39. Ace Message, Luffy's Determination
"Wow, the weather here in the Calm Belt is so strange," Luffy remarked.
"Definitely," Rayleigh agreed. "The weather in the Calm Belt is even harsher than in the first half of the Grand Line. And the New World? Well, it's even tougher than the Calm Belt. You'll see for yourself once you make it there."
"Yep, every sea area has its own unique climate. Your navigator's skills will really come in handy for that," he chuckled.
"Give it here," Nami said, her fists clenched tightly.
"Oh, Uncle Rayleigh, how come you know so much about the Calm Belt?" Usopp asked with curiosity. "Were the Roger Pirates experts in navigating through it, too?"
"Nah," Rayleigh replied, taking a sip of wine from his fancy cup. "It's just a little hobby I picked up after retiring to Sabaody. Sometimes, I go for a swim in the Calm Belt."
"Swimming in the Calm Belt?" Usopp and Chopper shuddered at the thought of the monstrous creatures lurking there, remembering their own terrifying encounters.
"Must be nice," Luffy sighed. "I used to be a great swimmer before I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit."
"Yeah, Devil Fruit powers can be pretty handy," Rayleigh said, giving Luffy a knowing smile. "Especially yours."
Luffy's strength might seem weaker without his Devil Fruit abilities, but with them, he could easily hold his own against Admirals, even reaching the level of the Four Emperors.
"With how fast you're growing, you'll probably catch up to Shanks soon," Rayleigh added, nodding at Luffy.
"I really miss Shanks," Luffy said, taking off his straw hat and holding it in his hand. The memory of the man losing his arm flashed through his mind. "We'll definitely meet again. That's a promise," he declared earnestly, brimming with anticipation.
His crew felt the depth of Luffy's emotions, smiling at their captain with warmth and understanding.
Suddenly, the sky filled with the chirping of newspaper birds.
"That's odd. Why are there so many newspaper birds?" Franky wondered, peering up at the sky through his sunglasses. In the remote Calm Belt, seeing even one newspaper bird was rare, but today, they were swarming.
"Here's today's paper," Shakky said, launching a Berry bullet into the air with precision, which landed in the pocket of a passing newspaper bird.
"Shakky sure loves her newspapers," Nami remarked, glancing at the stacks of papers behind the bar at Shakky's place.
"As a former intelligence officer, newspapers are a vital source of information for her," Robin explained. "And even though Morgans tends to exaggerate, he doesn't fabricate important news."
Shakky smiled softly, having retired from the underground world and relying solely on newspapers for information. She never missed an issue of the World Economic News and had a knack for deciphering the truly valuable information from Morgans' articles.
"Let's see what's in today's paper," Shakky said with a smile, opening the newspaper in her hands.
But as soon as she glanced at it, her smile vanished.
"It's no wonder the Marines' defences on Sabaody are so weak lately. Turns out they're planning to take on Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, head-on."
"Whitebeard? That name sounds really familiar. I feel like I've heard it before," Luffy mused, scratching his head in thought.
"Huh?" Rayleigh's expression turned serious upon hearing the news. "Marines and Whitebeard at war? Is this for real, Shakky? How could the Marines upset the balance of power in the seas?"
"Yeah, didn't they work so hard to maintain world balance a few years back? What's changed?" Robin chimed in.
"It's highly likely to be true," Shakky confirmed. "This isn't just Morgans speculating or fabricating. It's an official statement from the World Government through Morgans."
"In four days, at Marineford Headquarters, they're going to publicly execute Whitebeard Pirates' 2nd Division Captain, Fire Fist Ace, in front of the entire world," Shakky continued.
Luffy froze in shock. "Ace? That's a lie," he protested.
Nami gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief. "Luffy, isn't Ace your big brother?" Usopp asked anxiously, turning to Luffy for confirmation.
"Could it be that polite guy, Luffy's brother, has been captured by the Marines?" Sanji remembered the man who courteously lit his cigarette.
Zoro glanced at Luffy, his expression stern but resolute. Among the crew, he was the least visibly shaken.
Even though Ace's visit to Alabasta was brief, he had left a lasting impression on the Straw Hat Pirates. They were well aware of the strong bond between Ace and Luffy.
Amidst the unfolding news, Luffy snapped back to attention and swiftly grabbed the newspaper from Shakky's hands.
At that moment, formalities were cast aside as everyone understood the gravity of Luffy's emotions.
"What happened to Ace?" Luffy murmured, gazing at the photo in the centre of the newspaper.
The image showed Ace in the depths of Impel Down. His body was weighed down by chains and shackles. Despite his predicament, there was a calmness in his eyes tinged with regret and despair. This was his big brother.
"This is troubling," Rayleigh commented, his gaze clouded with concern. "Using Ace as a pawn to provoke the Whitebeard Pirates... It's a risky move, and now that the World Government and Marines have made their stance clear, it's evident they're fully committed to their course of action."
Indeed, the situation was far from simple.
With this announcement made, the likelihood of Fire Fist Ace's death became incredibly high.
If Ace were to survive or be rescued, it would deal a massive blow to the prestige of both the World Government and the Marines.
In other words, they had staked their reputation on this execution and would spare no effort to ensure its completion.
"I'm heading to Marineford to save Ace," Luffy declared, his voice resonating throughout Ruskaina.
His words ignited a thunderous roar of determination from those around him.
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