The Demon Ace Pirates all frowned, and Bonney was the one most worried as they all felt their captain's Haki explode. It wasn't full throttle but it was still enough to make both ships rock violently.
"Don't worry, captain knows what he's doing." Nami said as she stood beside Bonney. She saw the clear worry on Bonney's face.
Then after the Haki disappeared, the ships got silent for half an hour.
Ace sad down with a frown on his face. Kuma and his family had gone through so much.
Kuma had been part of the revolutionary army, there he had fallen for Bonney's mother and she had fallen for him.
Sadly she had been kidnapped. Kuma searched for her for a long, long time... and by the time she was finally found, she had begotten Bonney and was on her last breath.
Kuma took Bonney in and promised to raise her as his own daughter as the woman he loved died.
Bonney was later diagnosed with a deadly disease and Kuma searched the world for a cure. In the end he made a deal with the world's smartest man and Bonney was cured.
But because of the deal, he had lost his freedom and become a weapon and experiment for the world government.
"..." Ace didn't say anything.. he wanted to ask Kuma to join him but he could feel Kuma's resolve radiate from him. Ace knew it would be pointless to ask. The man had gladly sacrificed himself for Bonney, and he wouldn't go back on his part no matter what.
"Don't worry, my Nakama is my family. I'll gladly give my own life to protect them.. although your daughter barely needs it.." in fact, the more Ace thought about it, the more he frowned.
"You know what, now that I think about it, there's a bigger need to protect the world from your daughter." Ace said seriously with his frown.
That's when he heard Kuma chuckle. Ace looked up in surprise and found the man smiling.
"Yes, please keep her in check." He said happily.
"Oh, by the way, I heard from Bonney that she believes that Nika would one day return, do you perhaps also believe that?" Ace asked with a raised brow.
Kuma looked at Ace for a second before answering.
"Will you laugh at me? Yes, I believe so with all of my heart." Kuma said seriously, waiting for the young man to laugh.
"I'll never laugh at someone's dreams and hopes.. our dreams are what makes us who we are." Ace said seriously.
Kuma got surprised, very few people would hear his hopes and not laugh.
"In fact, I agree with you." Ace said as his tone got lighter.
Kuma got surprised.
"Not only do I agree, I know that he has already arrived. And I know who and where he is." Ace said cheekily.
"..."
"You don't believe me?" Ace asked as he saw the sceptical look on Kuma's face. But he only got sceptical when Ace said he knew who and where Nika is.
It seems like Kuma for some reason already believed the fact that Nika had already returned, which was odd.
Seing his silence, Ace continues.
"My brother is Nika, he hasn't set sail yet but when he does.... WAHAHAHA I CAN'T WAIT!" Ace laughed out, he realised from his discussions with Bonney that Luffy's fruit might not be a simple Paracemia. He had put two and two together and made a guess that Luffy, as the main character was Nika somehow.
Kuma seemed disappointed.
"I'm sorry to tell you that you are wrong." Kuma said. In fact, he also knew that Nika had arrived, not only that, he knew who it was as well
Long ago, his leader Monkey D. Dragon had secretly told him of his son, Monkey D. Luffy.
Kuma had recently been close to where Luffy was located, so he decided to take look, and to his surprise, he found out that Luffy was oddly familiar. It didn't take long for him to piece everything together and realise that Monkey D. Luffy was the man that his ancestors had been waiting for, Nika!
Kuma denied Ace, because he Knew that Ace's father was Gold Roger. If Gold Roger had another child, he couldn't be Nika, As Kuma had Confirmed that Monkey D. dragon's child, Luffy is Nika.
"Tsk, you haven't even met Luffy yet but you deny it." Ace pouted.
"Luffy?" Kuma got surpised.
"Hmm, yes, Monkey D. Luffy, he's my brother... Sworn brother. He's Nika, you just wait and watch."
Kuma got so surprised that he stood up and took a step back.
'Is the world so small? Can such coincidences really occur?' Kuma questioned himself.
"Tsk, old man, since you're from the revolutionary, you should know Sabo as well right?" Ace asked.
Kuma was still surprised so he simply nodded.
"Me, Luffy and Sabo drank together and became sworn brothers when we were children. For us, we are true brothers. You just wait and see how we three shake up the world." Ace said as he stood up.
Kuma's eyes widened to their limits. They looked like they were about to pop.
Sabo had been under his nose all this time.
'So Sabo was the sworn brother of Nika? and the captain of his daughter was the sworn brother of Sabo and Nika? And Nika was the son of his leader? And Ace was the son of the former Pirate King? And Nika wants to be Pirate King? And Sabo is Luffy's father's disciple? And somehow, I have been connected to all of them without knowing? Wait... Then.. Isn't the legendary Garp... Nika's grandfather? Nika's grandfather is a marine hero and Nika wants to be pirate king, and his father is the leader of revolutionary army...' Kuma started feeling dizzy as he put it all together.
From the Black Pearl, the Demon Ace Pirates awaited their captain. Suddenly they heard an unfamiliar laugh that seemed to come directly from the heart.
Bonney got surprised as she heard her father laugh out and wondered what they were speaking about which made her dad laugh so much.
"Truly, coincidence and fateful encounters are two sides of the same coin." Jojo Pojo said in surpise as he had been listening in. He was aghast at what he had heard and how they were so deeply connected without knowing eachother.
"what's going on what's going on what's going on?!!!" Bonney jumped towards Jojo and asked hurriedly, wanting to know everything that has to do with her dad.
Jojo just smiled at her.
Not long after, Ace returned and the Black Pearl continued sailing. Bonney stood at the railing and waved towards her father until his ship had disappeared into the horizon.
Even after the ship had dissapeared, she still stood there until late hours.
Ace later came out to her and patted her head again.
"He didn't explain anything, right?" Ace asked and Bonney nodded bitterly.
"Don't worry, you'll know in time, but for now, you need to rest." Ace said as he encouraged her to sleep.
Bonney turned towards him and hugged him.
"Stinky captain, I'll give you a hug as a reward for being friends with my dad." She said in a pout before hurrying back to her sleeping chambers.
Ace smiled.
The next morning, Ace explained something major he had learnt from Kuma.
Kuma, as a warlord, had been ordered by the Marines to sail towards Marineford to prepare for war.
The Demon Ace pirates for very surprised by this news.
"How long until the war starts?" Nami asked.
Before Ace could answer, the lid of a barrel opened as Apoo's head popped out.
"Captain, are they starting a war with us?!!" Apoo asked in worry.
This question got all of the crew members to look at Ace for answers.
"Sadly no, it's with the Whitebeard Pirates." Ace said with clear disappointment.
"WHY DO YOU SOUND SO DISAPPOINTED!!" Nami and Apoo angrily shouted.