The sea breeze carried the scent of salt and adventure as Whitebeard sat deep in thought. The conversation with Zephyr had left him pondering Liu Feng's ambitions and the path he had chosen. A pirate who willingly abandoned illegal profits for principles—such a thing was almost unheard of.
***
Ace sat on the edge of the deck, staring at the endless sea. His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles white. Marco, noticing his troubled expression, approached and leaned against the railing beside him.
"You've been quiet lately," Marco said casually.
Ace didn't respond. His gaze remained locked on the waves below.
Marco sighed. "It's about him, isn't it?"
At those words, Ace's body tensed.
"Shut up," Ace muttered.
Marco frowned. "You can't keep running from it, Ace."
"Running?" Ace let out a dry laugh. "What do you know?"
Marco crossed his arms. "I know that pretending it doesn't bother you won't make it go away. No matter how much you deny it, Roger was still—"
"Don't say his name!" Ace snapped, suddenly turning to Marco, his eyes burning with emotion.
Marco was stunned by the raw anger in Ace's expression. The tension between them thickened as Ace's emotions finally spilled over.
And then—
"It seems that Roger really hurt Ace," Marco murmured, realizing just how deep the wound ran.
" But he is your father after all. His blood is flowing in your body."
Marco looked at Ace with anger on his face quietly, and suddenly sighed and said slowly.
"So what!"
Ace suddenly raised his head, and scarlet blood was seeping around his pupils.
"He has never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father!!"
"If it weren't for him, Mother wouldn't have died at all!"
Marco paused.
He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Because Ace in front of him was already in tears.
"Marco, do you know?"
"I have never seen my mother."
He choked up with a hoarse voice, almost like a pleading whisper.
"I also saw my mother's appearance from a photo."
"She was a very gentle person, but in the end, she died of illness in order to protect me, the evil bloodline of the Pirate King."
"When I was very young, looking at the children of the same age on the street holding their father's big hands and jumping, I would sincerely envy them."
"I would ask myself, is this destined?"
"Am I really destined to be a child without parental love?"
"I don't understand, I really don't understand!!!"
"Roger, no matter what his reason is, I don't care!!"
"As he was the one who abandoned me and my mother after all!!"
Ace stared at Marco with tearful eyes, crying uncontrollably.
Marco looked at Ace silently, but couldn't find any words to comfort him.
The night sky was lonely, and Ace's crying gradually disappeared and sank.
He raised his hand to wipe the tears on his cheeks, and a hard look appeared on his face as he smiled.
"Later, I met my father and you guys."
"Only in the Whitebeard Pirates did I truly feel at home."
"It's really beautiful."
"So, I will never recognize that man as my father."
"I only have one father."
"That's Whitebeard."
Marco was silent, and suddenly he laughed, raised his hand and patted Ace's shoulder.
"Ace, no matter what decision you make, we support you because, we are a family."
**
"How is it? Can't sleep?"
The Golden Lion the new navy admiral stayed up, wearing in military uniform sat on the roof, biting a cigar in his mouth.
He suddenly turned his head and laughed softly at a corner. The figure of Whitebeard slowly appeared, holding a half-jar of wine in his hand.
"Shiki, we haven't had a drink together for a long time, right?" Whitebeard said with a smile.
The Golden Lion rolled his eyes and cursed with a smile: "Get out! The horse urine from Zephyr has no taste at all, and you still want to cheat me with that cheap wine!"
He jumped down from the roof and ran into the room.
Whitebeard looked at his sneaky figure and couldn't help but feel curious.
After a moment, There was a rustling sound in the room, and Golden Lion came out holding a large jar of wine.
White Beard's eyes lit up immediately.
This wine, at first glance, was obviously a good thing!!
"Tsk tsk tsk, it turns out that you, a bastard, have hidden the good stuff."
Whitebeard squatted on the ground, staring at the jar of wine on the ground with expectation.
Golden Lion's face changed drastically in shock, and he quickly raised his finger to his lips.
"Shh!!! Keep it down!!!"
"Don't let Zephyr, that bastard, know about it, or both you and I will be in trouble!!"
"I got this with great difficulty!"
"Being taken away If you surrender, I will fight you to the death!!"
As he said this, he carefully unscrewed the lid of the wine jar.
With a "bang", a strong aroma of wine floated in the air.
The rich and mellow smell made Whitebeard's face turn red, and his nostrils couldn't help but move.
"Gulala, where did you get this wine?"
Whitebeard rubbed his hands, took the bowl of strong wine handed over by Golden Lion, and drank it with his head tilted back.
The spicy taste rushed into his throat, and he made a happy and wanton sound.
Golden Lion also drank a mouthful and smiled proudly: "Liu Feng gave it to me, it seems to be from a trade route. The good stuff brought out probably came from the Golden City."
Whitebeard sighed: "Golden Emperor Tezoro is really good at what he does. I've been to the Golden City once before."
"That fine wine is everywhere. So much that it has to be poured into the stinking ditch."
He suddenly looked at Golden Lion with a playful look, "But, then again…You were the arrogant and domineering admiral back then, but now you are like a mouse seeing a cat when you see Zephyr"
"This is really unlike your style, Shiki"
Golden Lion was stunned, with an embarrassed look on his face.