Bang!
"Ow! Just like the old man's fist!"
Ace crouched on the ground, covering his head and shouting frantically.
Unlike Luffy, he naturally understood this was the effect of Armament Haki.
But why did this guy's fist hurt so much too!
Strictly speaking, Ace should call Naruto "big brother" rather than "uncle."
After all, Naruto himself called Roger and Rayleigh "uncle," so they were of the same generation.
But Ace's mother, Portgas D. Rouge, was only seven or eight years older than Naruto.
When Rouge was pregnant with Ace, teenage Naruto had even helped Rouge hide for a while. At that time, he called Rouge "Rouge-neesan."
Unfortunately, even with Naruto's help, the World Government's search for Roger's offspring was still intense.
Rouge was still forced to extend her pregnancy, and after giving birth to Ace, she passed away.
Now thinking about it, it had already been twenty years since Rouge-neesan's death.
That bare-bottomed baby in his memory who needed diaper changes had grown this big now.
Really...
"So, instead of properly being your 2nd Division Commander in the New World, what are you doing running to Paradise alone?"
Naruto was naturally aware of Ace challenging Whitebeard, failing, and then joining him.
Since Ace's birth, Naruto had put considerable effort into raising this brat.
It was only later, because of his own identity, that he had to leave this job entirely to that Garp guy.
After that, he rarely returned to Paradise. The last time he saw this brat was right when Garp had sent him to East Blue.
Naruto had also occasionally paid attention to news of him after he set sail.
He crouched in front of Ace, reaching out to pull him up.
Ace also naturally grabbed Naruto's palm, then rolled his eyes irritably.
"Aren't you also here, Naruto... uncle."
Feeling Naruto's grip on his hand continuously tightening, Ace immediately broke out in a cold sweat and was finally forced to call out that embarrassing title.
After the words left his mouth, Naruto's large hand finally loosened, and Ace quickly covered his hand and blew on it.
Naruto gently patted his head, then turned to the boss and said:
"Give him the same portion I just ate."
So before Ace could react, Naruto had grabbed him and placed him in his seat.
Then he inexplicably found himself under the somewhat strange expectant gazes of the boss and customers.
It's worth mentioning that this restaurant's inventory really seemed abundant.
After Naruto's massive eating spree, there were actually still leftover ingredients to make a new portion.
"Eat up. This place tastes pretty good. We'll talk after you're full."
Hearing Naruto's words, Ace simply couldn't be bothered to think about these things. He had originally come to this island to eat anyway.
Time was tight and the mission urgent. He still had unfinished business.
Sitting beside him, Naruto took the local specialty rum provided by the establishment and drank half a cup in one gulp.
After eating a few bites, Ace suddenly spoke a seemingly random sentence:
"...is a traitor."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Naruto slightly raised his eyes, preparing to hear Ace's continuation.
"That guy... that bastard Teach! He killed Thatch just for a Devil Fruit!"
"Thatch died at his hands?"
Naruto's eyelids drooped slightly, his tone revealing no emotion.
Hearing his words, Ace looked up somewhat surprised.
"Naruto-uncle, you know Thatch too?"
"Ah, I know him."
Thatch, the 4th Division Commander, killed by Blackbeard Teach. Naruto had an impression of this person.
His cooking skills were quite good, he had a bold personality, and he was a qualified man of the seas.
Even before Ace joined the Whitebeard Pirates, Naruto had known Thatch.
Back then, he would occasionally go find Whitebeard for drinking contests, and the appetizers Thatch made for them were always delicious.
As for that guy called Teach, Naruto had seen him too.
He had even warned Whitebeard more than once that this "son" of his was no good.
Unfortunately, Whitebeard, as one of the Four Emperors, had his own principles and stubbornness.
Before Teach actually showed his true colors, he hadn't taken Naruto's words to heart at all.
Whether you called Whitebeard foolish or said he trusted his children...
Thatch's death was ultimately inseparable from this kind of indulgence.
"He used to be my subordinate. I'm going to bring him back! Hand him over to Pops for judgment!"
Hearing Ace's somewhat naive words, Naruto directly shook his head.
"Whitebeard has also grown old and indecisive."
"And he's turned you into a brat with no backbone as well."
He spoke his evaluation of Whitebeard without reservation.
What responded to Naruto was Ace's merciless fist!
Bang!
You have to know, Naruto's body weight in his "normal state" hadn't decreased.
The enraged Ace's punch struck Naruto's face, sending his entire body flying and even crashing through the restaurant's wall.
Everyone in the restaurant was startled, unclear why these two acquaintances who had seemed so friendly just moments ago were suddenly fighting.
"Sorry, I'll pay for the broken wall."
Ace first politely bowed to the shop owner, then walked through the large hole Naruto had been thrown through, facing Naruto, who was lying on the ground.
"Even if it's you, you can't badmouth Pops!"
When shouting this, Ace's face showed genuine anger.
"Ah, really now..."
Naruto, lying on the ground, slowly sat up, looking at Ace expressionlessly.
There wasn't a single wound on his body, while Ace's own fist had already swollen red.
"With such a soft fist and such weak words, who are you trying to make laugh?"
Naruto looked at Ace with the exact same expression as a family elder looking at their own child constantly misbehaving.
Being looked at with such eyes, Ace wanted to say something else, but before he could open his mouth, he felt his head being gripped tightly by a large hand.
"You dare attack me for Whitebeard's sake?"
Ace only had time to hear this sentence clearly before what followed was the whistling of wind and a feeling of weightlessness.
Bang!
Naruto grabbed his head with one hand and threw him toward the empty ground outside town.
Just before being slammed into the ground, Ace successfully elementalized, thus avoiding the physical impact.
After he reformed his body, what he saw was Uncle Naruto, who had already come before him.
"It looks like today, Uncle here needs to properly educate you."
With that, Naruto began releasing Conqueror's Haki, washing over Ace's body and mind like a torrent.
"Damn it!"
Ace could feel that suffocating pressure. In his emotional excitement, he also emanated Conqueror's Haki.