Knight of the Sea Appears

"Hahahaha, so you're Luffy's brother! How's that kid doing now?"

On the deserted island, Shanks, captain of the Red Hair Pirates, wore a huge grin so wide his back teeth showed as he threw an arm around Ace's shoulders and drank with him.

As for the frustration of finding a pile of worthless paper instead of treasure, Shanks, ever the optimist, had long since tossed it to the winds.

He was used to this sort of thing anyway. Throwing a party was what mattered now!

At this point, Shanks had no idea that Ace was his captain's son. Still, Ace being Luffy's brother alone was enough for Shanks to show him plenty of goodwill.

After a grand banquet, Ace expressed his desire to challenge Whitebeard. Shanks neither approved nor disapproved.

As a pirate, Shanks would not mock someone else's dreams. Though he felt Ace's strength was still far below Whitebeard's, he would not directly deny Ace's ambitions.

In the end, Ace never asked Shanks about Conqueror's Haki Infusion. Yota ultimately said nothing about it either.

"Even if Shanks doesn't teach him, Ace can still learn it after joining the Whitebeard Pirates."

"And with Ace and Yamato's talent, even without anyone teaching them, they should be able to figure it out themselves after a few years. The key is simply having the concept in the first place."

Amid the lively pirates, Yota seemed somewhat out of place because he did not particularly enjoy drinking.

It was a mark left on him by the education of the Naruto World. Compared to the romantic and uninhibited people of the Pirate World, the people of the Naruto World were undoubtedly more cautious and reserved. Their temperaments could be said to be completely different.

"The only thing they have in common is that both worlds are messed up... one is chaotic and lawless, the other cruel and cold-blooded. The weak can't live well, and the strong can't die well."

After a lively night, the Spade Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates parted ways the next day.

Once the Spade Pirates' ship had completely vanished from sight, the smile on Red Hair Shanks's face gradually faded, revealing a faint hint of nostalgia instead.

"Ace, Ace... Vice Admiral Garp's grandson... I never expected Captain Roger's bloodline to truly still exist!"

Ace's name had been taken from the Supreme Grade Sword Roger carried with him. Combined with the fact that Ace was Luffy's brother, that naturally made him Garp's grandson as well.

Knowing of the complicated friendship and rivalry between Garp and Roger, Shanks easily guessed Ace's identity when he put together Garp, Ace's name, and the rest.

"Beckman, help me deliver a letter to Whitebeard..." Shanks instructed. "A very interesting old friend's son is going to challenge him!"

If Yota had still been there, he might have understood why Whitebeard had gone so easy on Ace, even allowing Ace aboard his ship and letting him try to assassinate him as he pleased.

Ace's personality and talent had clearly given Whitebeard reasons to value him, but Red Hair's letter explaining Ace's origins must have also played a major role.

The Great Pirates of their generation had all been on good terms. Roger and Whitebeard especially so—Roger had even borrowed Kozuki Oden from Whitebeard's ship before. Now that he had encountered an old friend's son, Whitebeard would naturally go easy on him. He could not possibly be worse than Garp, a Marine, could he?

"Up ahead should be Whitebeard's territory, right? Ace, are you really prepared?"

On the deck, Yota looked out at the sea and asked Ace behind him.

"Of course. I can't wait."

Yota rolled his eyes. He could not wait to become Whitebeard's son?

Ace was stronger than in the original story, but compared with Whitebeard, he was still far behind!

"Ace..." Deuce approached with a serious expression. "A fish-man has been following our ship. I'm afraid we've been targeted."

Yamato, who had been lying on the deck looking bored, suddenly sprang to her feet. "Is it an enemy? It has to be an enemy, right? Finally, someone's here to spar with me!"

"Don't get worked up." Remembering the original story, Yota said to Yamato, "Once we find an island, we'll catch that fish-man. If he punches a hole through our ship while we're at sea, that'll be real trouble."

"Fine, then let's hurry and find an island. Where's the nearest one?" Yamato pulled the spiked club from her back and swung it through the air with a fierce whoosh, her face full of fighting spirit.

More than two hours later, the Spade Pirates' ship finally neared a deserted island. Yamato, who had long since run out of patience, leaped straight down and transformed into her hybrid form. Ice immediately spread across the sea.

"So cold, so cold!" Amid cries of cold, a hole suddenly exploded through the ice Yamato had frozen. A plump blue fish-man jumped out from it.

"Why have you been following us, the Spade Pirates?" Yamato spun her club twice with a whoosh and pointed it at the plump blue fish-man.

"The reason I followed the Spade Pirates was merely to stop you from challenging Pops!" The plump fish-man rubbed his arms as he spoke.

Deuce looked at the plump blue fish-man and said in surprise, "Aren't you Knight of the Sea Jinbe, one of the Shichibukai? Could it be that you're connected to the Whitebeard Pirates too?"

Yota rolled his eyes and said to Deuce, "Isn't it obvious? Whitebeard's pirate flag flies over Fish-Man Island. How could Knight of the Sea Jinbe possibly have nothing to do with the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"That's right," Jinbe said. "Pops Whitebeard has shown great kindness to all of Fish-Man Island. Fire Fist Ace, if you truly wish to challenge him, then you must first get past me."

With that, Jinbe assumed a Fish-Man Karate stance.

"Is that so? Looks like if I want to face Whitebeard, I'll have to get past you first." Ace wore a confident smile as he jumped down from the ship as well. "Then let's fight on the deserted island."

"Huh?! Wait, wasn't I supposed to fight him first?" Yamato tilted her head and spoke up.

"But he challenged me directly." Ace looked at Yamato and explained.

"There's no need to make things so troublesome. You can come at me together." Jinbe looked utterly confident. Every year, countless Supernovas headed to the New World, but how many of them were truly formidable?

Jinbe believed that with his strength alone, wiping out a Supernova Pirate Crew would be no difficult task. In fact, if Fire Fist Ace had not burned Whitebeard's pirate flag on Fish-Man Island, Jinbe would never have paid attention to this matter at all—every year, countless Supernovas who did not know their own limits challenged Whitebeard.