You're still nowhere near good enough

That couldn't be right!

From what he knew of River, the man shouldn't have been capable of something so horrifying.

"I took my mother's surname!"

Across from him, Ace seemed to notice Crocodile's look and offered an explanation, his expression grim.

"I see. But then who is his father?"

Understanding dawned on Crocodile, only to give way to even greater confusion.

With River as the boy's uncle, he imagined Ace's father must have been someone extraordinary as well.

After all, earning the approval of the man before him was already a terrifying feat.

River turned to give him a dark look. Crocodile's eyes wandered, and he turned his head away.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the restaurant grew strange.

Ace stared at the man before him, his expression conflicted. He wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out.

They should have known each other well, yet this truly was their first meeting.

"Twenty years ago, I rescued my sister and you from the Navy."

Only after a long silence did River speak slowly, his voice heavy with mixed emotions.

Ace paused briefly, then listened in silence.

He had never seen his mother since his birth, much less the man before him.

"Before your father died, he entrusted you to Garp."

"Because by then, neither he nor I could possibly look after you anymore!"

River paused, then continued.

"By comparison, Garp was actually the more trustworthy choice."

Understanding flickered across Ace's face. Grandpa Garp had rarely mentioned his father, his mother, or the man before him.

All this time, he had simply assumed they were all dead.

"Then what about my mother?"

Suddenly realizing something, Ace hurriedly asked.

River fell silent. After a moment, he sighed softly. "I don't know either."

"And that's precisely why I haven't been able to appear in the outside world for these past twenty years."

That compromise-or rather, an agreement made under a certain threat-had been reached with Rouge's and Ace's safety as its foundation.

"Finding you, locating Rouge, and rescuing her are among my goals now that I'm out."

River spoke softly.

Ace froze, then gritted his teeth. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

At those words, River smiled.

"Your target this time is Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach, isn't it?"

Ace's gaze grew conflicted. He had indeed come here with a mission and a responsibility, but his mother mattered just as much.

"That's right. He ambushed and killed a crewmate. He's broken the Whitebeard Pirates' greatest taboo!"

"I have to capture him and bring him back for Pops to pass judgment!"

River chuckled softly. "Looks like you've been getting along quite well with Whitebeard and his crew."

"But have you ever considered that fighting Marshall D. Teach might leave you trapped in a hopeless situation?"

Ace's pupils contracted, and his gaze sharpened. "I don't believe that despicable, vile bastard is any match for me!"

He was the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division. How could he possibly lose to a mere Blackbeard?

The very idea was utterly ridiculous.

"I attacked him twenty years ago!"

"I shattered his teeth, but I still didn't manage to kill him!"

River's eyes grew serious, and his voice sank.

"That man carries a certain destiny bestowed by this world."

"In that respect, he's completely different from you!"

After a brief pause, River sighed again.

"Compared to him, every time you survive, it's more like you're defying heaven to rewrite your fate."

"If you insist on going after him, you'd better be prepared to lose!"

Ace's gaze turned cold as he stared at the man before him.

These were undoubtedly words he hated hearing. He had spent so much time and effort coming all the way here from the New World, all to capture Blackbeard and take his head.

He was clearly only one step away from catching him, yet this man wanted to stop him.

"I absolutely will not lose!"

Ace spoke in a low voice, his gaze resolute.

How could I possibly lose to someone like that!?

"Heh. Is that so?"

"What if I said I was going to stop you by force, right here?"

River smiled faintly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Then you're welcome to try!"

Ace's eyes hardened as he readied himself for battle.

The man before him claimed to be his uncle. That might very well be true, but it could also be a lie.

More importantly, the man inexplicably wanted to stop him from capturing Blackbeard, and that undoubtedly rubbed him the wrong way.

"You really are quite confident in your strength."

River shook his head with a chuckle and slowly rose to his feet.

"Then let me see just how much spirit you have now."

As he spoke, his eyes suddenly widened.

Whoom!

A ripple of air swept through the entire restaurant as an overwhelming aura abruptly spread outward. Everyone it touched, including the owner behind the counter, rolled their eyes back, lost consciousness, and collapsed limply.

Ace's black hair stirred without a breeze. The terrifying, domineering aura pinned him in place, leaving his body stiff, as though he couldn't move at all.

"Show me what you're capable of, Ace."

"Let me see how much you've grown under Whitebeard!"

River spoke calmly, slowly extending one hand before him.

Hiss, hiss, hiss!

Flames rapidly flared and flickered across Ace's body. In the blink of an eye, they enveloped him completely, leaving only his sharp eyes visible on his face.

"I don't care who you are, or why you've shown up claiming to be my uncle!"

"But stopping me from catching Blackbeard? Are you connected to that bastard somehow?"

The flames rapidly churned and spiraled, forming a whirlwind around Ace's body. Then, roaring and howling, they all surged toward his fist.

"You don't believe me?"

River smiled.

The next instant, Ace swung his right fist fiercely, and the surging flames took the shape of a fist.

"Fire Fist!"

With a loud shout, the fist, wreathed in a vast mass of flames, blasted toward River at point-blank range.

"I really do hate that father of yours!"

"He set an absolutely terrible example for you."

At those icy words, Ace shuddered, then poured even more strength into his swinging fist.

He knew which man River meant by his father.

That also meant the man before him was very likely his uncle. After all, no outsider could possibly know such closely guarded secrets.

Bang!

The next instant, flames surged, and a hand clamped firmly around his fist.

Ace's pupils contracted. All the flames vanished in an instant, as though his power had stopped working altogether.

"Your strength is still nowhere near good enough."

"Ace!"

Across from him, River spoke calmly.