"Damn... why does that hurt so much...?" Ace grumbled, clutching the metal pipe and glaring at Luffy. How could someone younger be this strong?
"If you two keep fighting, Grandpa's Iron Fist of Love will be coming for your heads!" Garp warned, cracking his knuckles with a menacing grin.
"Ace, stop stealing from the village all the time. Luffy's your younger brother, and he's already stronger than you."
"He's not my brother! And you can't tell me what to do!" Ace snapped, defiant.
"Here you go again!" Garp growled.
"You think you're fit to be a pirate? You'd just be a third-rate one."
Hearing Ace's talk of becoming a pirate piqued Uta's interest, but she couldn't help feeling scornful of his cowardly behavior.
"You don't know anything!" Ace spat at her, fists clenched. "I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!"
"King of the Pirates? Don't kid yourself," Uta sneered.
In response, Garp slammed a fist into Ace. "I told you, you're going to be a Marine!"
"Damn it…" Ace muttered, clutching his head to hold back the pain.
"Alright, you three, you're going to get along. Dadan, see to it that they're trained up to Marine standards."
With that, Garp marched off, leaving behind a trio of tense faces.
"Stupid old man…" Luffy muttered, adjusting his clothes and glancing at the bandits.
As soon as Garp was out of sight, Dadan and her gang dropped their polite facade, replacing it with sneers.
"Now I'm the boss around here, and you better behave!" Dadan warned, crossing her arms and looking down at the three of them.
"I don't think so." Luffy crossed his arms and surveyed the surroundings.
These bandits, technically under Garp's influence, were more like rough villagers than true criminals. His gaze even landed on a small vegetable patch they had cultivated.
"The King is free, and right now, I'm the one who calls the shots here."
Dadan scowled, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You think you're a king or something?"
Luffy glanced over at Ace. Since Nami was still safe, he decided he might as well tackle this Ace problem. It was worth a try, but he wasn't going to stress if it didn't work out; the fate of Ace could very well be left to the Luffy of the future.
"Yeah, I'm going to be the King of the Pirates. Got a problem with that?"
Ace gripped his metal pipe tighter, his weapon giving him little comfort against Luffy's speed.
"I do have a problem. Too many kings—who's everyone supposed to listen to?"
Flames sprang to life in Luffy's open palm, and he looked Ace dead in the eye.
"My grandpa captured the King of the Pirates and ended Roger's life. I'm going to end the era Roger created."
"So until you can beat me, don't talk to me about becoming a king."
Ace swallowed hard, struggling to process what he was witnessing. How could a person summon fire?
On top of that… it was undeniably cool.
Ace's conflicting emotions of jealousy and admiration stirred as he listened to Luffy's declaration. This guy was set on destroying his father's era!
The idea sparked a deep sense of satisfaction within him.
Why not destroy the world Roger left behind? Ace thought, feeling an epiphany that cut through years of resentment.
Ace's grudge against Roger had always been fueled by the stigma of his bloodline—a legacy that marked him from birth. Roger had given the world the era of pirates and left Ace with nothing but shame.
I'll become the King of the Pirates, he had decided long ago, and tell the world that the One Piece doesn't exist.
He clenched his fists, determined. I'll tear down everything Roger built!
With a renewed sense of purpose, Ace's gaze met Luffy's.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy. My grandfather is a Marine hero, and I was born to be king. Any objections?"
Luffy grinned mischievously.
"Damn it… do what you want," Ace muttered, feeling overwhelmed by Luffy's unshakable confidence.
The strength of his Marine heritage was a stark contrast to his own lineage, steeped in criminal infamy. A twinge of envy twisted in Ace's chest.
Luffy, meanwhile, was taking stock of the bandits' hideout. His eyes landed on a peculiar, violet fruit on the shelf—swirling patterns covered its surface.
A Devil Fruit.
How is it here?
"That's… something Shanks stole!" Uta gasped, recognizing the fruit. "Why is it here?"
"That red-haired man left it for Ace," Dadan explained. "He claimed it was a keepsake from Ace's father."
Neither Dadan nor the bandits knew the value of a Devil Fruit. They only knew it was a strange fruit left behind as a supposed legacy from Ace's father.
"Huh? That was meant for this guy?" Uta muttered, looking at Ace. "Is he really the son of the Pirate King?"
Her gaze lingered between Luffy and Ace, an assessment written on her face. "He doesn't seem as impressive as Luffy…"
"What are you comparing me to?" Ace growled.
"Keep it if you want. I don't need anything from that man," Ace spat bitterly.
Luffy casually picked up the Devil Fruit. What are the odds? To run into it again…
"Since you're not interested, I'll take it as a collectible."
"You're not going to eat it?" Uta asked.
"Nah, I'll keep it as a keepsake. If I turn into a hammer and drown, who'll look after you?"
Uta giggled, "But you can't swim now anyway, so what difference does it make?"
"There's always time to learn," Luffy replied, tucking the Devil Fruit into a box and storing it in his room later that night.
…
As the sun set, Luffy walked Uta back down the mountain.
"Are you sure you remember the way?" Uta asked.
"Sure, it's not too far from Foosha Village," Luffy replied, glancing around. There's no way I'm staying with the bandits if I don't have to.
Letting bandits raise Ace seemed questionable at best. They could provide him shelter and food, but their guidance was limited.
After dropping Uta off at Makino's, Luffy returned to his room and slipped the Devil Fruit under his pillow before going to bed.
Life returned to its quiet routine in Foosha Village, with Luffy spending his days training. This peace, however, lasted only a month before Garp returned.
"Luffy, what are you doing back here?" Garp demanded, noticing Luffy wasn't on Mt. Colubo.
Luffy was in the middle of training, with Uta reading a book nearby. When she saw Garp, she quickly nudged Luffy back to reality.
Garp's fist collided with Luffy's head, who attempted to block it with Haki, only to have his Haki shattered.
"Hahaha, Luffy, with Haki that weak, what do you expect to protect?" Garp laughed triumphantly, looking down at his grandson.
"It'll get stronger eventually…"
"By the way, you left the Pirate King's son with mountain bandits. Are you feeling okay, Grandpa?"
"Ah, so you figured it out?"
"It wasn't exactly hidden," Luffy replied, exasperated. "If you were serious about protecting him, you'd have left him with the villagers and kept his heritage a secret."
Garp's face softened. "A child has the right to know his parents. I couldn't lie to him about his father."
Luffy shrugged, "Well, that's very noble of you."
"Since you're so smart, Luffy, why don't you teach Ace a thing or two?"
With that, Garp grabbed Luffy by the collar, hoisting him once more up Mt. Colubo. Uta followed, a determined look on her face.
"I'll be staying in Foosha Village for a while!" Garp declared.
"Don't you have better things to do?" Luffy sighed.
"Oh, I'm plenty busy. Those blasted Celestial Dragons are visiting, so I'm here to keep an eye on things."
Celestial Dragons… great.
When Garp eventually left, Luffy turned to the bandits.
"So, where's Ace?" he asked, eyeing them with renewed determination.
The bandits exchanged glances, realizing Luffy's no-nonsense attitude. Despite his young age, there was an unmistakable resolve about him—he looked ready for a challenge.
"Ace should be in Gray Terminal, or maybe Edge Town," one bandit finally offered.
"Anyone willing to show us the way?"
A reluctant bandit stepped forward, agreeing to guide them.
The rough mountain terrain didn't faze Luffy, but Uta struggled in her dress and sandals. She carefully held up her hem, wary of getting it dirty.
As they made their way through the forest, a figure emerged—a tall, muscular man with blue hair and tattooed arms.
The bandit recognized him instantly. "Bellamy?"
Bellamy snee
red, glancing from the bandit to the two kids. "You know Ace, right?"
"What do you want with him?" the bandit demanded.
"That brat stole our treasure from the Sapphire Pirates
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