---
As soon as Xpovac arrived back at PokeIsland, he didn't waste a second. Moving swiftly, he retrieved a max revive from his inventory and knelt beside Ace's lifeless body. The island's air grew tense as Xpovac channeled his power into the item, pouring energy into Ace to bring him back from the dead.
In a flash, Ace's body jolted upright as he gasped for air, feeling his chest where Akainu's molten fist had pierced him. The wound was gone, replaced by a scar. Confusion filled his eyes as he took in his surroundings and saw Xpovac standing over him, with Garp nearby, just waking up.
"Grandpa? Xpovac?" Ace asked, his voice shaky. "What… what happened? How am I still alive?"
Garp, blinking away his surprise, looked at his grandson with tears welling up in his eyes. "Ace… you're alive…" he said, his voice cracking. "I… I can't believe it." He turned to Xpovac and nodded. "Thank you… thank you for bringing him back."
Xpovac shook his head. "You don't need to thank me, Old Man. Ace is my brother—I wasn't about to let him stay dead."
Ace's eyes widened. "Dead…?" He touched his chest again, as if expecting to feel the fatal wound. "So, I really did…?"
"You were killed by Akainu," Xpovac said bluntly. "I brought you back. The war at Marineford… it happened because you wouldn't let go of your grudge against Blackbeard."
Ace's shoulders sagged, and he lowered his head. Tears started to form as guilt and regret washed over him. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" he cried, his voice breaking. "I'm the reason for everything. The war… Whitebeard…"
Before Ace could spiral deeper into despair, Garp walked over and delivered a powerful punch to the side of his head. "Stop crying like a baby!" he scolded, his voice firm but carrying a hint of relief. "Yes, you may have been a big part of why that war happened, but dwelling on it now won't change a damn thing."
Ace rubbed his head, a faint smile forming despite the tears. "Gramps…"
Garp grunted. "Now, quit with the apologies and give your old man a hug."
Ace quickly embraced Garp, his relief palpable. Then, he pulled Xpovac into the hug, wrapping his arms around both of them.
---
As they broke the embrace, Ace wiped his eyes and asked, "What happened to Luffy? And… how did the war end?"
Garp's gaze shifted to Xpovac, clearly wondering the same thing. Xpovac met their stares and answered calmly, "Whitebeard is dead. Akainu was beaten to within an inch of his life… by me. Sengoku tried to intervene, but Lugia flicked him away like a fly. As for Blackbeard, he's gone for good—I made sure of that before I left Marineford. Shanks showed up not long after to wrap things up. Luffy is safe for now; he's currently on Amazon Lily with Boa Hancock."
Ace's expression darkened when he heard about Whitebeard's death. "No… not Pops…" His voice was barely a whisper, and a deep sadness overcame him. "Xpovac, please… bring him back like you did for me…"
Xpovac shook his head firmly. "No, Ace. Whitebeard had his time. He has no place in the new era. His death marks the end of an age, and the start of a new one."
Ace clenched his fists but didn't argue. He knew that there was some truth in what his brother was saying. Meanwhile, Garp burst into hearty laughter. "Beating Akainu and sending Sengoku flying… I never thought I'd live to see the day!" he chuckled. "That'll shake things up in the Marines for sure."
---
Ace and Garp took in the sights of the island for the first time. They saw a large base marked with a Jolly Roger, unfamiliar yet impressive, standing tall over the island's lush greenery. "Where are we, exactly?" Ace asked, his curiosity piqued.
"This is my territory—PokeIsland." Xpovac replied, pride evident in his voice. "It's guarded by the three legendary birds: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. No one sets foot on this island without my permission."
Ace and Garp exchanged surprised glances. "You have your own territory?" Ace asked, astonished.
"Why haven't we heard anything about this before?" Garp added.
"I haven't exactly been hiding it," Xpovac replied with a smirk. "But I also didn't go out of my way to make it public. Now that you know, Garp, feel free to let the Marines know. Tell Morgan to spread the word."
Garp nodded, scratching his chin. "I'm not sure why you'd want people to know, but I'll get the message out," he agreed.
Ace's initial sadness was starting to lift as he looked around, his excitement building. "You really have your own island…" He grinned. "What else is there to see?"
---
After the brief tour of PokeIsland, Xpovac made his plans clear. "You'll be staying here with me for the next two years, training and getting stronger," he told Ace. "You've got a lot to learn, and I'm not letting you leave until you're ready."
Ace's eyes lit up with determination. "Fine by me!" he replied eagerly. "I've got a lot to make up for."
Xpovac then turned to Garp. "The offer stands for you too, Old Man. You can stay and train here if you want."
"Nah," Garp replied, shaking his head. "I'm heading back to the Marines. There's still a lot of work to do there." Xpovac signaled to Mew, who promptly teleported Garp back to Marineford.
---
Reunions and Rewards
As Xpovac continued showing Ace around, they came across Uta, who had been training on the island. She looked at Ace with surprise, recognizing him immediately. "Ace…? You're alive?"
"Yeah, I'm back," Ace said, smiling warmly. "Looks like we're both here to get stronger."
Uta nodded. "I've decided to stay for two years, too. I'll be training right alongside you."
With Ace and Uta ready to grow stronger together, Xpovac sent them off to continue exploring the island while he found a moment of solitude. It was then that the system's notifications began flooding his mind.
---
System Notification
- Quest Completed: Stop the Marineford War.
- Rewards: Additional music for your music-only phone and the Zanpakuto's name revealed.
- Hidden Quest 1 Completed: Kill Blackbeard.
- Rewards: Shikai and Bankai unlocked.
- Hidden Quest 2 Completed: Defeat Akainu.
- Rewards: One island maker and Groudon.
- Hidden Quest 3 Failed: Stop Ace from dying at the hands of Akainu.
Xpovac's expression remained stoic as the system's messages flowed in. The reveal of his Zanpakuto's name and its abilities intrigued him, but he decided to deal with that later. For now, he summoned Groudon onto the island and told the legendary Pokémon to keep the heat levels up while he figured out where its permanent home would be.
The failure of the hidden quest to save Ace before he was killed by Akainu did surprise Xpovac, but it didn't bother him much. The important thing was that Ace was alive now.
---
Three Days Later
The sun was shining brightly over *PokeIsland* as Xpovac, Ace, and Uta relaxed on the beach. A news bird flew overhead, dropping a freshly printed newspaper. Xpovac caught it and began to read aloud.
On the front page was a picture of Luffy, his hat clutched to his chest. Xpovac knew the significance of that image, but he didn't dwell on it, quickly turning the page. What he saw next caused him to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
There, in bold letters, was a new bounty. It was for Xpovac himself, with a reward of 1 billion berries.
"1 billion?!" Ace exclaimed, looking at the paper. "That's almost as much as the Yonko!"
Uta, glancing at the text, read the title aloud: "Xpovac… Lord of Beasts."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, both Xpovac and Ace burst into laughter. The title, the bounty, the newfound notoriety—it was all ridiculous yet somehow fitting.
As their laughter echoed across the beach, Xpovac couldn't help but feel that this was only the beginning of a much larger journey.
---