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After overhearing Ikki's conversation with the wrestler, Garp and Sengoku finally realized who was behind the bizarre events that had just unfolded.
"Boy… so you planned to throw us around before making your escape, huh? Time to face reality!"
Garp grinned as he advanced toward Ikki, fists clenched.
Sengoku, meanwhile, had no intention of stepping in—he simply crossed his arms and watched, amused, as Garp took charge.
Would Ikki get caught?
Of course not.
If he hadn't needed to retrieve the wrestler, he and Ace would have already escaped!
Now that the wrestler was safely stored away, it was time to go.
"Mr. Garp, Mr. Sengoku, thank you for your guidance…"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ikki clutched the Rabbit Talisman—
And bolted toward the sea at blinding speed.
"Oi! Get back here, brat!"
Garp instantly activated Shave and took off in pursuit.
But no matter how fast he moved, Ikki was even faster.
Within seconds—
He had already vanished.
"Damn… I can't believe they got away," Garp muttered, frowning as he watched Ikki and Ace disappear over the horizon.
The chase had ended before it even began.
Sengoku approached, watching the sea where the two had vanished. "As long as they're still sailing these waters, we'll cross paths again eventually."
Turning back toward the warship, Sengoku continued, "Once we return, I'll launch an investigation. Two young fighters of their caliber don't just appear out of nowhere. Someone out there must know who they are."
Given Ace's estimated age—around twenty—and his immense power, there was no way he wasn't already making waves in the world.
It would only be a matter of time before Marine Intelligence tracked them down.
Meanwhile....
Ikki sprinted at full speed, Ace close behind.
As they ran, electricity crackled in the air around them.
Then, without warning—
Vibrant, swirling distortions of space appeared.
Ikki recognized this immediately.
They were about to time-travel.
Focusing his thoughts, Ikki willed their destination: fifty years into the future.
Then—
The world around them blurred.
And the two of them were swallowed into the turbulent vortex of time.
One Thousand Meters Above an Unknown Island…
As the turbulence faded, Ikki and Ace were suddenly falling.
From 1,000 meters in the air.
Ikki, completely drained of energy, plummeted helplessly.
Ace, his limbs flailing in the wind, quickly assessed the situation.
Without hesitation—
He transformed into slime, wrapping around Ikki's body, completely shielding him.
His surface hardened with Armament Haki, forming a protective cocoon to absorb the impact.
BOOM!
They slammed into the ground of an unknown island, leaving behind a massive crater.
A few moments later—
"Cough, cough…!"
Ace emerged from the smoke, still carrying a limp, exhausted Ikki on his back.
"Ikki... are we back?"
Ace asked, carrying the exhausted Ikki on his back.
"I have no idea," Ikki admitted, still weak. "I ran out of energy halfway through the trip. I don't even know if we made it back to our original time."
Despite his exhaustion, Ikki used his remaining strength to pull out a candy box, handing it to Ace while explaining how to use it.
Ace casually shook the box, pouring out a single jelly bean—and, miraculously, it was the one that restored stamina.
"Damn, talk about insane luck… He pulled the exact one he needed in one go."
Ikki wasted no time eating the jelly bean, instantly feeling his strength return.
Even though he had his stamina back, he still wasn't sure if they had successfully traveled fifty years into the future. After all, he had fallen out of the time vortex too soon.
"Let's find someone and ask what year it is."
Ace gave him a blank stare, then pointed at the barren, lifeless island around them. "Yeah? And where exactly are we supposed to find people?"
"Oh, that's a minor issue!" Ikki grinned.
Walking to the edge of the island, he waved his hand—
And suddenly, a sleek, foreign yacht appeared on the water.
The yacht was nothing short of luxury.
Inside, there were plush sofas, a large, well-stocked bar, and even a kitchen. The deck was equipped with fishing tools, and most importantly—
It was fully automated.
No need for human effort—just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Ace, stepping aboard, looked around in awe. Even compared to the Going Merry, this thing had better features. While it wasn't as large, the comfort level was off the charts.
And so, Ikki and Ace began their journey, cruising the sea while searching for a populated island.
Dozens of nautical miles away, a Marine warship was sailing—heading directly toward Ikki and Ace's location.
"Sir Commodore, we still have a mission to complete…"
One of the Marines tried to remind their commanding officer.
But Commodore Ragnar simply waved him off. "Relax. I just want to check out what fell from the sky earlier. We'll take a quick look, then continue with our mission."
Ragnar—despite having a name that sounded intimidating—was actually a weakling.
The only reason he had achieved the rank of Commodore was because he belonged to the Marine Research Division.
Their current mission? Delivering research materials to Marine Headquarters.
Suddenly—
A furious, childish voice shouted from below deck.
"You bastards… LET ME GO!"
Ragnar frowned. "Have you given him food?"
A nearby Marine officer shook his head. "No… We've kept him starved for a week."
Ragnar raised an eyebrow. "A whole week? And he still has the strength to yell? Hah… He really is the 'strongest soldier' after all."
Just then, a Marine lookout from the watchtower shouted—
"Report! A small boat spotted three nautical miles ahead!"
Ragnar's interest was piqued. "Oh? Change course. Let's check it out. If there's anyone in distress—especially a beautiful woman—let's help them."
At his command, the warship adjusted its course, heading directly toward the yacht.
Back on the Yacht…
Ikki and Ace also noticed the approaching warship.
Seeing that there were people aboard, they immediately sailed toward it, hoping to ask what year it was.
As the two vessels drew closer, Ikki and Ace put on their masks before stepping onto the deck.
Before they could say a single word, several Marine soldiers jumped aboard their yacht.
Leading them was a Marine officer with an arrogant expression, who glanced around before scoffing—
"Huh? Just two people?"
Ignoring them, Ragnar stepped into the cabin, examining the luxurious interior.
Ace instinctively moved to stop him, but Ikki grabbed his arm, whispering—
"Let it go. The priority is finding out what year we're in."
Ace hesitated, then sighed. "Fine… I know."
A moment later, Ragnar stepped back outside.
He pointed at Ikki and Ace—
And casually declared—
"These two are wanted criminals. Arrest them."
Ikki: ...
Ace: ...