A few days passed.
The sea was calm, but the air on the ship was anything but.
Ace and Yamato lounged on the deck — not peacefully, but with the casual impatience of warriors who knew they should be doing something instead of relaxing.
Yamato kicked her heels against the rail.
"This ship feels too empty," she complained.
"A proper crew is supposed to argue, drink, fight, and occasionally obey orders."
Akira sighed, arms crossed behind his head.
"You're not wrong. A ship like this should have a navigator, a cook, someone to yell at, someone incompetent to blame…"
He paused.
"And maybe a few paid pirates — disposable labor."
Yamato blinked.
"Disposable?"
Akira shrugged.
"Emotionally, yes. Practically, maybe. But let's table that for later."
His expression shifted — thoughtful, colder.
"First we deal with that Blackbeard guy."
Yamato nodded immediately.
"Yes. Prioritize the one who has the audacity to exist."
Akira smirked.
"…You've been listening to me too much."
Another few minutes passed in silence — Yamato cracking her knuckles, Akira staring at clouds like they owed him rent.
Finally, Akira reached into his coat and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
The snail blinked awake.
Akira spun the receiver lazily.
Tudu—tudu—tudu.
Tudu—tudu—tudu.
Yamato leaned closer, whispering like she was narrating a war document.
"Calling Garp, Admiral-level disturbance engaged."
Ace didn't even look at her.
"Yamato, if you commentate the whole call, I'm hanging up."
She straightened instantly.
"…Proceed."
The ringing continued—
Tudu—tudu—tudu.
Tudu—tudu—tudu.
Then the snail suddenly snapped upright — eyes intense, posture rigid.
A gruff voice boomed through:
"WHO IS CALLING ME ON MY DAY OFF?!"
There was silence for a while, and finally Ace said,
"Well, old man, long time no see."
As soon as he said this, there was a shout from the other side,
"Yes, you brat, only now you remember to call me? Where are you? I will definitely place you in the prison!"
Hearing this, he smiled and said,
"Well, old man, I need a help with something."
Now it was Garp's time to be silent, because Garp knew that Ace didn't ask for help from anyone, and if he was asking him now, then it must be important.
So Garp said casually,
"What is it?"
But if anyone was in front of Garp, they would definitely notice the seriousness behind his tone.
Then Ace continued,
"Well, it's the son of an old friend of yours who killed a comrade of Whitebeard Pirates."
Now it was Garp's turn to be confused.
Which son of which comrade did such a good thing?
So Garp naturally asked,
"Who did this good thing?"
Ace didn't hesitate,
"Well, it's the son of Rocks Pirate Captain — Rocks D. Xebec.
Or you can say Davy D. Xebec."
There was silence again, and even Yamato was silent now.
Even she didn't know that there was such a thing.
She knew about the Rocks Pirates — it was the crew her father once sailed under when he was young.
She didn't know she was going to kill a person with such a background.
But she ultimately didn't care.
Garp, however, did care.
Finally he spoke,
"Why do you need my help?
If he's so strong, go ask help from Whitebeard."
Ace continued,
"Well, there is also a problem and some mysteries on him.
Like he has eaten a Devil Fruit that allows him to nullify the attacks of all Devil Fruits.
And well, you know that I am a Devil Fruit user, and I major in Devil Fruits.
So for safety reasons, I'm calling you.
And I heard he once injured Shanks — in his eye — and left a mark on him.
So I was being cautious.
Are you free?"
There was silence once again.
Then Garp finally asked,
"Location and time?"
Ace smiled and answered,
"Well, the most probable location is Jaya Island — Mock Town.
As for the date, it will be in the next two weeks.
I don't know the exact time."
Garp replied,
"Brat, this is the last time.
And remember — if I catch you this time, you will definitely become a marine."
Ace laughed,
"Yahahahha ,
Well, I was able to escape once, then I can escape multiple times.
Well, sayonara."
He hung up.
After the phone call, Yamato looked at him and asked,
"Hey, is your grandpa strong?"
He nodded.
" Is he's stronger than my father."
Now it was his turn to be confused.
"Stronger than Kaido?"
He exhaled and clarified,
"Well… in his old days, or you can say when he was younger,
he was definitely stronger than your father.
But now, I don't know.
Maybe he's stronger, maybe he's weaker."
After saying that, he went quiet.
He really didn't know if Garp was stronger than Kaido now.
Because the only fight Ace had seen of Garp was the one involving Koby —
and even then, Garp fought many people,
but couldn't defeat Kuzan or the others.
And at the end, while saving Koby,
Garp was also captured.
So he really couldn't say whether Garp could defeat Kaido.
Garp was definitely an Emperor-level being —
but being able to fight emperors and defeat emperors
was a different matter entirely.
After a moment, Ace looked at Yamato and said,
"Well, Yamato, we have a fight in a few days,
so you have to eat good."
Yamato nodded at once.
And just like that,
they started cooking —
and the party of two people once again began.
---
A few more days passed, and this time Yamato and Ace finally reached Mock Town — the city of pirates, the town of Ridicule and once the living place of Shandians.
ACE knew about this town, it's where Luffy and Blackbeard first met each other.
It's also the town above which the Sky Island exists.
And, well, this town was filled with mysteries.
Ace was really excited to visit this place— maybe he could even meet Luffy here.
Just like that, Ace and Yamato entered Mock Town.
Almost immediately, Ace felt screening.
Screening from other people — whether they were dangerous or not, whether they were capable of becoming comrades, whether they were easy to bully.
But Ace and Yamato didn't care.
Ace's face was now transformed to look like another Onion Pirate —
he might be an easy target.
And Yamato, although famous, didn't have many pictures circulating of her outfit.
So both of them really felt like newbie pirates.
Sure enough, one person approached and said,
"Hey, you two newbies.
I am BLOODY the CHASER, I once chased the infamous pirate MODY the Skull till he ran away to the New World.
This is not a place where children should be playing.
Now I will take you under my command.
Just give me 10 million berries each."
Ace and Yamato didn't reply.
In the next moment, Yamato disappeared from view.
The next instant, she kicked the pirate straight in the face.
The pirate flew — directly and indirectly — and slammed into a building 40 to 50 meters away.
There was silence for a while.
Then, everything returned to normal.
Fights were very common in Mock Town.
So they didn't care if that pirate got seriously hurt or died — he brought it on himself.
Ace and Yamato booked a resort that was there.
And thus began their comfortable life, after a few weeks of travel in the Grand line.
---