Ace strode up to Roy, stood ramrod straight, and looked up at Roy.
His lips moved, as if he wanted to say many things, such as thank you for helping my mother and for supporting our family all these years.
But in the end, he simply took a deep breath and asked in as calm a voice as possible,
"Brother Roy, will I be able to go to sea someday?"
Roy looked down at him, the son of the Pirate King, the bloodline that the World Government considered must be eradicated from childhood, the child raised by the Garp the Marine Hero with his iron fist.
Of course.
Roy reached out and pressed down hard on Ace's head.
"When you're ready, the New World will welcome you anytime. But you'd better be mentally prepared—"
That vast ocean won't show you any mercy just because you know someone from it.
"I'm not afraid."
Ace's answer was crisp and decisive, his black eyes burning with the same light as Luffy's.
"I will be stronger than anyone else, and then I will go to sea."
I will make my name resound throughout the entire ocean.
"Good ambition."
Roy chuckled, removed his hand from Ace's head, and paused slightly in mid-air.
A very subtle fluctuation of Telekinesis silently seeped into the depths of Ace's consciousness.
Advanced application of Armament Haki.
Practical techniques for using Observation Haki.
Key points for generating power in physical techniques.
There are also some initial Awakening into the awakening of Conqueror's Haki.
Ace felt an immense surge of information flood his mind, causing him to sway violently and nearly lose his balance.
He stared wide-eyed at Roy, Roy had already withdrawn his hand, a smile as always on his lips.
"Just take it. You're welcome."
Ace gritted his teeth and nodded forcefully.
He didn't say thank you, but he vowed to repay this kindness with his actions in the future.
Roy turned around and Luffy.
The little boy was still standing on the edge of the dock, gazing towards the horizon.
His Straw Hat swayed slightly on his head, and the sea breeze made his red vest rustle against his small frame.
Luffy.
Luffy turned around and saw Roy standing behind him.
He knew Roy was very powerful after meeting Roy at the tavern three days ago, but he had no idea exactly how powerful he was.
All he knew was that Shanks respected this person greatly, and that his grandfather Garp's expression would become quite subtle when he mentioned this name.
"Brother Roy —are you leaving too?"
"Um."
Luffy was silent for two seconds, then grinned.
That smile was just as radiant as when she took the oath three days ago, only this time there were no tears in her eyes.
"When we meet again, I'll be a hundred times stronger than I am now! Brother Roy will praise me then!"
Roy looked at the six-year-old boy wearing Straw Hat, covered in scrapes and bruises, yet with a bright smile, and the smile on his lips slowly turned serious.
"I'm waiting. Don't let me down."
He gently pressed his hand on Luffy's head.
The same Telekinesis wave silently unfolded, and a wealth of training insights and combat experience flooded into the depths of Luffy's consciousness.
But unlike Ace, Roy's "gift" to Luffy contained something extra—
The development direction of Devil Fruit, the special application of rubber physiques, and the essence of combat that only the strongest at the top can perceive.
Luffy suddenly felt his head become heavy, but he stubbornly held on and didn't collapse.
His eyes widened in shock, and after the information had passed, he looked up at Roy with a face full of astonishment and admiration.
"Wow, that's amazing! Brother Roy, did you just send me something incredibly powerful?!"
You'll find out later.
Roy patted his Straw Hat.
"Practice hard, don't let this hat down."
"Um!"
Luffy vigorously, pressing his hands tightly against his Straw Hat as if afraid it would be blown away by the wind.
Kuina stood behind Roy, waiting quietly.
She took one last look at the Foosha Village.
This quiet little fishing village, the wooden stakes of the dojo, the tavern sign, the fishing boats at the dock...
There are also these two boys who were complete strangers just three days ago, but who have now completely changed her views on "talent" and "fate".
Then she turned around, walked over to Roy, and stood there.
This time, her back was straighter than ever before, and the wooden sword in her hand was neither too tight nor too loose, just the right amount of force ready to strike.
"Mr. Roy, I'm ready."
Roy glanced down at her.
Three days ago, when he left Shimotsuki Village with this girl, her eyes still held confusion, resentment, and fear of the future.
But now all of that is gone, replaced by a forged steadfastness.
"Looks like the Foosha Village wasn't a waste," Roy said.
"I benefited greatly."
Kuina's answer was concise and powerful, and a rare smile even appeared on her lips.
Roy raised his hand, his Telekinesis silently unfolding.
An invisible force slowly lifted the two of them, raising them into the sky, gradually increasing their height.
The number of people on the dock is getting smaller and smaller.
Luffy frantically waved his hand towards the sky, his Straw Hat almost being blown off by the wind. He hurriedly pressed the hat back down and then continued waving.
Ace didn't wave; he just stood on the dock, looking up at the view, his lips pressed tightly together.
Rouge waved her apron towards the sky, while Makino stood at the tavern entrance watching the receding black dots, a gentle smile on her lips.
Kuina looked down at the increasingly smaller Foosha Village below, at the turning windmill, and at the small fishing boats moored in the harbor.
They looked at the two little boys waving at them from the dock.
Then she turned her gaze away and looked towards the sea in front of her, which was bathed in the golden light of the morning sun.
The New World.
Hachinosu.
Dracule Mihawk.
The World's Greatest Swordsman.
Her lips curled slightly upward, and a fierce fighting spirit burned in her eyes.
" Hachinosu, here I come."
Seeing the girl's spirited appearance, Roy's smile finally spread wide.
He activated his Telekinesis, and the two of them suddenly accelerated, leaving a straight trail of air in the sky above the East Blue as they flew towards the direction of the Reverse Mountain.
The Foosha Village was left far behind.
But the seeds planted there are quietly sprouting.
One of them wants to become the Pirate King.
He aspires to become the World's Greatest Swordsman.
Roy thought that the future of this sea had been completely changed today.
At the edge of the New World, on the port of Hachinosu, Bullet stood in the center of the training field, watching the training progress of a new batch of trainees.
While cursing these new recruits for being too inexperienced, he was also itching to beat them all up.
Crocodile leaned against the palace windowsill, smoking a cigar, gazing at the distant, churning sea and sky, and unconsciously frowned slightly.
Roy, that absentee boss, has been wandering around outside for so long again and still hasn't come back.
On the northernmost cliff edge of Hachinosu, a huge Black Blade is stuck in the reef.
A man wearing a white fur hat sat cross-legged on the edge of a cliff, his golden, hawk-like eyes gazing at the rolling waves in the distance.
Mihawk suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if some trouble was heading his way.
He frowned and thought for a moment, but couldn't figure it out, so he closed his eyes to rest.
He'll find out soon enough.
A girl who flew in from the East Blue is about to knock on the door of the World's Greatest Swordsman.