The farce ended, unsurprisingly, with Amano An receiving two heavy "Iron Fists of Love" from Garp.
As the warship drew closer to its destination, An found herself growing increasingly restless.Has Ace really been doing well all these years?
That thought kept circling in her head, making her stomach twist tighter the closer they got.
"I heard the Red-Haired Pirates, who'd been staying in the East Blue for a year, finally returned to the New World!" someone said, breaking the silence among the crew.
"Really? What's a big-name pirate like Shanks doing in a backwater like the East Blue?"
"Who knows. Maybe he was on vacation," another replied with a laugh.
"Still, it's a strange place," said a third. "The East Blue's the weakest sea, right? Most pirates there barely have a bounty over three million berries—but somehow it keeps producing monsters!"
"No kidding. Vice Admiral Garp's from the East Blue, and that Warrant Officer An he picked up there is absurdly strong too—"
That was enough to make An snap to attention.
She couldn't sit still anymore. Her mind started racing. She hadn't dared ask too much about the East Blue over the years, afraid she'd reveal too much or learn something she wasn't ready for. But judging by the timeline, Red-Hair should've just left, which meant Ace hadn't met Luffy yet.
And Garp… Garp was probably heading there to "visit" Luffy again.
Seeing that they were almost at their destination, An suddenly leapt to her feet, called out a quick goodbye to the others, and bolted toward the deck.
Ahhh! I'm going to see Ace soon!Her heart pounded so fast it hurt.
Woohoo! I'm Ace's sister! His actual, blood-related sister!She felt equal parts thrilled and terrified.
Should she bring him a gift? What did Ace even like?
After mumbling to herself for a while, she decided to bring him something flashy.On the way, she "borrowed" from a pirate ship—meaning she beat them up—and stuffed a large chest full of treasure. Then she rushed straight toward the Goa Kingdom.
Ace wasn't hard to find. His "reputation" around here was already quite famous.
As she asked around for directions, she didn't expect the first person she'd run into would be—Sabo.
He was easy to recognize, with his messy blond curls and aristocratic outfit that looked a bit too fine for the dirty streets. Though the clothes were a little scuffed, they were clearly from a noble house.
"You're Sabo!" An exclaimed, running over with excitement. Though she looked like a ten-year-old, inside she was a grown woman—and before she knew it, her hand had already reached out on instinct.
Who could resist such an adorable, curly-haired boy?
Sabo's expression instantly changed. His eyes widened in alarm as if he'd just spotted an enemy. He jumped back, trying to evade her.
But how could a kid with street-fighting skills compare to someone who'd trained under Vice Admiral Garp?
Before he knew it, An's "sinful little hand" had already grabbed his cheek and pinched it several times.
"So cute! Ace must be just as cute as you!" she gushed.
"Let go! Let go, you crazy pervert!" Sabo yelped, swinging his metal pipe at her.
Born into a noble family, Sabo had heard plenty of horror stories about adults with "strange tastes." And now this suspicious woman was grabbing his face and babbling about Ace with wild eyes—it was downright terrifying.
He shot a desperate glance behind her, signaling a warning.
An blinked, sensing movement. She turned—and froze.
A boy stood there, small yet fierce, with dark eyes burning like embers.
Ace.
Her breath caught in her throat.
The next moment, the metal pipe struck her squarely in the face.
She barely felt the pain. Instead, something twisted deep inside her chest.
He hasn't lived well… has he?
That single thought stung more than the hit itself.
He was just a child—yet already hardened by the cruelty of the world.
It hurt to look at him.The person she had loved so deeply in her past life…The one who was now her little brother.
She wanted to cry, but instead she forced a shaky smile and softly said, "It's me!"
She didn't fight back. She simply stepped aside, opened the treasure chest, and carefully—almost nervously—said, "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
She wanted to sound gentle, not pitying. The last thing she wanted was to hurt his pride.
But to the boys, her awkward smile and shaky tone only made her look more suspicious.
The two exchanged a look—understanding each other perfectly—and raised their pipes again.
"Wait, Ace! I'm not here to fight! These are for you!"
"Don't believe her!" Sabo shouted. "She's a pervert with weird habits!"
"Wha—?!" An blinked, completely thrown off.
"I—I'm not! Don't talk nonsense!" she cried, waving her hands defensively.
But compared to a stranger's panicked denial, Sabo's warning carried more weight.
Ace took a step back, holding his pipe tightly, eyes wary.
Inside, An cursed Garp a hundred times over.
Didn't that stupid old man tell him anything?
She had the same wavy pink hair and freckles she'd inherited from Portgas D. Rouge—how could Ace not recognize her?
It had to be Garp's fault. He must've never told Ace he had a sister!
Fuming, she tried to calm herself down so she wouldn't scare them even more.
Sabo noticed she wasn't fighting back, though he couldn't understand why. Still, he wasn't about to take chances. He snatched up the treasure chest and shouted, "Ace! Don't talk to her—run!"
They both knew they'd drawn attention with the chest of treasure. If they stayed any longer, someone would definitely come for it.
Ace nodded, backing away cautiously, pipe still raised, until they were far enough to make a break for it.
An stood there helplessly, her shoulders slumping.
"I'm really not a pervert…" she murmured, almost to herself.
Her voice cracked. Ugh! I should've come with Garp—at least then people wouldn't think I'm some creep!
Just then, a group of rough voices came from nearby.
"Boss! Over there! I saw two brats running off with a chest full of treasure!"
An's ears perked up. Her eyes brightened mischievously.
She turned, smiling sweetly. "Oh? That sounds interesting. Mind if I tag along?"
Meanwhile, Ace and Sabo had made it back to their secret base.They dumped the treasure out onto the floor, the jewels glittering brilliantly in the dim light.
Sabo whistled. "Wow… where did that pervert get all this? With this much, we're one step closer to our dream of becoming pirates!"
Ace didn't respond. His expression was unusually serious.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sabo asked. He'd noticed Ace's strange mood earlier, but the shock of the treasure had made him forget to ask.
Ace frowned, glancing toward the forest. "You deal with this. There's something I need to confirm."
Before Sabo could reply, Ace jumped down from the tree trunk and disappeared into the woods.
"Wait for me!" Sabo called, quickly scooping the treasure back into the chest and hurrying after him.
They moved fast, retracing their steps—and when they returned to where they'd last seen An, the scene that greeted them made both of them stop in their tracks.
Amano An was single-handedly beating up a gang of grown men.
Though she looked only a bit taller than Ace, her delicate face made her seem barely ten years old. Yet she held a burly thug by the collar like a sack of rice, slapping him back and forth while smiling sweetly.
Her tone was calm, almost gentle—terrifyingly so.
"What did you say about robbing? Speak up, I can't hear you," she said pleasantly.
When the man stammered out the same line again, she slapped him once more.
"How dare you try to rob my things?"
Ace: "…"
Sabo took an involuntary step back. "Let's go," he whispered urgently. "I told you she's a pervert!"
But Ace hesitated. Something about her expression made him pause.
Then, finally, An noticed them. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately tossed the thug aside like trash, running toward them.
"Waaah! Ace! I finally—"
"Watch out!"
Sabo tried to pull Ace back, but it was too late.
Several dark muzzles were suddenly pointed straight at them.
Then—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!