Ace bristled at those words.
"I'm not that scumbag's son!"
But looking at his embarrassed fury and taking his earlier words into account...
Everyone knew there was no doubt about it.
"Ace, you..."
Shanks looked at Ace, struggling to find the words.
He hadn't expected his late captain to have left behind a son before he died.
If things really were as Ace had said, then he couldn't blame the boy for cursing his father.
As for suspecting that Ace was lying...
Sometimes, an idiot's intuition was astonishingly accurate.
He had sensed something when they first met and he heard Ace's name.
Now, after hearing Ace reveal the truth himself and seeing those heartfelt emotions...
It was definitely true. There was no doubt.
At that moment, Ace caught on as well.
He suddenly glared at Shanks.
"You said captain?
Were you a member of the Roger Pirates?"
Shanks didn't hide it. He nodded wistfully.
Then his expression turned serious, and he said earnestly:
"I don't know what you've heard.
But you should see for yourself.
You say the Pirate King was a bastard.
But I can also say that my captain was the best man in the world.
Just look at us.
We're having such a good time, feasting together. Do we look like bad people?
Can't you feel it?
Doesn't the liquor taste good?
Doesn't the meat taste good?
This is the freedom of being a pirate.
The wind of freedom blows through us every day!
And I, living this way, was once a crewmate of Pirate King Roger.
The atmosphere aboard the Roger Pirates' ship was no different from this.
Do you think people like us are bad guys too?"
Shanks had delivered that long speech with heartfelt sincerity.
But Ace didn't so much as blink.
After all,