No response.
Luffy scratched his head, just about to find something to eat, when suddenly he heard a rustling sound not far away.
He followed the sound, parted the bushes, and saw Ace sitting on a rock, clutching a crumpled newspaper, staring blankly.
"Ace!"
Luffy, overjoyed, hopped over, "What are you looking at? Ah, never mind... Is there any meat? Is there any left from yesterday!"
Ace seemed not to hear, still staring at the newspaper.
"Hey! Ace!" Luffy waved his hand in front of Ace's face, dissatisfied, "Are you deaf?"
Only then did Ace snap out of it, looked up at Luffy, his eyes complex.
"Luffy... I'm going to set sail."
Ace looked into the distance, his gaze distant, "In a few days, it will be a new year. By then, I'll leave, just like Sabo, heading to that place called the Grand Line before I turn adult."
"Huh?"
Luffy scratched his head, somewhat dissatisfied, "Do you have to be in such a hurry? Can't you wait until after your birthday?"
"I can't wait."
Ace clicked his tongue, "Who knew that buying a newspaper for a change would lead to discovering such incredible news, look, you can see for yourself."
He pointed to the newspaper, and the headline was strikingly bold—
"A New Sea Emperor About to Rise? Endgame's Shano, Latest Bounty 2.86 Billion Belly! Defeated a Navy Grand Admiral, Aiming for the Four Emperors' Position, Deserving of the World's No.1 Sword Master Title!"
"Uh..." Luffy looked left and right, increasingly confused, "I can't read, Ace..."
"Idiot!"
Ace couldn't help but give him a punch, "If you want to venture out to sea, you should at least know the basics of reading, don't forget to learn more from Dadan! But you know, even if you can't read the words, you can understand the numbers, right!"
Luffy suddenly understood, just about to count the zeros when Ace shook his head helplessly:
"It's about Lord Shano, that guy, seems he's become a famous and incredible figure in the world now."
Really?
Luffy perked up, flipped open the newspaper, and indeed, at the bottom of the front-page report, found that familiar figure—
He couldn't help but grin widely.
It's been a while since he's shown me any magic, Lord Shano, now he looks so cool, his face seems even more handsome!
But then, this bounty is still a bit shabby.
28 million 6 thousand, what are the guys who issue bounties thinking, can this level match someone who's renowned worldwide?
Once I set out to sea, maybe I could surpass it all at once!
"Lord Shano has already advanced so far, if I keep wasting time here, soon I won't even see his shadow."
Ace stood up, ruffled Luffy's head:
"Back then he beat me up badly, I don't want to never recover in this life, so it's better to set sail early, don't miss me then."
"It's you who will miss me!"
Luffy rolled his eyes, "But I think you won't catch up with Lord Shano, maybe even a little finger could knock you down!"
"How's that possible!"
Ace was amused by Luffy's childishness, laughed out loud, "That's impossible, I'm a man aiming to become Pirate King!"
"Nonsense, I'm the one who's going to be Pirate King!"
"Idiot! There can only be one Pirate King!"
"I don't care, I want to be it!"
"Then I'll knock you down first!"
"Come on then, who's afraid!"
The two started bickering, their words sending nearby birds scattering, their voices echoing far into the forest...
————
Paradise, Klaykan Island.
"Good morning, Mr. Kekomi."
In the castle, Tashigi yawned as she walked into the dining room, groggily opened a jar of peanut butter, not having had the chance to spread it on toast, she noticed a newspaper on the table.
Perhaps coincidentally, the newspaper was neatly folded, displaying someone's photo prominently on the front page.
"Hmm?"
Tashigi instantly woke up, grabbed the paper, reading it thoroughly, her eyes widening with amazement, and occasionally exclaiming in excitement.
On the sofa opposite.
Hawkeye didn't even glance over, crossing his legs, sipping tea with a calm expression.
"Mr. Mihawk! Lord Shano's bounty has risen to 2.8 billion!"
"He's being called a man qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Four Emperors!"
"Defeated Admiral Kizaru and even chopped off one of his arms!"
Hawkeye still didn't look up, just responded with a faint "hmm", continuing to sip his tea, as if it were all trivial matters.
"Why aren't you surprised at all!" Tashigi said with a bit of indignation, "This is 2.8 billion! Several times higher than yours!"
"The bounty is just a number given by the World Government, it doesn't represent strength."
Hawkeye said calmly, "If I resigned from the Seven Warlords of the Sea, my bounty compared to this would be even higher, but what does that prove?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't focus on these meaningless numbers, instead, feel the pressure. Don't forget, I only promised to take you as an apprentice for a year, and nine months have already passed."
"By late spring to early summer next year, you'll have to leave this castle, and by then, the Endgame's threshold will be terrifyingly high, at that time, will you... have the confidence for Shano to accept you?"
Hearing this.
Tashigi stood still, somewhat lost in thought.