"Fire Fist!"
The punch scorched the air, but the target — a massive beast — ended up burned beyond recognition.
"Lina, you hit too hard. This looked delicious, but now it's completely charred," Luffy said, looking down at the blackened remains with visible disappointment.
"Idiot Luffy, it looks disgusting. How could that taste good?" Lina stood proudly with her hands on her hips, her long red hair swaying in the breeze.
"It looks amazing," Luffy argued, pouting in defiance.
Most people couldn't understand Luffy's taste in food. Even Rolan sometimes wondered if there was something unusual about his brain's structure.
"Rolan, you be the judge," Lina said playfully, wrapping her arm around his.
"Yes, yes. You're always right," Rolan replied helplessly.
"Damn it, Rolan! Is it because she's a girl?" Luffy shouted, steam puffing out of his nose.
"Exactly. You can't do anything to her — she's the chef. Offend her and you'll starve," Rolan said with a smirk.
Hearing that, Luffy immediately bowed his head. "I'm sorry!"
Ace chuckled quietly at their antics. But when he looked up and saw the island ahead, his smile faded.
"Hey, wait… are we back?"
"Yes, we're back," Rolan said, stepping toward the bow of the ship. "To be exact, I brought you back."
"There are still so many islands we haven't explored," Luffy said with reluctance.
"You're too young, Luffy. Wait until you're older," Rolan said flatly. "I'm sending you back because I'm heading out to sea."
Luffy's eyes widened.
"You're going out to sea? To the Grand Line?" Ace asked, surprised.
Rolan nodded. "Yes. It's time."
The mere mention of the Grand Line made Luffy's excitement explode. "Take me with you! Please!"
"Kid, you're too small and too weak," Rolan said bluntly.
"I'm not small!" Luffy yelled, puffing his cheeks out.
"Sure," Rolan said, dismissing him entirely.
The ship docked soon after. As they stepped onto the familiar island, Rolan looked at their old camp — overgrown and forgotten.
"It's been more than two years," he murmured.
He pressed his foot lightly to the ground.
[Electromagnetic Blade]
A thin wave of electromagnetic energy swept out beneath his feet, slicing through the weeds like an invisible lawnmower.
"Holy crap, Rolan! You trying to kill us?!" Luffy yelped, jumping back.
"See? You can't even handle this, and you want to go out to sea? You brat," Rolan said with a smirk.
"That doesn't count! Let's do it again!" Luffy shouted.
Ignoring him, Rolan sat cross-legged on the ground. "Ace, Luffy, come here."
The two quickly stood in front of him, sensing the serious tone in his voice.
Rolan took out a small notebook and a golden fruit from his system space.
"This is the Logia-type Gold-Gold Fruit," Rolan explained. "Eat it, and your body becomes gold. You can manipulate it for both offense and defense."
He handed the apple-shaped fruit to Ace. "I don't have many gifts to give, so take this as a parting one."
Ace froze, staring at it in disbelief. "You're really giving this to me?"
"Yes. Eat it. It's far stronger than the one you had before — after all, true gold fears no fire."
"Huh? My previous fruit?" Ace asked in confusion. "Did I eat one before?"
"Just eat it."
Crunch.
"Ugh! This is disgusting!" Ace gagged instantly, covering his mouth. His face went green.
Luffy watched him and frowned. "Are Devil Fruits really that bad? I don't remember."
Rolan smacked Luffy on the head. "That's because you swallowed yours whole, idiot. You didn't even chew it."
Luffy laughed. "Hahaha! That's true! I almost choked to death, though!"
Rolan ignored him and said, "Remember, one bite is enough. Master this power, Ace. I expect you to shake the world with it."
Ace immediately threw the half-eaten fruit aside.
"Now," Rolan said, watching him closely, "try it out."
Ace focused, and a golden shimmer spread across his hand.
"Whoa! Ace! Your hand!" Luffy shouted.
"My hand turned into gold…" Ace whispered in awe.
Rolan smiled. "Good. That fruit's stronger than I expected. Your future… could easily rival an Admiral's."
He then pulled out a sketchbook and handed it to Luffy.
"Luffy, you already have a Devil Fruit. This is for you."
Luffy blinked. "What is it?"
"A guide to your Gum-Gum Fruit. I even had someone draw illustrations to help you understand it better."
"Wow! You're amazing, Rolan!" Luffy said, hugging the notebook like a treasure.
"Luffy," Rolan said seriously, "the red-marked sections are top secret. Don't tell anyone. Not Ace, not Lina, not even your future crewmates."
"Why?" Luffy asked, puzzled.
"Because it's a secret of this world. Not until you're strong enough to protect it. If others find out, even I might not be able to save you."
Seeing Rolan's serious face, Luffy nodded solemnly. "I understand."
"Good." Rolan stood and looked toward the sea. "I'm leaving now. Remember, Devil Fruit powers are tools — not everything. Train your body. Master your Haki. We'll meet again someday, and I expect both of you to surprise me."
With that, Rolan vanished, reappearing aboard his ship.
Lina gave the boys a small wave before transforming into a flame and following him.
Luffy raised a fist toward the horizon. "Rolan! I'll find a crew even stronger than yours!"
Ace clenched his fists. "Rolan, next time we meet, I'll show you how far I've come."
Rolan, standing on the deck of Breaking Sky, smiled faintly. "Two years should be enough…"
"Hey, Captain," Lina said, walking up beside him. "Wouldn't it be better to bring them along?"
Rolan shook his head. "No. Luffy has his path, and Ace has his. We can't interfere with that."
"Oh… I see." Lina nodded softly.
Rolan reached out and ruffled her hair. "Let's go."
He hoisted a new pirate flag — his flag — onto the mast. The sails unfurled, and the Breaking Sky rose into the clouds.
"Our journey begins today," Rolan said with a smirk. "We'll gather a few more companions in the East Blue, then head for the Grand Line."
Lina smiled faintly. She didn't care about the Grand Line or fame. As long as Rolan needed her, she would follow him anywhere — even into death.
---
A Few Days Later
"You… you're the East Blue's strongest bounty hunter, Rolan?" the pirate stammered, his knees shaking.
Rolan flicked a coin between his fingers lazily. "If there's no other by that name, then yeah. That's me."
The pirate's legs gave out, and he dropped to the ground. "Please! Let me go!"
Rolan's eyes darkened. "No. The moment you tried to lay a hand on my companion, you sealed your fate."
It had happened only a few days earlier. They'd stopped on a bustling island so Lina could shop, and this pirate had tried to trick her.
If Rolan hadn't appeared in time, things might've ended badly.
"Why did I have to run into you?!" the man cried.
He had every reason to fear. Rolan had sunk their entire ship with a single coin. Even their captain, the notorious pirate Gashin with an eight-million-berry bounty, had been killed instantly.
Over the past few years, Rolan had hunted countless pirates across the East Blue, building a reputation that made him more feared than the Marines themselves.