Shanks had a long talk with Dadan here. Regardless of what they discussed, they arrived at Hera and the others' secret base together early the next morning.
Seeing the two of them arrive, Hera hurriedly woke Ace up: "Ace, Ace, wake up! Shanks and Dadan have come to see you together."
After a night's rest, Ace had long since recovered his exhausted physical strength and went to the door to greet them.
When Dadan approached, her eyes were filled with complexity as she looked at Ace. She said, "I originally didn't want you to know who your father was. I was afraid you would follow in his footsteps. I only wanted you to live a good life on this island, but both Shanks and Dragon persuaded me. This island cannot contain your ambitions."
Dadan paused and then added, "Ace, don't you want to know your origins? Then I will tell you. Your father was Roger, the Pirate King Roger."
"Your name is Gol D. Ace. The full name of Pirate King Roger is indeed Gol D. Roger."
Upon hearing this, Ace asked anxiously, "Then what about my mother? How is she now?"
Dadan continued, "Your mother was Portgas D. Rouge. She was a great mother. At that time, in order to hunt down Roger's remaining bloodline, the World Government investigated all pregnant women on the island. To give birth to you, your mother endured carrying you for twenty months before delivery, but she exhausted her own life force and died after giving birth to you."
"After that, Garp sent you to me. I have always treated you as my own child and wanted you to spend your life peacefully on the island. But from the moment you kept wanting to go out to sea, I knew this island could no longer hold you."
By this point, Dadan was already in tears: "Shanks came to me yesterday. He said you shouldn't enter the ocean knowing nothing. Telling you your origins will also prepare you for the threats you might face."
Ace felt a bit lost hearing this. He hadn't expected his father to be the Pirate King Roger. His heart was filled with grief over his mother's fate and anger toward his father for failing to protect her and abandoning the family.
Moreover, having lived in the Gray Terminal of the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue since childhood, Ace had also asked villagers about Roger. The surrounding villagers all said Roger was a demon who started the Great Pirate Era. His final words before death launched the Great Pirate Era, allowing pirates to run rampant everywhere.
Ace fell into a daze after hearing about his past. He felt lost regarding his true identity as Roger's son, angry that Roger had abandoned his family, and sad for the pain his mother had suffered.
Ace said, "What 'Pirate King Roger'? He abandoned me and my mother. I won't acknowledge him as my father, and I don't want to be called Gol D. Ace. From today on, I'm changing my name to Portgas D. Ace."
Hearing Ace wanted to give up Roger's surname, Shanks quickly urged, "I once served on Roger's ship. Roger was not the kind of person to abandon his family. He must have had some reason."
Hera also said, "You don't need to care too much about your Pirate King bloodline. Your family includes me, Luffy, and Sabo. No matter who your father is, you are still our older brother."
Ace said, "Is it because of this Pirate King bloodline that my mother suffered so much? He was the Pirate King, wasn't he? How could he not even protect his own wife? What kind of Pirate King is that?"
Hearing someone disparage his old Captain, Shanks subconsciously wanted to retort, but he held back when he remembered it was Roger's child speaking.
Shanks then said, "I will investigate this matter and definitely give you an explanation. But I also want you to believe me—Roger was absolutely not that kind of person."
Hera said, "Changing your name isn't a bad thing; it can help hide your identity."
Then Ace said to everyone, "I want to think about this on my own. You guys go out first."
Dadan and the others expressed their understanding upon hearing Ace say this and left the room.
When Hera went out, she didn't forget to drag the still-sleeping Luffy along. As she walked, she said to Ace, "Brother Ace, don't think too much. Whether or not you accept being Roger's child, you are our brother. Me, Luffy, Sabo, and Aunt Dadan will always be your family."
Shanks also said, "Give me some time. I will definitely investigate clearly and give you an answer as his crewmate."
The four of them gradually left the house, and Ace's suppressed sobbing could seemingly be heard in the wind.