Stelly didn't know what secrets the three of them were whispering, but he heard Sabo say he was going home clearly.
Seeing this, the fake smile on Stelly's face froze.
He had expected to see Sabo resist fiercely, but he didn't expect him to agree to go home so readily.
This abnormal behavior set off alarm bells in his mind, but then he thought, as long as Sabo returned to that home, he had many ways to make this brother "voluntarily" leave again.
"Brother has finally come to his senses!" Stelly forced a smile, trying to intimately link arms with Sabo, but he subtly avoided him.
Sabo turned to face his two brothers and solemnly gave them a pirate salute: "Once I've drained the family coffers, I'll come to meet you immediately."
Although Ace was reluctant, he understood Sabo's plan and patted him hard on the shoulder: "Remember to spend a lot! We'll wait for you on the Grand Line!"
Under the disbelieving gaze of the Outlook couple, Sabo boarded the luxury yacht with his head held high.
Stelly followed behind, his smile growing more and more strained—he vaguely felt that the Sabo who returned this time was completely different from the brother who used to be at everyone's mercy.
As the yacht slowly pulled away from the shore, Sabo stood at the stern, gazing at the two figures gradually shrinking, and secretly vowed in his heart: "Just you wait, Stelly… This time, I'll make you watch with your own eyes how the Outlook family's wealth slowly disappears…"
The sea breeze ruffled his golden curly hair, and Sabo's eyes burned with the fire of revenge.
This time, he was no longer a noble young master to be slaughtered, but a big spender!
...
In 1517, Ace was 17 years old and ready to set sail!
Just as Ace's small boat was about to leave the shore, a sudden burst of hurried footsteps and familiar shouts came from the woods by the coast.
"Ace—! Wait for me—!"
A small figure wearing a straw hat stumbled out of the woods, his rubber arm stretched out to grab tree trunks along the way, using the elasticity to quickly slingshot himself to the dock.
Luffy stood panting on the shore, his straw hat askew, his big eyes filled with tears.
"Bastard Ace! How could you not wait for me!" Luffy stomped his feet hard, his rubber legs bouncing up and down on the ground, "We said we'd set sail together!"
Ace stood at the stern of the boat, the sea breeze messing up his black hair.
He showed a warm smile and waved vigorously at Luffy: "Luffy! You're still too young! I can't wait to see the broader ocean!"
"I'm not a child anymore!" Luffy shouted defiantly, his rubber arm suddenly stretching out, trying to grab Ace's boat, "Take me with you!"
Ron, quick-witted, grabbed Luffy by the back of his collar and pulled him back like he was picking up a kitten: "Stop messing around, Luffy. Ace has his own adventure."
Luffy struggled in Ron's hand, tears falling like broken pearls: "But… but…"
Ace watched this scene, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes.
He turned to Ron and said solemnly: "Big Brother Ron, I'm entrusting Luffy to you."
He knew this big brother who had always taken care of them too well—the reason Ron had not set sail yet was because he was worried about the youngest, Luffy.
Ron, with one hand holding the still struggling Luffy, gave Ace an reassuring smile: "Go ahead, I'll take care of this kid."
He ruffled Luffy's messy black hair, "When he's a little older, I'll personally send him off to sea."
Upon hearing this, Luffy suddenly stopped struggling.
He looked up with tear-filled eyes, gazing incredulously at Ron: "Really? Big Brother Ron?"
"Of course," Ron squatted down, looking Luffy in the eyes, "I promise you, when you're ready, I'll personally take you to sea. But before that…" He deliberately put on a serious face, "You have to learn how to survive at sea first."
Ace's small boat had gradually sailed away, becoming a silhouette against the rising sun.
Luffy suddenly broke free from Ron's hand, rushed to the very edge of the dock, and shouted with all his might: "Ace—! I will definitely catch up to you—! I'll set sail next year—! You have to wait for me—!"
The sea breeze carried his shouts far, far away, and vaguely, Ace on the boat could be seen raising his arm and giving a thumbs-up.
Luffy stood rooted to the spot, his face covered in tears and snot, but he stubbornly refused to wipe them away.
Ron walked up to him and gently pressed his small head: "Come on, it's time to go back and train. If you want to set sail next year, you need to start preparing now."
Luffy sniffed hard, then suddenly turned and hugged Ron's leg tightly: "Big Brother Ron… Thank you…" His voice was muffled, "If you hadn't stayed… I… I would definitely have secretly run off with Ace…"
Ron felt the dampness on his pant leg and smiled helplessly, "Alright, a man doesn't cry. Starting today, I'll train you in the strictest way."
He said in a deliberately serious tone, "Don't complain about it then."
Luffy sat on Ron's shoulder, watching the disappearing horizon where Ace had vanished, and suddenly clenched his small fists: "I will definitely become stronger! Stronger than Ace!"
Ron gazed at the gradually disappearing boat in the distance, a smile unconsciously forming at the corner of his mouth.
Now, the two people with the greatest influence on the world were bound by his sub-system; to take down Imu, he had to have enough strength, otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died.
And binding the protagonists was his way to quickly become stronger!
The morning sun had fully risen, casting long shadows of the two, and Luffy was already excitedly planning his future adventures!
...
In 1520, Luffy set sail!
Dawn Island's morning was bathed in golden sunlight, and at the dock, a meticulously crafted dinghy lay quietly docked, its bow carved with Luffy's iconic straw hat design, and exaggerated smiling faces painted on both sides of the hull.
"Big Brother Ron! This is awesome!" Luffy excitedly bounced back and forth on the dock, his rubber body springing up and down like a coiled spring, "This boat is even cooler than Ace's back then!" His straw hat flapped up and down with his jumps, his face radiating undisguised joy.
Ron leaned against a large tree by the shore, the morning light filtering through the leaves casting dappled shadows on his face.
Watching the energetic Luffy, a smile unconsciously formed at the corner of his mouth: "Finally, this day has come…"
"Huh? What did you say, Big Brother Ron?" Luffy suddenly stopped short, his rubber face close to Ron's, his nose almost touching him, "What do you mean by 'this day'?"
Ron chuckled as he pushed away Luffy's close face: "Do you remember the Devil Fruit I told you about?"
"Of course, I remember!" Luffy immediately straightened up, "I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi…" He suddenly widened his eyes, "Wait! Big Brother Ron, you couldn't possibly also…"
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