The deck of the Going Merry felt quieter than it should have.
The desert wind still moved. The sails still creaked. The ship still cut forward across blue water—but something heavier had settled between the people standing there.
Ace leaned against the railing, arms folded, gaze fixed on the horizon. Luffy sat atop a barrel nearby, one knee raised, fingers idly drumming against glass. He hadn't poured the drink yet.
"Well…" Ace finally said, exhaling slowly, "I'm hunting someone."
Luffy tilted his head, one eyebrow lifting. "That so?"
Ace nodded once. "A pirate."
A faint smile tugged at Luffy's lips. He hopped fully onto the barrel and balanced there easily. "Didn't peg you for a bounty hunter."
Ace shook his head. "It's not about the money."
The tone shift was subtle—but everyone felt it.
"It's about settling something."
Nami crossed her arms. "Who?"
Ace didn't answer immediately. His jaw tightened, like the name itself tasted bad.
"…Blackbeard."
The air changed.
Chopper flinched first. "T-that pirate…?" he said quietly. "The one who attacked Drum…?"
Ace's eyes flicked to him, and for a moment the fire vanished from his expression, replaced by something closer to regret. "…Yeah."
Nojiko placed a hand on Chopper's shoulder. Nami followed.
Luffy's fingers stopped tapping.
"This is the second time I've heard that name," Luffy said slowly. "Who is he?"
Ace turned fully toward him now.
"He used to go by another name," Ace said. "One you know."
Luffy's gaze sharpened.
"Marshall D. Teach."
The name hit like a misfired cannon.
Vivi blinked. "A… Whitebeard pirate?"
Luffy's eyes widened—not in fear, but disbelief. "Teach?" he repeated. "That Teach?"
Ace nodded grimly.
"The same man who ate all our food. Slept through storms. Laughed like an idiot."
Luffy scoffed reflexively. "That fat bastard couldn't even stand up straight half the time."
Ace didn't laugh.
"He killed Thatch."
Silence.
Not the awkward kind. The dangerous kind.
The sky darkened.
Storm clouds rolled in unnaturally fast, swallowing sunlight over the sea. The wind shifted. Thunder growled low and distant.
Vivi stared upward, stunned. In the desert…?
She looked back at Luffy.
How powerful is he…?
"I'm going to kill him," Luffy said quietly.
The sea answered with thunder.
Ace moved instantly, gripping Luffy's shoulder. "No."
Lightning flickered along Luffy's skin.
"He's mine."
Luffy turned, eyes cold. "Give me one reason I shouldn't tear him apart when I see him."
"Because he was my man," Ace snapped. "My division. My responsibility."
The pressure between them tightened—fire against lightning.
Then Luffy exhaled.
"…Fine."
The storm clouds slowly began to thin.
Ace stepped back. "Good."
No one spoke for a few seconds.
Then Luffy asked, "Why?"
Ace leaned against the rail again, knuckles white. "A Devil Fruit."
That got reactions.
"A fruit?" Usopp echoed.
Ace nodded. "Thatch found it. Teach killed him for it."
"What fruit?" Luffy asked.
Ace shook his head. "No one knew. But Teach did."
Luffy stared out at the sea, expression unreadable.
Then he stood.
Without a word, he walked below deck.
Moments later, he returned carrying a heavy chest.
Zoro stiffened. Nami recognized it instantly.
Luffy set it down and unlocked it.
Devil Fruits.
Dozens of them.
Johnny swallowed. "A-are those…?"
"Yeah."
Luffy lifted a thick, worn book from the top.
"This is the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia."
He flipped pages calmly. Too calmly.
"There are very few fruits someone would kill a brother over," Luffy said. "Mine. Whitebeard's. A handful of others."
Ace nodded. "Teach always had… strange tastes."
Luffy stopped flipping.
"But," he said, closing the book, "there's a problem."
Everyone leaned in.
"Teach didn't have a fruit when I knew him," Luffy continued. "And if he has one now, he ate it recently."
Ace's eyes widened. "…How do you know?"
Luffy tapped his chest. "Shanks."
That name carried weight.
"He warned me," Luffy continued. "Teach is the man who gave him that scar."
Ace went still.
"I don't know what fruit Teach ate," Luffy said. "But I know this—whatever it is, it's dangerous enough to make Shanks wary."
Zoro reappeared on deck. "Captain," he said quietly. "We've got company."
Seven ships.
Baroque Works.
Vivi paled. "Billions—!"
"I'll handle it," Ace said, fire already stirring.
"No," Luffy said.
He walked to the port side, calm again.
"Nojiko. Helm."
She moved instantly.
As the Going Merry passed between the ships, another flag appeared.
A dog skull.
Jiro.
Gem, Mikita, and Marianne stood on deck, saluting.
Luffy smirked. "Everything set?"
Gem grinned. "Perfectly."
The Baroque ships never attacked.
They turned.
Vivi stared. "…What just happened?"
"Leverage," Luffy replied.
He turned to her. "Next stop?"
"…Erumalu."
Luffy nodded. "Good."
He turned to Ace and finally poured the whiskey.
"Drink?"
Ace smiled tiredly. "Always."