After entering the venue, Ace casually dropped the unconscious Corbett near the entrance, secured him with proper handcuffs, and then began helping with the post-operation cleanup efforts.
In the early hours of the morning, everyone had completed their preparations for handling the aftermath of their mission. They decided to leave several crew members on the island, with Corbett's female assistant helping coordinate various administrative tasks to keep the island's legitimate businesses running smoothly while they determined how best to relocate and rehabilitate the rescued slaves.
The other group would escort Corbett back to the Whitebeard Pirates' main fleet, where he could be thoroughly interrogated before any final decisions were made about his fate and the broader implications of his criminal network.
Personnel from both groups were now gathered at the port, making final preparations to board their respective ships for departure.
Jerry and his friends stood to one side with Ace, gazing out at the sea as the early morning sun began to paint the horizon with soft colors.
"So, Ace, what do you think about that proposal I mentioned earlier?" Jerry asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
During their journey to the island, Jerry had asked Ace if he wanted to travel with them again, exploring different regions and seeing more of the world beyond Whitebeard's territory.
Ace had been stunned by the invitation at the time, saying only that he would need to think about it carefully.
Now that it was time for them to part ways once again, Jerry decided to press for an answer.
Glancing at Deuce and Skull, who were both watching him with obvious hope and eagerness in their eyes, Ace smiled and admitted: "To be completely honest, I really do want to go with you."
Hearing this admission, Deuce looked directly at his old friend and nodded with enthusiastic approval.
"Then come with us! What's stopping you?" he said simply.
"Didn't you always say that pirates are supposed to be free? Besides, is there somewhere specific you've been wanting to visit?"
The truth was that Ace did have particular places he wanted to see, which was exactly why he had been so hesitant about making this decision.
"Yes, there are definitely places I'd like to go..." Ace began slowly. "But I only recently joined the Whitebeard Pirates and became a division commander. I feel like I should be doing more to contribute to the crew and support my father. If I just run off with you guys now, wouldn't that be irresponsible of me?"
"I thought it was something more serious than that," Jerry replied with a dismissive wave. "Is Whitebeard really such a petty person that he'd object to this?"
"Why don't we just ask him directly for his opinion instead of worrying about it? Or do you honestly think he's that small-minded?"
Jerry felt that Ace's concerns were completely unnecessary. The Whitebeard Pirates had an extensive intelligence network with Den Den Mushi communication systems—they could contact Whitebeard immediately and get a definitive answer.
"Puru puru puru," the distinctive sound of a Den Den Mushi began ringing.
Without giving Ace any opportunity to refuse or make more excuses, Jerry gestured for Skull to retrieve his communication device and place the call directly to Whitebeard's flagship.
After several moments of connection protocols, the call was successfully transferred to Whitebeard himself.
Jerry looked with fascination at the Den Den Mushi that was now in Ace's hands, marveling at how the creature had perfectly replicated Whitebeard's iconic crescent-shaped mustache and distinctive facial features. He thought once again that Den Den Mushi were truly among the most remarkable creatures in the entire world.
"Gurarara! Ace? What's the matter, my son?" came Whitebeard's booming voice through the communication device.
Jerry noticed that the Den Den Mushi had even developed the same kind of age spots and weathered appearance as Whitebeard's actual face, making it absolutely certain they were speaking to the right person.
"Uh... well, Dad, it's like this..." Ace began hesitantly.
"Hey, if you've got something to say, just say it already," Jerry interrupted, seeing Ace's conflicted expression and obvious reluctance to speak directly.
Without ceremony, Jerry leaned toward the Den Den Mushi and spoke clearly: "Hello there, old man Whitebeard. This is Jerry."
"Jerry, my boy? What can I do for you? Speak up," Whitebeard replied with obvious warmth in his voice.
"It's not really a big deal at all. It's just that Ace has some places he'd like to visit, and I've invited him to sail with me for a while," Jerry explained in his characteristically direct and concise manner.
"Gurarara! That's really such a small matter," Whitebeard laughed heartily upon hearing the request.
Then his tone became more serious as he addressed Ace directly: "Ace, go wherever you want to go, my son. Joining our family doesn't mean you've lost your freedom or independence."
"Everyone in this crew is free to make their own choices. There's nothing to be ashamed of in speaking up about what you want."
"But Dad, I feel like I just joined and became captain of the Second Division..." Ace protested, still feeling guilty despite Whitebeard's clear approval.
He was having difficulty fully understanding Whitebeard's philosophy and approach to leadership, which was so different from what he had expected from such a powerful figure.
"Don't let yourself be bound by titles and formal responsibilities," Whitebeard replied with paternal gentleness. "You are still yourself, regardless of any position you might hold."
"As long as you still acknowledge me as your father, what's wrong with going out to see the world? It's just taking a walk, isn't it?"
"Dad... thank you. I understand now," Ace said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude and relief.
After hearing Whitebeard's reassuring words, Jerry laughed and patted Ace on the back with obvious satisfaction.
"Haha! See? I told you your dad wouldn't be so petty about something like this."
"Oh? Jerry, my boy? Are you talking about me behind my back?" Whitebeard asked with mock accusation.
Despite his words sounding like a complaint, his tone was clearly amused and good-natured.
"Ah... no, that was just a Den Den Mushi malfunction," Jerry replied with completely straight-faced dishonesty. "He said that all by himself. It has absolutely nothing to do with me."
But in the very next moment, the Den Den Mushi suddenly transmitted the unmistakable voice of Marco the Phoenix.
"Jerry, don't even try to get away with that excuse. I heard everything you said. Next time you visit us, you're going to have to pay a price for this kind of disrespect."
"Gurarara! Yes, I heard it too," Whitebeard confirmed with obvious amusement. "Make sure you bring some good alcohol next time you come aboard."
"Pops, you really shouldn't be drinking so much," Marco's voice interjected with the long-suffering tone of someone who had made this argument many times before.
"It's fine, Marco. Don't worry so much," Whitebeard replied dismissively.
"Actually, how about this," Jerry suggested with a grin. "I'll ask Wallace to bring some special treats when he returns to the main fleet later."
Jerry was genuinely enjoying the warm family dynamic between Whitebeard and Marco, and he thought it would be nice to send some gifts back with Wallace and the other returning crew members.
After they continued chatting for several more minutes about various topics, Ace finally scratched his head and made his official decision.
"Dad, then I... I'll go out traveling with Jerry for a while and come back after we've seen what we wanted to see."
As both parties said their goodbyes and put away the Den Den Mushi, Ace looked toward the brightening sky with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.
Before he could say anything else, Deuce and Skull rushed over to him with obvious excitement, both of them absolutely thrilled at the prospect of sailing together again as the original trio.
The three friends immediately began talking over each other in their enthusiasm. Deuce grabbed the distinctive orange hat that Ace had retrieved from his belongings and said with genuine joy:
"This is wonderful, Ace! We can finally continue our unfinished journey together."
"This time, with a completely different perspective and mindset, I'm sure we'll discover amazing new things about the world."
Skull was gesticulating wildly with his hands to show off the modest muscle definition he had gained from his recent training regimen. Although he had been focusing primarily on speed and agility, that didn't stop him from flexing and throwing a few practice punches to demonstrate his progress.
"Captain Ace, we've all become so much stronger! We can explore incredible places to our heart's content," he declared enthusiastically.
"We can continue holding proper banquets together in the future too. We never had much luck with celebrations before because there weren't enough people to make them really festive."
"Haha, is that so? Well, Deuce, you'd better work hard on writing our story properly this time," Ace replied with a broad grin.
"And Skull, I'll welcome anyone who wants to join our banquets!"
After this brief but heartwarming reunion, Ace went to explain the situation to Wallace and the other Whitebeard members who would be returning to the Whitebeard Pirates, asking them to head back to the main fleet without him.
Jerry followed along and retrieved various items from his personal supplies, claiming they were gifts for Whitebeard to show proper respect. Then he walked back to rejoin the group that would be departing on the Black Star Pirates' ship, smiling at everyone who was waiting for them.
"All right then, let's get aboard and set sail," he announced cheerfully.
"Oh, but Carina, you should return that bag of money to the Whitebeard Pirates first."
"What?! This money is mine now!" Carina protested immediately upon hearing Jerry's casual mention of her ill-gotten gains.
She seemed completely unwilling to compromise on this point, clutching her bulging bag protectively.
"That's the money Banshee earned by selling her body," Jerry explained with deliberately provocative phrasing. "Please give it back where it belongs."
"Hey! What kind of nonsense are you spouting, you troublemaker?! Don't think I didn't hear exactly what you just said!" Banshee roared indignantly from her position near the ship.
"Haha, Auntie, why don't you tell everyone where that money actually came from?" Jerry continued, completely ignoring Banshee's lion-like roar of outrage.
He stepped forward and extended his right hand toward Carina expectantly.
"Look, we'll have plenty of opportunities to acquire money in the future," he said persuasively. "I'm confident you won't be able to carry even two bags' worth of all the treasure we'll find."
"Fine! But that's a promise! You owe me two full bags of money!" Carina declared, finally handing over the stolen Berries but making sure to establish the terms of their agreement.
"Uh... is that really how we're calculating this debt?" Jerry asked with obvious uncertainty about the accounting method Carina was using.