The ship fell silent. Douglas Bullet, Kuzan, and Buena Festa all stared at their captain.
"Home?" Douglas Bullet growled, his voice a low rumble of pure disgust. "We are on a quest to challenge an Emperor for the fate of the fishman island, and you want to make a detour for a sentimental picnic?"
"Something like that," Ace replied, his gaze fixed on the map of the East Blue.
"Ara ra... let the man have his moment, Bullet-san," Kuzan drawled from his ice-chair, a lazy grin on his face. "Even you have a home. Besides, the East Blue is said to have the best booze. It's a sound tactical decision."
Bullet just scoffed, turning away to polish his weapons, clearly unimpressed with the entire venture.
On a storm-wracked island in the New World...
"So the son of Roger thinks he can play games with Big Mom?"
Eustass Kid slammed his metallic fist on the table, the impact cracking the wood. "While those two old relics are busy with their ridiculous party, Totland will be vulnerable. That's our opening!"
Across from him, "Massacre Soldier" Killer nodded in agreement. At the other end of the table, the shifty Scratchmen Apoo and the calculating Capone "Gang" Bege listened, their own crews standing guard.
"An alliance to take down Big Mom?" Apoo said, a strange musical lilt to his voice. "Apapapa! That sounds dangerous! But very profitable."
"The percentages are acceptable," Bege stated, taking a long drag from his cigar. "But who leads? I don't take orders from anyone."
"I DO!" Kid roared, his magnetic powers causing every piece of metal in the room to rattle. "We're going to be the ones to take down a Yonko! And I will be the one to lead us!"
The air crackled with tension, three monstrous egos clashing in a single room. The chaos Ace had unleashed was breeding new monsters, new alliances that would soon set their own fires across the world.
Dawn Island, Goa Kingdom...
Ace stood alone on the familiar cliffs overlooking Foosha Village, a place he hadn't seen in years. He moved with a stealth that was second nature, a shadow slipping through the forest he knew like the back of his hand. He found it easily: the giant, gnarled tree that had been their castle, their home, their entire world.
He climbed, his movements sure and silent, and entered the old, dilapidated treehouse. The letters were still carved into the floor. A, S, L. A fierce, happy grin touched his lips. Sabo. He was alive. Out there, fighting a different war as the number two of the Revolutionary Army. A reunion was long overdue, but it would have to wait. First, he had a family to save.
He pushed the nostalgia aside. He was here for a reason. He moved to a loose floorboard in the corner, a hiding spot they had used for their most valuable treasures. He pried it open. And there, nestled in a bed of old, dried leaves, was a fruit.
It was a strange, pale-white fruit, shaped like a cluster of grapes, but with each orb swirling with a faint, inner light, like a galaxy of tiny cells. He gently picked it up, a slow, triumphant smile spreading across his face.
Before returning to the ship, he made one last stop. He slipped into the quiet, sleeping village under the cover of darkness and pushed open the familiar door of Partys Bar. A single lantern was lit. And there, cleaning a glass behind the counter, was Makino.
She looked up, her eyes widening in pure, unadulterated shock. "Ace...?" she whispered, dropping the glass, which shattered on the floor.
"Hey, Makino," he said, his voice soft, a genuine, warm smile on his face. "Sorry for not writing."
She didn't speak. She just ran from behind the bar and threw her arms around him, tears of relief streaming down her face. "You're alive... you're really alive!"
He held her for a long moment, a rare feeling of peace settling over him. As she pulled back, wiping her eyes, he noticed it. A slight, gentle swell beneath her apron. She was pregnant.
"Looks like a lot has happened while I've been gone," he said, his smile turning teasing. "Don't tell me the mayor finally worked up the nerve."
Makino laughed, a beautiful, happy sound. "No, not the mayor."
Ace's smile softened. He looked at her, at this kind, gentle woman who had been a beacon of warmth in their chaotic childhood. "Who's the lucky guy, Makino? Who's the father?"
She looked down, a shy, radiant smile on her face, the kind of smile a woman has when she's thinking of the man she loves. She looked back up at him, her eyes shining.
"It's S…" she said.
=======================================
100 Power Stone = 1 Bonus Chapter
Send me some powerstone.
https://www.patreon.com/c/kapa69