["So it's you—the bastard who kept crowding me in the womb?"]
["Hmm, a bit shorter than me."]
That was what Moses thought as he looked at the newcomer.
When Ace heard Garp had arrived and came downstairs, he immediately spotted Moses standing two meters away.
What's this?
Tilting his head slightly in confusion, Ace felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, his heartbeat quickening just a little. He cautiously asked:
"Who are you?"
Moses smiled warmly and replied:
"You don't remember me? I held you right after you were born, Ace. I'm your dad."
Ace's face visibly darkened, baring his teeth. "You looking for a beating, bastard?"
Moses responded, puzzled:
"Am I wrong? The elder brother is like a father. By that logic, calling me 'Dad' isn't incorrect."
Just then, Garp walked in, his face dark as he smacked Moses on the head:
"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Moses clutched his head in pain, grimacing as he turned to Garp. "Am I wrong? The elder brother is like a father."
Dadan, who had followed closely behind, watched with a complicated expression, thinking this kid Moses was even more troublesome than she'd expected.
At least she didn't have to raise him.
Suddenly, a gust of wind signaled an incoming attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Moses saw Ace charging at him, fist aimed straight for his face.
In the next instant, Moses' right leg shot out, landing squarely on Ace's stomach before his punch could connect.
Ace's upper body slammed onto Moses' leg.
Eyes widening in pain, Ace let out a cry:
"Gah—ow!"
Moses grinned down at him. "This enthusiastic, huh? Is this how Ace greets people? Got it."
Got what?
Ace thought, confused.
Huh?
Moses' eyes narrowed as he swiftly retracted his right foot and stepped forward.
His left hand grabbed Ace's face as the boy lost balance and toppled forward.
Effortlessly, Moses lifted and tossed him upward.
Ace went flying toward the ceiling.
As his body passed Moses' face, Moses grabbed both of Ace's ankles.
Then, Moses began spinning rapidly in place, swinging Ace in wide circles.
"AAAAAHHHH!!! LET ME DOWN!!"
Ace's shrill screams filled the air.
After a dozen spins, Moses gradually slowed before finally laying Ace flat on the floor.
Ace's eyes had turned into spirals.
Moses chuckled, straddling Ace's stomach and lightly patting his cheek. A few seconds later, Ace's focus returned.
"Ace, remember this—your big brother will always be your big brother."
"If you wanna overthrow me, try again in your next life."
Seeing Ace's stubborn, defiant expression, Moses shifted to sit beside him instead.
Grabbing Ace's collar, he pulled him upright. Sitting side by side on the floor, Moses gazed at him with warmth in his eyes.
This was his little brother.
"Long time no see, Ace. Did you miss me? Not that you'd remember anything from back then."
"Hmph!" Ace turned his head away, pouting. "Who'd miss you? Who do you think you are? Like you remember me either?"
Moses smirked.
"Oh~? Gramps told me you really wanted to see me. Well, if that's how it is… I'll just leave."
With that, Moses stood up and walked toward Garp.
Suddenly, Moses turned back to look at Ace, accurately catching the anxious look in his eyes and his slightly parted lips. Moses grinned, "Heh! Don't worry, I'm not leaving today."
Moses turned around again, grabbing Ace by the back of his collar and lifting him up.
He studied him seriously for a few seconds before smiling.
"Little bro, let me introduce myself properly. I'm Moses, Portgas D. Moses—your full-blooded, same-parents, same-year, same-month, same-day, same-hour-born older brother. Guaranteed authentic, no fakes."
Ace tilted his head. "Really?"
"Of course! Want to do a blood test to confirm? Guaranteed you're my—wait, no, I mean, we're definitely brothers."
As Ace stared at Moses, his eyes gradually reddened. He wiped them roughly and sniffled.
"I'm Ace, Portgas D. Ace. If you didn't mistake me for someone else, then I guess I'm your little brother."
"No mistake here. Don't worry, we look pretty alike—at least 70% similar. When I grow up a bit more and we go out together, I could say I'm your dad and no one would doubt it."
Moses patted Ace on the shoulder.
Hearing this, Ace scrunched his face in disgust and swatted Moses' hand away. "Enough already. You were just born a few seconds earlier. If I hadn't let you go first, who knows who'd be the older one now?"
Moses smirked. "Trying to overthrow your elder? Fine, beat me first. If you can't, then shut up."
"This rule stands forever. My word's good. Guaranteed."
Ace bit his lip resentfully. Moses watched him for a moment before ruffling his hair. "Alright, come here. I brought you a gift."
Moses took the luggage bag from Garp's hands, opened it, and pulled out sets of new clothes—just for autumn and winter.
The quality was excellent.
"I bought them based on my size, but one size smaller."
"Seems like it fits perfectly now. You're exactly one size smaller than me."
This was inevitable. Over the years, with Kureha's medicinal meals and supplements, Moses' physique had developed better than an average child's.
Ace, of course, couldn't compare. Hence, buying one size smaller was just right.
After holding the new clothes up to Ace for size, Moses pulled out two packs of cigarettes from the bag and handed them to Dadan.
"This guy must've caused you a lot of trouble, huh?"
"I wasn't sure if you smoked, but it looks like I guessed right."
"I also didn't know what brand you usually prefer, so I just got two popular ones. Hope you like them."
Dadan's face lit up as she took the cigarettes, their packaging a rose-gold hue. "Oh, not at all! Ace is actually quite well-behaved. Boys being lively is normal."
Her eyes brightened further when she saw the brand—KING GROUND, with one pack each of the men's and women's versions. "Now these are good smokes!"
Moses chuckled. "I wouldn't know—I'm still too young to smoke. But I'm glad you like them."
Under Moses' sugar-coated offensive, Dadan instantly found him much more agreeable.
She even thought to herself that if Moses really stayed with her, she wouldn't mind at all.
Garp smiled as he watched the scene, never expecting Moses would do such things.
"Still~, not bad. At least he's much more mature than that brat Ace. Fits the role of an older brother."
At that moment, Ace quietly asked Moses, "How was it for you on Drum Island in the Grand Line? Is your body okay?"
This was something Garp had told him.
"Just the usual. Winter all year round. Every day, I'd learn medicine from Doctorine, go hunting, and train. Life was pretty uneventful, but it was fine."
"Then where'd you get the money to buy stuff? Did Doctorine give it to you?" Ace asked curiously.
"Nah. Some of it was from robbing bad guys, and on the way here, we ran into a Slave Hunter Ship. Took care of them in one go."
Ace's face stiffened, staring at Moses in disbelief.
Nearby, Dadan suddenly felt the cigarette in her hand grow heavy. She really had been naive earlier.
"Little Moses, are you serious? A Slave Hunter Ship?"
Moses nodded. "Yeah, but I was just support. The main work was done by Gramps' adjutant."
Dadan let out a sigh of relief.
They chatted about a few more topics, and as time passed, the sky gradually darkened.
Through their conversation, Moses also "learned" the true profession of Dadan's family.
A band of mountain bandits.
The place wasn't usually this quiet—most of them had gone out hunting.
By evening, the hunters returned. The moment they spotted Garp, they all froze like mice seeing a cat.
Obedient and cautious.
After dinner at Dadan's, the four of them gathered around the fireplace.
The rest of the bandits, meanwhile, kept their distance, staying well-behaved and careful not to upset Garp in any way.
Some went to sleep, others took a walk—doing their best to stay out of Garp's sight.
Not that Garp himself cared.
Then, in his childish voice, Ace asked, "Gramps, you promised that once Moses got here, you'd tell us who our real parents are."
"It's time to talk, right?"
Garp's expression shifted to one of inevitability before turning solemn.
"Your real parents, huh? Honestly, I'm not sure I even want to tell you. But first, let me ask—do you really want to know?"
Ace's face was tense. "Yes."
Moses: "Don't care."
Hearing Moses' reply, Garp looked unsurprised.
"Your mother was Portgas D. Rouge—a great woman. You stayed in her womb for over twenty months. After you were born, she exhausted herself and passed away."
"It was her wisdom, her life, and every means at her disposal that allowed you two to be born."
Everyone present swallowed hard, especially Dadan, who, despite never having married, felt the weight of those words.
"And your father... was Gol D. Roger. The King of the Pirates. The man who ushered in this dangerous era of pirates."
The expressions around the fireplace varied.
Some were shocked.
Some were terrified.
And some simply didn't care.
Garp gave them all time to digest the revelation.
Garp then proceeded to recount the entire story from beginning to end—from his first encounter with Roger, to their mutual respect that developed later, and finally to Roger entrusting his child to him before death.
For reasons unknown, Garp revealed everything about his relationship with Roger.
"This is your origin story, the truth about your lineage that you've always wanted to know."
Dadan looked utterly shocked, her words tumbling out in agitation: "What kind of nonsense is this? Garp, are you trying to get me killed?
Why would you tell me something like this? Couldn't you just have let me leave instead?"
Hearing this, Garp responded in confusion:
"Generally speaking, when it comes to matters of someone else's origins, shouldn't you be the one to excuse yourself?"
"Besides, as Ace's adoptive mother, I believe you have every right to know these things."
"I'd rather not have that right! Is this something I should know? I'm just an ordinary mountain bandit.
If word gets out, how am I supposed to survive? Aaaah!! You've doomed me, you bastard Garp!!"
Moses rubbed his ears, looking somewhat exasperated as he tried to comfort her: "Relax, Dadan. We're all family here. As long as we don't talk, no one will find out.
Besides, you've got Gramps watching your back. Don't worry, he'll protect you."
Dadan turned teary-eyed toward Garp, her gaze pleading:
"You'll protect me, right, you old geezer? Say something!"
Garp sighed. "As long as you don't go blabbing, I'll make sure you stay alive.
But if any of you let this slip, you won't need me to lift a finger—you'll be dead before you know it."
At this point, Ace turned to Moses, his eyes filled with confusion and unease: "You... aren't surprised? Moses."
Even though he was young, he knew of the infamous reputation of the Pirate King, Roger.
"Why should I be surprised?"
"I'm grateful to Mother Rouge. That kindness is something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
"As for that so-called Pirate King father? Sorry, not familiar. And I don't want to think about such troublesome things."
"I've lived my life the way I always have, and that's not going to change. The future? I'll deal with that when it comes."
"Live in the moment, be happy—why overcomplicate things? Isn't that exhausting?"
"Or do you think being the Pirate King's son makes you special? That you have some grand destiny?"
"Ace, you're not even asleep yet, so stop daydreaming. We're just ordinary people."
"The Pirate King was human too—maybe just a slightly stronger ordinary person."
"Like Gramps just said, he died of an illness."
Seeing Ace stunned by his barrage of words, Moses chuckled:
"Remember, we can't choose our parents, but we can choose how to live our own lives."
"Don't get stuck in your head, little bro. You're not special—you're just an ordinary person. Same goes for me."
Ace nodded dumbly as Moses ruffled his slightly curly black hair.
"Even though you lost your birth parents, you can call me 'Dad'—eldest brother is like a father, after all. And since I'm already playing dad, I don't mind being mom too."
"Want to give it a try?"
Moses smirked as he looked at Ace.
Ace stared back silently before gritting his teeth and saying, "You bastard, you already took advantage by being my brother. How much more do you want to take?"
"Tch, who's taking advantage of whom isn't certain yet, and here you are crying thief first."
Moses' sharp retorts left Ace scowling, his little mouth might as well have been dripping honey.
Garp on the side also breathed a sigh of relief.
The son of the world-famous Pirate King.
The pressure from that identity was no small matter.
One misstep could create enormous psychological burdens.
After all, public opinion could be terrifying.
This world was ultimately filled with ignorant ordinary people who lacked broad perspectives, always believing rumors and mostly harboring deep hatred for the Pirate King. Garp feared Ace might later hear those vile words and become obsessed with them.
As for Moses? Not a chance.
Garp didn't believe his precocious grandson would care about such things.
Ace was extremely sensitive, while Moses, in Garp's eyes, could sometimes be quite indifferent.
Precisely because Moses was present, Garp was willing to share those stories about Roger in detail.
He wanted them to have a more comprehensive understanding of Roger.
He also hoped the elder brother Moses could properly influence his foolish and naive younger brother.
Moreover, this kind of guidance would be more effective coming from Moses as the elder brother.
Otherwise, he'd rather not speak of it at all.
Just as expected, the clever, composed elder brother had rendered the foolish, agitated younger brother speechless.
Garp's lips curled upward.
Plan successful.
Indeed, Moses' sharp tongue had never let him down.