Chapter 225 – Brothers
"Hey, Ace!"
Ace hadn't gone far with the three Kuja warriors when he heard a familiar voice echo from behind.
He turned around and saw Monkey D. Luffy sprinting toward him, waving both arms like a madman. Behind him were Crocodile and Daz Bones, following at a much calmer pace.
"Luffy—!"
The three Kuja warriors—Margaret, Aphelandra, and Sweet Pea—visibly brightened at the sight of him. The moment they recognized Luffy's voice, their fear vanished, and they ran straight toward him.
"Margaret! Aphelandra! Sweet Pea! You've been rescued by Ace? That's awesome!" Luffy cried happily as he rushed forward and hugged Margaret without hesitation.
"Hey! You forgot to say my name, you jerk!" Sweet Pea puffed her cheeks, half angry, half relieved.
Margaret, however, glanced quietly at Ace. "It seems... you made some kind of deal with that Yonko, didn't you?" she asked softly.
She had heard the tense exchange between Ace and Big Mom just moments ago—it was clear they were freed because of him.
Ace just smiled faintly. Then he turned to Crocodile. "Crocodile, thanks. I'm sure if you hadn't been watching over Luffy while I was fighting Big Mom, he would've caused another disaster by now."
"Hmph." Crocodile gave a curt grunt, his coat fluttering in the wind.
"I still owe you, though," Ace continued. "When this is over, come find me. I'll fulfill my promise... if you still want that thing."
Crocodile shot him a cool glance. "...I'll come find you."
Without another word, he turned and strode away, Daz Bones following silently behind.
Once they were gone, Ace looked back at the three Kuja women and bowed slightly. "Thank you for taking care of my brother all this time."
"N-No, please, it was nothing!" Margaret stammered.
Ace chuckled. "You say that, but I know how much trouble he can cause. You have my sympathy."
He then added, "By the way, the Kuja Pirates' ship should have arrived by now, right?"
Sweet Pea nodded quickly. "I already told Sister Hancock, but... I didn't expect Her Majesty to come in person! What do we do?"
"Relax," Ace said with an easy smile. "It's all handled. The Big Mom Pirates won't bother you again."
Then he turned to Luffy—and immediately smacked him on the head.
"Hey!"
Luffy clutched his head, tears in his eyes. "Ace! Why are your fists just like Grandpa's?!"
"They're fists full of love, obviously!" Ace snapped. "After we finish here, you're coming with me!"
"But I still have to train on Amazon Lily!" Luffy protested, pouting.
Ace smacked him again. "You? Train peacefully? As if! You'd turn that island upside down in a week!"
Then his tone softened slightly. "Luffy, don't ever let something like this happen again. You don't want people treating you—or your friends—as bargaining chips, do you?"
Luffy blinked, then his face turned serious. "Of course not! I'm gonna get stronger—stronger than you, Ace! Stronger than anyone!"
"I'm the man who'll become the Pirate King!"
Ace grinned. "Then stop talking and follow me!"
"Wait, if I follow you, can I get stronger faster?" Luffy asked with wide eyes.
"Of course not," Ace said bluntly. "I don't have time to teach you. But—I'll introduce you to someone who can."
"Eh? A teacher?" Luffy tilted his head. "Who?"
"You don't know him personally, but you've definitely heard his name," Ace said. "He's the one who taught me Haki. A true master."
"Whoa! The one who taught you Haki?!" Luffy's eyes sparkled. "That's awesome! Is he stronger than you?"
Ace gave a small smirk. "Yeah. Much stronger."
Luffy practically bounced with excitement. "Then I wanna meet him right now!"
Ace sighed. "You'll meet him soon. But tell me first—how did you even end up getting captured by Big Mom?"
"Oh, that? Hmm…" Luffy scratched his head, thinking hard. "I think… I ate some dessert that was meant for her."
"...What?"
Bonk!
Ace's fist came down on Luffy's head again. "You idiot! You picked a fight with a Yonko over sweets?!"
"Owww! But they were really tasty!"
Ace sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, you'll never change."
"Still," Luffy grinned, "if you tried them, Ace, you'd totally steal them too."
"Hah, maybe. I'll try them someday."
As they walked, Luffy tilted his head curiously. "By the way, is it true Amazon Lily's full of women?"
"Yeah," Ace replied. "When I first went there, they looked at me like I was some kind of rare animal."
"Eh?! Then you mean—they saw you naked?!"
Ace grimaced. "Almost! They nearly chopped my balls off! It was terrifying!"
"Ehhh?! That scary?! Maybe I won't visit after all…" Luffy shuddered.
The two brothers kept chatting and laughing as they walked along the path, their voices echoing in the sea breeze.
Behind them, the three Kuja women exchanged glances and sighed softly.
Even after everything, even after becoming strong enough to face a Yonko—Ace was still Ace. A fiery, reckless big brother through and through.
"Truly brothers," Margaret murmured with a smile.
When the group finally reached the southern shore of Whole Cake Island, they found a sleek ship waiting for them at the coast.
Standing on the deck was a familiar figure—the 35th daughter of the Charlotte Family, Charlotte Pudding, waiting quietly with a conflicted look in her eyes.
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