The Blue-Eyed White Dragon soared into the sky, piercing through the clouds.
Ace was abruptly lifted into the air, letting out an involuntary shout.
But after the brief sensation of weightlessness, an overwhelming feeling of freedom and boundlessness surged through him.
Unable to contain his excitement, Ace cheered—a sensation he had never experienced in his sixteen years of life.
"Woo-hoo~!"
Yet just as he cheered, Ace suddenly realized something was off.
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon was flying faster and faster, and the winds rushing from all directions grew increasingly fierce.
Ace had to crouch low, pressing his right hand against his hat to avoid being blown off the dragon's back by the gale.
He glanced downward.
At some point, Mount Corvo had shrunk into a tiny hill.
Dawn Island, where the Kingdom of Goa was located, now looked like a "green gem" embedded in the vast blue sea.
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon was leaving Dawn Island at an unimaginable speed, racing like the wind.
"Hey! You! Vongola!"
Ace shouted toward the dragon's head.
"Weren't we supposed to eat? Where are we going!?"
"Huh? What did you just call me?"
Storm turned his head, having just heard an entirely new nickname.
"Clam?"
"Isn't your name 'Clam'?"
As the dragon gradually slowed its flight, Ace relaxed a little.
"Clam Storm!"
"It's Vongola Storm!"
Storm retorted, exasperated. He didn't want to waste time arguing about names.
He guided the Blue-Eyed White Dragon to descend, bringing them closer to the sea.
Only then did Storm continue speaking.
"Originally, I planned to find a restaurant, but since you tagged along, let's try something fresh."
Something fresh?
Ace blinked, scanning the surroundings—nothing but endless ocean, not an island in sight.
What exactly do you mean by "something fresh"?
Right then.
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon suddenly opened its maw and unleashed a deafening roar toward the sea below.
"ROAR—!"
The earth-shattering Dragon Roar, carrying a terrifying explosive shockwave, collided with the boundless waters.
With a thunderous BOOM, the once-calm sea was blasted open, creating a massive crater. Seawater erupted skyward in a dazzling spray.
The next moment, the ocean rushed in from all sides to fill the sudden void. Enormous volumes of water collided, surging upward and forming a towering geyser.
Splash—!
The seawater shot into the air before cascading back down, as if a localized storm had erupted.
Ace stared at the now-churning sea, instinctively running his hand over the dragon's Dragon Scales.
This dragon… is strong!
Even stronger than that big guy earlier!
The violent disturbance on the surface caught the attention of deep-sea creatures.
A colossal shadow swiftly rose from the depths.
The massive silhouette looming beneath the blue waves was enough to strike fear into any ordinary heart.
Swoosh—
Another towering wave surged from the sea.
A colossal Sea King resembling an enormous eel, with crimson eyes and blue dorsal fins, burst forth from beneath the waves. Its lantern-like red pupils fixed intently on the Blue-Eyed White Dragon and the two humans riding on its back.
"Lord of the Coast!"
Ace exclaimed in shock as he recognized the creature emerging from the depths.
Having lived on Dawn Island for so many years—though primarily active in Mt. Colubo and the Uncertainty Terminal—Ace had occasionally visited Foosha Village during his free time.
The ordinary villagers there held both gratitude and fear toward the ocean.
They thanked the sea for its bounty.
Yet feared the monsters lurking within it.
Among the many "folk tales" circulating in Foosha Village, one creature stood unanimously regarded as the most terrifying.
This "Lord of the Coast."
Without exception!
Legends spoke of its immense size and cold-blooded brutality.
Even the notorious Mountain Bandit Higuma—a man with countless murders to his name and a bounty nearing ten million Belly—was utterly powerless against the Lord of the Coast, meeting his end between its jaws!
Even that so-called "Pirate Emperor" Red Hair, who rose to fame this year?
That guy was no match for the Lord of the Coast either!
Back when the Red Hair Pirates had temporarily docked in Foosha Village,
Every villager knew:
The Lord of the Coast had bitten off Red Hair's arm!
Had he not fled fast enough,
The beast would have devoured him whole—bones and all—leaving not a trace behind!
"Clam! Watch out!"
Ace had meant to warn Storm about the Lord of Coast's fearsome reputation.
However.
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon simply surged forward, its claws flashing.
Razor-sharp talons pierced through the beast's hide, and crimson blood instantly gushed from the wound.
With a slight beat of its wings, the dragon ascended once more.
The Lord of the Coast—lured by its earlier Dragon Roar—now dangled helplessly in the air like a minnow caught on a line.
Seated atop the dragon, Ace's lips twitched violently.
This was the legendary terror that even a Pirate Emperor couldn't defeat?
Are you kidding me, folks?
"What were you muttering about just now?"
Storm side-eyed Ace, issuing a displeased warning.
"You can call me 'Vongola,' 'Storm,' or 'White Dragon'—that's the nickname folks at sea gave me.
"But if you keep calling me 'Clam,' I'll start referring to you as 'Pirate King's Son' or 'Supreme Grade Blade.'"
"White Dragon?"
Ace frowned deeply, racking his memory.
"I feel like I've heard that name recently...
"You're that White Dragon with the two-billion-Belly bounty from the World Government and Marine Headquarters!?"
Before Storm could respond, Ace shook his head and dismissed his own thought.
"No! I remember now! The two-billion bounty belongs to Whitebeard Jr.! You...
"You're that Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea who doesn't even have a hundred-million-Belly bounty!?"
I won't get angry... I won't get angry... I won't get angry...
What kind of adult loses their temper with a kid...
Storm took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and strode toward Ace.
At this moment, Ace finally sensed genuine threat.
"Vongola, you—"
Thud!
No words were needed.
Storm's "Fist of Love" came crashing down directly onto Ace's head.
With a crisp sound resembling a watermelon being knocked—
A massive lump instantly sprouted on Ace's head, cycling through shades of blue-red, purple-red, and finally settling into a dark crimson.
"Ah! That hurts!!"
Ace immediately clutched his skull, rolling wildly across the broad back of the Blue-Eyed White Dragon.
Fortunately, the dragon's back was spacious enough.
Otherwise, he might have tumbled straight into the ocean below.
Storm calmly returned to his seat at the dragon's head as if nothing had happened.
After rolling around clutching his head for a while, Ace finally stopped moving.
By now, that glaring purple-red lump on his head stood out conspicuously.
At first glance—
Ace looked like he was wearing a miniature gourd, resembling the "Seventh Brother" from folklore.
"Vongola!"
After receiving education comparable to Grandpa's iron fist discipline, Ace finally became more docile.
"What did you mean earlier by 'Supreme Grade Sword'?"
Ace deliberately avoided mentioning anything about being the "Pirate King's son."
He had his own reservations about his origins.
Though Ace didn't know how Vongola Storm had learned his true identity—
He wasn't about to discuss his family background with someone he'd just met.
Even if Ace hadn't detected any hatred or malice from Storm so far...
This was a rare man who knew his identity yet harbored no prejudice against him.
Still, their relationship remained that of "first-time acquaintances."
Ace forcefully ignored the "Pirate King's son" epithet.
He didn't want to dwell on that identity.
But "Supreme Grade Sword" was different!
Ace wasn't a swordsman, nor did he fight with blades.
Yet he still had some understanding of so-called "Named Swords."
Named Swords, Skillful Grade, Great Grade, Supreme Grade...
Those who fought with blades on the seas classified their weapons into hierarchies.
Supreme Grade Swords stood at the absolute pinnacle.
From stories Grandpa had told before—
The weapon of Whitebeard, the world's strongest man, was a Supreme Grade Sword named Murakumogiri.
Similarly, the weapon of Hawkeye, the world's greatest swordsman, was another Supreme Grade Sword—Yoru, the Black Blade.
"Didn't Hero Garp ever tell you about this?"
Storm looked at Ace with slight puzzlement.
"Portgas D. Ace."
"Your surname comes from your mother, Portgas D. Rouge."
"Your middle name represents the ancient heritage—the D Clan."
"And your given name originates from your father—Gol D. Roger."
"Decades ago, when your father ruled the seas, his weapon was one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords—a pirate cutlass named 'Ace.'"
Ace's expression froze.
He'd never heard Grandpa mention anything like this.
Or rather, Grandpa rarely spoke to him about the Pirate King.
After all, Grandpa was a Marine—the legendary "Marine Hero" who had once defeated and captured the Pirate King...
Ace had no idea that his name carried such a unique significance.
So the "Ace" that Father had once wielded... was actually his name?
Just as Ace was lost in these inexplicable emotions—
Storm's voice rang out once more.
"Don't make that face."
A strange smile played on Storm's lips—part teasing, part mocking.
"The Pirate King's sword 'Ace' is fine, but it wasn't Roger's most important possession.
"What mattered most to Roger was the 'Straw Hat' he once wore.
"An ordinary straw hat—yellow in color, with a wide brim and a red ribbon tied around it.
"That 'Straw Hat,' Roger left to his successor, and then that successor entrusted it to another inheritor.
"Such a pity, Ace.
"It wasn't you that Red Hair took a liking to—it was your brother.
"It wasn't you that Red Hair entrusted with the Straw Hat—or even destiny itself—but your brother.
"Monkey D. Luffy!"
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