The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and a steady drizzle fell across the forested slopes of Mount Gorbo. Inside the largest wooden cabin, light flickered weakly through the gloom. The bandits sat silently against the walls, their faces streaked with tears and despair.
In the center of the room lay Ace's lifeless body. Luffy, gravely injured but safe, rested unconscious in the adjoining room. The air was thick with sorrow; the sound of quiet sobs filled the cabin.
To Dadan and her bandits, Ace wasn't just some reckless boy—he was family. The mischievous, fiery kid who had once filled their home with laughter now lay still and cold. Dadan's shoulders trembled, her eyes red and empty. She hadn't moved for hours.
Suddenly—
"Bang!"
The door slammed open. Vice Admiral Garp stood at the entrance, rain dripping from his coat. His usual sharp glare faltered the moment he saw Ace's body. He froze, his face tightening with disbelief.
He stepped forward, knelt beside Ace, and placed a trembling hand on the boy's chest. There was no heartbeat. No warmth.
Garp's lips quivered. His eyes filled with tears.
"Ace…"
This man—the Marine Hero who had hunted down legends like Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, and the Golden Lion—now looked small and powerless. For the first time in a long while, Garp was afraid.
"We didn't take good care of him," Dadan said hoarsely, falling to her knees. Her grief mirrored his.
Garp's face twisted with fury. "Who did this?"
"The Bluejam Pirates," Dadan whispered. "But they're all dead now. The one who ordered it was Outlook the Third, a noble from the Goa Kingdom. The one who carried it out… was a pirate named Lucien Graves. He's escaped."
Monkey D. Dragon stepped into the light, his expression calm but grim.
"Dragon…" Garp muttered, glaring at his son. "Why are you here?"
"If I hadn't arrived when I did, Luffy would be dead too," Dragon replied, his tone even. "Maybe I should take him with me this time."
Silence filled the room.
Dragon's eyes softened as he looked toward the inner door. "I left Luffy in your care because I believed this world still had a chance to change. But now…"
Garp didn't respond. His shoulders sagged beneath invisible weight.
Dragon sat cross-legged in front of his father. "So the son of Gol D. Roger… dies like this. I wonder what you were thinking, raising his child."
Garp said nothing, only clenched his fists and turned toward the door.
"The noble who ordered Ace's death is Sabo's father," Dragon continued. "And that pirate, Lucien Graves, is still alive."
Garp froze. Dragon's words carried a warning—if Garp went after the noble now, he might burn the entire Goa Kingdom to the ground. And no one could stop him.
Before either man could speak again, heavy footsteps pounded from outside.
A flash of lightning revealed Sabo, bruised and soaked, standing in the doorway. His eyes widened as they fell on Ace's body.
"Ace…"
He collapsed to his knees, tears spilling freely. "It's all my fault. If it weren't for me… you wouldn't have died."
The boy's voice broke as guilt consumed him. He pulled a dagger from his belt, eyes hollow.
"Ace… Luffy… Wait for me. I'm coming."
He raised the blade—but before he could strike, a powerful hand caught his wrist.
"Luffy is still alive," Dragon said firmly.
Sabo froze. His breath hitched. The lifeless emptiness in his eyes flickered with hope.
"R-Really?" he stammered.
Dragon pointed toward the inner room. "See for yourself."
Sabo bolted inside. Moments later, a choked cry of relief echoed through the cabin.
"Luffy… he's alive!"
Tears streamed down his face as he clutched his younger brother's hand. Outside, Garp stood silently, his expression unreadable.
"They're brothers," Dragon said quietly, looking at him.
Ten minutes later, Sabo emerged, his eyes swollen but clearer.
"Luffy will recover," Dragon assured him. "He just needs rest."
Sabo dropped to his knees before Garp, pressing his forehead to the floor. "It's all my fault. Please… punish me."
Garp looked down at the trembling boy, then sighed deeply. "This isn't your fault." His voice was tired, heavy with grief. "You've already lost as much as any of us."
Sabo's tears fell onto the wooden floor. "I'm sorry."
Dragon placed a hand on Sabo's shoulder. "Luffy is still alive. Ace wouldn't want you to die too."
The rain outside intensified, washing away the blood and sorrow from Dadan's porch—but the storm inside each heart raged on.
---
Syrup Village — East Blue
Far across the sea, beyond the borders of the Goa Kingdom, a small, peaceful village lay undisturbed by the world's chaos.
Syrup Village—a place of gentle hills, quiet farms, and kind folk who rarely saw pirates or Marines. It was much like Windmill Village in its simplicity. Few would ever guess that this sleepy island would one day produce great men—Yasopp, sharpshooter of Red-Haired Shanks' crew, and his son Usopp, the storyteller destined for the seas.
On the western coast, waves rolled lazily as a small ship drifted toward shore.
"Finally… land."
Lucien Graves stood on the beach, water dripping from his cloak. His eyes lit up as he took in the small hill ahead. After two days adrift since fleeing the Goa Kingdom, the sight of an island was almost enough to make him smile.
"I hope this isn't another deserted rock," he muttered, adjusting his pistol at his side. "Let's go."
Behind him, Raphael followed quietly, still nursing bruises from their recent battles.
They climbed the hill and slipped into the forest. For a long time, there was only the sound of rain on leaves. Lucien's heart sank. No people. No smoke. No signs of life.
Then—a path.
His pulse quickened. Following it, they soon emerged into open fields where villagers worked, tending crops under the drizzle. A sense of relief washed over him.
Approaching a woman in a headscarf working in her vegetable garden, Lucien spoke politely, "Excuse me, ma'am, may I ask—what is this village called?"
The woman eyed him warily. The man looked pale but calm, his tone polite, not threatening. Still, strangers were rare here.
"Who are you?" she asked cautiously.
"Just passing merchants," Lucien said, smiling faintly. "We came to resupply before heading back to sea."
"Only the two of you?"
"We've got two more crewmen waiting on the ship," Lucien lied smoothly. "We'll leave as soon as we've stocked up."
The woman hesitated, then nodded. "This is Syrup Village. Follow this path to the main street—you'll find what you need."
Lucien inclined his head. "Thank you, ma'am."
As he and Raphael walked on, Lucien glanced back toward the horizon. He didn't know yet that this peaceful little island would soon become the next chapter in his turbulent journey.
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Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.
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