"Ace, I never imagined you were the captain's son."
Shanks turned to him and spoke with deep emotion.
Before the Navy announced it, no one would have imagined that the Pirate King had left a bloodline behind. To the world, that bloodline held enormous significance. To him, it also carried a profound bond and something to hold on to.
"The captain?"
Ace froze, but quickly understood.
"You mean that man?"
Shanks nodded, sounding nostalgic. "Back then, Xia Le, the Navy Legend and Admiral, was still an unknown rookie."
"And I was just an apprentice aboard the captain's ship."
"Marshall D. Teach was still young, too."
"Heh!"
"Those really were days worth remembering!"
Shanks laughed as he spoke.
"They must have been incredible times!"
Ace said.
"They were. That era was truly incredible."
"Though we missed out on a lot because we were young and weak, I still look back on it fondly."
Shanks spoke with a smile.
Suddenly, his tone shifted.
"Don't lose heart, young man. You're just like I was back then."
"As the captain's son, and the man Whitebeard placed such high hopes in, your future is bound to be extraordinary."
"Fight to stay alive. Fight to grow stronger. When you finally stand at the summit, you'll see an entirely different view."
Those words struck hard, sending a shudder through Ace before he nodded firmly.
"I'll give it everything I have!!"
Shanks smiled faintly, drank another bowl of liquor, and left, exhausted.
His serious injuries had yet to heal, after all, and he still needed rest. Just sitting there for a while in the breeze had left his whole body aching.
The banquet continued late into the night, with everyone drifting off to sleep one after another.
The following morning, the two pirate crews said their goodbyes.
Ace