"What?" Ace was stunned when he heard Linton's voice. In that brief moment of surprise, the group chasing him caught up. One person tackled him to the ground, and others quickly piled on, pinning Ace down.
Of course, with Ace's skills, he could have easily escaped or even eliminated them all in an instant. But Ace wasn't the type to kill innocents. Skipping out on paying for his meals was just a habit of his; he wouldn't murder anyone over it. Clearly, these people had no idea they were pinning down a pirate with a 220 million beli bounty.
"Damn it! You ate 80,000 beli worth of food and then ran off!" The man who seemed to be the restaurant owner stepped forward and shouted at Ace, "Pay up, or I'll hand you over to the Navy."
"My friend will bring the money soon," Ace quickly replied. Although he liked to dine and dash, his crew always paid the bill afterward. Everyone was well aware of their captain's quirky habit, and Ace knew about it too.
"Bring the money? How do I know that's true?" The owner didn't believe him. "Just give me the money now, or I'll take you to the Navy."
"You'd be in for a big payday," Linton said, stepping forward. If the owner really did hand Ace over to the Navy, he'd get over 200 million beli in bounty money. But Ace wasn't likely to let that happen.
"And who are you?" the owner asked, turning to Linton.
"I just heard this guy call you his uncle," someone nearby remarked.
"Are you his uncle?" the owner asked.
"Yes, he's my nephew. Sorry for the trouble," Linton replied with a smile.
Ace looked at Linton, silent, trying to figure out who he was.
"If he's your nephew, then pay up," the owner demanded.
"I don't have money, but this gem should cover the bill," Linton said, pulling out a magic crystal. They had killed quite a few magical beasts in the forest earlier, and Linton had taken a few crystals. The princess and others hadn't cared for them, but since Linton was broke, he planned to sell them.
The magic crystal looked like a gem, and though the owner didn't recognize what it was, he could tell it wasn't ordinary and likely worth more than the meal.
"Well... okay then," the owner said, accepting the gem. "But don't do this again."
"Of course, I'll make sure to educate him properly," Linton nodded.
Seeing Linton hand over such a valuable gem, the owner figured Linton wasn't just anyone. Since he had been compensated, the owner didn't want to pursue the matter further and left with his men. The crowd that had gathered slowly dispersed as well, leaving just Linton and Ace.
"Who are you?" Ace asked, brushing the dust off as he stood up.
"Your uncle," Linton replied.
"..." Ace was speechless. "What do you want? You should know who I am, so just say what you're after."
"I already told you, I'm your uncle," Linton insisted.
"Are you looking for trouble?" Ace shouted.
"No, I'm not causing trouble. I really am your uncle," Linton replied.
"I don't have an uncle! Got it?" Ace snapped.
"Are you sure?" Linton asked.
"Of course, I'm sure…" Ace paused, suddenly uncertain. His grandpa was a very unreliable person, and honestly, Ace didn't even know who his brother Luffy's father was. The old man had never mentioned his son.
But looking at Linton, who seemed to be around his age, it was impossible for him to be Luffy's father. Then again, it wasn't impossible—maybe the old man had a second or third son Ace didn't know about, which would make Linton his uncle.
"Are you the old man's… son?" Ace asked.
"By the old man, do you mean Garp?" Linton asked.
"Of course," Ace nodded.
"I'm not related to that monkey's family," Linton said.
"You…" Ace began, but Linton interrupted him.
"My name is Gol D. Linton. My brother was Gol D. Roger, so I'm your uncle."
"!!!" Ace was shocked into silence, unable to react. He already knew his true identity, which was why he had changed his name to Portgas, but he had always despised his father, Roger. Now, suddenly, someone claiming to be his uncle had appeared—it was too much for Ace to process.
After a moment, Ace took a deep breath to calm himself. First, he needed to confirm Linton's identity. If this guy really was Roger's brother, then he was indeed Ace's uncle. But was it true? After all, he had never heard that Roger had a brother.
But then again, Linton knew Ace's real identity, which wasn't something just anyone could know. If it were known that the Pirate King Roger had left behind a child, the World Government would have come after him long ago. The fact that Linton knew this made Ace somewhat inclined to believe him.
Observing Linton more closely, Ace noticed that he was indeed black-haired and black-eyed, just like Roger. There was a slight resemblance, though that alone wasn't enough to prove anything. Ace decided to ask more questions: "Are you really Roger's brother?"
"Of course," Linton replied. "Who would want to claim that identity if it weren't true?"
Linton had a point. Being related to the Pirate King wasn't exactly a desirable position—it meant being hunted relentlessly by the Navy, who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone with such a connection. As Roger's son, Ace knew this all too well, so he was starting to believe Linton.
"I know you're skeptical, but I really am your uncle," Linton continued. "When you were born, I was only three years old, so I didn't know about you. Once I found out, I immediately set sail to find you and just recently caught wind of your whereabouts. I came straight here to meet you."
Linton's story was seamless, and Ace believed him. But believing was one thing—accepting him was another. Sure enough, Ace soon said, "I… don't have a father."
"Whether you acknowledge your father has nothing to do with me," Linton replied. "I was only three years old when my brother died, so I have no memory of him. I understand why you dislike your father, but that doesn't concern me. I only recently found out you existed."
Linton's reasoning was sound, and Ace realized that his father's issues weren't Linton's fault. After some thought, Ace nodded. "So, why did you come looking for me?"
"Well, I thought I was all alone, but then I found out I had a nephew. Of course, I wanted to meet my family!" Linton said. "Don't worry. From now on, as long as I'm around, no one will bully you."
"Uh…" Ace was at a loss for words.
"As your uncle, it's my duty to look after you," Linton said. "It's a shame I didn't know you existed before, so you've probably had a tough time. But don't worry, from now on, I'll have your back."
Linton's words sounded sincere, and Ace, still young, was actually touched. But he still said, "I don't need your protection. I can take care of myself now."
"Oh, I've heard about it—you've started a pirate crew, right?" Linton asked.
"Yeah, the Spade Pirates," Ace nodded. "I've got a crew I can trust, so I don't really need any protection, but I appreciate the thought…"
"Well… how about you take care of me instead?" Linton suddenly suggested.
"Huh?" Ace was stunned.
"Come on, I'm still your elder, you know. Look at me—I'm all alone, with no one to rely on. I'm so pitiful. You've made a name for yourself, so taking care of your elders should be no problem, right?" Linton said.
"Well…" Ace thought it over. It made sense, but it was hard to wrap his head around. Just moments ago, Linton had been promising to protect him, and now the roles were reversed.
"Let me join your pirate crew," Linton said.
"Uh…"
"Why are you hesitating?" Linton asked. "Do you want to leave your poor, lonely uncle to fend for himself?"
"Poor, lonely uncle…" Ace muttered, his mouth twitching. You're only three years older than me; why are you calling yourself a lonely old man? But after thinking it over, Ace decided it wasn't a bad idea. He had accepted Linton's identity, and if that was the case, there was no harm in letting him tag along. It seemed like Linton was determined to stay with him anyway, probably just wanting to connect with family. Ace also had a lot of things he wanted to discuss with Linton.
"Alright… I agree," Ace nodded. "But our crew is setting sail soon."
"I came here just to find you, so I have nothing else going on. If you're setting sail, I'm ready to go anytime," Linton replied. "As you can see, I have no luggage. I'm really broke, so I'll be relying on you from now on."
"…" Ace wanted to roll his eyes but held back. "Alright, in that case, come with me. I'll introduce you to my crew."
(End of Chapter)