As Ace's small boat disappeared over the horizon, Luffy, Kaito Sakamoto, and the other mountain bandits who had come to see Ace off began their return.
Parting always comes, but after the farewells, life must go on—that's just how it is.
....
The group returned to Dadan's home, where the bandits found Dadan inside, unwilling to see Ace off. This tough but soft-hearted old woman couldn't bear to let him go.
Dadan sat in her room smoking, the children keeping their distance; it was a mother's instinct to worry, even if she was a foster mother.
Watching Dadan's back, Kaito could tell she was holding back her emotions. He forced a smile and said, "Dadan, Ace wanted me to tell you something."
"What? Is he going to complain about me one last time?!" she exclaimed.
Kaito replied, "Ace said..."
"Thank you for your care."
As soon as the words left Kaito's mouth, Dadan couldn't hold it together any longer. Tears streamed down her face, and she pulled out a cloth to wipe her eyes, all while still trying to sound tough.
"Don't make a fool of yourself! You brat!!"
Kaito shook his head. Despite Dadan's fierce demeanor, she loved them more than anyone else.
In the original timeline, Ace died in the Marineford War, and even though she had lived in fear of Garp for most of her life, Dadan had dared to swing her fists at him.
Stepping outside, Kaito found a cup of water in his hand; he had to drink plenty, given his constitution.
In his view was an enthusiastic Luffy, who blasted a rock in the distance with his rubber gun. After seven years, Luffy had significantly improved his strength, though not nearly as much as he had during his two years at sea, rising to the level of an Emperor.
Watching Luffy train, Kaito started to envision their future at sea.
"Just three more years."
.....
Time passed quietly, and another six months went by.
After Ace set sail, Luffy's training sessions grew longer, and his appetite skyrocketed. Thankfully, Kaito was there to keep him well-fed as his "chef."
One day, Kaito was cooking soup made from a bird that had suddenly dropped from the sky and landed at his feet.
It seemed luck was on Kaito's side; he often found fresh ingredients magically appearing or stumbled upon wallets in the garbage piles.
As he stirred the soup, Magura burst into the house, yelling, "Kaito! The newspaper! The newspaper!!"
Kaito washed his hands, wiped them on his scarf, and took the newspaper from Magura.
"What's got you so worked up? Did all the Celestial Dragons die or something?"
But that was obviously impossible; Kaito was just making a joke.
The newspaper's largest headline featured Ace's photo.
"Pirate Supernova, Captain of the Spade Pirates, Portgas D. Ace, makes a stunning entry onto the world stage with absolute power!"
"Rejects the invitation of the Navy's Seven Warlords!"
"Bounty: 550 million Berries!!!"
Seeing Ace striking a pose for the camera on the front page made Kaito burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha! That's amazing, Ace!"
"...We have to keep this up."
Just then, Luffy came back from his training and burst through the door, shouting, "I'm starving!!!"
"Kaito! I want to eat!!!"
Kaito brought out the pot of bird soup, but it barely filled Luffy's gap-toothed smile. What he really needed was a massive plate of roasted leg meat.
The aroma wafted through the air, enticing Luffy, and his mouth watered as he reached for the food. Kaito, however, held up the newspaper to block his face.
Upon seeing the familiar figure on the paper, Luffy quickly snatched it up.
"Ace is so cool! His pirate ship and crew made the news!"
"Isn't he amazing?!"
"We can't lose either, Kaito!!"
Setting the newspaper down, Luffy's enthusiasm surged even higher, itching to rush out and battle some wild beasts! Although, he had already conquered the forest by then.
Kaito sipped the bird soup, its rich flavor surprising him, and agreed, "Yeah, we can't fall behind Ace. Just three more years; let's do our best, Luffy."
"Yeah! Let's give it our all together!!!"
Luffy tossed the newspaper aside, and immediately turned into a "vacuum cleaner," sweeping the food off the table. After all, a full stomach meant more strength for training and the journey ahead.
.....
Time... it always passes quickly, whether like flowing water or a galloping horse, it eventually slips away.
In the blink of an eye, another two and a half years had passed. Kaito and Luffy had grown into capable young men, ready to embark on their journey across the sea.
In the year 1520 of the Sea Calendar, on May 4th, inside the Magician's Tavern...
"Ha ha ha! Tomorrow! Tomorrow, we set sail, Kaito!!"
Luffy stood on a chair, arms raised in excitement as he awaited the dawn of their adventure.
The town mayor, leaning on his cane, scolded Luffy and Kaito not to embarrass Windmill Village.
Luffy continued to block his ears, pretending he couldn't hear, as if saying, "You say what you want, but if I hear you, it counts as a win for you."
Kaito watched the scene, feeling nostalgia wash over him. It was just like old times.
"Come down, Luffy. Let's have a drink together."
Kaito picked up a huge wooden mug that was bigger than his face, signaling Luffy to join him.
Luffy grinned widely, nodding in agreement. But just as he sat down, the tavern door swung open.
A fishmonger rushed in, panic written all over his face.
"Mayor!!"
"Mayor!! A strange pirate crew has arrived at the port; it looks like a brawl just ended. You need to check it out!"
The old mayor sprang to his feet, "Those reckless fools! Everyone, follow me!"
At the mayor's command, the young people in the tavern eagerly followed him.
Of course, Luffy wouldn't be left behind. "Pirates! Let's go check it out, Kaito! Let's see if we need to send them flying!"
Kaito set down his mug, thinking, What is this?
Is this a warm-up exercise before setting sail?
**********
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 60 at patreon.com/Esei01.