Teach had chosen to kill and seize the treasure outright, which showed that he recognized this Devil Fruit. It was clear just how steady and patient Teach was.
People like that were terrifying. Ace was still so young, and Whitebeard truly feared that Ace would not be Teach's match. But Ace would not care about that.
Ace rose to his feet, flames swirling around him.
"So what? Thatch was our brother. I can't let him die for nothing. And Teach was my crew member—I will never let him go."
Whitebeard watched him in silence. This son, always so full of drive, now had determination written all over his face. He recalled what Mu Chen had said back then: this kid had a nasty temper and acted on impulse.
But Whitebeard ultimately nodded. He knew that if he stopped Ace, Ace might regret it for the rest of his life. "But remember this: come back alive. You are Whitebeard's son. Don't die at the hands of trash like that."
"Yes, old man!"
The next second, Ace gave a solemn bow and leaped off the Moby Dick without looking back.
Meanwhile, at the port of Foosha Village in the East Blue, a tiny sailboat slowly headed out to sea.
Luffy stood at the bow, wearing his red Straw Hat, and waved toward the shore. "Makino, I'm leaving! I'm going to become the Pirate King!"
Onshore, Makino, the village chief, and the mountain bandit Dadan watched Luffy gradually sail away. Their eyes all began to redden. "Why is this brat just like Ace? Why are they both leaving me?"
Dadan was crying a complete mess. After all, she had raised both Ace and Luffy. They were not her biological sons, but they might as well have been!
Not long after, Mu Chen was