East Blue, Foosha Village.
Standing aboard a small boat, a young man adjusted his hat with one hand, a wide, simple-minded grin plastered on his face as he looked out at the boundless sea. Behind him, the worried shouts and heartfelt blessings of the villagers echoed across the water.
"Finally, it's my turn!"
The youth, wearing a straw hat, a red vest, denim shorts, and sandals, raised his arms high, legs braced wide, and roared toward the heavens:
"I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!!!"
On the docks of Foosha Village, Mayor Woop Slap and Makino completed their third send-off of the brothers. Watching the boy's receding silhouette, they were overcome with a flood of complex emotions.
"The last one has finally scrambled off," the Mayor grumbled. Though his words were blunt, he lowered his hat to hide the tears shimmering behind his spectacles.
As the one who had quietly supported the three brothers from the shadows, Makino was well aware of Ace and Sabo's recent exploits. She could only pray silently in her heart for the trio's safety.
May 5th, Sea Calendar 1520.
Monkey D. Luffy, following the tradition of his two sworn brothers, chose his 17th birthday to set sail.
The major difference, however, was that he hadn't gathered a single shred of intelligence regarding the current state of the world's seas. He had nothing but a tiny boat.
It wasn't until half a day later, when the last traces of Foosha Village had vanished and his stomach let out a thunderous gurgle in protest, that he screamed in horror: "CRAP! I forgot to bring the meat!"
…
Meanwhile, in the New World, his sworn brother was in a frenzy.
Marco, Jozu, Yasopp, and other front-line combatants of the Whitebeard Pirates were desperately holding him back, trying to prevent a reckless pursuit. But in his absolute fury, the young man suddenly ignited his ability.
The heat seared the hands of those restraining Ace, forcing them to reflexively let go. Seizing the opening, Ace transformed his legs into elemental fire, using them like thrusters to rocket off the Moby Dick. He landed perfectly on a small strike-ship tied to the side.
Before anyone could even scold him, the crew rushed to the railing, shouting for him to stop.
"Come back, Ace!!"
"Commander Ace!"
"Don't be reckless!"
Marco turned to look at Whitebeard, who sat on his throne with a heavy, solemn expression. "Pops, I'll go after him!"
Though Ace's fire-driven custom boat was fast, it couldn't outpace the Phoenix that soared freely through the sky.
"Forget it," Whitebeard spoke heavily. "If you catch him once, can you watch over him every hour of every day?"
Whitebeard sighed, looking profoundly weary.
Early this morning, they had discovered the body of Fourth Division Commander Thatch. Second Division member Teach was missing, along with a Devil Fruit obtained during a battle a few days prior.
"He was my subordinate! I must be the one to deliver judgment! I will never forgive a man who insults the name of Whitebeard!"
Ace gunned his boat, racing toward the direction Teach likely fled. He cursed the fact that he didn't have the man's Vivre Card; he could only blame himself for not realizing how deeply Teach had hidden his true nature.
…
In the bizarre and fickle weather of the New World, one never prays for a "normal" day.
It's common enough to see it rain knives, let alone endure simple shipwrecks. While this particular stretch of sea wasn't raining blades, it was raining hail, but each stone was the size of an elephant. For any captain without a sturdy ship, a single hit was enough to send them to the bottom of the locker.
At that moment, above a small raft, several hailstones with a mass comparable to Sea Kings plummeted from the sky.
A close-up of the raft revealed the defector of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division: Marshall D. Teach.
Facing the massive hailstones that completely blotted out his vision of the sky, Teach let out a manic laugh. He thrust his hairy arms upward and roared:
"Black Hole!!"
A torrent of pitch-black fluid erupted from his hands, enveloping the massive hailstones and swallowing them whole until they vanished into nothingness. Just as Teach prepared to pull the darkness back, he shifted his stance, thrusting his hands out to his sides. The "Dark Water" that had consumed the hail began to spin violently like a black tornado.
"Liberation!"
As the darkness swirled, one could see the ice being compressed and dismembered within. Hailstones the size of Sea Kings were reduced to mere slush and ice chips in less than ten seconds, scattering across the surrounding sea. Soon after, the inky darkness flowed back into Teach's body.
"Zehahahaha..."
Teach stared at the palms of his hands, unable to contain his crazed laughter. "Incredible... this power!"
Having tested his strength once more, Teach laughed with a wild fervor. "From now on... it's my era!"
Having followed Whitebeard for decades, Teach might not have known every corner of the New World, but his familiarity with the waters surrounding Whitebeard's territory was nearly unparalleled.
"Pops, Marco... you probably think I'd take the fastest, safest route through these seas, right? Wrong! I'm taking the most dangerous path. With this power, a little bad weather is nothing! Zehaha! Zehahahaha!!"
As his monologue reached a crescendo, Teach threw his arms up in another fit of laughter.
DONG!!!
Suddenly, a sound that seemed to strike the very depths of his soul rang in Teach's ears. It wasn't the sound of hail hitting the ocean; it was something else, something far more soul-shaking.
Just as Teach expanded his Observation Haki to search for the source, the blue sea around him turned a visceral blood-red. It completely enveloped the water beneath his raft and the entire horizon of his vision.
"..."
Before Teach could utter a syllable, the world plunged into total darkness. A second later, countless massive, crimson "Blood Eyes" snapped open in the void, staring directly at him.
"This is..."
Teach gritted his teeth, scanning his surroundings. He wasn't like Enel; he wouldn't lose his head just because he encountered a technique he didn't recognize. Instead, he used his Haki to feel out the situation bit by bit.
Suddenly, Teach leaped, his bloated, heavy body surprisingly clearing nearly ten meters in a single bound!
Splash!
Teach evaded an attack from below, but as he looked down, he saw a massive, black-furred beastly claw crush his raft into splinters.
"Damn it!"
No matter how powerful the Dark-Dark Fruit was, its user still feared the sea. Just as Teach thought he was about to plunge into the ocean, he felt a solid surface beneath him. He had found something to stand on.