As Kaito Sakamoto sparred with Ace, he gradually found himself at a disadvantage due to fatigue. This couldn't go on; he stepped back and transformed his staff into a flintlock gun. Ace froze, staring at the gun's muzzle pointed at him.
Kaito sighed. "Look, Ace, times have changed." He didn't want to point a gun at Ace, but if he kept this up, he would inevitably take a hit and spend the next month recovering.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Kaito managed to catch his breath and lowered the gun. "You win, Ace. Let's stop this."
Exhausted, Kaito was ready to give up. "Let it end already."
"Huh? What about that bracelet?" Ace was also tired, but not as much as Kaito. Being a genius with sharp eyes, he quickly figured out that Kaito's varied weapons came from the bracelet on his wrist.
"Yeah."
"...."
"Today, whether we win or lose, let's call it a draw."
"Even though your stamina is lacking, you did pretty well… for a girl." Ace replied coolly, shouldering the water pipe.
Kaito's mind filled with question marks. Who? Who's a girl??
In his world, Kaito was an orphan who had just turned eighteen and left the orphanage to work. To save money, he rarely cut his hair—only once every two years. After being transported back to his childhood, his hair hadn't changed. He currently tied it into a ponytail, which led Ace to mistake him for a girl.
"I'm a guy," Kaito replied.
"...."
"Wait!!!" Ace exclaimed as he realized.
"Then your stamina is seriously lacking!" Ace teased, and Kaito thought, well, you must be quite brave! What average kid could compete with you?
"Still, your skills are good enough!"
"I acknowledge you."
"If you want to follow, then come along."
Ace turned to continue his meeting with Sabo. Kaito glanced at Luffy and quickly followed. Luffy immediately tagged along, but soon, the fierce beasts and complicated terrain made it hard for him to keep up.
Seeing his good friend being led away by someone else, Luffy felt a bit down.
"Ahhh!"
"Kaito! I'll catch up to you guys and bring you back!"
Hearing Luffy's shout behind him, Kaito broke out in a sweat. Did it sound like he was the kind of woman who ditched her broke boyfriend for a rich guy?
"You go ahead, Ace."
"Huh? Wait for that kid? If he can't even make it through the forest by himself, why should he come with me to the uncertain endpoint?" Ace scoffed, dismissing Luffy as weak.
"Ace, how long did it take you to cross the forest before?"
Kaito smiled, trying to be polite.
"A month."
"Alright, how about we make a bet?"
"Let's bet on whether Luffy can cross the forest in a month."
"If I lose, I'll give you this bracelet."
"If you lose, you have to try to accept Luffy."
"What do you say? Are you up for it?" Kaito stretched the bracelet in front of Ace, making the wager.
What does it matter if the bracelet can't be taken off? Ace didn't know.
He looked at the bracelet.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
"Bet!"
"Hope you won't regret losing such a good weapon."
Kaito smiled as he pulled back his hand. "Don't underestimate Luffy; he's quite resilient."
"Then let's meet at the uncertain endpoint in a month!"
Both Ace and Kaito felt confident. Kaito turned back to Luffy, ready to help him cross the forest, ensuring he wouldn't interfere with their bet.
.....
"Luffy!"
Just as Luffy was spinning around in confusion, Kaito returned. Luffy looked up and immediately smiled.
"Ah! Kaito, I'm lost!"
"Me too, Luffy."
"Ace just dropped a comment that if we can cross the forest in a month, he'd consider being friends with us."
"We've got to give it our all!"
Knowing Luffy's personality, Kaito figured setting a goal would motivate him to push forward, aside from the Navy, of course.
"Really? Then we need to work hard!"
"Let's go! We can't let Ace look down on us!"
Luffy suddenly felt energized, leading the way as Kaito followed with a smile. Typical kid.
However, while the starting point was safe and confidence high, the obstacles that followed began to wear them down.
A broken suspension bridge.
Twists and turns in the road.
Massive beasts.
Kaito continuously mirrored Luffy's movements; otherwise, he would have definitely gotten lost along the way.
.....
Days passed in a blur.
Whenever Luffy and Kaito failed, they returned to Dadan's house, only to go out with Ace again early the next morning.
This routine continued.
Day by day, they unlocked new areas, returning home with new injuries each time.
Finally, on the last day of their month-long bet, Luffy and Kaito successfully caught up to Ace, having crossed the forest.
They arrived at the dark side of the Goaya Kingdom, known as the most beautiful country in the East Sea, now a heap of garbage—the uncertain endpoint!