"Stop it! Ace, calm down! Whitebeard said this was a one-time exception! There's no need to go after Teach!"
"Let go of me! He was my subordinate! If I let him go, how can Thatch ever rest in peace?"
"Ace, just let this one go… I have a bad feeling about this."
"He hurt a crewmate and ran. Whitebeard, you took care of him for decades, and this is how he repays you?! He made you lose esteem in front of the world!"
"…"
"He damaged your reputation, Whitebeard! How could I just stand by and do nothing?!"
"…"
"I'm going to settle the score with him!"
---
"Hey, Ace! How long are you gonna lie there?"
"…"
"Ace, the meat's going to be eaten! Get up!"
"…"
"Ace!"
"…"
Ace, lying in a hammock, suddenly opened his eyes.
What greeted him was the unfamiliar ceiling of a ship's cabin.
I'm not dead…
Shirogai didn't kill me…
He canceled his Armament Haki at the last second…
Ace turned his head—and there he was. Luffy, his little brother, sitting beside him, secretly stuffing meat into his mouth.
"Munch, munch... The meat Shirogai and Sanji made for Ace is amazing!"
Next to him, Chopper flailed in panic.
"Luffy! Stop eating! That's recovery food! Ace needs that!"
Luffy… I didn't expect to see you again.
Ace's eyes softened. A small smile broke across his face. He sat up and grinned at his brother.
"Oi, Luffy! Are you stealing my meat?! Want me to beat you up?!"
Luffy flinched, chewing quickly.
"Ah! No! Chopper ate it all! Huh?"
Looking up and realizing Ace was awake, Luffy's eyes sparkled.
"Haha! Ace! You're finally awake! Quick, eat some meat!"
Swish! Swish!
Before Ace could react, Luffy shoved five or six large meat bones into his mouth.
"GULP—GULP—COUGH! COUGH!"
Ace began choking, eyes bulging. He almost suffocated.
"Ahhh! Luffy, stop feeding him! He's choking!"
Chopper smacked Ace's back until the meat finally slid down. Ace gasped, then grabbed Luffy by the neck.
"You brat! You trying to kill your own brother?! I'll strangle you!"
Luffy flailed helplessly, his tongue hanging out.
"Chopper! Help! I was wrong!"
Chopper spun in panic.
"Ahhh! He's being strangled to death! Someone call a doctor!"
---
The commotion echoed to the deck.
Nami, reading a newspaper, looked toward Shirogai, who was repainting the Going Merry's mast with Usopp.
"Shirogai, Ace seems to be awake. Aren't you worried he'll pick a fight again?"
"Even if he's Luffy's brother, he's still the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
You beat him. Won't that cause trouble with the Whitebeard Pirates?"
Even Nami, who had sailed mostly in East Blue, understood what it meant to cross a crew under one of the Four Emperors.
Vivi looked anxious too.
"Shirogai San… The Whitebeard Pirates… That's one of the Four Emperors. Is it really okay?"
Usopp, still holding a paintbrush, puffed out his chest.
"Tch, cowards! The Second Division Commander couldn't even beat Shirogai. What's there to be afraid of?"
Vivi added softly:
"Whitebeard is said to be the strongest man in the world. Some say he's so terrifying, he can destroy an island with his bare hands…"
"Destroy an island… with his bare hands?"
Usopp's nose drooped, his bravado instantly gone.
"Shirogai, maybe we should just… apologize?
If we kneel humbly enough, maybe they won't squash us like ants…"
"Usopp! Pick a side already!" Sanji barked.
Shirogai calmly painted the mast and smiled.
"Relax. Ace isn't that kind of guy. Whitebeard's son must be a man of honor. Isn't that right, Ace?"
"Hahaha, you got that right!"
Ace's voice came from the cabin as he walked out, laughing.
"Don't worry, I won't hold a grudge. And Whitebeard? He wouldn't care about something this small."
Ace approached Shirogai on the deck.
Everyone froze.
Boom!
The two locked eyes. Their fists clenched—and ignited.
Flames burst around them.
Panic erupted.
"Oh no, not again!"
Sanji stepped forward. Zoro's hand moved to his sword. Usopp dropped to the floor and pretended to faint. Chopper spun in circles.
Nami shouted.
"Stop it, you two! Please don't fight again!"
But instead of clashing…
Their flaming fists touched lightly.
Ace laughed.
"Haha, Shirogai, I misjudged you!"
He threw an arm around Shirogai's shoulder.
"You're nothing like that bastard Teach. You're solid. Just like Luffy said."
"Luffy's judgment isn't half bad," Shirogai said with a relaxed grin, blowing out the black flames licking his knuckles.
"But I'll admit something.
Earlier, I used the ability of the [Talent-Talent Fruit] to copy a Devil Fruit. I made you transfer some of your hatred for Teach onto me.
That's why your rage was so strong."
Ace blinked.
"So that's what it was. I did feel something off."
He scratched his head.
"Was that your Talent-Talent Fruit? So you can copy Devil Fruits too?"
Shirogai nodded.
"I used it to replicate a devil fruit that lets me read and influence thoughts. Not permanent, just enough to test your response."
The crew collectively exhaled.
Nami whispered angrily to Luffy.
"Luffy! You said Shirogai's ability was a secret!"
Luffy scratched his head.
"Eh? Ace isn't an outsider! He's my brother!"
Ace suddenly grinned.
"Hey, Shirogai, why not join the Whitebeard Pirates? You'd make a great ally."
Then he turned to the Straw Hats.
"You guys too. Why not join us?"
The entire crew—Shirogai, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Chopper, Nami—shook their heads immediately.
"No."
Only Usopp accidentally nodded, then panicked.
"Wha—No! That was muscle reflex!"
Ace roared with laughter.
"Figured. I knew you'd refuse. Just had to ask."
Shirogai ruffled Luffy's straw hat.
"Ace, don't forget. Luffy's going to be Pirate King, not Whitebeard."
Zoro and Sanji added in unison.
"That's right."
Luffy beamed.
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Ace grinned and leapt up onto the Going Merry's railing.
"Then we'll settle it one day! Catch this, Luffy!"
He threw a small piece of paper through the air.
Luffy caught it, examining it curiously.
"What's this?"
Shirogai tucked it into Luffy's hat.
"A Vivre Card. It'll lead us to Ace."
Ace smiled.
"That paper will help us meet again. Take care of it."
---
"His ability to replicate Devil Fruit powers can most logically be attributed to the Talent-Talent Fruit, so he won't have to go through extreme measures just to explain himself ".
__
I be seeing other fanfics with over 400 Powerstones, and we be getting less than 50 lol. Makes me a little sad, honestly 🙂.