Two years have passed since the coliseum incident, and as far as the world is concerned, nothing particularly interesting has happened. But if I had to mention two things, it would be that Gil is now a Marine and has risen in rank to a certain level; if I stay in the same position for three months, I'm out of luck.
Another thing I can say is that, despite my anti-stupid treatment, Ace still stood up to Whitebeard and, by default, became the second-in-command of the old man's pirates.
Yamato stayed with Ace until he joined the old man; after that, she left. I asked Ace about her when I saw him again, only for him to say that he had things to do. Since then, I haven't seen or heard from her. Most likely, she's returned to Wano or is looking for the Roger Pirates. One of the two.
But before I finish this, there's one more incident I want to mention.
...
Third-person POV
On an island in the New World, chaos reigned. Marines were searching for and pursuing a specific pirate. This was Ace Firefist, a member of Whitebeard's crew, with a bounty of 850,000,000 Belly.
He could be seen leaping from property to property, dodging the Marines' attacks as if they were fire. The moment he hit the ground, they all pounced on him.
Ace: "Hi no uzu," he said, summoning a tornado around himself that repelled all the Marines who approached.
He was about to continue the chase, but as he took the first step, he stopped, then looked in a specific direction with a smile.
Marine: "Captain Gilgamesh," he said to one of the Marines upon seeing the person who had come to their aid.
In the distance, a young man with medium-length blond hair, gold earrings, and red eyes could be seen. He stood about 1.87 meters tall. A long spear with a golden blade slung over his shoulder was visible, his hands in his pockets. His gaze was fixed on Ace, accompanied by a natural and somewhat friendly smile, a rare sight for those who knew him.
Gil was known for being aloof and strong-willed, as well as for his air of superiority, something he had earned in a way due to his impressive list of achievements in a short time.
Gil: "I see you've made your way to the sea and made quite a name for yourself, Ace."
Ace: "And you've grown quite a bit since we last saw each other, Gil."
They both smiled at each other, then began to exude a desire for combat. Gil's smile shifted from friendly to arrogant, while Ace's became confident.
Gil: "Well, I haven't just grown taller; my combat skills have also improved, and now I'm capable of defeating you without much trouble, big brother."
Ace: "Well, I'm stronger too; I'll show you why I was always the strongest of the four, little brother."
And so they both launched into combat, Ace with his fists enveloped in heat, fire, and Haki, and Gil with the Durindana infused with Haki.
The marines around them went crazy for two reasons. First, because the island was almost completely destroyed and the fight ended in a draw, and second, because Ace and Gil were brothers, a fact that spread like wildfire.
Everyone knows Gil is my son, so if he and Ace are brothers, then Ace is also my son. That was the conclusion everyone reached.
...
Dante's POV
And that's how Ace became my son, at least in spirit, just as he and all the Whitebeard Pirates are the old man's sons.
I had a few problems when the rumor got around here at home, especially with Trini and Celestia; the former asked me when it happened, and the latter asked if I'd tricked her again, something I've never done willingly.
The Whitebeard Pirates also asked me if it was true.
In the end, I just had to use math to explain that when Ace was born, I was only 16, and I was always in Paradise, while Ace was born in the South Blue, a place I couldn't have been at that age.
I also explained that Ace and Gil were brothers by marriage, not blood, along with two others. That put them at ease.
Ace could have explained it to them, but he was busy with the Marines, and these guys wanted an immediate answer.
Speaking of the brothers, during the two years I've been with the revolutionaries, I've been training with Sabo. I could restore their memories, but I don't want to do it now, since it wouldn't change anything; I plan to do it if Ace is captured in the future.
Meanwhile, I tell Sabo about weird and silly stories where one of the protagonists shares his name, to which he asks if it was a story I'd written before.
That way, when I regain my memory, he won't complain to me, since I can say something like, "I suspected as much," to avoid any responsibility and do nothing about it.
Important news: my daughter was born healthy and is now two years old; she's in my arms right now as we went to pick up the two brats from school.
I named her Lulu, which is normal, since I was getting tired of giving my children or other people's children meaningful names.
Thanks to Lulu, Celestia no longer wants any more children, something that used to tie me to her. This is because she hates our daughter; this hatred stems from jealousy, since I spend all day with Lulu, and Lulu doesn't want to be separated from me. We're inseparable, something that bothers my wife a lot.
That's one of the reasons why I never leave my daughter, and if I do, I don't leave her with Celestia. It's nothing but trouble.
I should also mention that Balesca is four months pregnant, and if you're wondering, yes, it's mine. You might be wondering, "Did she manage it?" Now you're probably wondering, "How did she manage it?" Well, first she managed to get Celestia drunk, something she'd been planning for five years, and then she got me, something that didn't take much effort with my sword out of the way.
After a living hell, things have calmed down here. Celestia's in a terrible mood because of all this, so I haven't been spending much time with her lately.
I don't know if divorce is even a thing, but I know she won't want it; even if I cheat on her with half the world, she'll never let me go.
Sometimes I feel like going to a deserted island and disappearing.
Lulu: "Hey, Dad, What are you thinking about?"
Dante: "About learning to say no and disappearing from this shitty world." "About nothing important, honey."
Lulu: "Dad, can we go straight to Grandma Bale's house?"
Dante: "First we'll go to Aunt Isis's house; she's everywhere. Grandma Balesca is there too."
Lulu: "Hmm," she said, nodding in agreement.
If only I knew everything, I wouldn't have these problems with women; I wouldn't have wished, when I started my journey, to be surrounded by beautiful and exotic women. How I regret those words.
...
Sulli: "This is bullshit. How can new diseases appear? It takes years of research to find a cure, and we don't have the resources to do it here." She said, racking her brains.
Trini: "Is Whitebeard really that bad?"
Sulli: "I don't give him more than two years to live; that's how bad he is."
Dante: "Well, despite that, the old man keeps drinking and overexerting himself, so it makes sense that he's so close to the grave."
Celestia: "But what about Father's illness?"
Sulli: "According to the information I have, his body's cells aren't producing enough protein, other organs are failing, and finally, his red blood cells aren't efficiently transporting oxygen."
Isis: "Marcos also said that his body is barely producing any energy anymore, so he's lacking strength; that affects him in his battles."
Celestia looked very worried, and it was understandable; they were talking about her father. I took her hand and kept her company. As much trouble as this woman causes me, and as terrible a mother as she is, she's still my family, and therefore, I try not to abandon them in these moments.
I looked at the children, the four of them playing with Balesca in the distance. I may not have chosen this life, but I don't think it's so bad.
Trini: "Hey, Dragon, I'll send you a message."
Dante: "About this year's meeting?"
Trini: "Yes, he said to meet in the East Blue, more specifically in Loguetown."
That comment reminded me of the main plot of this world. Luffy will soon, or perhaps already, have left to become the Pirate King.
An idea popped into my head.
After the meeting ended, I went home with Calestia to talk about my trip and how I would be going alone this time, since she couldn't take me to Balesca.
With a little persuasion, I managed to convince her to let me go there early. So I packed my bags, spoke with the others, especially Celestia, about how she was treating her daughter and how she needed to foster the relationship they should have, and then I left.
...
Now you're probably thinking, and if I may break the fourth wall, that I'm going to interfere with the story, steal the spotlight, and all that nonsense, but the truth is, no, I just wanted to see the plot from the closest possible perspective, without interrupting, or at least that's the idea.
Right now I'm in Orange Town, a city I haven't visited in years; the last time I was here was when I met Nix. A long time ago.
This is my third day on this island. It turns out I arrived shortly after Buggy's antics, but he hasn't done anything too extreme yet, from my point of view, other than taking someone hostage.
This day isn't like any other, because from my vantage point, I saw a woman with orange hair escaping from some pirates with a map. The other important thing is that I saw a large bird in the air, fighting a young man. If my memory serves me right, this is Luffy.
And so, I saw the whole scene where Nami and Luffy met, all from afar without them noticing. I saw them enter an empty house, the conversation, Luffy declaring he would be the Pirate King and Nami saying she hated pirates. Finally, I saw Nami tie up Luffy and take him to Buggy.
I mean, I hadn't planned to intervene, but when I saw Buggy about to demonstrate his power with the cannons, destroying several houses in the process, I had to act; I couldn't let him destroy the houses in this town where I have these painful but fond memories.
Buggy: "The show is ready, the show of power!" And just as they were about to fire the cannon, with a subtle energy cut that no one noticed, I sliced the cannon in half, leaving it destroyed. "Naniiii, what happened? He hasn't fired the special projectile yet!"
Before he could ask his crewmates, I appeared.
Dante: "I'm sorry, Buggy, but I can't let them destroy the homes of the people in this town; some of them might have babies or children, and they'll end up eating garbage and living on the streets."
Buggy: "And who do you think you are to...?" His words died when he saw me, recognizing me instantly. His face went from anger to surprise, from exaggerated shock to panic. "You, you're..."
Dante: "It doesn't matter who I am; what matters is what you're going to do now. Are you going to fight me?"
Buggy: "No, no, no, no," he said, shaking his head. His companions barely understood what was happening; they couldn't grasp why their captain was acting this way toward this stranger. "How could I even think of fighting you? It would be suicide."
Dante: "I see, that's a shame. I wanted to see the limits of your Devil Fruit." Buggy tensed at that. I walked over to the throne where he was sitting and sat cross-legged, looking at him. "So what are you waiting for? Are you going to stay and fight me? While you're at it, release that young man and leave the orange-haired woman alone."
Silence fell over the place.
Buggy: "What are you waiting for? You heard me, release that brat and leave that woman alone so we can get out of here and never come back. If you do, I'll kill you on the spot."
Buggy's Pirates: "Yes, Captain," they said fearfully, as they began to gather their belongings and leave.
They released Luffy, who didn't understand what was happening, while Nami watched everything with a mixture of astonishment and concern. In the middle of all this, Zoro arrived, as if the Matrix had gone haywire.
And just as they were leaving, I spoke.
Dante: "Oh, and leave the map, thinking it's compensation for everything you did."
Buggy stopped abruptly, looking at me with a hint of frustration as he ground his teeth. He cared more about his own life than going to the Grand Line, so he dropped the map on the ground and left.
Dante: "What a boring climax." I said, looking at the three young men.
Luffy: "Wow, how did you manage to get them to leave and let you keep their stuff?" he said, his expression one of astonishment.
Dante: "Buggy's a coward. He won't fight a fight he knows he'll lose." At that moment, I stood up and introduced myself. "My name is Dante. What's yours?"
Luffy: "My name is Luffy, and one day I'll be the Pirate King. To my right are my crewmates, Zoro and Nami."
Nami: "I'M NOT YOUR PARTNER!" she said aggressively, hitting him with the map she'd quickly grabbed from the ground. Despite it being just a piece of paper, Luffy reacted as if he'd been hit with a bat; it must be her secret Haki.
Zoro: "Dante, that name sounds familiar."
Dante: "Yeah, it's a common name," I said, downplaying my contribution.
Luffy: "Dante, I want to thank you for saving me from that cage, so become my nakama."
Dante: "That's your way of thanking me, making me your nakama? Forget it."
Luffy: "Huh? Why?" he complained.
Dante: "Because it would be too much trouble, but if you want to help me," I said, taking the map Nami had without her noticing to show it to her. "You want to go to the Grand Line, and to do that you have to go through Loguetown; if you want to thank me, take me to that island, and then we'll be even," I said, handing the map back to Nami.
Luffy: "Okay," he said simply.
I just smiled at him.
Dante: "Alright, let's tell the people that they're safe and can go back to their normal lives." With that, I went to where the people of this place were taking refuge, followed by the three of them.
...
I was playing a guitar, putting on some background music while Luffy and Zoro rowed to the next island.
Zoro: "Hey, Dante, I have a question."
Dante: "I already told you I'm not going to fight you."
Zoro: "It's not that; it's why someone like you is in East Blue."
I was thinking about what to say to them, and I remembered what happened in Orange Town, how the mayor recognized me and announced who I was, making Nami's and Zoro's eyes widen when they realized who I was, and Luffy scratching his head.
After that, Zoro challenged me to a fight, which I declined.
Dante: "I've come to see a friend who asked me to meet him in Loguetown."
I said, looking at the three of them; I stared a little longer at Nami, since she was looking at me strangely, and it was understandable after what the mayor had said to her.
It turns out that while I was greeting and signing autographs for the townspeople, the mayor met with Nami, calling her Nix, something he later apologized for. He also told her that Nix, a woman who might be mistaken for her twin sister, had been with me for a while in town years ago. That's why she's been giving me strange looks.
Luffy: "Hmm, I think I've heard your name before, but I can't quite place it," he said, scratching his head as if trying to erase the memory from his brain.
Dante: "Dante is a common name these days; it must be someone else."
Zoro and Nami were looking at me as if they didn't believe what I was saying.
After paddling for quite a while longer, we arrived at Syrup Village.
Once we reached the village, I used my special move, Disappear.
I slept in a corner of the village until everything was over. After a nap, I started exercising while using Observation Haki to see everything that was happening.
I saw that stupid ability of Kuro's: he eliminates his teammates and his field of vision to open himself up to a counterattack. And that's how he was defeated.
Wait; when the Going Merry was ready, I snuck onto the ship without anyone noticing. They only realized I was there when they started clattering.
Zoro: "So you're still here, huh? I thought you left as soon as we got to the island."
Dante: "I didn't leave. I stayed on a corner of the island to do other things. Besides, I asked them to take me to Loquetown, so I'm not going anywhere that easily."
Usopp: "And who's this guy, another crew member? Just so you know, you'll have to pass Captain Usopp's tests before he'll accept you," he said with what little authority he could muster, puffing out his chest. He also seemed a little annoyed that there was someone else here who hadn't helped.
Luffy: "Oh, he's Dante, the great hero." Hearing that, he deflated instantly, his expression turning to panic. He threw himself to the ground in a dog daze so low that, if there were no ground, his head would have reached the Earth's core.
Usopp: "Forgive me, I didn't know who you were; I'll do anything you ask," he said between sobs.
Dante: "It's okay, I forgive you," he said dismissively with a wave of his hand.
Usopp: "So, can I ask why you didn't help with the Kuro pirate situation?"
Dante: "Kuro was a weakling; he just had some troublesome abilities. Luffy and the others could handle all that; I was superfluous." I said as Usopp nodded as if I were absolutely right.
I noticed Nami was still giving me strange looks, as if she wanted to tell me something but didn't dare. I wasn't going to make her tell me. So, to pass the time, I went to sleep in a room while waiting for the next stop, which, if I remember correctly, was Baratie.