Six months living with Dadan and her gang taught me one important thing: being a baby is annoying.
Very. Annoying.
But I had no choice except to be patient. This body was still too weak. My muscles hadn't fully developed. My motor coordination was still a mess. All I could do was crawl—and even that only started two weeks ago.
"ACE! Don't play there! It's filthy!"
Dadan lifted me out of a mud puddle. Her face was irritated but her hands were gentle as she wiped the mud from my face.
"You troublesome kid. You just learned to crawl and you're already causing problems."
I could only grin. Or at least try to. Controlling a baby's facial muscles was still hard.
Life at the bandit hideout wasn't actually bad. Every morning, Dadan woke up to cook—though her cooking was bandit-standard: grilled meat, rice, and occasionally whatever vegetables were around. Her underlings went off to "work," meaning robbery or hunting. And me? I observed.
I observed how they moved. How they fought during training. How they used their bodies.
I stored all of that information. One day, I would need all of it.
"Dadan-san, why did Garp-san leave a baby here?" one of the underlings asked during dinner.
Dadan was quiet for a moment. Her gaze drifted toward me lying on my bed.
"Who knows. But that old man is serious about this kid. More serious than usual."
"Who are the parents?"
"None of our business. And don't ask again. If Garp finds out we've been prying, things could get dangerous."
The conversation stopped there. But I knew they were curious. Everyone was curious about Ace—about me. The child a Marine hero had entrusted to a mountain bandit.
That night, as usual, I couldn't sleep well. My thoughts kept spinning.
I needed a plan. A long-term plan.
First priority: Get the Mera Mera no Mi as quickly as possible.
In the original timeline, Ace got that Devil Fruit around age ten or thirteen. But I couldn't wait that long. The sooner I gained the power, the more time I'd have to master it.
The problem was—where was the Mera Mera no Mi?
I tried to recall all the information from the manga and anime. But it was never explained how Ace found it. Did he buy it? Stumble upon it by chance? Or receive it from someone?
Devil Fruits were rare. Extremely rare. And their price was astronomical—hundreds of millions, even billions of belly.
But I had one advantage: knowledge of this world.
I knew Devil Fruits could appear on remote islands. I knew they had certain patterns—tending to appear in places suited to their element.
Mera Mera no Mi... the Flame Fruit. Maybe it appears on a volcanic island? Or somewhere hot?
Or...
Wait.
Dawn Island—the island where Foosha Village and Dadan's hideout were located—was quite large. Dense forests, mountains, and many unexplored areas. It was entirely possible the Devil Fruit was here.
But how would I search for it? I couldn't even walk yet!
Frustration hit hard. Having knowledge but no way to use it was its own kind of torture.
"Ace? Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Dadan appeared with a candle in hand. Her face looked tired.
"Aaa... uuu..." I tried to communicate but failed completely.
She sat beside me, looking at me with a strange expression.
"You know, kid... you're different from normal babies. Your eyes... too focused. Like you understand everything happening around you."
I froze. Was she suspicious?
"But maybe I've just been drinking too much sake," she laughed softly. "A nine-month-old can't possibly be that smart, right."
She stroked my head gently.
"Grow up well, Ace. This world is harsh. Especially for a child like you—a child whose own grandfather has to keep hidden. But I'll protect you. Not because I fear Garp. But because... you've already become like my own child."
My chest tightened hearing that. Dadan—the rough woman who had fiercely refused to take care of me at first—now considered me her own child.
"Oyasumi, Ace."
She left, leaving me in the darkness.
I stared at the ceiling. A new resolve hardened in my chest.
I will become strong. Not only to change my own fate. But also to protect the people who care about me.
Age one year. I could finally walk.
Unsteady. Fell often. But I could walk.
"LOOK! ACE IS WALKING! Hey everyone! Come quick!" Dadan shouted like any proud mother would.
The bandit underlings gathered, applauding as if I'd just won an international competition.
"Such a smart kid!"
"Dadan-san, this little one's quick, isn't he?"
"Of course! He's the grandchild of that monster Garp!"
I ignored their commotion. What mattered now was this—I had mobility.
Mobility meant I could start exploring.
A few days later, while Dadan and her underlings were busy, I slipped out of the hideout.
The forest surrounding the base was incredibly dense. Tall trees towered overhead. Thick underbrush everywhere. The sounds of wild animals all around.
Dangerous for a one-year-old.
But I wasn't an ordinary child. I was Arya with complete memories and the knowledge of an adult.
I began walking slowly, observing my surroundings. Looking for any signs of something unusual.
Devil Fruits had a distinctive feature: strange swirling patterns on their skin and an aura slightly different from ordinary fruit.
But searching for one fruit in a forest this vast was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Ace? ACE?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Dadan's panicked voice came from the distance.
Damn. I'd gone too far.
"I'M HERE!" I tried to shout but what came out was: "Aaah! Aaah!"
Fortunately it was loud enough to be heard. Dadan appeared with a red face—a mixture of panic and fury.
"YOU TROUBLESOME KID! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she lifted me roughly. "Don't go out alone! This forest is dangerous!"
But her eyes were glistening. She had genuinely been afraid of losing me.
"Sorry..." I whispered softly. Though I wasn't sure she heard it.
After that, Dadan watched me more strictly. She even assigned one underling specifically to guard me when she was busy.
But I didn't give up. Whenever there was an opportunity, I explored little by little. Memorizing the forest layout. Searching for areas that might harbor a Devil Fruit.
Month after month passed.
Age one and a half. I could run now, though I still tripped often.
My ability to speak was also beginning to develop. Simple words: "Dadan," "eat," "thirsty."
Dadan was overjoyed every time I spoke. Like witnessing a wonder of the world.
"Such a smart kid! Learning to talk so fast!" she hugged me tight. "You're definitely going to be someone great!"
If she knew I was actually a reincarnated adult, her reaction might have been quite different.
One afternoon, while everyone was napping, I slipped out again.
This time I had a specific destination: an area of forest that felt warmer than usual. I'd found it a week ago but hadn't been able to explore it because Dadan found me too quickly.
I jogged toward the area. Sweat started pouring despite the weather not being particularly hot.
The deeper I went, the hotter it felt. Not normal. This wasn't ordinary heat.
My heart pounded hard.
Could this be...?
I pushed through the last of the undergrowth and found something astonishing:
A dead tree. Burned dry. And hanging from one of its branches was a fruit.
A fruit with swirling patterns of orange-red flame. Shaped like a pineapple with fire frozen into its form.
Mera Mera no Mi.
The Flame-Flame Fruit.
The power that would make Ace one of the strongest pirates in the world.
And right now... it was in front of me.
My hands trembled as I reached for it. The fruit dropped into my hands—warm. Incredibly warm.
I stared at it for a long moment.
This was it. The chance to become strong. To change fate.
But was I ready? Could the body of a one-and-a-half-year-old withstand the power of a Devil Fruit?
I recalled that in canon, many children ate Devil Fruits at a young age. Luffy at seven years old. Nico Robin at eight. Some characters even gained their powers younger than that.
Age wasn't the problem.
What was a problem was this—once you eat a Devil Fruit, you can never swim again.
But it was a risk that had to be taken.
I bit into the fruit.
And the taste was... DISGUSTING!
Like eating rotten garbage mixed with dirt and who knows what else. I nearly gagged but forced myself to swallow.
One bite was enough to gain the power. But I took a few more bites just to be certain.
And then...
Heat.
Overwhelming heat spread from my stomach throughout my entire body. Like lava flowing through my veins. I fell to my knees, holding back a scream.
My body was changing. My cells were changing. My very DNA was transforming into something new.
Fire.
I was fire.
My tiny hands suddenly ignited. Orange flames enveloped my arms but did not burn.
I stared at them with wonder and just a touch of fear.
This was real.
The power of the Mera Mera no Mi... was now mine.
"ACE! WHERE ARE YOU?! When I find you I'll—"
Dadan's voice was getting closer.
I panicked, trying to extinguish the fire on my hands. Not knowing how. The flames only grew larger—
"ACE! You're right—GYAAA! FIRE! WHY ARE YOU ON FIRE?!"
Dadan came running toward me, her face pale.
"It's... it's fine..." I tried to explain with my limited vocabulary. "Doesn't hurt..."
"WHAT?! What do you mean it doesn't hurt?! You're burning—" she stopped. Her wide eyes stared at my blazing hands that were completely uninjured.
Then her gaze fell on the remains of the Mera Mera no Mi in my other hand.
"That... that's a Devil Fruit?!"
I gave a small nod.
"YOU ATE A DEVIL FRUIT?! YOU'RE BARELY ONE YEAR OLD!"
"Already ate it..." I answered plainly.
Dadan looked like she might faint. She sat down on the ground, holding her head.
"Garp is going to kill me... he's absolutely going to kill me..."
"Dadan... sorry..."
She stared at me for a long moment. Then let out a long, heavy sigh.
"No... it's not your fault. You're still a child. You didn't know what a Devil Fruit was..." she stood up. "But from now on, we need to train you to control this power. If my hideout burns down because of you, I'm throwing you into the sea!"
An empty threat. I knew she wouldn't do that.
But she was right. I needed to learn control.
And this was only the beginning.
The beginning of a path toward power that would change everything.
The flame of destiny had been lit.
And nothing could extinguish it.
TO BE CONTINUED