Sengoku looked at the freckled smiling face in the photo, as well as the letter D in the name, and frowned.
"Fleet Admiral, according to Vice Admiral Draw, the other party has not only already mastered Haki, but... but..."
"But what?"
"But the other party also seems to be able to use our Marines' Six Powers!"
The intelligence officer swallowed and finally spoke the fact that he found absurd.
A pirate had actually mastered the Marines' strongest physical techniques?!
"Hm?"
Sengoku raised an eyebrow, and the gloomy look in his eyes grew even heavier.
"Did he coincidentally obtain some manuals from Marine officers who disappeared or died outside, or did someone deliberately teach him? If it's the former, then it can still be explained. But if it's the latter..."
Sengoku thought carefully, then looked again at the name on the bounty poster.
"Portgas D. Ace, from East Blue?"
At that moment, Mr. Ace, who was being mentioned by our Fleet Admiral Sengoku, was currently on his way to the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Hahaha! Captain Ace really is amazing! He actually defeated that Marine Vice Admiral so easily!"
"Exactly! We don't care about some Warlord title or status at all!"
"Next, we'll go to the New World, challenge the sea emperors, and challenge the Thunder Emperor!"
While the companions on the ship cheered and celebrated, Ace smiled and said, "What do you mean, easily? That Vice Admiral named Draw really was strong. It still took me some effort to beat him."
"Besides, the people in the New World who can be called emperors must all be terrifyingly strong monsters. We can't be careless."
As he spoke, Ace subconsciously raised his head and looked toward the distant sky.
"Roy nii-san, I'll be able to see you again very soon. You didn't expect this, did you? I've set out to sea too."
In a daze, Ace once again remembered the scene from over ten years ago, under the big tree in Foosha Village, when the two of them had chatted and eaten grilled fish together. The corners of his mouth could not help but curve into a nostalgic smile.
After receiving Roy's Haki and Six Powers manuals, Ace had trained extremely seriously. Especially after Sabo's "death," he had spent more than ten years training desperately, day after day.
Relying on the astonishing talent he had as the Pirate King's son, he had already successfully awakened Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and even Conqueror's Haki. His strength had already become far greater than in the original version.
On top of that, the Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit he obtained later made him even more formidable, raising his strength to a terrifying level.
At the very least, facing a Marine Vice Admiral like Draw was no problem at all.
Moreover, because Ace had witnessed Roy's strength in his childhood and deeply understood that there were always greater heights and stronger people beyond him, he did not think himself invincible like in the original version, nor did he recklessly go straight to challenge Whitebeard.
Instead, he constantly kept a clear head, because he knew that deep within the sea, there were terrifying existences beyond imagination.
And so, amid the joyful laughter and horseplay of his companions, the group sailed toward the Sabaody Archipelago.
Several days later, on Raijin Island.
Roy's process of training for Super Saiyan 4 was not going very smoothly. Usually, he did not go out much, but that did not mean he never went out.
After sitting around for too long, he would always feel like going out for a walk. Today was one of those days.
"Fire Fist Ace... Are you talking about the Ace I knew back then?"
Roy looked at Tamago as he asked, a look of reminiscence appearing on his face.
"Has that much time already passed? When I met Ace, it was still 1503. In the blink of an eye, it's already 1517. Fourteen years... Time really passes quickly."
Hearing Roy's words, Tamago confirmed that the rising Super Rookie who had refused the Warlord position was acquainted with his captain, so he said,
"Because they couldn't pay the transit fee, they're currently being held at Fish-Man Island by Drake and Chalcis. I'll call over right now and explain the situation to them."
Drake, in particular, had spent these years continuously earning merit. With all the contribution points he had accumulated, he had exchanged for a famous blade, a four-bladed axe, and a Devil Fruit.
An Ancient Zoan: the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Tyrannosaurus. It was even stronger than the Allosaurus form he originally had.
After receiving Roy's approval, Tamago immediately withdrew to arrange the matter.
In less than two days, the Spade Pirates arrived at Raijin Island under Drake's lead.
"It's said that up there, there's the world's most extravagant building, even more magnificent than anything the Celestial Dragons have: the Golden Palace!"
"And there's also the arena where someone can make a name for themselves in a single battle, the place every martial artist and swordsman longs for!"
The crew members of the Spade Pirates excitedly discussed it one after another, their nerves not tense at all.
Because their Captain Ace had actually known the legendary Thunder Emperor since childhood!
After Captain Ace reported that information, the iron rule that everyone had to pay a transit fee was actually waived for him!
It was far too shocking and unexpected!
But since it was their Captain Ace, then knowing such a major figure was only natural!
That was what the crowd of die-hard Ace fans aboard the Spade Pirates thought.
"Raijin Island is ahead. Fire Fist Ace will come with me to the Golden Palace to meet Captain Roy first. As for the rest of you, you can take a look around the island for now."
Drake, who was up ahead, spoke calmly.
Drake, who was already in his twenties, wore a black face mask and a medieval-style hat, giving him an impressive appearance.
As he spoke, Drake glanced at Ace from time to time.
He was very curious about this Super Rookie who had known his captain since childhood.
"You can walk around the island, but don't gather in groups and cause trouble. Otherwise, the island's law-enforcement team will take action. Its captain is someone even stronger than me."
"Understood!"
Inside the Golden Palace, when Ace once again stood before Roy, he discovered that Roy had already set the dining table.
Charcoal-grilled fish, steamed fish, braised fish—they were all made with black-and-white fish.
All of them were dishes he and Roy had eaten together in the past.
"Roy nii-san..."
Ace's eyes immediately turned red.
"In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed. Time really does move quickly. Little Ace from back then has also grown into a Super Rookie now."
(End of Chapter)
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