Chapter 25: Ace's Belief
The real numbers weren't quite that high. In truth, Roy had taken down fewer pirates than Ace—only eighty. He just knew Ace wouldn't bother to count, so for a free meal, Roy didn't mind cheating a little.
Sure enough, Ace was fooled. He genuinely believed Roy had beaten more, meaning he now owed Roy a meal.
Joseph and the others arrived, and the crew began searching the three pirate ships. They hauled over all the supplies they could find, recovered their own strongbox of gold coins, and gathered the Musket Pirates' belongings.
"Why is there so little?" Joseph asked, puzzled. "The Musket Pirates have been here for years. Their treasure hoard should be much larger than this."
Roy nodded in agreement. "It should."
"What do we do?" Ace asked.
"Find Captain Vincent and ask him," Joseph suggested.
"Good idea," Ace agreed.
"No need for that." Roy reached down and hauled up a groaning pirate from beneath the pile. "Hey," he said, his face close to the terrified man's. "Where does your crew keep its main treasure?"
"W-We don't have one! The captain spent it all on weapons and supplies! It's all gone!" the pirate stammered.
"Seems they were just a bunch of broke pirates," Joseph concluded. "In that case, let's have the townsfolk notify the Marines."
"What a shame we're pirates ourselves," Roy sighed, dropping the man. He'd just learned that Vincent had an 88 million Beri bounty on his head. That was a lot of money to leave on the table. If they weren't outlaws, they could have cashed him in.
Next, Taft, an expert with ropes, tied up all the remaining pirates. They dragged the unconscious Vincent from the town center and piled the entire crew together in a heap.
"Has the boss notified the Marines?" Roy asked the tavern keeper.
The old man stood with his arms crossed. "The Marines have been notified. Since you dealt with the Musket Pirates, I have little to thank you with. You may take the supplies the townsfolk left at their doors. There should be things you need. If not, then this island simply doesn't have what you're looking for."
"Is that really alright?" Joseph asked.
"Ridding us of the Musket Pirates is thanks enough. Take the supplies. Besides, the person who turns that scum in will receive quite a reward from the Marines—more than enough to cover what you take."
"Uncle," Roy said with an appreciative grin. "You're a sharp businessman. You still turn a profit in all this."
"Half the compensation will go to the townsfolk, the other half to me. You broke my tavern and drank a small ocean's worth of my ale," the boss retorted, pointing to the stacked barrels of wine nearby. They had been intended for the Musket Pirates' tribute, but now he was content to sell them off.
"Sharp indeed," Roy said, giving a thumbs-up.
"The Marines are coming. You should all get going. Leave this place. A wider world is waiting for you out there." The old man's eyes settled on Ace. "And you, fire-boy... I don't know why, but I keep seeing the shadow of an old friend on you. Keep your spirits high. One day, you too could become a major player on these seas."
"Boss," Ace said, studying him. "Were you a pirate once?"
"No. I've run this pub for over forty years. More than twenty years ago, I met a very interesting pirate. We became good friends. He was a magnificent drinker, hahaha!" The boss picked up a bottle and took a long, smiling drink.
"I see. Boss, who was your friend?" Ace asked, a tentative smile on his face.
"His name was Roger. Gol D. Roger. That's the name he gave me. If you don't recognize that one, then you'll know him as the Pirate King Roger. Hiccup!" The boss took another swig.
At the old man's words, the smile froze on Ace's face. The easy-going humor vanished, replaced by a deep, uncharacteristic seriousness. His entire life, all he had ever heard about Roger was curses and blame. Roger had unleashed this era of piracy, causing the seas to swell with outlaws. This tavern keeper was the first person he had ever heard speak of Roger with any fondness.
"So..." Ace asked, his head lowered. "What kind of man was the Pirate King Roger?"
The boss set his bottle down. "Roger was a man. A man with dreams and ambition. He had the heart of an adventurer. I heard him say once that his greatest dream was to travel the entire world and find the final answer on the last island. That very idea became the rallying cry that drives pirates into the Grand Line even after his death. Roger doesn't need anyone's judgment. He was who he was. He was the Pirate King. Hahahaha!"
The old man had been a victim of pirates himself, yet he held no hatred for Roger.
"I'm going to see it," Ace said, finally lifting his head to look at Roy and the others, a new, determined light in his eyes. "I'm going to see that final island."