Duel

"You mean, Sabo?"

Ace's face was blank, his lips trembling slightly; he was still somewhat dazed.

"Sabo, still alive?" The Straw Hat Kid's eyes widened, and tears welled up in his trembling eyes.

Sirius watched the two brothers' reactions with great interest.

This was entirely as expected.

Dragon specifically Sirius to come over for this matter.

Expressing his concern and best wishes for his son was secondary; he simply felt that his son should know about this.

You're saying Sabo is still alive?

Ace finally realized what was happening. He leaped up and landed on the bar, looking down at Sirius with wide eyes. He shouted, "Black Wolf, are you serious?"

How does this guy know about Sabo?

No, he said it was Luffy's father who asked him to tell Luffy.

So, was Sabo saved by Luffy's father? He didn't die in the bombardment at that time!

Thinking of this, Ace felt so excited that his hair stood on end. A warm current flowed from his heart to every corner of his body, making him feel warm all over.

Very good.

That's wonderful.

Sabo is still alive!

But Ace kept staring intently at Sirius, fearing it was just a joke Sirius was playing.

Then Sirius said, "That's what Dragon said. I don't know about the others, Yamato can testify."

"I testify!"

Yamato chuckled and said, "That's exactly what Uncle Dragon said back then."

"So, who is Sabo?"

"Sabo," Ace sniffed, lowered his head, and two streams of hot tears flowed uncontrollably down his face. He raised his hand to rub his eyes and said in a muffled voice, "He's my brother."

"I see?"

Yamato nodded, then smiled and said, "That's certainly something to be happy about."

"Kindness."

Ace nodded, wiping away his tears, but he couldn't wipe them away completely. He gave up and broke into a big smile. "He's still alive, that's wonderful."

Sirius also sighed, because in the original story, this kid didn't even know that his other brother was still alive until he died.

Sabo, who suffered from amnesia, didn't remember that he had two close brothers until after Ace's death.

"Waaaaah!"

Compared to the relatively calm Ace, the Straw Hat Kid's reaction was much more exaggerated. He collapsed to the ground and wailed, his face covered in snot and tears. He pulled his Straw Hat off his head to cover his face.

"Sabo is alive! That's wonderful, absolutely wonderful! He's alive, that's better than anything!"

"Yes, that's wonderful!"

Miss Makino, behind the bar, silently wiped away her tears.

She was also saddened by the departure of Sabo, the most polite of the three brothers.

Fortunately, he is still alive.

As long as we're alive, we'll meet again someday.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Sirius!"

Ace took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Sirius. "This news is very important to us."

"Luffy! You come over here and thank them too!"

He pulled the Straw Hat Kid who was sitting on the ground over to him as well.

The Straw Hat Kid sobbed, putting the hat back on his head, and then, sniffling, mumbled, "Thank you."

"Seriously get on your feet, you idiot!"

Ace punched his most beloved younger brother on the head.

"Hey-hey."

The Straw Hat Kid chuckled, head bowed, "It doesn't hurt at all."

Those two little devils are really funny.

Sirius chuckled and turned around. "Miss Makino, is the food ready yet?"

"Feel sorry,"

Makino blushed slightly. "I'll go prepare right away."

Soon, a large plate of fragrant seafood fried rice was placed in front of Sirius. The grains of rice were plump and glistening, and the various seafood garnishes made his mouth water.

"Then, I'll get started!"

Sirius picked up the spoon.

"Let's eat!" At another table, the Straw Hat Kid grinned and licked his lips.

She was just crying her eyes out, but now she's all smiles. After all, it was a very happy thing.

To be honest, Miss Makino's cooking skills are just so-so. She can't compare to that old man in Baratie, and she's far behind most of the chefs they encountered on Island of Gastronomy Blanc where Sirius and his crew landed. She's even inferior to Hiyori, the head chef of the Sirius Pirates.

But her cooking is gentle, with a homey taste.

Or, to put it in a less sophisticated way, it's like a home-cooked meal.

Sirius enjoyed his meal very much.

The Straw Hat Kid was even happier than Sirius when he ate.

He buried himself in his food and ate with great relish.

While eating, he asked loudly with curiosity, "Sirius, how's Shanks doing these days?"

Should I just call myself by my own name?

This kid is really outgoing.

Sirius casually replied, "Doing very well, making a name for myself on the Grand Line."

"Hehehe, is that so?"

The Straw Hat Kid grinned and said, "The Grand Line? I'll go there sooner or later! I'll gather the strongest crew, reunite with Shanks, and then become the Pirate King!"

Ace's mouth was stuffed full, and he rolled his eyes.

He's tired of hearing it all the time. They say it every day.

Pirate King?

Ace didn't care, but someone else did.

Page One, who was quietly eating, suddenly looked up, turned to stare at Straw Hat Kid, and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about! It's Big Brother who should become the Pirate King!"

"No way!"

Straw Hat Kid put down his spoon, no longer wanting to eat, and stood up. "I'm the man who's going to become the Pirate King!"

"You bastard, do you want to get beaten up?"

Page One was furious.

He didn't care about anything else, but he absolutely couldn't tolerate anything that involved his most respected elder brother.

"Then bring it on!"

The Straw Hat Kid Pirates have no concept of backing down. He doesn't care about anything else, but when it comes to the Pirate King, he will never compromise.

"Hey, hey, hey, the kids are about to fight!"

Luo looked helpless. "Captain, is everything alright?"

"That's right, little brother Ace,"

Maria kindly reminded him, "You should try to persuade your brother; Pay-tan is quite capable, you know."

Although Page One's strength on the Sirius is ranked quite low, he is still an absolutely invincible enemy for a ten-year-old boy from the East Blue.

"It's useless,"

Ace shook his head helplessly, "This guy will absolutely not compromise on anything related to Pirate King."

Sirius smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. Dedication to one's dreams is commendable."

He looked at the Straw Hat Kid and said, "No need to rush, kid. I have no interest in Pirate King."

The Straw Hat Kid turned his head, pursed his lips, and frowned as he sized up Sirius.

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Pirate King is my dream! I'm the man who's going to be the Pirate King!"

The little brat in the Straw Hat shouted, "I challenge you to a duel!"

"Huh?"

Ace burst out laughing.

How did it suddenly turn out like this?