Chapter 125: Those Who Were Broken

News of the great upheaval shaking the world had reached even the distant seas, remote frontiers, and skies above.

In the Grand Line, the world's most perilous sea, it wasn’t unusual for certain islands to remain completely cut off from the outside world—be it due to untouched jungles or islands floating in the sky. Many existed in such unique environments.

And on one of those sky islands—the newspaper had arrived as well.

“No way...!!? The World Government...!!”

On the small sky island of Weatheria, a beautiful woman reading the paper turned pale.

Her name was Nami, a pirate with a bounty of 16 million Berries, known as the “Cat Burglar” and the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates.

After losing to a Marine Admiral and a Warlord of the Sea at the Sabaody Archipelago, she had been flung to this island through strange powers. Now, from that paper, she learned of the Summit War, the fall of the World Government, the alliance of the Four Emperors, the founding of a new government, the collapse of Impel Down, and more.

“I can't believe something like this actually happened...”

“Hmm... it seems the whole world is in chaos. Even this island may not be safe. We must be more cautious than ever...”

Responding to Nami’s murmur was Haredas, a weather scholar and the island's leader. Studying the skies and weather, he spoke gravely, concerned about the seas to come.

Even if it was a sky island, there were ways for others to reach it. It wasn’t completely safe.

And sure enough—it came sooner than they expected.

“Uwaaahhh!!?”

“What’s going on!?”

Screams echoed across the island. Being a small island, it didn’t take long to locate the source.

“Gyahaha!! Can you believe it?! There really is a sky island up here!!”

“Just like the intel said!! That hefty bribe paid off!! —Hey, old geezers!! Hand over all your valuables!!”

“Hiii...!!”

“Please, spare our lives...!!”

The residents of Weatheria were all elderly scholars.

None of them were fit for combat. Faced with these sudden, marauding pirates, they could do nothing but beg for mercy.

But pirates showed no mercy to the weak.

“Hahaha!! Like hell we will!! Don’t you get it!? The world’s a ‘survival of the strongest’ now!!”

“Only tough guys like us pirates get to win. Weak little citizens like you get everything taken from you!!”

“N-No way...!!”

Yes, the order that once governed the seas had already collapsed.

Especially within the Grand Line, pirate activity had surged, with raids and destruction breaking out across many islands.

The weak perish. That was the new rule the pirates followed, and they now sought to rob the elders of everything.

“Thunderbolt Tempo!!”

“Gyaaaaaaaahhh!!?”

“!! Oh... young lady...!!”

“──No time to talk! Get inside! Now!!”

“...! U-Understood!! You too, miss, hurry and get to safety!!”

But in that moment, dark clouds floated over the pirates’ heads, and lightning rained down.

It was Nami, wielding her strange blue staff to call down lightning and protect the elders.

Though she'd been trapped here, she couldn’t turn her back on defenseless old men. She stood alone against the pirates. She was the only one who could fight right now.

“Gh...! You bitch...!! What the hell did you just do!?”

“A Devil Fruit user...!? Think you’re clever, huh!? You think you’ll get away with this!? Standing up to pirates...!!”

“...Unfortunately for you, I am a pirate too.”

“Huh!? You’re a pirate!?”

“Oh my, don’t you know me? I’m Nami—‘Cat Burglar’ Nami, navigator of the pirate crew known as the Straw Hat Pirates.”

“!!?”

“...!! Now that you mention it... She does look familiar...”

Gotcha, Nami thought, relieved her bluff seemed to be working.

She could handle herself in a fight, but there were dozens of pirates. That number was too much for her alone.

That’s why she deliberately name-dropped the Straw Hats, hoping to scare them off. If they were just petty pirates, this might save her—and the island.

She remembered a certain long-nosed companion who often pulled this kind of trick.

“That’s right. If you lay a hand on me, my crewmates won’t sit quietly. ‘Straw Hat Luffy,’ ‘Pirate Hunter Zoro,’ ‘Black Leg Sanji,’ and ‘Devil Child’ Nico Robin... I’ve got plenty of powerful allies. You really want to attack an island where they’re staying?”

“Straw Hat Luffy...!!”

“Wait... Isn’t he the lunatic who brought down Enies Lobby...!?”

“The same guy who stormed Impel Down and even Marineford...!?”

“Don’t tell me... this island is Straw Hat territory...!?”

Seeing the pirates panic, Nami flashed a defiant grin—a villainous pirate’s smirk. Playing it cool, she kept up the pressure.

“That’s right. So back off. Do it now and I won’t say a word to Luffy or Zoro. I’ll let you go—just this once.”

“──Gahahahaha!! In that case, perfect!! All right, boys!! Get fired up!! We’re gonna take the Straw Hats’ heads and storm the New World!!”

“! Whoa... that’s our captain!! Not an ounce of fear in him!!”

“Eh?”

But the pirate captain suddenly burst out laughing, rallying his crew to launch their assault—and Nami, dumbfounded, let out a flat “Eh?”

“W-Wait just a second!! Are you serious!? I am giving you a chance to walk away here...!”

“We don’t need your mercy!! I know no fear!! My hero is none other than one of the Four Emperors—‘Kaido of the Beasts’!! I’m going to the New World and joining his ranks!!”

“...!”

This is bad, Nami thought, panic rising.

These pirates weren’t backing down. Even knowing she was a Straw Hat, they still wanted to fight.

They probably weren’t strong enough to beat Luffy or Zoro—but to Nami, they were still a serious threat. These were Grand Line pirates, after all.

She might manage one or two... but this many? That would be impossible.

“Taking Straw Hat’s head will be the perfect offering!! And we’ll start with you, ‘Cat Burglar’!!”

“! Noooooooo!!?”

Nami’s eyes welled with tears as she dropped the tough act and bolted—but the pirates were faster.

“You’re not getting away!!”

“!!? Oww!!”

One of them struck at her legs with surprising speed, knocking her down. She couldn’t get up in time. The pirates closed in.

“Gahahahaha!! Die, you wench!!”

“...!! (This is bad...!!)”

As the blade came swinging down, Nami couldn’t help but think—If only Luffy and the others were here...

There would be no help. No salvation. In this world now, few had the luxury to save others. The weak were stripped of everything and left to die like dogs in the street.

But Nami refused to accept that ending. Even if she had to do it alone, she would fight. She steeled herself, resolved to stand as one of the Straw Hat Pirates—

“──What do you think you’re doing?”

“!!?”

“Huh...?”

—And then it happened.

A large man appeared behind Nami. He was muscular and imposing.

Speaking in a strange mix of courteous and rough, old-fashioned speech, he suddenly stepped forward with a smile, addressing the pirates.

“Violence against women is most unseemly.”

“Wha... Who the hell are you!?”

“W-Wait a sec... I’ve seen that guy somewhere before...!!”

One of the pirates hesitated, a flicker of recognition on his face. He mumbled that the man was one of the rookies making headlines lately—

“I owe no one a rescue... But I’ve come to this island myself to recover. And if that young lady’s plea wasn’t enough to turn you away... then I’ll be your opponent...!!”

“Eh—BUFH!!!?”

—And with that, the man smashed the pirates away with a single powerful blow.

“C-Captain!!”

“No way!! The captain got dropped in one hit...!?”

The pirates panicked.

Their most trusted leader had been utterly destroyed in an instant. Terror gripped them as they realized how overwhelming this man’s strength was.

Yet the man continued to smile down at them.

“Fufu... Still willing to fight?”

“Gh...!! This is bad... RUN!!”

“I remember now... That guy’s...!!”

And with that, the pirates grabbed their fallen captain and bolted from the island.

Only the giant of a man and Nami—collapsed to the ground—remained.

“Well then... Navigator of the Straw Hats... ‘Cat Burglar,’ wasn’t it? Are you injured? I see no sign of your captain or other crewmates, but I never expected to run into you in a place like this...”

“! Y-You’re...!!”

Nami, too, finally remembered the man.

Though his body was wrapped in bandages, he wore a gentle smile and spoke to her with graceful formality. He was one of the Eleven Supernovas—rookies mentioned in the same breath as Luffy and Zoro.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I serve as the monk and captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates... Fufufu, though I suppose there’s no need to introduce myself any further...!!”

—He was the “Mad Monk,” Urouge.

---

──Sabaody Archipelago.

“The town’s completely in chaos…”

“Of course it is. The Navy Headquarters—no, the World Government—has fallen. It’s not just this island, the whole world’s in an uproar.”

“They say the ‘Pirate Alliance’ is on the rampage too. Look at this newspaper. It’s unconfirmed, but word is that the ‘Mad Monk’ was one of the first to clash with them and got defeated…”

“No way… We’d better watch our backs too. This might not be someone else’s problem anymore…”

Outside a building in Grove 13—one of the lawless zones of the archipelago—men in white jumpsuits conversed. Even here, far from the city, the townspeople’s panic and uproar could faintly be heard. Everyone was anxious about the future of the world, and their own.

These men were no different. Shachi and Penguin of the Heart Pirates—one of the Eleven Supernovas—also felt a deep, indescribable unease about the world to come, and the fate of pirates in it.

And yet they remained calm. Because they were pirates—not helpless civilians—and because they had something unwavering, something absolute they could rely on.

That pillar of support was now inside the building, listening to the words of a certain female shopkeeper. She leaned against the bar counter, exhaling cigarette smoke as she spoke, as if recalling distant memories.

“The Rocks Pirates… were, simply put, an all-star lineup of outlaws.”

“……”

Before the woman—Shakky, the owner of this shady bar—stood Trafalgar Law, captain of the Heart Pirates, listening intently with his arms crossed.

He’d returned to the island by chance and encountered Shakky. Wanting to hide a patient he was treating, he and another man were accepted into Grove 13, and the Heart Pirates were currently docked there temporarily.

During that time, Law had asked the other man about the victors of the recent war—the "Remnants of Rocks."

But it was Shakky who spoke instead, saying she was better suited to tell the tale. With a knowing look, she began explaining the legend of Rocks to Law, one of the rising pirates of the new era.

“Let’s see… Imagine all of you Supernovas joining the same crew. That’s what it was like. Whitebeard… Big Mom… Kaido… Nue… Golden Lion… More than forty years ago, all of them sailed on the same ship.”

“...That sounds impossible to manage.”

“Exactly. The Rocks Pirates were a vicious crew, constantly murdering each other on board. It was a collection of infamous pirates thrown together.”

“And the one who kept them in check was—”

“Yes—Rocks.”

A pause. Just saying that name silenced the room.

Law couldn’t have known, but for the others present, merely uttering that name dredged up a flood of emotions.

“Back then, on Pirate Island Hachinosu, Rocks pitched a lucrative scheme and formed the Rocks Pirates. From then on… the world lived in terror, day after day.”

“If he was that famous, it’s strange we’ve never heard the name before.”

“The Government erased him.”

Shakky explained. With the World Government now gone, she was free to speak. Whether she wanted to was another matter, but under these circumstances, she no longer cared.

“Captain Rocks dreamed of becoming ‘King of the World.’ He bound those terrifying crewmates together with overwhelming power, and turned his fangs on the World Government… but—”

“?”

She suddenly paused. Law gave her a curious look.

But another person picked up where she left off—someone who had more right to speak of the past than Shakky.

“We were the ones who stopped him.”

“! The ‘Dark King’… no, the Roger Pirates…?”

An old soldier with white hair sat at the bar. But his aura hadn’t faded one bit. Silvers Rayleigh—the “Dark King,” right-hand man to the Pirate King Gol D. Roger—tilted a bottle of strong liquor and continued the story Shakky had started.

“That’s right. Thirty-six years ago, we clashed with the Rocks Pirates on an island called God Valley.”

“Then the Roger Pirates destroyed the Rocks Pirates…?”

“Yes, but we weren’t alone. The Navy’s Garp fought alongside us.”

“!? Garp did!?”

Law was stunned. Why would the Navy’s hero team up with the Pirate King to fight Rocks?

The full details were complex, but Rayleigh recalled and summarized them simply.

“Yeah… Luffy’s grandfather Garp was on a mission to protect the Celestial Dragons. We just happened to be there, finishing things with Rocks.”

“The Celestial Dragons…!?”

Rayleigh explained. Luffy, battered and barely clinging to life, was now being treated by Law and Jinbe.

After Jinbe had fled with Luffy into the sea, it was the Heart Pirates who had rescued them by chance. That coincidence also led to their reunion with Rayleigh—and now they were hearing about Rocks for Law’s mission.

“We, the Roger Pirates, and the Navy under Garp, joined forces to fight the Rocks Pirates… and we won.”

Rayleigh added that the credit went solely to Garp—thanks to the Government’s manipulation of information. As a result, the hero who defeated the Rocks Pirates became Garp, and he was henceforth known as the Navy’s Hero.

But what happened after was what truly mattered.

“After that, God Valley vanished without a trace… and the Government buried all information about the Rocks Pirates, who had touched too deeply on the world’s taboos. The former crew members scattered, gathered new allies, and rose to fame across the seas.”

Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Big Mom… Rayleigh listed the surviving former members of the Rocks Pirates one by one. But his tone dimmed, as only a few were still alive.

“Among them, Kaido and Big Mom were like cats and dogs… even with Nue mediating, their alliance caught the Government completely off guard. It was a devastating oversight. In the end, the World Government—after 800 years—collapsed, and order crumbled.”

Rayleigh opened the front page of today’s World Economy News, commenting solemnly on its content.

“If you’re going to keep sailing these seas, you’d best be careful. It says here that the Revolutionaries and remnants of the Navy formed a new government to restore order. They plan to keep the bounty system and partner with bounty hunters and national armies. But… I doubt this will be enough. The Pirate Alliance… the world of violence… won’t stop so easily.”

“……”

At that, Rayleigh took another swig from the bottle—as if mourning the cruel era, and honoring a friend’s sacrificed future.

Law said nothing. But within, he was deep in thought. Rocks. Kaido. Big Mom. Nue. He processed this new knowledge and weighed his next move.

If they entered the New World as they were now, they’d just be easy targets. In that case—

“Ah!! You—!! What the hell are you doing here!?”

“!”

“Oh? Monkey-chan, you’re up already?”

Just as Law was about to reaffirm his decision, the bar door flew open—and in walked a boy, wrapped head to toe in bandages, battered but full of life. His name: Monkey D. Luffy.

Behind him was another man still undergoing treatment—a fish-man. As soon as Luffy spotted Law, he was shocked.

“Sorry, Captain! I told him to stay in bed, but he wouldn’t listen…!!”

“What are you guys doing here!?”

“How many times do I gotta say it! We, the Heart Pirates, patched you up and saved you!!”

“The Heart… Oh, that was Tra—Tra-man’s crew! My bad, thanks!!!”

“What the hell is ‘Tra-man’!?”

“……”

Law simply stared at the commotion as Luffy loudly bickered with the Heart Pirates crew.

As he debated whether to scold him, someone stepped in front of Law—Jinbe, who knelt down and bowed his head deeply.

“Trafalgar Law… I’m in your debt. If not for you, both I and Luffy-kun would be fish food right now!!”

“Oh yeah!! Tra-man!! Thanks a bunch!!”

“…No need for thanks. Just a whim. But seriously—keep moving like that and you’re gonna die.”

“I’m fine! I just gotta eat some meat!!!”

“What kinda body is that!?”

Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo all chimed in. Despite his injuries and fatigue, Luffy was already full of energy. Seeing him like that brought a smile to Shakky and Rayleigh’s faces as well.

“Luffy-kun… you look well. But as he said, you really should rest for now. You saved your brother—if you collapse now, he’d be heartbroken.”

“! Got it, Old Man Rayleigh!”

“…Luffy-kun. Things are rough right now, but I’ve got to thank you too. For this time—”

“──Captain!! We’ve got a situation!!”

"!"

Just as Rayleigh showed concern for Luffy and Jinbe was about to express his gratitude to him, a member of the Heart Pirates rushed in from outside in a panic. Law responded with his usual composure.

“What is it?”

“Outside… there’s a Warlord—no, a former Warlord!!”

“!!? What…!!”

A former Warlord. At those words, the face of a certain man—Law’s grinning nemesis—immediately flashed through his mind. His expression stiffened and turned pale in an instant. Jinbe and the others also tensed, wary. Who could it be?

“—Out of my way. Do not block my path.”

“S-Sorry, but I can’t allow that…♡ Gwah!!”

“! You’re…!!”

While Law and Jinbe hesitated about whether to intercept or wait, the figure forcefully shoved the Heart Pirates crew aside and stepped into the room with regal confidence.

Seeing her, Law felt a sliver of relief—but Jinbe remained on guard. After all, she was someone who had once betrayed the Government and sided with the Beasts Pirates. It wouldn’t be strange if she came to target Luffy or even himself.

“Boa Hancock!!?”

“Hancock-chan…?”

“…Shakky, Rayleigh… Jinbe… and that one’s Trafalgar Law, yes…”

With a serious expression, the woman—Pirate Empress Boa Hancock—scanned each face in the room one by one.

Rayleigh and Shakky knew her personally, so they weren’t overly alarmed. Even so, given her current affiliations, this couldn’t be a cheerful reunion. Everything now depended on what she was about to say.

“Hancock~~!! I’m so glad!! You’re okay!!”

“! Luffy…”

“H-Hey, Luffy-kun!! That woman is—!!”

Despite the tension in the air, Luffy greeted Hancock with a big smile. Jinbe, flustered, tried to stop him, but there was no holding Luffy back. He had no reason not to welcome her.

To him, Hancock—like Jinbe—was someone who had saved him. She was an ally, someone he owed his life to.

—But despite being greeted with a smile by the man she loved, Hancock’s pale expression didn’t waver.

“…Luffy… I came here… because I have a proposal.”

“Huh? A proposal?”

Seeing Luffy alive and safe, she let out a small sigh of relief and composed herself. The mere thought of him having died had nearly broken her. So seeing him alive—truly alive—was the greatest comfort she could receive.

But for that very reason… Hancock had come to ask something of him. To protect Luffy from the ones she feared above all else—

“…Would you… join the Beasts Pirates…?”

“…Huh……!!?”

—She asked, her voice trembling with fear.

---

—The New World, a certain island.

“…………”

In a vast grassland, where gentle winds blew and both weather and waves remained calm, a man gripped by despair stood alone—before a grave.

The grave, perched atop a hill, was massive—larger than any other.

It stood imposingly, as if to testify to the sheer presence and greatness of the man who had once lived.

A massive naginata, once wielded as a weapon, was thrust into the earth beside it. Tied to it was the flag of the man who had once been the most renowned pirate on these seas.

Around the grave were others—numerous ones. And in place of gravestones, swords and spears had been thrust into the ground.

“…Still here, huh… Ace.”

“…………”

A man sat slumped at the foot of the grave.

He, too, bore the same skull insignia on his back as the one on the flag tied to the grave.

But his back looked painfully small—not in physical size, but in spirit.

The current Ace—Portgas D. Ace, drowned in despair—seemed a mere shadow of the man who once led others forward with unwavering confidence. That’s what both Deuce and Marco felt as they looked at him.

Seeing this, Marco let out a sigh. It had already been three days since Whitebeard’s funeral. And in all that time, Ace hadn’t changed.

“…I wanted to talk about what comes next… but Ace. How long are you planning to stay like this?”

“…If it’s just talk… handle it without me.”

“…! Hey, Ace…!!”

Deuce couldn’t bear it anymore. He took a few steps closer, unable to watch the man in front of him wither away.

Ace now was far too fragile. Like the flame of a candle, ready to vanish at the slightest breeze—his spirit barely clung to existence.

They’d left him be, thinking he needed time. But over two weeks had passed since the war ended, and three days had already gone by since the funeral.

And all that time, Ace hadn’t eaten or drunk anything, just sat by the grave—no one could ignore that. Left alone, he seemed like he might simply fade away. But—

“…Leave me… alone…”

“…! That’s enough, Ace!! At this rate, you’ll die too!! I get that you’re in pain… but don’t you dare throw away the life you were saved for!!!”

“…Yeah… you’re right… I was saved…”

Even as Deuce yelled right in his face, Ace didn’t lift his head.

He responded flatly, as if Deuce’s words meant nothing at all.

“You say you understand my pain… but you don’t. You couldn’t possibly understand…”

“What…!?”

As Deuce frowned in confusion, Ace let out a bitter, mocking smile and muttered what was in his heart.

“You guys who saved me… you can’t understand the pain of being the one who was saved. I was the one saved. But because of me… Pops died, my crew died… you guys got hurt… and the whole world got turned upside down…”

“! That’s…”

Deuce faltered. That kind of pain—Deuce truly didn’t understand.

Ace’s pain, his suffering—it went far beyond physical wounds. These were scars of the heart.

“Because of me… so many people are suffering…”

And no, it wasn’t the guilt over being the son of Gol D. Roger—the sin Ace had always struggled with.

It was what he had done. Chasing after Blackbeard in rage. Losing. Getting captured by the Navy. Put on public execution. Becoming a target. And as a result, the world fell into chaos, and many comrades, including Pops, had died.

They had once said Whitebeard’s life wasn’t just his own—it protected the lives of tens of thousands who lived in the territory under his name.

And Ace had destroyed all that. Through his own actions.

Not because of his father's sins—but because of his own choices.

“…I just… can’t go on anymore…”

That’s why Ace had sunk so deeply into despair.

“I can’t keep being a pirate… I’ve got no guarantee I can beat them… and I don’t want to hurt anyone else because of me…!!”

He had pushed forward with reckless confidence.

He’d believed he could beat anyone. Acted selfishly. Never held himself back. Ignored everyone who tried to stop him. Believed only in his own sense of justice.

—And this was the result.

“Sorry, but I’m done… Marco… tell everyone for me…”

“…………”

Marco listened in silence. To Ace’s decision. To his suffering.

“…Sorry, Deuce… go find someone else to write your next adventure about…”

“…!! You…”

And then Deuce understood. Ace had truly broken.

“I guess… I never should’ve been born—”

“…!!! You…!!!”

But that was the one thing he couldn’t let slide.

Something boiled over in Deuce the moment those words reached his ears. Without thinking, he acted.

“You damn idiot!!!”

“!!!?”

—His fist flew.

Deuce’s right hook slammed into Ace’s cheek and sent him flying.

“…!!? Deuce just… punched Ace…!!”

Marco watched in shock. Normally, there was no way Deuce could lay a hand on Ace.

But he had. And the reason was simple. As Ace sat stunned, he muttered in disbelief—

“…Deuce… used… Haki…!?”

“Hahh… hahh… Haki or not… you’re so weak right now, even I can hit you!!!”

“!!”

Deuce punched him again.

But Deuce was weak. Among the former Spade Pirates, he hadn’t been much of a fighter. Even after joining the Whitebeard Pirates, his role had been in Marco’s First Division—specifically, as a ship doctor.

Sometimes Ace and Marco had taught him to fight, and he had grown more used to combat over the years—but he never became significantly stronger. He couldn’t even use Haki. His true role remained organizing the medics and acting as the “young doc.”

He’d helped treat Whitebeard’s body with Marco. That frail, worn body. It had been sheer madness for Whitebeard to go to war like that—but even with his heart pierced, he’d fought those monsters to the very end.

—Compared to that, both he and Ace were nothing.

“Don’t you dare say crap like that, Ace!!!”

“…!”

Deuce, breath ragged, screamed after flooring Ace.

“What the hell were you just about to say…!!? That’s the one thing—the one thing—you’re not allowed to say!! Ace, if you want to quit being a pirate, do it. If you want to disappear, fine. That’s your freedom. But I will never forgive you for saying you shouldn’t have been born!!!”

“…!!”

His fist landed on Ace again.

Ace took it without blocking, fell, but then slowly rose—feeling a spark of anger he hadn’t felt in days.

“…But I’m right!! Everyone died because of me!!! If I hadn’t been there, none of this would’ve happened!!!”

“Because of you…!? Ace, don’t flatter yourself!!!”

“!?”

Deuce punched Ace’s face again. This time, Ace didn’t fall—but he was shocked by the words.

“You really think Whitebeard died because of you!? If that’s what you believe, then let me tell you something! You’re wrong!! Whitebeard… Pops… his time had already come…!! He was going to die sooner or later…!!!”

“Ghh…!! Even so, I’m the one who sped it up, aren’t I!!!?”

“No. You’re not, Ace. Whitebeard died because he chose to go to that war…!!!”

“…!!”

Deuce knew it as a doctor. Whitebeard’s body had long been past its limits.

If he’d rested, he might have lived a little longer. Whitebeard knew that too. He knew he carried countless lives on his back, and so he took care of himself.

But when his family was threatened, he chose to fight. Even knowing the cost.

And when he made that choice—did Whitebeard ever really believe he would survive?

“Go ahead, say it again!!! If you really believe that crap—!”

“Yeah, I’ll say it as many times as it takes!! Whitebeard’s death was his own responsibility!!! It was never your fault!!!”

"……!! You…!!!"

"!!"

Ace, furious, punches Deuce across the face. His strength is overwhelming—on a completely different level. Deuce doesn’t even come close. The kind of power that made Ace the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates at such a young age. That single blow is enough to leave Deuce staggering, nearly unconscious.

And yet… that’s exactly why Deuce lets out a faint smile.

"Heh… you’ve still got that fire in you, huh… Ace…!!"

"! Ah… damn it, Deuce…!! Are you okay…!?"

Ace remembers—Deuce is still recovering from injuries suffered in the war. Regret floods him for lashing out. Concern takes over.

But Deuce doesn’t seem to care. He plops down heavily on the grass with a wry grin and speaks.

"Geez… following you has never been a walk in the park, has it…?"

"…Then maybe… you should’ve just abandoned me. I’m just some reckless, hopeless kid."

"Maybe so. …But don’t underestimate me, Ace. I’m no rookie anymore. I’m a full-fledged pirate. I don’t switch captains halfway."

Deuce says it plainly. Recalling the past.

"That day… when I met you on that deserted island, when you saved me… from that moment on, I chose to live—and die—for you. That’s the kind of life I decided I’d live. No regrets."

From that moment, Deuce had already found his purpose.

So did the rest of the Spade Pirates. They had chosen—to follow him, to support him.

"Our tale… our journey… it’s not complete without you!!! Ace!!!"

"! Deuce… you guys… you all did that… for someone like me…?"

"It’s not for 'someone like you,' Ace… You’re more valuable than you think. Some so many people care about you—who believe in you. Me, the old Spade crew… the Whitebeard Pirates… even Oyaji himself… All of us love that reckless, hopeless kid that you are."

"!!!"

—That was what Ace had always longed for.

As the son of a world-damned criminal, Ace had been scorned since birth.

The world insisted he should never have been born. That his very existence was a sin.

That’s why he went to sea. Why he set out to surpass the Pirate King—to force the world to recognize him.

But that wasn’t it. What Ace truly wanted—was something else entirely.

"Hey, Ace. This fight… we lost a lot, didn’t we?"

"……Yeah."

"But… you’ve still got so much left."

"!!"

A crowd begins to gather around Ace, who’s still kneeling before a grave.

"We’re all here… the former Spade Pirates…"

Deuce, Skull, Miharl, Isuka, Kotatsu… a total of 21 members and one animal of the Spade Pirates.

"And the Whitebeard Pirates…"

Marco, Vista, Izo… commanders and crew alike—nearly a thousand of them.

"And… those brothers you talk about all the time… they’re still alive!!!"

"……!! Luffy… Sabo…!!!"

They’re not here, but they’re alive somewhere in this world—his sworn brothers.

When they were young, they were family. Brothers who helped each other, laughed together, fought side by side, and survived.

"Ace… we don’t regret going to save you."

"Yeah. The world’s a mess right now, but… we’ll deal with that later. There’s a lot to mourn, sure… but right now, we’re just glad you made it."

"I’m sure Oyaji and the others we lost feel the same way… So don’t blame yourself, Ace!!!"

"You guys…!!"

They say it—how glad they are that he came back alive.

No one blames him. Everyone celebrates that Ace survived. There’s no reason not to be happy.

The funeral is over. The mourning is done—now it’s time to celebrate what was saved.

"Ace… we were hated from the start, yoi. Pirates’ve always been like that… So don’t give a damn if the whole world hates you, yoi!!!"

"Marco…!!"

Marco, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. He’d been silently watching Ace and Deuce this whole time.

He’d originally come to report something. As the de facto leader of the remaining Whitebeard Pirates, he had a decision to make.

"It’s true—we lost a lot. Oyaji, our crewmates… too many things to count."

And that’s exactly what they’d already discussed—what had already been decided.

"But we’re gonna stand and fight. Against Teach and that pirate alliance—to settle the score!!"

That’s the path Marco and the others had chosen.

Marco would take over as acting captain and lead the Whitebeard Pirates forward.

—But that was only if Ace didn’t recover.

"………But that’s only if you refuse, yoi."

"…What…!!?"

Marco speaks, and the others turn their eyes to Ace—serious, unwavering.

Around a thousand crew members of the Whitebeard Pirates. All of them had shared a sakazuki cup with Whitebeard—lived under the banner of the world’s strongest pirate crew.

These veterans, pirates who’d sailed the New World long before Ace ever had, were all looking directly at him—lined up before him.

"We talked it over… and if you’re willing to take this on… we’ll follow you from here on out. You’ll lead us."

"……!! That’s… No way…! You’re telling me everyone agreed to this!?"

"──We did, yoi. Can’t you see it in their eyes? Ace… this is your… true worth, yoi."

"……!!"

Tears spill from Ace’s eyes.

It’s unthinkable. Him—just a reckless, stupid kid—and yet every single person is looking at him with purpose in their gaze.

"You damn fools…!! Every last one of you…!!!"

"──So, it’s decided. Glad this trip wasn’t for nothing."

"!!? Huh…?"

A sudden voice makes Ace turn. From a different path than where the Whitebeard Pirates are gathered, a man walks toward them.

It’s the one who saved Ace. The one who brought him here. One of the Four Emperors who rules the seas of the New World.

"Red-Haired…!!? I thought you’d already left the island…!!"

"…Had some business to take care of. Now that it’s done, I came back… Got another matter to handle now."

"Huh…?"

"I’m here as a witness, yoi. For the succession ceremony."

The man standing before Ace—Red-Haired Shanks—gives him a small smile. Though an enemy, he had returned for this moment.

"…Ace. I didn’t come here just because you’re Captain Roger’s son…"

And Shanks tells him—he came because Ace himself is worth it.

“When we met a few years back... honestly, I didn’t think you had it in you... But now, maybe—you just might become a great man like Whitebeard someday. I believe that possibility isn’t zero.”

“Red-Haired... You really think I...?”

...But even so, Ace hesitated.

Was he really the right one? Would he fail again? Would he once again lose many allies—those he loved?

The thought made his legs tremble. Pathetic. Pops would never have faltered like this. He couldn’t become like Pops.

“...Ace. And... I hate to bring this up now, but I’ve got a message for you.”

“...A message?”

“...It’s from Musashi.”

“...!!”

Just as Ace was on the verge of collapsing beneath the weight of his own doubts, Deuce told him there was a message.

And the one who left that message... was Musashi.

Despite being the biological daughter of the Supreme Commander of the Beasts Pirates—Kaido of the Beasts—she had joined Ace’s Spade Pirates and later sided with the Whitebeard Pirates.

She was likely already captured by the Beasts Pirates now. Even so, Ace wanted to hear her message. He looked to Deuce.

“...What did Musashi say...?”

“...Just one thing—”

Deuce took a breath and delivered it.

“—‘The next time we meet... it'll be at the peak of piracy.’”

“!!!”

It was a fateful echo—words Ace himself had once promised his little brother when they parted ways.

From Musashi, who knew Ace was striving for the top—her greatest show of support. Deuce, aware of the meaning behind it, added more words to carry that weight.

“...Hey Ace. Yeah, maybe if you keep fighting, you’ll get hurt again... But still, Musashi and your brothers—they’ll keep fighting. Even if you’re not around, they’ll face what’s coming.”

“...Yeah... you’re right.”

Ace nodded. It was true.

Musashi, Luffy... and Sabo, who turned out to still be alive—there’s no way they’d just sit back and do nothing.

No matter what kind of world they found themselves in, they would resist, face it head-on to fulfill their dreams.

They had been hurt before. And they might be hurt again. Even so—

“...Yeah, that’s right... I forgot.”

He wanted... to protect them.

“...I don’t want to lose anyone I love ever again...!!!”

If that’s the case—then he had no choice but to become stronger.

He had to fight. Keep fighting.

“...So, you’ve decided.”

“Yeah... I have.”

“...Ace... once again, we entrust our lives to you.”

Shanks, Marco, and Deuce each spoke, smiling.

But only for a moment. Their expressions turned serious again, remembering Marco’s words.

“All of us—Whitebeard Pirates captains, crewmates, and our entire fleet—we all stand with you.”

They pledged to support the new captain.

“...Come on, Cap-tain. Say something. Give us your greeting.”

“...I’m...”

And so, the new captain stood before the great man’s grave and made his vow.

“I’m still a kid. Not that smart, can’t do things all that well. I rush into fights without thinking things through—a reckless, naive kid...!!”

“Ha! Pops was the same way back in the day!!”

“Yeah!! Everyone knows that!!”

...But even so, he led them all forward.

“But... even so, I can’t stand seeing my crewmates get mocked... And anyone who hurts them—I’ll knock them the hell out myself!!!”

“We all feel the same way!!”

“Hell yeah, let’s do it, Captain!!”

“Anyone who lays a hand on our crew... there’s not a soul in these seas who doesn’t know what happens to them!!”

...That’s how it’s always been.

“That’s why... I’ll get stronger. I’ll get stronger, and—I don’t know how far I’ll go, but I’ll protect what matters to me!!!”

“Damn right!! Big Bro Ace!!”

“We’re not gonna let you be the only one protecting us forever!!”

...So they would carry on that will—just as they always had.

“If you’re okay with someone like me... then I’m asking you too...!!! Let me carry your lives...!!!”

“Yeah!!!”

A pause. And then—Marco spoke the words with conviction.

“—Under the witness of ‘Red-Haired’ Shanks, the next captain of the Whitebeard Pirates is... Portgas D. Ace!!!!”

“UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

“...!!!”

Cheers loud enough to reach the heavens erupted. A roar that echoed far and wide.

Before Whitebeard’s flag, they all swore their loyalty to the new captain.

“We, all captains and below—the one thousand strong of the Whitebeard Pirates!! We pledge our lives to our new captain!! Fire Fist Ace!!!”

They lit the flames and celebrated the new captain, and the new voyage.

“I’ll carry your lives!! But don’t ever forget!!! The will of Whitebeard... Pops lives on!!! We’re family!!! Anyone who harms our family—no matter who they are—we won’t forgive them!!!”

“UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

“A new era of the Whitebeard Pirates is born!!!”

“We’re counting on you, Captain Ace!!!”

...No matter what hardships awaited them from here on out—

For now, they celebrated. And looked to the future with hope.

“...Looks like it’ll be a damn fine crew...”

Red-Haired Shanks saw a glimmer of his former captain in the side profile of the resolute Ace.

And that’s precisely why he worried. The seas ahead... would be too harsh for the current Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates to survive.

They would no doubt become enemies. But Ace was the son of a departed comrade. The older brother of the boy he once entrusted the straw hat to. If he could help it—he didn’t want Ace to die.

“...I have to buy them time... somehow...”

Shanks made a quiet vow—to stall for time.

And he prayed—that one day, they would rise above it all.

“Luffy... Ace... until you both rise to the top...”

And with that, having witnessed the naming ceremony and the pirates’ wild celebration, Red-Haired Shanks quietly left.

──And soon after, the appointment of Portgas D. Ace as the second captain of the Whitebeard Pirates was reported across the world.

To those who knew them, it offered a faint glimmer of hope... to many more, despair. But nothing could stop it.

The world of violence accelerated with each passing second and began to engulf the world.

What would the Whitebeard Pirates do next? What would they leave behind? No one yet knew.

──Not even the girl who should have known the world.

“Heh... Ace becoming the Whitebeard Pirates’ captain, huh... That’s actually pretty great. I love seeing fiery young guys giving it their all!!”

She didn’t know.

From here on, it would be uncharted waters for her as well.

“So then... what are you planning to do, Musashi-chan♡?”

“......I... no, I will...”

──She, too, would make a new choice.

“──I’m going back... to the Beasts Pirates.”

“...! ...Fufufu, I see... Then we’d better say hello properly, huh──”

──Welcome home♡ the beast said.

“...I’m back.”

──With a new resolve burning in her heart... Musashi returned to the place where it all began.

...To the world of violence.