Ace pressed his hand against the tall figure before him, listening to that hearty laugh, the words of Whitebeard Newgate kept echoing in his mind.
"He's actually the world's strongest man, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, the one I want to defeat."
Ace felt his previous thoughts were ridiculous; only after truly witnessing that power could he realize his own insignificance.
For a moment, Ace was at a loss, unsure of what to do.
Just then, a withered hand landed on Ace's shoulder.
"Little Ace, are you surprised to see this kind of strength? Are you a little discouraged? Don't even mention you, even I find it unbelievable."
"Even so, I believe you can become just as strong in the future! You can achieve this level too!"
Ace looked up at the old man who had taught him for many years, and felt a surge of gratitude.
" Naguri, can I really do it?"
"Haha, you can do it! Follow them, learn from them, catch up with them, and keep improving yourself. One day, you'll surpass them!"
Seemingly spurred on by Naguri's words, Ace mustered his courage again and nodded solemnly.
Lin Yuan smiled. As expected of these old guys from the old era, they're all quite the talkers.
As for Whitebeard Newgate, he looked at Naguri with some anger. He could have said those words too, but this old guy beat him to it.
"Hahaha, Ace, how about it? Join us, and I'll pass on all my knowledge to you, and even the future Whitebeard Pirates! How about it!"
Looking at Whitebeard Newgate's hearty smile, and then at Marco and Vista smiling beside him, they seemed to be looking forward to his joining as well.
Ace had never felt this way before and was momentarily at a loss.
Is this what home feels like?
Ace didn't feel that kind of care from Garp; the only thing he could think of was Garp 'Fist of Love. Now, compared to Garp, it was like heaven and earth.
Seeing the silent Ace, Lin Yuan smiled and took out a lot more food from somewhere, inviting everyone to join in.
"Alright, let's eat something together and celebrate. Ace is now a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, so you guys have to teach him well, understand?"
Ace's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.
Everyone here is shrewd; how could they not see through Ace's thoughts? Marco and Vista immediately stepped forward, pulled Ace to sit down, and began to introduce themselves.
Feeling the other person's enthusiasm, Ace's face gradually thawed, and a smile slowly appeared. He really liked this atmosphere.
Even from childhood to adulthood, aside from Sabo and Luffy, this was the first time he had ever felt the warmth of so many family members.
However, as the eldest son, he could only take care of his younger brother and had never been taken care of by anyone else.
If there was anyone who treated him like a mother, the only one Ace could remember was Dadan.
The crowd immediately began toasting and celebrating, all smiles.
Lin Yuan ignored the drinks offered by Whitebeard Newgate and Naguri, and instead looked at Ace, pondering deeply.
Should we give him the Flame-Flame Fruit?
Lin Yuan had considered keeping the fruit for himself, even using it to train his subordinates.
There isn't a suitable candidate available at the moment.
Lin Yuan had considered giving the fruit directly to Sabo to maintain cooperation with the Revolutionary Army.
But looking at Ace, Lin Yuan finally softened.
He hadn't felt much about watching anime in his previous life, but after experiencing so much firsthand, he couldn't help but marvel at Ace's fate, especially Ace's mother. For the first time, he truly felt her greatness.
"Hey, Lin Yuan, what's wrong? You've been spacing out."
Seeing Lin Yuan lost in Yamato, Lin Yuan couldn't help but poke his waist.
Lin Yuan snapped out of his silence, smelled the fragrance on Yamato, and said with a smile.
"Hehe, it's nothing, just an idea."
Yamato looked at him with a puzzled expression, but did not urge him. Having followed Lin Yuan for the past few days, she knew that her man had unique ideas.
Looking at Ace, Lin Yuan beckoned, and a piece of the nearby Flame Clouds separated, carrying a Devil Fruit, which flew directly into Lin Yuan's hand.
Looking at the Devil Fruit in his hand, Lin Yuan finally made up his mind and looked at Ace.
"Hey kid, eat this fruit!"
With that, Lin Yuan tossed the Flame-Flame Fruit gently into Ace's hand.
Everyone was stunned. Whitebeard Newgate looked at Lin Yuan in surprise.
"You're willing to give this fruit to Ace? It's Logia Devil Fruit!"
Lin Yuan smiled smugly.
"Heh, it's just a Devil Fruit, nothing special. Besides, this Devil Fruit connected to Ace."
Ace held the Flame-Flame Fruit, momentarily at a loss. He didn't know what kind of fruit it was, but he figured Luffy must have eaten it to have grown so much stronger.
However, judging from the faces of Whitebeard Newgate and Naguri, the Devil Fruit very precious, extremely precious.
"Um, could you tell me what kind of fruit this is?"
"Haha, Ace, you've hit the jackpot! This is Devil Fruit, and a Logia at that!"
Marco and Vista, standing nearby, took turns explaining Devil Fruit, leaving Ace utterly astonished; he had no idea there were so many in the world.
"It's too valuable, I can't accept it!"
"Alright, here you go, eat it. Remember, you must finish it all, don't waste a single bit, understand?"
Lin Yuan spoke very solemnly, his tone carrying an unyielding authority. Whitebeard and the others were somewhat surprised, wondering why Lin Yuan would say such a thing. Aren't Devil Fruit you can just eat the first bite of?
However, since Lin Yuan said so, no one raised any objections.
"Alright, Ace, since Lin Yuan is willing to give it to you, just eat it. Your Pops will repay this favor for you."
Whitebeard Newgate chuckled, indulging in a bit of verbal sparring. He already owed enough, so one more wouldn't make a difference.
Lin Yuan rolled his eyes at the Whitebeard Newgate. This guy was getting more and more shameless; where was the demeanor of the world's strongest man he used to be?
"Alright, eat up. Remember, don't leave a single bite!"
Ace glanced at everyone again, feeling even more grateful. His eyes seemed to well up with tears; he could feel that these people were genuinely kind to him.
He stopped refusing and secretly vowed to himself that he would become the strongest in the future to protect them. Although these people were all very strong, he had to do it.
Holding the Flame-Flame Fruit, Ace took a bite out of it, and tears streamed down his face.
And so, to everyone's astonishment, Ace, tears streaming down his face, devoured the entire Flame-Flame Fruit.
As he took the last bite, Ace's body suddenly turned crimson, and then flames burst forth uncontrollably.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."