"What's Ace's Vivre Card?" Luffy asked, clueless.
"Could it be that thing?" Nami muttered.
"What thing?" Luffy tilted his head.
"You know, that thing!" Usopp chimed in.
"Luffy, do you remember what Ace gave you before he left?" Zoro prompted him.
"Ace gave me something… Oh! This?" Luffy took off his straw hat and pulled out a small piece of paper tucked inside.
"The Vivre Card!" Loxus exclaimed.
"So this is a Vivre Card?!" The Straw Hats crowded around to look.
"What's a Vivre Card?" Luffy blinked.
"It's a special paper made from someone's fingernails. You can use it to track them down," Roy explained.
"Are you going to use this to find Ace?" Luffy asked.
"Earlier, my son lost Ace's Vivre Card in Alabasta, so we couldn't find him. Could you spare a piece for us?" Roy requested.
"Sure!" Luffy handed it over without hesitation to Roy.
Roy took it and tore off a small piece, no bigger than a fingernail.
"Is that enough?" Luffy asked.
"Plenty. Just having a piece is enough." Roy pulled out a small jar and dropped the Vivre Card inside.
"How does this thing track someone?" Nami asked curiously.
Loxus took the jar and explained, "Look, it's moving. A Vivre Card seeks out its owner, always moving in their direction."
"Oh, so that's how it works. That's amazing!" Nami said.
"So I can use this to find Ace, too, right?" Luffy grinned.
"Exactly." Roy nodded.
"That's great!" Luffy laughed.
"Now, there's one more thing I need your permission for," Roy said, narrowing his eyes.
"What else?" Sanji and Zoro tensed up.
"It's nothing major. We just want to travel with you for a while. Once we reach a certain place, we'll leave on our own. For now, let us tag along," Roy said.
"Sure!" Luffy agreed instantly.
"LUFFY!!!" The others gasped. First, Robin joined them, and now Roy and Loxus were coming along?
In the days that followed, they sailed with the Straw Hat crew to several islands.
Their small boat trailed behind at a distance until their Log Pose malfunctioned and a ship fell from the sky—only then did Roy take serious notice.
"Skypiea! Next, we're heading to Skypiea! Uncle Roy, Loxus, are you coming with us?" Luffy asked excitedly after learning about the sky island.
"No, we've got other business. We'll part ways here."
"Aww, really? You're leaving now?" Luffy sounded disappointed. After spending time together, he had grown fond of Roy and Loxus.
"This is far enough," Roy nodded.
"What about you, Loxus? Want to join us? Become a member of the Straw Hat Pirates!" Luffy grinned, extending the invitation.
"No way! I'm a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. I'd never join another crew," Loxus refused.
"Alright then," Luffy sighed.
The others stayed quiet. Loxus was fine, but Roy? He gave off an unsettling vibe.
With the help of the Saruyama Alliance, the Straw Hats stole a Log Pose and arrived at Jaya.
"This is where we part ways. Loxus, wait here for me," Roy instructed.
"Understood," Loxus watched as Roy walked away.
The island was chaotic. Jaya had a town called Mock Town, a lawless haven for pirates.
The streets were indeed rowdy. As Roy walked, he spotted Luffy and Zoro being dragged along by Nami.
"Roy?!" Nami exclaimed in surprise.
Luffy and Zoro turned, just as Roy smirked at someone behind them.
Zoro and Luffy turned to look at Roy, who was smiling at them.
"You guys are really clueless, but thanks to you, I found who I was looking for. Isn't that right, Teach?" Roy smirked, glancing at the figure behind them.
A tall, burly man sat in the middle of the road, sweating profusely.
"Teach?" Luffy and Zoro stiffened, recalling Ace's words:
Ace's words echoed in their minds:
"I'm hunting a man named Teach. He's a traitor who attacked his own crewmate, stole something precious, and tried to kill a fellow family member—an unforgivable crime. I'm bringing him back for judgment."
"Zehahaha! Big Bro Roy! Never thought I'd run into you here!" Teach laughed nervously.
"I was actually looking for Ace, but instead, I found you first. What do you think I should do about this, Teach?" Roy stepped forward.
"Big Bro, let me off this time, please? I admit I took the fruit, but Thatch isn't dead—you stopped me. I was just blinded in the moment. Please spare me!"
Teach, who had been sitting in the street eating cherry pie, suddenly changed his posture, dropping to his knees and bowing before Roy.
"Twenty-four years ago, I asked Newgate if we should kill you. He spared you then. A while back, you escaped me once. This is the third time. If you come back with me now, fine. If not… well, there's nothing I can do but to...." Roy took another step forward.
"Twenty-four years ago?!" Teach's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes. Twenty-four years ago, I already wanted to kill you. You're not a simple man—you're ambitious. I could tell just by listening, especially to the other two voices inside you."
Roy's Observation Haki had long been mastered by then. How could he not know Teach's condition?
As a doctor, he had also examined Teach's body. It was unbelievable—the man had three hearts.
It wasn't that he couldn't sleep—he dared not. If he fell asleep, the one who woke up might not be him.
"Big Bro, please! Just pretend I don't exist! I'm begging you!" Teach kept slamming his head into the ground.
Roy now stood right in front of him, staring down coldly.
"BIG BRO!"
Just as Roy was within reach, Teach suddenly swung his fist at him.
But Roy had already seen it coming. Every move, every possibility.
But every move he made had already been foreseen by Roy—his next action, his future.
Roy effortlessly stepped back, and Teach's fist barely grazed past his face.
"Really… you should've died long ago." Roy grabbed Teach's arm and flung him into a nearby building with a brutal suplex.
"What just happened?!" Nami hadn't even processed the scene.
Luffy and Zoro's jaws dropped. They'd seen Teach's attack, but Roy's counter was too fast.
"WHO THE HELL'S INTERRUPTING MY DRINK?!" A furious voice roared from inside the wrecked bar.