The river flows eastward, leaves fall in a flurry, and time quietly drifts away like sand slipping through fingers.
Ace, Sabo, Kaito Sakamoto, and Luffy all lived together in Dadan's home. During these days, they fought against the wild beasts of the forest, the ruffians of the town, the scoundrels of Garbage Mountain, and the pirates of the bay.
Day after day, their reputation spread even to the nobles in the heart of the high town.
Life was fulfilling and exhilarating, but tranquility doesn't last forever; fate has a way of testing them.
...
One day, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy headed into town. Kaito stayed behind; during their "money-earning" activities, he would come and go, finding it thrilling yet exhausting. He had planned to take a good afternoon nap, but the newspaper in Dadan's hand kept him wide awake.
"Dorgula, Magula, and Goya, what are those places?" Dadan asked, holding a cigarette and the newspaper.
Dorgula the Fish-Eye explained that Corbo Mountain, Garbage Mountain, and Windmill Village were all territories of the Goya Kingdom. The king, however, paid no mind to the filthy lands outside those walls; his kingdom was meant to be pristine.
Kaito turned to the side, thinking how Dadan didn't even know where he lived.
But Dadan's next words made Kaito sit up abruptly.
"This country is expecting visitors; seems like a big shot."
"Front page news? Is it really that impressive?"
"Those people called Celestial Dragons?"
"What?!" Kaito jumped up, shouting.
"Whoa!"
"You scared me! Why are you so sudden?" Dadan complained, startled.
Ignoring him, Kaito quickly dashed over and snatched the newspaper from Dadan's hand.
The descendants of the Creator!
The world nobles, the Celestial Dragons, will inspect the East Sea's most glorious country—Goya Kingdom—in a month.
The biggest headline blared this news, especially the phrase descendants of the Creator, large enough for even the blind to see.
"What... what's wrong? Why are you so surprised? Is it serious?" Dadan wondered, noting that Kaito was typically a polite child. It was his first time directly grabbing a newspaper like this—was it really that grave?
"It's serious!"
"But it has nothing to do with us at Corbo Mountain." Kaito replied.
"Well, that's great! It wouldn't matter if the outside world collapsed," Dadan chuckled, feeling unconcerned as long as it didn't involve Corbo Mountain.
Kaito didn't respond; he ran outside to find Sabo. If his father caught him, things would get serious!
...
After leaving Dadan's home, Kaito rushed toward the safest path to Garbage Mountain.
But halfway there, under a tree by a cliff, he spotted Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. Ace and Luffy had Sabo pinned against the tree trunk, and Kaito thought it was too late; Sabo's noble father had already discovered him.
"Spill it! Sabo!"
"What secrets do we have left? Just tell us!" Ace and Luffy pressed on relentlessly.
Kaito joined them, walking over.
Sabo looked at him like he was a savior.
"Kaito! They keep grilling me! I don't have any secrets!"
Kaito glanced at him, seeing through the act. He moved to stand beside Ace and Luffy.
"Just tell us, Sabo."
Sabo was stunned; he had thought Kaito came to rescue him, but he was here to fan the flames!
"Tell me! Or I'll knock you out!"
Seeing Sabo's panic, Ace, unable to contain his temper, grabbed Sabo by the neck, with Luffy joining in to make Sabo confess.
"Uh... Ah... I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"
...
Ace: "The son of a noble!!!"
Luffy: "Who's that?!"
Sabo: "Me!"
"So what?"
Ace and Luffy dug at their noses, unimpressed, as if there was nothing to hide.
"Didn't you just tell us to say it?!"
Sabo shouted, frustrated. Who was pushing him just moments ago, now acting so indifferent?!
But then Sabo's expression shifted, a hint of melancholy crossed his face.
"I'm sorry for lying to you."
Luffy didn't mind; he never held grudges.
"Since you apologized, I forgive you."
Ace walked to the cliff's edge, standing beside Kaito as they gazed at the sea.
"But this really surprises me. Sabo, since you're a noble, why were you at Garbage Mountain?"
"Those nobles look at the people of Garbage Mountain as if they were just as worthless as the trash beneath their feet."
"I'm different from them!" Sabo retorted immediately.
"Though I have parents, I am still all alone."
"They only care about 'someone' who can give them power and wealth."
"If I can't marry the king's daughter, to them, I'm worthless!"
"Nobles? Compared to that suffocating high town, to a future planned out for me for decades, I actually prefer this life."
"This life with you guys."
Kaito turned to look at Sabo. For someone like Sabo, who loved freedom, being a noble was a kind of shackle.
"So!"
"Ace! Luffy! Kaito!"
"We must set sail! Leave this country! Explore freely!"
"I want to see the vast world and record it in a book. Learning about navigation is not painful for me at all."
"Let's get stronger! Become real pirates!!"
Sabo ran to the shore and shouted his dream to the sea.
Ace smiled. "Hehe, no need for you to say that!"
"Even if the whole world doesn't recognize my existence, even if they all despise me! I will become the great pirate that makes them sit up and take notice!!"
After Sabo, Ace declared his wish: to break free from the title of "Son of the Pirate King" and become a pirate greater than Roger!
After Ace and Sabo, Kaito turned to Luffy.
The anime never specified what Luffy's dream was, and Kaito was curious. It left Ace stunned and made Sabo chuckle. It would be something Ace would regret not witnessing as he lay dying.
In Rayleigh's memories, Shanks said Luffy's dream was the same as Roger's.
This dream made Whitebeard find it childish.
What could it be?
Seeing Ace and Sabo shout their ambitions with such passion, Luffy couldn't be left out. With his hands on his hips, he yelled toward the sea.
"Hehe, alright!"
"Well then, I..."