Suddenly, he caught the sound of footsteps behind him. He spun around quickly, his eyes sharply searching for any threat… but what he found was nothing more than a calm horse, grazing on the grass nearby. For a moment, he stared at it in bewilderment, then a fleeting smile crossed his face, as a wild idea struck him:
— If I can't cross it alone… maybe I can trick this barrier.
With a swift leap, he landed lightly on the horse's back, gripping the reins tightly before urging it forward with a kick to its flanks. The horse shot ahead, neighing loudly, its hooves pounding the ground in an ever-quickening rhythm as dust swirled behind them. Ace leaned forward, eyes fixed on the barrier as if victory was already in his grasp, his heart racing as the distance shrank… fifty meters… twenty… ten…
But suddenly, just before reaching it, the horse reared to a halt, as if some unseen force had yanked it backward. It rose on its hind legs with a piercing neigh, refusing to take another step. Ace nearly toppled off, barely clinging to the reins as fury boiled inside him.
He jumped off in frustration, shouting as he kicked the horse's side—though not enough to hurt it:
— Damn you! Damn this whole place! What the hell is this?! Even an animal refuses to help me!
He cast a hateful glare at the barrier, then at the horse, which had wandered a little away, resuming its grazing as if nothing had happened. Ace exhaled harshly, his fists trembling, every fiber of him screaming:
— Damn it… damn this world and everyone in it!
The horse backed away with uneasy steps, as if it understood that this boy wasn't the kind to be trusted. It left him behind, seeking safety in its own solitude, while Ace kept glaring at it, his eyes burning with anger, before finally letting out a long breath.
At last, he gave up. There was nothing left to do. He trudged heavily toward the barrier, leaned his back against it, and sank to the ground. Resting his head against it, he closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the oppressive silence surrounding him.
Everything here seemed to reject him: the people, the place, even the walls that couldn't be seen. He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and began to think… think about why he was here in the first place, about the meaning of this maze he had been thrown into.
A part of him wanted to scream, to run, to smash everything apart. But the other part… that small, weary part deep inside, could do nothing but surrender for now, sitting still before an unbreakable wall.
Suddenly, the rapid beat of hooves shattered the silence. At first, Ace thought the horse he had left behind had returned—perhaps out of curiosity, or to find in him some kind of companion. He lifted his head with a flicker of hope. But the moment his eyes landed on the newcomers, that hope died instantly.
It wasn't one horse… but seven. Strong, muscular, their sleek manes shining, they moved in perfect rhythm like a living wall. Heavy dark-leather saddles rested on their backs, adorned with gleaming metal that caught the sunlight, and draped over their necks were royal cloths embroidered with the crest of the royal family.
Atop each horse sat a guard of the palace. Their bodies lined up as though they were a single unit, clad in light steel armor that gleamed faintly beneath long robes dyed in the colors of the palace.
Their faces were half-hidden beneath metal helmets covering brow and cheek, leaving only their cold, unwavering eyes visible. In their hands, long spears gleamed under the light, while swords at their sides waited, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.
The horses stopped just a few paces from Ace, like yet another wall blocking his path. He didn't need much thought to realize… they hadn't come here by chance.
The horses halted suddenly a few meters away, dust rising lightly into the air, while Ace eyed them tensely from where he sat by the barrier. Moments later, a commanding voice boomed from among the ranks:
"What are you doing here, brat?" said the knight at the forefront. Unlike the others, his presence and bearing set him apart, a golden insignia on his chest marking him as their leader.
Ace slowly raised his head, his eyes burning with defiance, and answered in a cold, indifferent tone:
"And what's it to you?"
The leader's eyes narrowed at the reply, tilting his spear forward slightly as he spoke with sharpness impossible to miss:
"What's it to me? You have no idea of the blessing you've been given, fool. The royal family treats you better than anyone from outside these walls could ever dream of, yet all you see is a burden! Time after time, you stir up trouble. In every moment, you fail to behave as you should. You don't know the value of what you've been given."
Ace clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with anger, as the commander continued with arrogance:
"We were in the palace when word of your departure reached us. Don't think your footsteps go unnoticed. You wandered the streets like a fool, leaving nothing but chaos and worry behind you, idiot!"
Ace shot to his feet suddenly, his sharp gaze locked on the commander, his voice cutting this time:
"All I wanted was to leave this place! But this barrier won't let me!"
The commander burst into a short, mocking laugh, then growled:
"You fool… do you even have a brain? If you did, you'd know this barrier isn't some ordinary wall. It has a will of its own, an eternal force that governs this city. You cannot break through it on your own—no matter how much you try."
Ace froze, his eyes widening in stunned disbelief, before growling hoarsely, his fist pounding the barrier again:
"W–What nonsense are you spouting?! A will of its own? Don't make me laugh! Why do things pass through while I can't?! What madness is this?!"
The commander arched his brows, leaned forward slightly over his horse, and looked at Ace with a scorn so sharp it cut deeper than any blade, as if he were staring at some pitiful creature unworthy of existence. A cold, cruel smile curved his lips before he thundered:
"You idiot… you ask as if you don't understand, as if you've never looked in the mirror. Of course things pass through… but you—you've always been the exception. The fool who thinks the world revolves around him."
His words cracked like a whip in Ace's ears. Then, in a voice colder and harsher than before, he spoke the sentence Ace had never heard before—words that pierced him like a blade:
"You are a cursed child… haven't you accepted that yet?!"
Ace's eyes widened, his heart thundering in his chest as he unconsciously stumbled half a step back. But the commander gave him no chance to reply, his voice roaring like thunder, each word hurled like shrapnel of old hatred:
"You are the cause of every calamity that has struck this island! From the very moment of your existence, you've brought nothing but ruin and chaos. And instead of showing the slightest shred of responsibility—accepting your reality, letting us try to find solutions—you do nothing but create new disasters, making everything worse."
A heavy silence fell, broken only by the wind brushing against the barrier and the ragged sound of Ace's breathing. His whole body trembled with rage and shock, as if the ground itself had shifted beneath him with words he was never ready to hear.
The commander snarled, his tone sharp and final:
"I won't waste more words on you. Talking to your kind is pointless. The palace has been far too lenient with you."
Then he gestured sharply, commanding his soldiers:
"Restrain him—now!"
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, hesitant to act against a boy supposedly under the royal family's care. But the commander cut through their hesitation with a lash of his voice:
"I said restrain him!"
Two of them rushed forward, seizing Ace's arms mercilessly. He struggled, but in vain. Cold iron clamped around his wrists, biting into his skin, the shackles bound together by a long chain whose other end the commander took in hand.
Without pause, the commander yanked the chain forward, dragging Ace along. Each time Ace faltered, the chain jerked violently, pulling him like an animal being led.
They passed through the wide squares of the city, every eye fixed on Ace. Men, women, children—some scowled, some smirked in cruel satisfaction. A few laughed mockingly, others spat on the ground as he passed, as if his mere existence was a crime. Whispers echoed from every side:
*"The curse in the flesh of a child…"
*"Because of him, all this happened to us…"
"If only he vanished, maybe peace would return…"
Each word stabbed at his chest like arrows. He tried to lower his head, to hide from their eyes, but a tear betrayed him, sliding down his cheek, glistening in the daylight like molten pain.
He walked with difficulty, the shackles biting into his wrists, his steps heavy as though even the earth rejected him. Every time he slowed, the commander pulled the chain harder, wrenching him forward, until his silent tears grew heavier, painting a picture of a boy dragged through a city that had wholly disowned him.
Ace lifted his head faintly toward the sky, as if searching for a familiar face among the clouds, something to ease the cruelty of the moment. And without realizing, a whisper escaped his lips, barely audible even to himself:
"Luffy… Sabo… I hope you're safe… because I… I don't feel safe here at all."
He closed his eyes, and his memory painted their faces—his brothers' laughter as they raced through the forest, their mischievous voices as they swore to always stay together. A warmth pierced his broken heart, only to choke him all over again.
"This world rejects me… just like the others did before. Everywhere I go… they look at me like I'm a curse, as if I was born only to bring disaster."
The commander yanked the chain brutally, forcing Ace to stumble forward, but he didn't raise his voice again. He only continued whispering softly, as though speaking to them from another world:
"But… I have no choice but to keep moving forward. Whatever end awaits… I can only accept it and walk on. Because this world… is cruel no matter what."
Another tear slipped down his cheek, but he smiled faintly—a weak, fragile smile, yet one carrying both pain and defiance. A smile no one saw, except his brothers who weren't there. And still, he felt… somehow, somewhere… they heard him.
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