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The father had already departed from this world.
Even before his child could draw its first breath, he had been put to death by the Marines.
All that remained was the woman who would be a mother, and the unborn child within her.
The truth of the father's identity had to remain a secret—known to no one.
To protect the child in her womb, she went into seclusion in the village that had raised her.
And so, hidden from the world, a new life quietly entered it.
Baterilla, South Blue.
What a cruel twist of fate.
On this small island, she gave birth to the child who inherited the blood of the Pirate King.
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The first light of dawn was breaking over Loguetown as a ship slipped quietly into the harbor.
The Black Spade jolly roger that should have been flying from its mast had been taken down—at the strong insistence of Ace's first mate, Deuce.
It had been three months since Ace set sail on the first of January.
He'd been shipwrecked on a deserted island where he met Deuce, and in a stroke of luck, ate a Devil Fruit that gave him command of infinite flames.
After breaking free from the island, he had drifted through the East Blue, fighting pirates, capturing their ship, and gathering a crew.
Now, at last, they had arrived at the final stop before the Grand Line.
Loguetown.
Haunted by the terrifying legends of the Grand Line and Reverse Mountain, they decided to make a brief stop in Loguetown to rest and restock—to prepare for the unknown fate that awaited them.
"Hey, Ace—don't do anything reckless."
"The commander of this town is a Marine Headquarters Captain named Smoker. He's not one of the incompetent fools from the branch bases. Generally speaking, an officer from Headquarters is at least two or three ranks stronger than someone of the same rank from a branch."
Deuce was fretting like a worried father, terrified the hot-headed fool would stir up some new mess.
This time, Ace didn't brush him off with his usual arrogant indifference.
Deuce looked up.
Ace was standing at the prow, his gaze fixed on the town.
The place where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was executed. The final resting place of the demon he carried on his back.
In that moment, Deuce sensed a struggle within Ace, a pain like a destructive fire consuming him from the inside.
Did the ever-grinning Ace have moments like this?
Or was there a pain hidden beneath that smile, a pain so deep that even he couldn't see it?
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Over the past three months, the Black Spade Pirates had defeated four minor pirate crews. Ace, in a fit of impulsiveness, had also sunk two Marine warships.
He now had a bounty on his head.
Because of this, they had been forced to sneak into the harbor at dawn, hiding among the fleet of merchant ships. They had even thrown a heavy tarp over their captured vessel as an extra precaution.
"Mihar, you stay with the ship," Deuce said. "Ace, Skull, we'll go ashore in a bit. We need to get everything we need in one day."
Mihar and Skull were two companions Ace had "picked up" along the way.
Mihar was a teacher, his dream to travel the world and bring education to children who had none.
Skull was a self-proclaimed "collector," a pirate fanatic who collected anything and everything related to them. He was so obsessed that he would often sneak onto pirate ships and end up as a cabin boy until the ship reached the next port.
He had snuck onto Ace's ship and been caught. He claimed to have traveled to countless ports around the world on all sorts of vessels.
Ace, seeing the value in his experience and knowledge, believed he had the potential to become a great informant.
Skull, moved at having his talents finally recognized, had sworn to become the world's greatest intelligence operative.
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By the time the sun was up, Ace was already devouring a mountain of food in a local diner. The tower of empty plates on his table grew, much to the astonishment of the owner.
Deuce stuck close to Ace, terrified he would get a rush of blood to the head and decide to attack the Marine base.
It wouldn't have been the first time.
In Ace's own words: "It's the fastest way to get famous, to make the world notice me. It's how I'll surpass the Pirate King and become the man at the top!"
Ace was desperate for fame. And the name "Roger" was his trigger.
Suddenly, a crowd of people rushed past on the street outside.
"Hey! What's going on?" one of the other patrons asked, grabbing a passerby.
"A ship just came in from the Grand Line! It's docked at the harbor! They say it's full of rare and exotic goods!"
"For real?"
"Yeah! Porcelain from the West Blue, seafood from the North Blue, cured meats from the South Blue, perfume from Paradise..."
"All the big merchants and auction house managers are heading over there! Anything you can get your hands on is pure profit!"
As the place of Roger's execution, Loguetown was a popular tourist destination, and its people were used to seeing exotic goods from all over the Four Blues. They had a good eye for quality and knew the value of the items being described.
To be able to resell them on other islands in the East Blue would mean a massive profit.
Hearing this, even the diner owner couldn't sit still. He ripped off his apron. "Hey! I'm going to check it out!"
"Me too! Me too!"
As Deuce stared in amazement, Ace, having wiped his plates clean, let out a satisfied sigh. "Ah, I'm stuffed!"
He grinned, then grabbed Deuce by the arm. "Let's go, too!"
"Hey! You haven't paid—" the owner's wife called out.
But Ace and Deuce were already gone.
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The harbor.
As the ship of a king from an affiliated nation, it had a VIP berth.
A line of Germa 66 clone soldiers held back the surging crowd.
Law and Doruyanaika—one holding his cursed sword, the other a rifle—stood guard on either side of the gangplank like a pair of temple guardians.
After being taken by Jin, Doruyanaika had been "educated" by his "Fist of Love" and had come to accept her new reality. She had grown up in the slums, and her personality was as fiery as her temper. She had the air of a gang boss, and it was enough to keep the crowd in check.
Maya held up a megaphone. "This vessel is only open to high-volume clients! A deposit of ten million Berries is required to board! Once on board, you must purchase at least ten million Berries worth of goods! Otherwise, the deposit is non-refundable! Those with the means, please form a line over there!"
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