A furious roar exploded through the air.
Ace's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead as he violently shook off the crewmen who were desperately holding him back.
His chest heaved, his voice trembling with rage.
"That bastard was a member of my division! If we just let this go, how can Thatch's spirit ever rest in peace?!"
As the sons descended into chaos, Whitebeard, seated upon his massive throne-like chair, slowly opened his eyes.
"Ace."
The voice was low and heavy, not loud, yet it instantly suppressed all the noise.
The captains who had been struggling to restrain Ace—and Ace himself, burning with fury—froze in place.
"Let it go. Just this once, we'll make an exception."
In Whitebeard's weathered eyes, though an uncontrollable rage also burned, he still slowly shook his head.
It was a beast-like intuition.
"I've got a very bad feeling about this."
Hearing that, Ace didn't calm down at all—instead, his emotions flared even hotter.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"That guy killed a crewmate and then swaggered off! After enjoying your protection for so many years, he's now trampling your honor into the dirt!"
"And most importantly, this will drag your reputation through the mud, Pops! How could I possibly pretend I didn't see such a humiliation?!"
For the Whitebeard Pirates, who valued bonds above all else, there was no crime more unforgivable than "killing one's own."
Though he had only been aboard for a little over a year, in Ace's heart Whitebeard's position was already unshakable—family just as important as Luffy.
"This blood debt—I'll settle it with him personally!"
Ace slammed a hand down on the brim of his cowboy hat and, ignoring all attempts to stop him, leapt forward.
He landed squarely on the small craft known as the Striker.
"Boom—!"
Flames erupted beneath his feet. The specially modified boat instantly gained astonishing thrust, tearing across the sea like a flaming arrow loosed from a bow, shooting toward the distant horizon.
No matter how anxiously Marco and the others shouted from the deck, Ace never looked back—his retreating figure resolute beyond doubt.
"Pops! I'll fly over there and drag him back right now!"
Marco's arms instantly transformed into azure-blue phoenix wings, ghostly flames whipping in the wind as he prepared to take off.
"No need, Marco… let him go."
Whitebeard let out a heavy sigh, a trace of helplessness in his voice.
"You all know how stubborn Ace is. Even if you tied him up and dragged him back now, he'd just find another chance to slip away."
Hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Indeed, Ace's personality was just like the Flame-Flame Fruit he had eaten—blazing hot and impossible to stop. Once he set his mind on something, not even ten Sea Kings could pull him back.
Whitebeard stared at the shrinking black dot on the horizon, the unease in his heart growing heavier by the second.
But in the end, out of trust and affection for his son, he chose to allow it.
—Damn you, Teach!!!
Seeing Pops' back, which seemed to have aged several years in an instant, the surrounding crewmates clenched their teeth, eyes reddened.
They knew better than anyone that Whitebeard truly treated every one of them as his own flesh and blood. Otherwise, there wouldn't be thousands of heroes across the seas willingly calling him "Pops."
The Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander—"Fire Fist" Ace—had set out alone.
In the New World, this wasn't exactly rare. But the nature of this incident was far too special, giving it a profound significance in the eyes of certain interested parties.
"Fire Fist Ace has broken away from the main force and is acting alone."
After receiving a secret report from the Shadow Guards infiltrated within Whitebeard's territory, Robin went straight to Tenma.
She delivered her report calmly.
"According to the intel, Fire Fist was extremely agitated when he left. His rage was practically written all over his face."
"Looks like everything is playing out exactly according to your script."
Tenma lounged lazily on the sofa, the corner of his mouth curling into an amused smile.
He chuckled softly.
"The fuse that will bring the old era to its end has finally been lit."
"Though it's a bit of a pity—we won't get to see that spectacle with our own eyes. Teach schemed for so many years, only to end up swallowing a shoddy artificial SMILE fruit."
Tenma didn't bother hiding his malicious amusement.
Robin smoothly played along.
"That truly is a tragic shame. Let's just hope that ambitious man's mental fortitude is strong enough—that he doesn't break down on the spot and jump into the sea."
Though she hadn't lived through the kind of dark childhood depicted in the original story, her extensive reading and Tenma's influence had given Robin a considerable knack for black humor.
"Do we need to send Ulti and the others out to sea next, to give Fire Fist a bit of resistance—or support?"
Robin asked about the next step, well aware of Tenma's broader plan surrounding Ace's actions.
If Teach's strength might take a serious hit due to the fruit issue, then to ensure the plan proceeded smoothly, adding an extra layer of insurance seemed prudent.
"You can handle that as you see fit. No need to rush, though—the real climax of this drama won't be until next year."
Tenma waved his hand dismissively, his tone casual.
Teach was absolutely not someone to underestimate. After all, he was a man who had scarred Red-Haired Shanks' face even before eating any Devil Fruit.
Such an extremely patient schemer wouldn't let his martial skills and Haki go to waste even without a fruit—let alone with that strange, abnormal body of his.
Still, it never hurt to be cautious.
Tenma wasn't worried about Teach losing to Ace. What he worried about was whether, upon realizing he had eaten a fake fruit, Teach's mindset would collapse—and he'd abandon his plans to target a position among the Seven Warlords.
One week later.
Fire Fist Ace's high-profile manhunt in the New World instantly ignited public opinion.
Especially after the scandal of "a Second Division member murdering the Fourth Division commander" was exposed, the eyes of every major power focused on Ace.
Daring to openly violate Whitebeard's iron rules—and brutally kill a commander-level figure.
The name "Teach," previously obscure and unknown, resounded across the seas overnight.
Yet no one knew that—
That very Teach, who had already escaped Whitebeard's territory and gained infamy, was at this very moment hiding on some nameless deserted island, venting his fury in a fit of madness.
He was smart, and he was cautious.
He knew that Whitebeard's kill order would be issued the very next day. Knowing Ace's impulsive nature especially well, he suppressed the urge to eat the fruit immediately, unwilling to risk dragging things out.
Only after completely shaking off pursuit and hiding himself away on this remote island did he finally, with trembling hands, take out the priceless treasure he had dreamed of for so long.
Just as he let out arrogance laugh, swallowed the fruit in one gulp, and prepared to welcome the descent of darkness—
—at that very moment…