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After another round of dizzying spinning, Ikki and Ace once again stepped into the turbulence of time and space.
This time, however, Ikki didn't wait for exhaustion to force him out—he took the initiative to escape from the chaotic vortex himself.
They were lucky. Upon emerging, they found themselves on an inhabited island.
"Huh… Did we manage to return fifty years into the future this time?" Ace asked, shaking his head to clear his dizziness.
Ikki shrugged. "There are people here. Let's just ask."
Without wasting time, the two headed toward a nearby town.
The town wasn't particularly prosperous, nor was it densely populated. But the people seemed simple and kindhearted, showing no hostility toward the two strangers who had suddenly arrived.
Ikki approached an elderly man and asked, "Old man, may I ask what year it is in the Sea calendar?"
"Huh? How much are oysters per pound? I don't know! Depends on today's catch…"
Ikki: …
"No, no… I'm asking what year it is in the Sea calendar."
"What? Are sea oysters sweet? Of course! The oysters from our Batellila Island are the sweetest!"
After two failed attempts, Ikki realized—this old man was definitely hard of hearing.
"Never mind, old man. We're not here to buy oysters…"
"Alright…" The old man nodded and continued smoking his pipe.
Just as Ikki turned to leave, something clicked in his mind. The name "Batellila Island" sounded familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall why.
He turned back to Ace. "Hey, Ace, have you heard of Batellila Island before?"
Ace fell silent. His expression was hidden behind his mask, but his body language stiffened.
"...Ace? Are you going deaf like that old man?" Ikki joked.
Ace snapped out of his daze, then spoke in a low voice. "Batellila Island… is the island where I was born."
Ikki froze. Then, the realization hit him.
There wasn't much information about Batellila Island in One Piece, but what little was known was deeply significant—to both One Piece and Ace himself.
After Roger became the Pirate King, he lived on Batellila Island for a year, where he married Rouge and conceived Ace.
A year later, knowing his time was running out, Roger turned himself in to the Marines.
To protect their unborn child from the Marines searching for Roger's bloodline, Rouge endured an extraordinary 20-month pregnancy. She gave birth to Ace… and passed away from exhaustion.
…
Now, Ikki understood why Ace had reacted that way.
Just then, a News Coo circled overhead, dropping fresh newspapers over Batellila Island.
Seeing this scene, Ikki couldn't help but feel curious.
News Coo were rivals to his wrestler—both always demanding money.
Every time Nami got a newspaper, she would argue over the price, refusing to pay without a fight.
But today, newspapers were being handed out for free. That was basically throwing money away…
"Did something big happen?"
Muttering to himself, Ikki grabbed a newspaper. Instead of reading the articles, he immediately checked the date.
"1500 in the Sea Calendar…"
His eyes widened in surprise before instinctively glancing at Ace.
Ace also had a newspaper in his hands, but he wasn't looking at the date.
Instead, he was staring at the front page, gripping the paper so tightly that it crumpled in his hands.
"Sigh… Looks like we really arrived at the perfect time. This is a historic moment."
With a sigh, Ikki finally looked at the headlines.
The front page carried the shocking news—the arrest and impending execution of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
To ensure this news spread worldwide, the World Government had gone all out, throwing money into distributing free newspapers. Their goal was clear—to let the world know that Marine Headquarters had captured the Pirate King, striking fear into the hearts of all pirates.
—
After putting the newspaper down, Ikki looked at the silent Ace.
"Wait a minute… Ace isn't thinking about raiding the execution, is he?"
But after a moment of thought, he dismissed the idea.
After all, Ace hated his father.
To Ace, Roger was nothing but a heartless man who had abandoned his wife and unborn child.
Rouge had been pregnant when Roger surrendered.
The moment Ace was born, she passed away from exhaustion. In Ace's eyes, Roger had effectively killed his mother, leaving his family separated by life and death.
Some might say Ace hated his own bloodline, but if that were true, he wouldn't have chosen the path of a pirate—he would have followed Garp's wishes and become a Marine instead.
—
Ikki was convinced his reasoning was sound.
But then Ace turned to him and shattered that belief.
"Ikki… take me to Loguetown."
Ikki: …
"No… You are going to the execution site, aren't you?"
Ace frowned. "Why would you think that? Do you know about my past?"
"Yeah," Ikki admitted. "I know a little."
"I'm not going there to stop the execution," Ace said coldly. "I just want to ask that man why. Why did he abandon my mother? Why did he abandon his family? Did he really do it just to start this so-called 'great pirate era'?"
"If that's the case… then I won't let the executioner kill him. I'll do it myself."
Ikki: …
Before Ikki could figure out how to respond, a graceful figure walked past Ace.
Ikki sighed and said, "Ace… instead of asking Roger, why not ask your mother?"
"And while you're at it… you can finally see the mother you never got to meet."
Saying this, Ikki pointed behind Ace.
Ace instinctively turned around.
There, not far away, stood a woman wearing a light blue dress, pink curly hair, and simple slippers.
She was buying groceries, a warm smile on her face, her expression gentle and kind.
Ace felt his heart tighten.
Even though he had never seen his mother before, even though he had never heard her voice… he knew.
This woman—this kind, smiling woman—was his mother.
Portgas D. Rouge.
"Mother… mother…"
Ace muttered, his legs moving before he could think.
But before he could take another step, Ikki grabbed his arm.
"Ace, calm down! Don't scare her!"
Then, Ikki pointed at Rouge's stomach.
Her belly was swollen—she looked about seven or eight months pregnant.
Ace froze, his emotions crashing into him like a tidal wave.
After a moment, he spoke again, his voice almost a whisper.
"Ikki… what happens if I decide to change everything?"