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When Ace arrived at the beach, the sight that greeted him was far from what he had expected. Luffy, who he had been so worried about, was stuffing his face with food, while Zoro and Sabo were clinking glasses and drinking with a Marine Captain.
The moment Sabo saw him, he grinned and waved. "Ace! Come drink with us!"
Ace was well-known—he wasn't just Luffy's brother, but the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. It was impossible for Moya not to recognize him.
However, instead of showing any hostility, Moya remained relaxed.
The reason?
The Straw Hats' new "strategist"—Sabo—had already taken care of it.
During their conversation earlier, Sabo had subtly "vaccinated" Moya against any suspicion.
While most Marines didn't know much about Sabo, they did know Ace and his massive 550 million berry bounty. But thanks to Sengoku's special recruitment authority, it wouldn't be far-fetched for Ace to have joined the Private Marines.
In the past, Marines had defected and become pirates. But now, a pirate becoming a Marine—albeit a Private Marine—was a fresh and unexpected twist.
"Brother Ace, come on! Have a drink!"
Moya raised his cup with a smile.
Seeing this, Ace realized that Luffy being "captured" had been a total misunderstanding.
And since he loved lively gatherings—Marine or not—he didn't hesitate. Without a second thought, he stepped forward, grabbed a bowl of sake, and downed it in one go.
"Ahem! But hey, just meat and booze? You Marines don't have any entertainment?" Ace asked curiously.
Moya, being a rather serious person, had no idea how to answer that. His men certainly weren't prepared for a party.
That's when Bon Clay, the ultimate mood-maker, took center stage.
Using his Clone-Clone Fruit abilities, he transformed into a beautiful woman and began his performance, much to the delight of the Marine crew.
A few transformations later, Bon Clay had instantly become a savior to this lonely band of sailors.
After all, these Marines were away from home for years, their only solace being magazines and their own hands.
Now? A live performance? Many of them were nearly brought to tears.
Meanwhile, on the mountain…
"It's been so long… Why hasn't Ace come back yet? Could he have been captured too?" Chopper asked worriedly.
Hearing this, Nami sighed, rubbing her temple. "No… I think they just got carried away having fun and forgot about us."
At that moment, Zenny stood up, his expression solemn. He looked at the sheep surrounding him and declared, "Everyone… it's time! We're setting sail!"
Luffy had reignited Zenny's dream of becoming a pirate. Now, if Luffy was in trouble, how could he just sit back and do nothing? This was the perfect opportunity to finally go to sea!
Seeing this, Vivi quickly stepped in front of him. "Uncle Zenny, you don't have to do this! Luffy is a Private Marine—there's no way the Marines would arrest him!"
"Exactly!" Nami agreed. "And sure, they might seem a little chaotic, but trust me, they're all really strong."
But despite their words, Zenny didn't stop.
That's when Robin, with a knowing smile, spoke up. "Since Mr. Zenny is looking for a reason to go to sea, why stop him?"
Her words made Vivi, Nami, and Chopper pause—and then realization hit them.
Sure, Luffy had rekindled Zenny's pirate dream, but… could he really sail the seas at his age, with his declining health?
No.
This wasn't really about rescuing Luffy—it was about giving himself the push he needed.
And so, under the moonlight, in the presence of Nami, Vivi, Robin, and Chopper, Zenny's ship finally set sail.
The movement on the water quickly caught Luffy and the others' attention.
"Huh? Isn't that Uncle Zenny's ship?!"
Usopp pointed at the vessel speeding toward the warship.
"Has he already made up his mind?!"
When Ace spotted Zenny arriving, he smacked his forehead.
"Oh, crap! I totally forgot—Nami and the others are still waiting for me to report back!"
Ikki raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"
Ace quickly explained the whole situation.
After hearing it, Luffy just grinned. "That's not bad! In the end, he still went to sea!"
"Hahaha! I really am awesome!"
With that, Luffy chomped down on a large meat bone. By now, the table in front of him was covered in empty plates and stripped-clean bones.
Sitting across from him, Captain Moya looked utterly defeated.
At this moment, Moya deeply regretted ever saying the words "there's plenty of meat."
Luffy had just devoured 90% of the food on his warship.
"Uncle Moya, thanks for the meal! Though I'm not completely full, and the taste isn't as good as Sanji's, I still appreciate the hospitality!"
Moya: ...
And with that, Luffy and the others disembarked from Moya's warship, satisfied.
Meanwhile, the Marine sailors were reluctant to see Bon Clay leave.
"Lord Bon Clay!"
"Please visit our Marine branch sometime!"
"You're a god among men, Lord Bon Clay!"
"Thanks to you, I might… I might actually awaken something!"
"Bon Clay, you're really popular!" Usopp laughed.
"Hahaha! Bringing happiness to singles is my way of life!" Bon Clay declared proudly.
As they chatted, Zenny's ship finally pulled up, and under his command, a herd of sheep rushed onto the warship.
"Straw Hat Boy! I'm here to rescue you!" Zenny announced, grinning as he clutched his abacus.
Luffy burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Old man, congrats on making your dream come true!"
"And also—we don't need rescuing. We were just having dinner!"
With that, Luffy and the others boarded Zenny's ship and returned to the island.
Nami and the others were already waiting when they arrived.
The moment she saw Zoro, Ace, and the others looking a little tipsy, a vein popped on Nami's forehead. Her patience snapped.
The Nami Haki punch landed on all of them—even Ace, despite being a Logia, ended up with a massive lump on his head.
Zenny watched the Straw Hats' antics and couldn't help but smile. He clutched his chest and collapsed onto the ground, still smiling.
Chopper immediately rushed over to check on him. "Hang in there, Zenny!"
Zenny took a deep breath. "I'm fine… Even if I die now, I have no regrets. I got to fulfill my dream!"
Then, he turned to Luffy and said, "I can't go on adventures anymore… But Straw Hat, when you finish yours, will you visit my grave and tell me your stories?"
His words sounded like a final farewell, and Chopper's eyes welled up with tears.
Luffy wiped his own eyes and gave a big, confident grin. "Grandpa Sheep, I promise!"
"...That's… good…"
With that, Zenny closed his eyes.
"Well… Should we be discussing cremation now?" Zoro asked, ever practical.
Just as he finished speaking, Zenny's eyes snapped open.
"WAIT! I'M NOT DEAD YET!"