"You want to test Ace?" Gaban stood up, locking eyes with Kuke. He saw a young man with a steady, unwavering gaze. Though not sharp or aggressive, Kuke's expression showed no hesitation.
"Impressive," Gaban couldn't help but praise him.
This young man, knowing Gaban's identity, could still remain so composed in front of him. In contrast, a younger Shanks used to fear him quite a bit.
"How did you learn about Ace?" Gaban asked curiously. Very few people in the world knew about the Supreme Grade Sword Ace or its exact location.
"This was given to me by Rayleigh, his Vivre Card," Kuke said, holding out the card.
Gaban glanced at the Vivre Card in Kuke's hand. It was indeed Rayleigh's.
Shanks, stretching his neck and craning over to get a closer look, muttered, "So he's met Rayleigh, and Rayleigh even gave him Gaban's Vivre Card? Does Rayleigh think so highly of him?" Shanks sounded a bit envious.
After all, Makino was on Kuke's ship, and that was already enough to make Shanks' emotions feel a bit complicated.
"Do you think he doesn't deserve it?" Ben Beckman teased Shanks. "Captain, you're acting a bit immature right now. Can't take the loss?"
"What loss? I haven't lost anything!" Shanks snapped back defensively.
"Getting worked up, huh?" The Red-Haired crew burst into laughter.
"Captain, maybe this is fate. I've always wanted to meet the legend and have a drink with him."
"Captain, should we bring out the best liquor for this?"
"Let's continue the party!"
Yasopp and the rest of the crew looked at Kuke with shining eyes, a mix of curiosity and respect.
"No one's ever been this excited for me," Shanks muttered, feeling more and more down. "Wait, hold on. He's about to test Ace. Let's not disturb him yet."
A sudden realization hit Shanks. His eyes gleamed with anticipation. Though he was still a little sour over Makino, Shanks now felt exhilarated at the thought of someone else trying to wield Ace.
He thought to himself: Go on. Try it. And just like us, you'll fail and feel crushed. Hahaha.
Shanks slyly pulled out a camera, ready to capture the moment.
"He's going for it."
"He's already holding Ace. Do you think he'll be able to use it?"
"Highly unlikely. I mean, even our captain failed. Even Dracule Mihawk failed. Apart from Roger, no one has been able to wield Ace."
"Do you think he'll cry like our captain did?"
"Wait... he's just casually picking it up? Shouldn't he be more serious? This is Ace, the sword Roger used. Shouldn't he be treating it with more reverence?"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Kuke casually grabbed Ace.
His expression remained calm and unbothered. He gave it a casual swing, and just as the blade neared a massive boulder, Kuke stopped the sword a mere inch away.
No sound was made, and no grandiose display of power occurred.
Kuke inspected the sword in his hand. The black-backed, red-edged blade was marked by jagged red patterns.
"This sword is mine now," Kuke declared, looking at Gaban.
Gaban, at first shocked, quickly turned to joy, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Of course, you've earned the right to take it."
"Huh?" Many members of the Red-Haired Pirates were left dumbfounded.
What had just happened?
There hadn't even been a proper test. Shouldn't he have at least used a flying slash or something? How could they be sure he could wield it?
It looked so simple, as if Kuke had just picked up an ordinary stone from the ground.
Especially for crew members like Limejones, who had just failed in using Ace, it was hard to accept.
"Can he really use it?" someone questioned, filled with doubt.
"Silence!" Shanks snapped, turning serious as he addressed his crew. "There's no doubt. If Gaban and I both say it, there's nothing to question."
Ben Beckman nodded in agreement and pointed toward the boulder Kuke had sliced. It had been cut cleanly in two, with the surface of the cut smooth as glass.
"See for yourself."
Though Kuke hadn't performed any flashy moves, those with a trained eye could see clearly. The power behind Kuke's simple swing, combined with the precision of his swordsmanship, showed his mastery of Ace.
Gaban and Shanks had both recognized it instantly, and that was enough to silence any further doubts.
"The fact that Ace chose him... it's amazing," the crew members said with envy in their eyes.
Though there was admiration, there was no jealousy. After all, they had all tried and failed themselves. If someone could use Ace, they deserved it.
Gion, standing beside Kuke, spoke up, "Why do you say Ace chose Kuke? Maybe it was Kuke who conquered Ace."
"...?"
Shanks and his crew squinted their eyes in contemplation.
Meanwhile, Kuke, examining the sword more closely, noticed something that displeased him. "This sword is great, but the aesthetics are a bit lacking."
He looked at the hilt, which was decorated with an ornate golden handguard.
"Gaban, would it be alright if I removed this handguard?" Kuke asked.
"Of course! Ace is yours now. You can do as you wish. Honestly, I've always disliked the golden handguard myself. Roger's sense of style was always strange. He took a perfectly good Supreme Grade Sword and added that gaudy piece of gold for no reason," Gaban muttered, shaking his head as he recalled Roger's eccentric tastes.
Kuke reached out to remove the golden handguard.
"Noooo!" Shanks shouted in dismay.