Later, after a formal invitation from the World Government, Hana Fuda became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, operating in the first half of the Grand Line for a long time. As a member of the Shichibukai, his strength was beyond doubt, and he was a powerful Ancient Zoan user with a dinosaur ability.
The news of his defeat meant that a terrifyingly strong master had suddenly emerged in Paradise.
"According to the newspaper, the pirate who took down Hana Fuda is a young rookie named Portgas D. Ace. He's a Logia-type user who ate the Mera Mera no Mi," Maria explained, handing the paper to Yamato.
Yamato took the news and scanned the page, her eyes landing on the familiar young face. "Portgas D. Ace... so he's finally appeared. That means in five years at most, they'll be coming here."
She leaned back, a plume of smoke escaping her lips. Time really does fly. In the blink of an eye, years had passed. Fortunately, she had spent that time training and had acquired enough power to handle whatever risks were coming her way. If Ace had already defeated Hana Fuda, it wouldn't be long before he entered the New World.
"Does Second Uncle know about this yet?" Yamato asked.
"He probably does. News travels fast out on the sea," Maria replied after a moment of thought.
Yamato nodded. "That's fine. Let the Idiot Old Man and the others handle it. Not that they can do much from all the way out here while Ace is still in the first half of the Grand Line. We'll just wait for Ulti and Page One's father to return. Since he was only defeated and not killed, it's not a huge deal..."
Yamato suddenly trailed off. She paused, a memory from her past life flickering in her mind. Something wasn't right. Hana Fuda died around this time. Rumor had it that after his defeat by Ace, he was betrayed and killed by his own subordinates on the way back to the Beasts Pirates. Another version said an old enemy tracked him down while he was weak.
She felt the betrayal was more likely. If the news was already out, it meant something might have already happened to him.
"Yamato, what's wrong?" Maria and Haruko noticed her sudden change in mood.
"I'm just thinking about what kind of man Hana Fuda is. Now that he's been beaten like a stray dog, I wonder if his subordinates are starting to have ideas they shouldn't have," Yamato said, rubbing her chin.
Maria and Haruko exchanged a look. "Surely... they wouldn't?"
But as they thought about it, they realized Yamato might be right. Hana Fuda wasn't exactly a saint; he was the same breed of pirate as Kaido. Before joining the Warlords, he had committed a massive atrocity by attacking a Marine recruit training ship, slaughtering almost every student on board. Even the instructor, the former Admiral Zephyr, had lost an arm to him.
The incident was a scandal. Just when everyone expected the Marines to execute him, the World Government extended an olive branch and invited him to become a Warlord. It was a move that caught everyone off guard.
"Haha, I'm just thinking out loud. Even if it happens, he probably deserves it. Let's not worry about it; it's up to his own fate now," Yamato laughed, waving her hand dismissively.
"I hope nothing that terrible happens," Maria muttered.
Two days later, the newspaper delivered even more shocking headlines.
"Young Master, something terrible has happened! You were right—Lord Hana Fuda is gone," Haruko said, her voice trembling with shock. Yamato's prediction had been spot on.
After his loss to Portgas D. Ace, Hana Fuda had gathered his men to retreat to the New World to seek protection from the Beasts Pirates. Midway through the journey, his crew mutinied and murdered him.
"Oh? He's actually dead?" Yamato wasn't surprised. It felt like destiny playing out.
"Young Master, can you actually see the future?" Haruko asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Yamato let out a loud laugh. "I'm not as amazing as you think, Haruko. No matter how powerful someone's Observation Haki is, seeing that far into the future is impossible. This was just a deduction based on human nature. If a man does enough evil, people will jump at the chance to kick him when he's down. It's not strange for a pirate like him to lose his life once he loses his strength. Besides, Hana Fuda was only a Warlord on paper; in reality, he was just a pirate who relied on his status."
"My Idiot Old Man can do whatever he wants because he has absolute, overwhelming force. Hana Fuda... didn't."
Haruko understood. Arrogance requires the power to back it up, and Hana Fuda simply wasn't Kaido.
"Ulti and Page One are going to be devastated when they see this," Maria said, tapping her pipe thoughtfully.
"Yeah, that's for sure. But the deed is done. Being sad won't change anything," Yamato shrugged. If it were Kaido, she'd feel the same—grief is natural for a father. But what matters is what you do after the mourning is over.
"There's more. The World Government offered Portgas D. Ace the vacant Warlord position to replace Hana Fuda, but he turned them down," Haruko continued.
Maria chuckled. "He's got some backbone. But refusing the World Government is like slapping them in the face. They don't take kindly to that."
"Exactly. That's why they gave this rookie a starting bounty of 550,000,000. For a newcomer, that's a staggering amount," Haruko noted. Even so, she couldn't help but compare it to Yamato, whose first bounty was a massive 1,300,000,000.
"Five hundred and fifty million... that's an unusual number," Maria whispered, blowing a puff of smoke into the air. "Even for a Logia user who beat a Warlord, that's too high for an unknown kid."
With her sharp instincts for intelligence, Maria sensed there was more to the story. Perhaps this Portgas D. Ace, like Yamato, carried a secret that the World Government was terrified of.
"You're right. That bounty is definitely inflated for a reason," Haruko agreed. "Yamato, what do you think?"
Yamato grinned. "Maria, your nose for trouble is as sharp as ever. People with the initial 'D' in their names are always special—so special that they make the World Government lose their sleep."
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