good in a Marine uniform. All your nakama can join with you. How's that? It's not a bad offer, right?"
─It was crazy…
I was speechless. But this Isuka, she was serious. Seriously inviting Ace, and even the Spade Pirates, to join the Marines.
Those we clashed with on one island after another in our journey ever since we entered the Grand Line.
Marines and Pirates were always the chaser and the chased, yet by some crazy nerve, she was able to make such a proposal.
No, it seemed that somewhere in all the drama of chasing us down again and again, Isuka stopped seeing Ace as just a pirate and recognized him as an individual. Pirates were the reason her parents were gone, so pirates were bad, yet even from this perspective of Isuka's, she couldn't see Ace as a bad person.
Ace kept his silence.
And then─
I heard a familiar click.
"Ah, would you look at that? It's open…"
Ace turned to us with a troubled face. At some point the gondola door's lock failed. Wind flowed into the gondola through the open door.
"You, opening that is bad─ no, you're bad for opening it!"
At the top of the Ferris Wheel, the gondola door was wide open. I thought he was just staring out the window this whole time, but obviously Ace tinkering with door.
"C-close it! It's dangerous!"
Even as I said that, Ace was already half out of his seat.
"Nah, I'm hungry, so I'm going to head down first."
"Huh!?"
Ignoring my astonishment, Ace headed for the open door.
"Wait. You haven't replied to my offer yet."
Isuka was calm. Her arms and legs were crossed and she hadn't moved an inch from her seat.
"Quitting piracy and becoming a Marine, was it…? That's not something I can consider."
Ace's eyes looking back at us were like the color of the bottom of the ocean.
But it was only for a moment. Ace's usual bright smile was soon in place.
"See you later, Isuka," he said, jumping out of the gondola. He landed on the roof of the next gondola down. As he was in the air doing that, flames sprang up from Ace's body.
Ace descended down them like stairs, kicking off of one descending gondola's roof after another's. It was quite the dynamic descent.
Eventually Ace reached the ground and raised a hand up at us. Ace left like that, me and Isuka watching his retreating back wordlessly. Our gondola passed the top and finally began its descent.
"…what do I do?"
"'What do you do?'"
"Ace won't quit being a pirate. We Spade Pirates will follow Ace. That's why up until now and going forward, Ace and the rest of us will always have to be your enemy."
"I guess you're right…" Isuka answered a bit sadly.
"So are you… going to take me hostage…?" Of course I didn't want that to happen, but I had to ask. "If you do, Ace won't run and he'll definitely come to save me. It's the kind of guy he is."
In contrast to me, Isuka gave a bitter smile.
"Those on the side of Justice don't take hostages. You stupid idiot."
And then,
"If that's the kind of guy he is, I wish we were nakama…" she faintly whispered.
The gondola slowly descended. Soon, the Ferris Wheel ride came to an end.
As we got close to the ground, Isuka purposely looked away.
"Let's start over. I'll let you run away today…" Isuka then continued, "Actually, today's my day off. I'm on leave right now."
"Yeah, I knew that."
Leaving the casually dressed Isuka behind, I left the Ferris Wheel.
o-o-o
In the time it took to finish the ship's Coating, Ace walked around touring the foods on the island.
He fully enjoyed that short time there without returning to the ship.
All the members of the Spade Pirates also passed the three days doing what they wanted.
Mihal stayed on the ship like always, even as it was being coated.
Skull watched over the Coating process as a representative of the crew.
With this, some of the crew went to repair the ship, perform equipment maintenance, and clean.
Some of the crew went out to buy furnishings and food and weapons, of course, for going to the New World. Some spent the whole day napping with Kotatsu. Some enjoyed a fancy vacation. Some wandered the shady back streets. Some actively hunted "pirate hunters." Each day passed quickly.
Completely stuck as the manager of Ace's wallet, I was saddled with walking with Ace around the island. And that wasn't all, Ace had a high bounty, so as we walked around pirates who wanted to raise their fame by fighting bounties would attack us.
Of course, Ace didn't seem to have any trouble dispatching the random attackers and enjoyed the food.
Having Ace with his bounty not return to the ship was a wise choice. It would be troublesome to tell those targeting Ace where our ship was being Coated.
Though Ace didn't give that a single thought and seemed to just be going into whatever shop was in front of him…
And then, on the third day─
Soon the ship's Coating would be done. We hadn't seen Isuka since the first day. I wonder if she was back off of leave? No, she'd probably come out again with her subordinates. Thinking about that, I worried about our departure.
This day too, Ace continued to walk around and eat. He had especially taken a liking to the Grasen Isuka had mentioned and had bought enough that he was carrying some in each hand.
The Grasen were consumed with a neat crunching sound. The Gransen were packed in boxes as they were meant to be souvenirs, but he opened them after buying them and began devouring them.
"How many boxes are you going to eat…?"
I asked in disbelief as I walked along with Ace.
"I'm glad I bought more… This isn't enough to fill me up."
I thought he'd had more than enough to eat, but it seems Ace wasn't satisfied yet.
Speaking of that, while we were buying Grasen some bounty hunters after Ace got in the way. With the sudden attack, we had to finish paying and run, but it seems that Ace didn't think we'd bought enough.
Though it was probably pretty unbelievable to the bounty hunters that their bounty target would be casually purchasing souvenirs at a tourist spot. But that's the idea of being too famous for ya.
Furthermore, we'd already dealt with several groups of bounty hunters today alone. As could be seen, we got tangled up with bad guys, but Ace beat them all back without any real problems. However, as we were dealing with those guys, we wandered away from the downtown and into a slum.
Unlike the lively downtown, this place had a dejected air to it. There was trash scattered around and the building all looked like ruins.
"I'm hungry… I don't suppose they're selling Grasen…"
He still had a fair amount left in his hands, yet Ace said that as he looked around us. But from what I could see, the public order here was bad, a place even lost tourists didn't step foot in, much less a place for a shop to sell Grasen to be.
A corner of the slum far from shops or main streets. Wandering around, we were rather conspicuous. In the shadows of collapsed buildings were little children watching our every move. I guess those kids lived here.
And then Ace beckoned for the nearby kids to come over.
Ace handed out his Grasen to the terrified children one by one.
The children soon smiled. They held the Grasen like treasures and ran off. It felt like the air of what I thought was a gloomy alley softened just a bit.
When Ace handed out all of his Grasen, I dared to ask, "You okay with this, Ace?"
"Yeah. Now that I think about it, I'm full."
Watching Ace watch the kids leave, a smile tugged at my lips.
o-o-o
We gradually started making our way back towards the ship, searching for a way back.
"Agh, now?" I thoughtlessly complained when I spotted a figure coming at us from an alley.
Isuka came wearing a white coat that really didn't fit in in the slum in my opinion. Today she was properly dressed in her Marine uniform. That meant she came here on business. If she was going to come after us, I had just expected her to target us after we'd set sail, so meeting her here was a surprise.
"Oh, it's just two of you today…" Ace whispered curiously. Behind Isuka was not her usual subordinates but a single man in a Marine Officer's uniform.
Furthermore, he had the same coat with 正義 (justice) on the back.
"Wait. We came to talk today," Isuka said, looking towards us. Stepping out of the alley and entering that corner of the slum, Isuka and the man faced us without weapons in hand.
"Cheer up, Fire Fist, it's a good offer!" Isuka's eyes shined. Then she introduced the man beside her. "This is Vice Admiral Draw. The one who saved me when I was a child."
"Ensign Isuka, let's keep this brief."
The man called Draw stepped out before us. He was about a head taller than Ace, but he was rather muscular. Because of that he was intimidating than he looks standing right before your eyes, a man befitting of the expression giant.
"Fire Fist Ace, this is addressed to you."
Draw took a letter out of his pocket and we opened it up and looked at it.
"Sh-Shichibukai…!?"
The writing before my eyes made me doubt what I was seeing.
It was a letter issued by the World Government. And its surprising contents was a recommendation by the highest World Government authority, the Gorousei, for Ace to become one of the Ouka Shichibukai.
Speaking of the Ouka Shichibukai, they were a powerful force that on one on the Grand Line didn't know of. They were pirates that were recognized by the World Government.
Pirates authorized by the government as a powerful deterrent to other pirates─ for Shichibukai, more than anything strength and a well-known name were desired. And Ace had been recommended to be one of those Shichibukai.
"So how about it, a good offer, right? This way you don't have to quit being a pirate!" Isuka said with a happy looking face.
On the Ferris Wheel, Ace had no intention to quit being a pirate and refused Isuka's offer. However, obviously if he became an Ouka Shichibukai, he'd be accepted by the World Government while still being a pirate and be in a position to work with the Marines.
Anyways, if he joined the Shichibukai, he would receive amnesty from the World Government, they would suspend his bounty, and as long as he paid the decided amount to the government, he'd be accepted as a pirate by the public.
However─
"Shichibukai, huh? Sorry, but no thanks," Ace easily refused the invitation. It was a prompt decision.
"W-why…? If you accepted this proposal you wouldn't be chased by the Marines anymore. Don't you want that?"
Isuka couldn't completely hide her surprise. After all, as Isuka said, this wasn't a bad offer. Rather getting the title of Shichibukai was something lots of people would trade an arm and a leg for. It wasn't something they could hope to achieve. And Ace hadn't hesitated to kick all that to the curb.
"Sorry, but I don't even like the Shichibukai system itself in the first place."
"That's─!"
It seemed refusal had never even occurred to Isuka and she was frankly dismayed. Draw standing next to her didn't even so much as raise an eyebrow at it. To the contrary, he quietly smiled.
"How marvelous, Ace. The truth is, I've always thought the same thing about it as you…" Draw said quietly, laughing. Then he ripped the letter they brought in half.
"Vice Admiral, what are you─!?"
"Pirates aren't something to be domesticated or used. It's best to dispose of them as quickly as possible. Right, Ace?"
In the next moment, draw raised his fists.
"Hmph!"
With a roar, his fist split the air. His fist easily drilling into where Ace had been standing until now.
"Well, aren't you a calm one…" Ace bitterly mumbled, from where he had dodged Draw's strike.
"Shit, didn't you come to talk!?"
I quickly opened up distance between us.
"Please wait, Vice Admiral! We're just supposed to talk today─!"
"Talk? Haven't we already settled things, Ensign Isuka? Ace has no interest in the Shichibukai. Coincidentally, I don't like the Shichibukai either. Furthermore, Shichibukai or not, I don't like pirates in the first place. I'm truly glad he refused right before my eyes. This way I can beat the pirate, Fire Fist Ace, without any worries!" Draw said, taking off his Marine coat.
A really strange object was revealed rom under his coat. Draw had cylindrical weapons strapped to both arms. They didn't appear to be bazookas or tonfas, but a tube from the back of the cylinders each connected to a container on his waist. Now that I could see his figure clearly, his strength probably came from carrying those weapons under his arms.
"His Mera Mera no Mi powers or my gear, which is better? Let's find out!" Draw's cheeks were stretched by his wide grin. Those eyes shined full of killing intent.
"Let's get out of here, Ace!"
The moment I thoughtlessly screamed that─
"I won't run."
From the tubes fierce flames were expelled. It was a flamethrower. So what the tubes connected to was a fuel tank? In an instant the endlessly spewed flames cut off our retreat.
Before you could say anything, we were surrounded by flames. The buildings burned, then the children who lived there began to shriek. Surrounded by fire, they couldn't go anywhere.
"What are you doing, you bastaaaaaaard!?"
Ace quickly ran over to the children. And Draw aimed at Ace.
"Right there."
Licking at the ground, flames were sprayed at Ace. Ace spread both his hands and his whole body caught fire. With his whole body changed to fire, Ace canceled out the spray of flames.
"Vice Admiral! Please stop!" Isuka said, gaze stuck on Draw. "There's children!"
"Children? What are you saying, Ensign Isuka? I'm just attacking pirates. I won't let them escape. If the pirates are unleashed, more children than this might be brought misfortune. Am I wrong, Ensign Isuka?"
Draw didn't look at Isuka. He just looked straight at Ace, and continued to intently wash him in flames.
Meanwhile, Ace couldn't move. The flamethrower's blast was too strong, so Ace couldn't go forward. But if he retreated backwards, the children would be swallowed by the flames. He couldn't make any progress like this.
I ran towards Draw.
"Uoooooooh!"
Like that, I came at him from the side.
"What are you─!?"
I never thought I'd be flying at him so suddenly. Draw made an astonished expression.
My exposed skin was screaming from the proximity to the hot air. My clothes and hair were getting scorched. But I clung to Draw and didn't let go. Quickly Isuka rushed over to the kids.
"Hurry, this way!"
Isuka ran away with the children in place of Ace, who couldn't move. Isuka desperately reached her hand out to them from between the crumbling buildings. It was the hand with the burn scar from when she was a child. She lost both her parents at that time, so that's probably reached out so desperately.
I could hardly imagine the sadness and fear. Just what feelings she had to overcome to reach out to those children right now.
Among the burning flames, the characters 正義 written on her back were flickering. Watching Isuka rescue the children out of the corner of my eye, I smirked.
With this, Ace could move─
"Bastard…! What are… you doing!?"
Draw drove his knee into my stomach.
"Guh─!"
Once, twice, three times… but even so I took the hits and didn't let go.
"Won't let go, huh!"
Taking an even stronger hit, I threw up as I toppled over. My insides felt like they'd been put through a blender. I couldn't breathe. The heat rising from the flamethrower formed a ring and made the air stuffier.
But I'd already played my part. Coughing violently, I silently laughed.
"I pulled… it out… finally… take a look…"
"Ah? What are you talking abo─"
Looking down at me, Draw soon noticed the damage.
"The fuel tank…!?"
The fuel tank at the back of Draw's waist─ the tubes that were supposed to connect to it no longer were. And now the fuel leaking out was soaking into Draw's clothes.
I hadn't been just blindly clinging to Draw. I was clinging to the tubes that supplied his flamethrower with fuel.
After all, once the tubes were disconnected, you had a flamethrower without fuel, which is─
"The flames─!" Draw bit out. The strength of the flames spraying out got steadily weaker. And that wasn't all. Other flames pushed back from straight in front of the flamethrower, drawing closer.
It was Ace.
Ace's fist plowed into Draw's face. The fierce flames engulfed Draw's face.
"Guwah!"
"Duece, stay with me!"
Ace was going to help me to my feet. However, in the next moment, Ace's body was floating in the air. No, Draw had grabbed Ace by his neck and was lifting him up.
Draw shook off the flames like one would shake away a fly. He was unharmed.
The punch had landed. But Draw wasn't beaten and smiled calmly. In fact, he held Ace in his hand even though the Mera Mera no Mi should allow Ace to become flames.
"Is that… Haki…?" Ace said, face twisting.
Haki.
A potential power dwelling in humans that's said to awaken after long and harrowing training. Most off the strong members of the Marines could use Haki. Powerful Haki was even said to sometimes surpass the power of Devil Fruit Users by a bit. That's exactly why he could grab flames with his bare hands.
"Fire Fist Ace… did you really think you could play around with me? That pathetic level of flames can't beat me. Pirates of your level get chewed up by the New World."
Draw's hands squeezed Ace's neck like a vice. Ace weakly struggled against him.
"At your level, you'll go no further than this. Your little pirate game ends here. I'm going to bring it to an end. I'll give you the guidance of Justice…!"
"Heh, I don't… want to hear… a guy who gets kids involved… talk about Justice…" Ace painfully groaned.
"Don't twist words. I don't get children involved. The one who gets children involved is you, Ace," Draw said in a low, purring voice. "If pirates are involved, that's the way it is! You understand, right, Ace? Because you are there, the children get hurt. You see, I just do my best to capture pirates. But you're different, right? You shouldn't be alive. Your very existence has many innocent people living in fear. Open your eyes."
Ace was silent at those words. Ace's strength was fading. I couldn't look away from the dark shadow passing over Ace's face.
"Quit screwing around… you bastard…!" I said, raising my voice, still coughing. I hadn't stood up again either. "Ace… he's wrong… don't listen… to him…!"
But my voice was drowned out by Draw.
"If only you weren't here, no one would be put into misery. Isn't that right? If only pirates weren't here, I wouldn't need to spray fire around like this."
Ace had already stopped resisting. Just when I was getting desperate─
"Vice Admiral… that's a lie, isn't it…?"
Having finished evacuating the children safely, Isuka had returned.
"The one who burned my village… should have been a pirate…" Isuka was crying. "And, back then you… saved me…"
"If I see an injured child collapse before my eyes, I'll save them. I'm on the side of Justice after all."
"My parents, though…"
"Just what are you trying to say, Ensign Isuka? If it's for Justice, some sacrifices have to be made, right? Don't you think you're making too much of a fuss for a mere handful of civilians getting involved?"
In that moment, Isuka collapsed. Biting her lip, her voice died in her throat as tears streamed down her face.
In Draw's words, they were unimportant sacrifices. But to Isuka, that was the town she was raised in and her parents.
That was the form of the Justice she aspired to and continued to believe in since she was little. What a cruel ending.
Listening to the sobs leaking out of Isuka, I quietly stood up.
"You said your name was… Draw or something, right? You know, you really shouldn't make Ace angry."
He spit the accumulated blood out of his mouth. Flames were already crackling and overflowing off of Ace's body. The strength had returned to Ace's eyes.
"What are you saying? Try as much as you'd like, but this level of flames won't work against me─"
Draw gasped. The fuel soaked into his clothes was burning. And without hesitating, Ace washed the fuel tank in flames.
"You bastard!"
As Draw almost screamed, an explosion occurred. At close range, the fuel tank blew up. Blown away, Ace was free at last and he quickly stood up before slowly turning towards Draw.
"Guh, sh-shit…"
Draw staggered to his feet.
Unharmed by the debris scattered by the blast, Ace confronted Draw.
"My flames may not work on you since you can use Haki, but─"
Ace punched forward. Draw met his attack.
"Haki can't erase flames of rage."
Fist met fist. Power and power collided.
"Shit. Why… why won't you fall!"
Gradually, Draw's strength was exhausted. Draw took damage from Ace's fist.
"Impossible… you…! You too…!"
Draw's eyes held astonishment in them.
"He was really too careless…"I quietly whispered. Draw really didn't know much of anything about Ace.
Like the fact that Ace was really strong even without his Devil Fruit powers.
And that Ace always grew and got stronger during a fight.
"Guhah…!
Taking Ace's punch, Draw reeled. Ace's attack had completely overwhelmed Draw.
"Impossible… why... why…?" Draw was out of breath and his face twisted in pain. "Why can you… use Hakiiiiiiii!"
"Well… who knows!"
Flames raged from Ace's arm. With those flames driving Ace's fist forward, it was like a meteor's tail. It didn't ever burn out, and Draw's eyes bulged. In that moment, their fists crossed.
Ace was hit in the chin by Draw's punch.
Loud enough to be heard, Ace spat out a tooth. His legs were trembling and unsteady.
"I have no interest… in shit…"
The one to fall was Draw. Ace's punch had landed an overpowering hit to Draw's chin.
"Well what d'ya know… I was thinking the same." Ace said, looking at the unconscious Draw and he staggered. I quickly supported Ace. I had intended to lean on Ace's shoulder earlier, but now the situation had ended up reversed.
"That was really something, beating a Marine Vice Admiral…"
"He wasn't that important…"
Ace smiled as he panted heavily.
"We gotta hurry back to the ship… Before the Marines surround it…" I said, yet Ace hesitated.
The spreading flames were already burning out. Soon, the slum would be back to the way it was before.
Among that was only one person, Isuka alone, who could no longer return to how things were.
At that time─
To fight Ace, Draw had thrown away his coat with Justice engraved on it.
Isuka carry the characters of Justice in her back, had saved the children's lives,
That was the answer.
Maybe if it was as it was originally, there'd be no one more suitable to be a Marine than her. But that wasn't the way it was in reality. She might not have a place with the Marines anymore. That's what I thought. The reason she'd joined the Marines had just now been crushed into pointless noise.
Betrayed by the one she believed in, snuck to her knees in despair, and pitiful, we couldn't leave Isuka like this.
"Isuka… board my ship…!" Ace called out. "Of course, I won't make you be a pirate to do it. Be a bounty hunter. You're strong, so it'll fit you just right, yeah? And it's fine if you're always after my head. We'll be on the same ship…" Ace said, offering his hand.
Wiping her tears and sniffling, Isuka laughed.
"You stupid idiot… Fire Fist, you'd hold hands with bounty hunter after your head?"
"Sure would."
Ace gave her a wide grin. With that, Ace gently grabbed her hand.
"Let's go."
The three of us fled the slum, running across the city of dancing bubbles.
There was already a large amount of battleships lined up in the port and offshore. They had gathered to prevent us from setting sail. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed the Marines didn't want Ave to go to the New World.
Leaving the back streets and staying out of the Marines' sight, we zig zagged across the island. I didn't think Ace's wandering eating would come in handy like this. We were able to choose roads people weren't looking at to continue forward.
We had to return to the ship quickly.
But even if we moved the ship now, it was probably already too late. Delaying would get us surrounded the instant we left the shore. To escape, our ship needed to already be prepared for departure and on the move.
But Ace and I weren't worried about a single thing.
If it's the Spade Pirates, then they were surely already moving. The two of us truly believed that. That's why we weren't headed for where the ship was Coated. The ship probably wasn't there anymore. If it had stayed there, there'd be no going anywhere.
So we had to go to where the ship should go. Where were we getting on the ship?
"There's a small cape up ahead. It has to be there!"
"Right!"
We were convinced of that. That's because it was the one spot on the map Skull drew the skull mark on.
Leaving the thicket, we came out in an open area. The cape. The ship was─
Before our eyes was only the blue sea. No,
"Captain Ace!"
"You're late, Ace!"
In a heartbeat, the ship appeared. Delighted voices rose up from the deck. Our nakama had already set sail for us.
"Masters, hurry!" Skull said, waving his hand at us. We had no time to stop. We had to jump aboard. Gathering my nerve, I jumped onto the ship.
"Ace, hurry up!"
Even as that happened, the ship continued forward without stopping. If it slowed down even a little, the Marine battleships would run us down.
"Yeah, let's go, Isuka," Ace said and jumped. It was only Ace jumping.
"Why…!?"
Ace's eyes widened. Isuka had remained on the cape.
"The thing is, I'm still a Marine Ensign… I can't go with you," Isuka gave a powerless smile as she stood on the cape alone.
"Why are you doing this!?" Ace was pressing up to the rail of the ship he'd jumped onto, but the distance to the cape only got steadily wider.
"Don't die, Ace. Thank you."
The distance to Isuka widened. The ship didn't stop. It couldn't stop.
"Was it okay for us to be connected like that…?" Ace whispered, sagging down. "But I guess it can't be helped… I can't hold her hand. I'm a pirate and these hands become flames…" Ace pulled his hat over his eyes.
"Ace… you…" I didn't know what more to say.
Ace usually acted like he thought he was an unlovable existence. When confronted with this, Ace's face, his eyes, always held a dark shadow.
But, surely she, Isuka, didn't think that.
It wasn't just Isuka.
Ace was the only one who didn't notice that.
Ace is a man like the sun.
Everyone is drawn to Ace. Enemies were at a loss with him. Ace was always at the heart of the group.
But because the sun shines too brilliantly, it's always alone. No one, no one at all can snuggle up to a sun. Because if you stand next to it, you burn.
Ace made a place for us to belong. But could we really become a place for Ace to belong? Or in the New World ahead, could we find a place with Ace that he could gently smile from the bottom of his heart?
I didn't know the answer yet. Today we could only forge ahead.
The Marine battleships were already approaching from the front.
The descending cannonballs roared as they hit the sea. Several columns of water were raised and fell from the cannon fire. The spray fell on the deck like rain.
Another roar. This time it wasn't cannonballs.
Ace's Fire Fist had cut open a path.
"Let's go, you guys!" Ace yelled in a voice the whole crew could hear. No matter what separation may occur, as the captain, Ace had to keep fighting.
As the ship lost the pursuing Marines, we rushed towards the distant seafloor to head to Fishman Island.
The sunlight doesn't reach past the sea's surface, so only one shade of darkness remains.
In the depths of the sea, where the light doesn't reach, Ace's one ambition continued to burn.
The goal was the New World. The target was Whitebeard.
The head of the one man currently closest to obtaining the One Piece.
The ship slowly sank in the darkness.
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The end
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