"Portgas D. Ace?"
Sabo's brows furrowed tightly at the sound of the name. At this point in time, his memories were still shrouded in the fog of amnesia, his past erased almost entirely. Even the names of his closest brothers, Ace and Luffy, were lost to him. Yet, hearing Lin Xuan mention this name stirred something deep within him—a sense of familiarity, as if it belonged to someone dear. But when he tried to chase the memory, a sharp pain stabbed through his head. Clutching his temples, he grimaced in agony.
"Sabo, you okay?" Kerla asked, her voice laced with concern as she noticed his distress.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Sabo said, shaking his head. He forced himself to stop digging into the past, though the name still lingered in his mind, tugging at his curiosity. He turned to Lin Xuan. "Why did you suddenly ask if I know this person?"
Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "No reason, really. I just noticed the iron pipe you carry on your back and remembered that Portgas D. Ace used to wield something similar as a weapon. Thought you two might be connected."
Sabo's eyes widened at those words. A spark flickered in his mind, as if something was about to break free, but the effort brought another wave of excruciating pain. He groaned, pressing his hands to his head.
"Lord Dragon, what's happening to him?" Lin Xuan asked, feigning confusion as he glanced at Monkey D. Dragon.
Dragon let out a soft sigh. "Sabo's had a rough life. When I found him, he was adrift at sea, gravely injured from an attack. The trauma to his head caused him to lose most of his memories."
Lin Xuan nodded, as if piecing it together. "I see. That explains his reaction to Ace's name. It seems there's a connection there. Maybe you should look into it."
"I will," Dragon said solemnly. "Thank you for the insight."
In truth, Dragon had never considered a link between Sabo and Ace before. If there was one, it wouldn't be hard to confirm, given their shared history.
Sabo, having given up on forcing the memories for now, began to feel a little better. He looked at Lin Xuan with gratitude. "Thank you for the hint."
With that, the group bid farewell to Lin Xuan and boarded their ship, leaving the Sabaody Archipelago behind.
As they sailed, Sabo sat quietly, his brow furrowed as he mulled over the name Portgas D. Ace. The more he thought about it, the more it gnawed at him.
Seeing his pained expression, Kerla stepped in. "Sabo, don't push yourself too hard. You can't force your memories to come back. Here, take a look at this newspaper I got from the news coo. It'll help take your mind off things."
"Thanks, Kerla," Sabo said, offering her a grateful glance. He knew rushing wouldn't help, so he took the paper and began to read.
The front page caught his eye immediately—a new bounty poster issued by the World Government. His jaw dropped as he scanned the details. The bounties were all for members of Lin Xuan's Ninja Guild, and every single one was staggering. Leading the pack was Lin Xuan himself, the guild's president, with a jaw-dropping bounty of six billion berries—a figure that eclipsed every known bounty in history. Even the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had only been worth 5.5648 billion berries, and Whitebeard, the mightiest of the Four Emperors, stood at 5.046 billion. Lin Xuan had surpassed them both, cementing his place as the most wanted man alive in the eyes of the World Government.
Sabo recalled the rumors that Lin Xuan might become the fifth Emperor of the Sea. But this wasn't just catching up to the Four Emperors—this was soaring past them, standing above them all.
The rest of the Ninja Guild wasn't far behind. Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju each carried a bounty of three billion berries, while Tobirama Senju, Minato Namikaze, and others ranged from one to two billion. Not a single member of the guild had a bounty below five hundred million. Taking down the entire Ninja Guild would make someone richer than entire nations.
Monkey D. Dragon, catching sight of the bounty poster, let out a cold scoff. "The World Government's playing a clever game. They're dangling this fortune to lure the Four Emperors' forces into targeting the Ninja Guild."
The others froze, realization dawning. Of course. The Four Emperors commanded legions of powerful, prideful subordinates. Seeing a "newcomer" like Lin Xuan outshine their bosses—or even themselves—would sting. Even if the Emperors themselves had no desire to clash with Lin Xuan, their underlings might not be so restrained. Trouble was brewing, and Lin Xuan was about to face enemies from all sides.
Dragon, however, smirked. "But they're underestimating him. With Lin Xuan's cunning, do they really think a scheme like this will bring him down?"
The others exchanged surprised glances. Their leader's high regard for Lin Xuan piqued their curiosity about the conversation he'd had with the man earlier.
Just then, Dragon noticed Sabo's face pale dramatically, his gaze fixed on the newspaper, unblinking.
"Sabo?" Dragon called, concern creeping into his voice. He leaned over to glance at the paper.
His own expression shifted to shock. There, in bold print, was another headline: Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace, Captured Yesterday and to Be Sent to Impel Down!
Ace had been taken by the Navy ahead of schedule—a ripple effect caused by Lin Xuan's actions disrupting the timeline.
As Sabo read the news and saw Ace's face in the accompanying photo, the dam holding back his memories finally broke. Images and emotions flooded his mind like a tidal wave, overwhelming him as his past came rushing back.
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T/N:
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