East Blue, Mount Colubo.
Outside Dadan's House.
"Huh!? Ace, so you were here!"
Sephiroth, dressed in a black suit with two long swords at his waist, stood before a large tree and looked with interest at Ace, who was tightly bound to it with thick hemp rope.
"Where are Luffy and Sabo?"
"Luffy is still sleeping inside.
"Sabo... is dead..." Ace muttered listlessly, his eyes vacant and his expression bleak.
"What!? ...Sabo is dead!?
"What happened?"
Sephiroth put on a surprised expression.
"Yesterday, it seemed that some World Noble, a Celestial Dragon, visited the Goa Kingdom...
"When Sabo sailed out on a fishing boat flying a pirate flag, he got in the path of the Celestial Dragon's ship. They blasted his boat apart with cannon fire, and he sank into the sea..."
"Oh! I see!
"He brought that death upon himself. Even if he died, he couldn't blame anyone else. He deserved it." Sephiroth nodded in apparent understanding.
At those words, Ace's face instantly twisted into a savage expression. He roared furiously:
"What did you say!?
"You bastard, Sabo was my brother!
"You actually said he deserved to die!!!"
Ace's furious roar immediately drew the attention of the bandits inside Dadan's House. Even Luffy, who had cried himself unconscious after hearing of Sabo's death, was awakened by the noise.
Everyone hurried out of the house and looked at the two of them with confused expressions.
Faced with Ace's repeated roars, Sephiroth's gaze remained utterly indifferent. He expressionlessly raised his right hand.
The next moment.
A loud slap landed heavily on Ace's left cheek, leaving behind a bright red handprint.
After taking the slap, Ace stopped roaring. Still tied to the tree, he clenched his teeth and stared fiercely at the silver-haired young man before him.
Sephiroth met Ace's gaze as