"Gone. It's all gone…"
Buggy slumped weakly onto the rattan chair, clutching his head with both hands, muttering in despair:
"How am I supposed to sail the Grand Line now? If I go back to the East Blue and that guy Shanks finds out, he'll definitely laugh at me…"
Over the past two years…
He had heard plenty of news about Shanks. Saw him on the front page of the papers... ah, no, wait, on the second page, several times.
Things like "defeated Warlord Moria" or "bounty surpasses 500 million Berries"—each report more exaggerated than the last. His fame was off the charts, with countless pirates all over the world becoming his diehard fans.
By comparison, Buggy, who'd gone his own way and was still stuck with only a 10 million bounty, felt like the worst-performing classmate at a reunion. It was utterly humiliating.
"Well now, you don't have to worry about that."
The old man Crocus, who had been quietly smiling all along, suddenly shrugged and raised the newspaper in his hand, glancing at Buggy. "That brat isn't in such a great situation himself right now."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Buggy froze, instinctively turning to look at the paper.
On the left side, there seemed to be a picture of two dragons—he couldn't really make it out. But on the right… that guy wearing a straw hat staring into the camera—Buggy would recognize him even if he were burned to ashes.
Why was this guy on the newspaper again?
And this time, he was even on the front page?!
Jealousy and envy instantly swallowed Buggy's reason. He scrambled up from the ground, gritted his teeth, and snatched the paper from the old ship doctor's hand.
"What kind of earth-shattering thing did this guy do now?! Did he take down another Warlord? Or did his bounty rise again… huh?"
His eyes widened, his breathing quickened, and he devoured the entire article without pause. When he finally looked up, his face was blank with shock.
"Shanks… was captured?!"
Is that really the part you focus on? You're not even paying attention to the actual big news? The old ship doctor's eye twitched. But seeing Buggy's stunned expression, he immediately understood and stroked his beard with a sigh.
As expected—
Even though these two brats had fallen out on the ship back then, almost killing each other, the bond of crewmates couldn't be severed. At a time of crisis, true feelings came right to the surface…
"Actually, you don't have to worry, little Buggy," Crocus said leisurely. "He was only captured, not killed. He's not in danger of losing his life. I know you must be hurting deep inside right now, but—"
"Hurt?"
Buggy suddenly grinned, bursting out into laughter: "Don't joke around, Uncle Crocus! How could I possibly be worried about that guy?!"
"Ha! Back then he acted all high and mighty, trying to get me to join his crew and recognize him as captain. And now? Finally locked up!"
Hands on his hips, Buggy laughed louder and louder, until he had to clutch his stomach with tears nearly spilling out of his eyes. "Hey, Marines! Show some respect, at least throw him into Impel Down's fifth floor… no, sixth floor! Keep him locked away for twenty or thirty years!"
By then, Buggy would have surely found Captain John's treasure, becoming one of the richest men in the world. Meanwhile, that guy would only just crawl out of prison as an old man with a scraggly beard and dull eyes—left with nothing but the chance to look up at Buggy in awe!
The more he imagined it, the happier he became. Even the pain of losing his ship inside the whale's belly completely vanished.
Humming a little tune, Buggy rolled up the newspaper and handed it back to Crocus. "Uncle, do you have any ship repair tools I can borrow?"
"…What for?"
The old ship doctor looked at him speechlessly, realizing how foolish he'd been to think otherwise. "I don't remember you knowing how to repair ships. And besides, with a ship that big, fixing it is no small project…"
"I can't be bothered to repair it, and I don't have the skills anyway."
Buggy pouted. "I just plan to gather some planks and at least build a small raft. As long as it can carry me back over Reverse Mountain, that's good enough."
"You're going back to the East Blue?"
Crocus glanced up at the towering Reverse Mountain in surprise. "You just got here… What, you don't plan to sail the Grand Line anymore?"
"Nope!"
Buggy looked completely satisfied. "To be honest, I hadn't planned on coming so soon anyway. I only came because that guy's fame kept growing and I couldn't resist. But now that he's locked up in prison, I'll just go back to the East Blue and do my own thing. Honestly… I still like that place better."
What a hopeless brat, no ambition at all…
The old ship doctor pointed toward a small storeroom, watching Buggy's eager figure rush off to grab tools, and shook his head helplessly.
Although they were about the same age and both had been apprentice crew members on the Pirate King's ship, the choices Buggy and Shanks made after crossing Reverse Mountain and reuniting with him were completely opposite.
But, well, everyone has their own ambitions. Buggy's way of life wasn't for him to interfere with—so let him be.
Besides—
Watching the younger generation grow and walk down such different roads… somehow, it felt kind of interesting.
Still, the fact that this guy only cared about news of Shanks, ignoring everything else, was just too ridiculous… Crocus's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help glancing again at the newspaper photo, at the figure battling Kaido.
Natsuya Nao…
He was unbelievably young. Even Shanks's accomplishments couldn't compare to his.
For a moment, Crocus felt as though time blurred, and he was looking back at the days when Garp, Sengoku, and Zephyr had shaken the seas in their youth…
No. Even those monsters, at the same age, could never have matched this Nao.
"Times are changing…"
The old ship's doctor sighed softly. This kind of potential is just too terrifying. The Marine Headquarters must have hit some kind of jackpot luck to have found such a young genius.
In his twenties, able to fight an opponent of the level of a Sea Emperor for days and nights without victory or defeat.
What about when he's thirty? How strong will he be at forty?
He looked towards the distant horizon, his expression complex, his eyes filled with hidden worry.
Roger…
Could it be that the Great Pirate Era you personally began six years ago… might one day end at the hands of this guy?
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Hurry, hurry, let me see!"
"I wanna see too, Granny Chisio!"
Inside Chisio's home, several brats scrambled to snatch the newspaper. Ace had just managed to grab it from Nami and was about to grin in triumph, when Nojiko smacked him on the head and yanked it away.
"I got it first!"
Ace stomped his feet in frustration, but since Nojiko was a head taller and much stronger, he couldn't win no matter how hard he stretched on tiptoes. In the end, he could only sulk pitifully and wait for her to open the paper, then squeeze in behind her to read.
Across from them, Chisio chuckled at the scene, not bothering to intervene, instead continuing her chat with Yukika, who sat across the table.
Ever since she'd returned to Headquarters, the Natsuya family often came by to visit. Her relationship with Yukika had grown closer and closer—already reaching the level of lifelong old friends.
Having a son like that—it was enough to make anyone jealous. Watching Yukika's radiant expression, glowing thanks to the latest reports, Chisio couldn't help but feel a little sour inside, like she'd just bitten into a lemon.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Nojiko and Nami finished reading the newspaper, their eyes sparkling like stars as they exclaimed together:
"He made the front page headline again!"
"So strong—just as expected of Father!"
Behind them, Ace stared at the photo with envy and awe, at the two colossal dragons clashing amid storm and lightning. That's what a real man is… so cool. He wished he could grow up faster and become such a powerful Marine himself.
If only he could be half as strong as Uncle Nao… no, even just a quarter would be enough. Then maybe his training results wouldn't disappoint so much, and Grandpa wouldn't be forcing him into extra punishment drills every day.
That's right.
Even though he hadn't yet celebrated his fifth birthday, since the start of the year Ace had already been put through Garp's grueling regimen. Those days were sheer torment, and even with Chisio's return things had only slightly improved…
He couldn't help but envy Nami and Nojiko. Uncle Nao treasured his daughters like they were made of glass, terrified they might break if they fell. Nojiko was the same age as him, but Ace had never once seen her forced into harsh training.
If only I had a dad like Uncle Nao…
Little Ace thought to himself. He'd always been curious about who his real father was. He'd asked Garp and Chisio before, but neither of the elders ever gave him a straight answer—always just chuckling and saying his father had gone somewhere very, very far away…
Thinking of that, Ace quietly clenched the necklace hanging around his neck.
It had been a gift from Uncle Nao on his fourth birthday—pure silver, and he treasured it above all else.
But there was one thing he never quite understood.
He could understand the letters engraved on the front of the necklace pendant: "Ace," his own name.
But what did "Hokuto Seiji" engraved on the back mean?
...
Impel Down, Underwater Prison, Level 3
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Inside a wide solitary cell, a tall figure unleashed a barrage of punches against the iron wall before him. His fists pounded like a raging storm, shaking more than a dozen nearby cells.
Many pirates were jolted awake from their sleep, but none dared utter a sound. They just clamped their hands over their ears and buried their heads back down.
There was no helping it.
No one in this level dared mess with that guy.
"Huff…"
Finishing his routine, Shiryu's breathing was still steady and deep. He grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his brow and was about to head for the private shower, when he suddenly sensed something and turned toward the far end of the corridor.
"Your Armament Haki's improved quite a bit."
It was Magellan. Standing beyond the bars, he met Shiryu's gaze and smiled. "At this rate, by the end of the year you'll be more than ready to take over as Head Jailer."
"It's already decided?" Shiryu raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. The old warden hasn't said it outright, but he's already given tacit approval," Magellan explained. "First he credited you with that patent invention, then he let you take part in quelling the riots. He clearly favors you over me—he's been going out of his way on your behalf."
"Your sentence has been reduced by two and a half years. Most of the credit goes to him."
"I understand."
Shiryu fell silent for a moment, then lifted his gaze.
"I won't forget the old warden's kindness. But… did you really come here today just to tell me this?"
"Of course not."
Magellan shook his head slightly. At last, he pulled out what he'd been carrying under his arm and handed it over. Shiryu accepted it, only to find it was a newspaper—clearly fresh off the press, still carrying the faint scent of ink and…
…a faint hint of latrine odor.
"What's this?" Shiryu frowned, casting him a questioning look.
"Front page. You'll see soon enough."
Shiryu deliberately held his breath and unfolded it. The instant his eyes fell on the page, his gaze trembled. In the next moment, his full attention was swallowed up by the paper.
A long while later, he finally finished reading. When he lifted his head, his face still carried an undeniable look of shock.
"Mr. Nao… he's becoming more and more incredible."
Seeing his reaction, Magellan wasn't surprised in the least. Smiling, he said, "You know, I sometimes wonder if you saved the world in a past life. How else could you have ended up as his roommate? Do you realize every time I see his name in the paper, I almost die of envy?"
Back when they were just rookies, who could've guessed that guy would turn out to be such a monster?
Though a bit of pride stirred in him, Shiryu couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes at Magellan's jealous tone.
When Magellan finally left, Shiryu looked again at the handsome, all-too-familiar face printed on the page. Taking a deep breath, he turned back toward the iron wall and resumed his hellish training.
He knew he couldn't compare with that monster. But stuck here in prison for so long, he had no choice but to seize every moment to train. At the very least, the next time they met, he couldn't allow the gap to grow too wide…
...
West Blue.
Marine 1st Branch Base.
It was a quiet summer day, the sun blazing overhead. Across the base, squads of Marines could be seen marching in perfect formation, while recruits on the training grounds kept their heads down, drilling hard. The whole place radiated a grim, disciplined aura.
"No wonder this branch was once commanded by that man," said a bounty hunter as he left after collecting his reward. He couldn't help remarking to his portly partner, "Their combat strength, morale, discipline… it's on a whole other level compared to the rest of the West Blue branches."
"Exactly."
The fat partner nodded in agreement. "Totally incomparable."
Just thinking of that legendary name filled them with awe.
Nearly three years had passed.
But the man's influence over this base—and indeed the entire West Blue—lingered everywhere, still deeply imprinted.
"Though honestly, for us, him leaving turned out to be a blessing."
The tall, heavyset bounty hunter hefted his bulging purse and clicked his tongue.
"Back when he was around, no big-name pirates in the West Blue dared show their faces. Only small fry. There was no business to be had. But now? The market's great."
"Can't argue with that."
His companion suddenly noticed another group swaggering over from the distance. He smirked.
"Look, more bounty hunters. That's the third batch we've run into today, huh?"
The two groups passed each other without so much as a greeting. They were rivals fighting for the same work, after all.
And precisely because of that, neither pair noticed the small, thin figure with black hair slip quietly out of a nearby alley. Blending seamlessly into the bounty hunters' group, the shadow silently followed them through the gates of the base.