Bang!
"Ouch! That fist hurts just like the old man's!"
Ace crouched on the ground, clutching his head and howling in pain.
Unlike Luffy, he was well aware that this was the effect of Armament Haki.
'But why did this guy's punches hurt just as much?'
Strictly speaking, Ace should actually call Naruto 'big brother' rather than 'uncle'.
After all, Naruto himself referred to Roger and Rayleigh as 'uncles', which put them in the same generation.
But Ace's mother, Portgas D. Rouge, was only about seven or eight years older than Naruto.
When Rouge was pregnant with Ace, the teenage Naruto had even helped her hide for a while, addressing her as 'Rouge-nee' back then.
Sadly, even with Naruto's assistance, the World Government's pursuit of Roger's descendants was relentless at the time.
Rouge was forced to prolong her pregnancy, and in the end, she passed away shortly after giving birth to Ace.
'Now that I think about it, it had already been twenty years since Rouge-nee's death.'
The memory of that diaper-wearing baby he once had to change had now grown into this young man.
"Sigh…"
"So, instead of properly doing your job as the 2nd Division Commander in the New World, what are you doing here in Paradise all by yourself?"
Naruto was well aware of Ace's decision to challenge Whitebeard, fail, and ultimately join his crew.
Since Ace's birth, Naruto had contributed quite a bit to raising the kid.
But later, because of his identity, he eventually had to leave the task entirely to Garp.
After that, he rarely returned to Paradise. The last time he saw Ace was right before Garp sent him off to the East Blue.
As for news after Ace set sail, Naruto kept occasional tabs on him.
He crouched in front of Ace and reached out to pull him up.
Ace naturally grabbed Naruto's hand but then rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"You're the one who came here too, Naruto... uncle."
Ace felt Naruto's grip tighten, and beads of cold sweat instantly formed on his forehead. Reluctantly, he forced out that embarrassing title.
Only after he said it did Naruto loosen his grip. Ace immediately pulled his hand back and blew on it to soothe the pain.
Naruto patted Ace's head lightly before turning to the restaurant owner.
"Give him the same thing I just ate."
So, before Ace could react, Naruto had already lifted him by the collar and plopped him down in his seat.
Then, for some reason, he found himself under the expectant gazes of the owner and the other customers.
It was worth mentioning that this restaurant seemed to have an impressive stock of ingredients.
Even after Naruto's massive feast, they still had enough left to prepare another full serving.
"Eat up. This place tastes pretty good. We'll talk after you're full."
Hearing this, Ace decided not to overthink it. After all, he had come to this island to eat in the first place.
Time was tight, and his mission wasn't over yet.
Sitting beside Ace, Naruto grabbed a bottle of the local specialty rum provided by the shop and downed half of it in one gulp.
Meanwhile, Ace, after taking a few bites, suddenly blurted out something seemingly out of nowhere.
"...He was a traitor."
"Hm?"
After hearing this, Naruto raised his eyes slightly, ready to listen to what Ace had to say next.
"That bastard… Teach! He killed Thatch! All for the sake of a Devil Fruit!"
"...Thatch died by his hand?"
Naruto lowered his gaze slightly, his tone unreadable.
After hearing his words, Ace looked up in surprise.
"Uncle Naruto, you knew Thatch too?"
"Yeah... I knew him."
The 4th Division Commander, Thatch, who was killed by Blackbeard Teach… Naruto remembered him.
He has skilled cook, bold and straightforward, a true man of the sea.
Naruto had known Thatch long before Ace even joined the Whitebeard Pirates.
Back then, Naruto would occasionally go to Whitebeard to compete in drinking, and the side dishes that Thatch prepared for them were always delicious.
As for Teach… Naruto had met him too.
In fact, he had warned Whitebeard more than once that this 'son' of his was no good.
Unfortunately, as one of the [Four Emperors], Whitebeard had his own principles and stubbornness.
Until Teach truly showed his true colors, he never took Naruto's words seriously.
Call Whitebeard foolish, call it blind trust in his children-
But Thatch's death was undeniably linked to that leniency.
"He was once my subordinate. I'll bring him back and let Pops judge him!"
Hearing Ace's naive words, Naruto simply shook his head.
"Whitebeard is getting old and indecisive."
"And because of that… he's turned you into a spineless brat too."
He didn't hold back, openly criticizing Whitebeard right to Ace's face.
And what responded to Naruto's words was Ace's ruthless punch!
Bang!
It was worth noting that Naruto's body weight in his 'normal state' hadn't decreased at all.
Even then, Ace's furious punch sent him flying, crashing straight through the restaurant's wall.
The diners inside were stunned, 'Just moments ago, the two had seemed like close acquaintances… why were they suddenly fighting again?'
"Sorry, I'll pay for the wall."
Ace first bowed politely to the owner, then stepped out through the hole Naruto had made, glaring down at him as he lay on the ground.
"Even you don't get to badmouth Pops!"
Genuine anger burned in Ace's eyes as he shouted.
"Tch… really now-"
Naruto slowly sat up from the ground, his expression blank as he stared at Ace.
There wasn't a single scratch on his body… instead, Ace's fist was already swelling red.
"Such a weak punch, and such pathetic words… who are you trying to make laugh?"
The look Naruto gave Ace was exactly the same as the look an elder would give when they see their own child not studying hard all day.
Being looked at in such a manner, Ace wanted to retort, but before he could even open his mouth, a massive hand clamped down on his head.
"You'd actually attack me… for Whitebeard's sake?"
That was the last thing Ace heard clearly before the roar of wind and weightlessness overtook his senses.
Bang!
Naruto hurled him like a ragdoll, sending him crashing into an empty field outside the town.
At the last second, Ace managed to turn into flames, avoiding the worst of the impact.
By the time he reformed, Naruto was already standing right in front of him.
"It seems like today, I, your uncle, will have to teach you a lesson."
As he said this, Naruto began to release his Conqueror's Haki, which washed over Ace like a tidal wave.
"Damn it-!"
Ace gritted his teeth under the suffocating pressure. In his agitation, his own Conqueror's Haki flared in response.