Chapter 59

Terzo and the others who went off in search of the City of Gold returned to Birka Library successfully.

"Did you find Shandora?" Ace asked.

"We did! WHAHAHAHAHA!" Terzo looked incredibly happy. "We also found the golden bell!"

Ace suddenly remembered the golden bell. He completely forgot about it. Him, Tanya, and Enel never found it.

Deciding to stay consistent, Ace pretended not to know about the golden bell of Shandora.

"What golden bell?" Ace asked, his head tilted.

"It was a really big bell, Captain!" Eri said while making the biggest circle she could by waving her arms to try and emphasize how big the golden bell was.

"Mreow!" Kotatsu agreed with Eri.

"...wait, you didn't find it?" Terzo started grinning wildly. "WHAHAHAHA! Oh man, you suck at treasure hunting!"

"C'mon, just tell me where it was!"

"It was up there at the Giant Jack of Upper Yard. Near the top of it, sitting on a floating cloud. Tanya used her power to float it down and gift it to the Shandians," Terzo answered. "But, not before we added a little something to it…"

"...what did you do?" Ace asked.

"He wrote 'The Royal Aces were here' beside the Poneglyph," Augur answered.

"Oi, I was just about to tell him that!" Terzo didn't like how Augur butted in.

"Poneglyph?" Ace asked. "There's one of those here?"

"You know about poneglyphs, Captain?" Augur seemed impressed. "As expected. You are cut from a different cloth."

"That reminds me. You really should tell us what those Poneglyphs are," Mihar said to Augur.

"I will," Augur said with a nod. "But, I would prefer we have that discussion on the ship."

"Did you get a copy?" Ace asked.

"I did," Augur answered. He then reached behind him and took out a giant leaf he handed to Ace.

Ace took the giant leaf Augur gave him. It was rolled up like a scroll. On the inside was the strange writings one would find on a Poneglyph.

"Good work, Augur!" Ace said. "Let's transfer this to a paper when we get back."

"I plan to do exactly that, Captain."

Ace then turned to Soma.

"You finished mapping the sky islands?" Ace asked.

"I didn't need to," Soma answered. "There were already great maps in Angel Town. I bought some, checked them out, copied the map and made my food map."

"I see. It must have been disappointing."

"A little."

"So!" Ace clapped his hands. "You guys ready to go home? To our ship, that is."

"Yeah!"

…

The Royal Aces that went up the Giant Jack of Jackstalk Island returned to the Ashen Dragon with Tanya and Enel in tow.

They arrived at the perfect moment. Doppol was finished rebuilding and enhancing the design of the Ashen Dragon.

"Woah! She looks so cool now!"

Ace gaped at the new look of the Ashen Dragon. The ship was bigger, but felt more streamlined. The metal dragon figurehead looked even more menacing. The wood of the ship was also black in color. It contrasted really well with the black sails carrying the mark of the Royal Ace Pirates.

"Oi, Ace!" Doppol waved to Ace and the rest. He was standing on the beach where the Ashen Dragon was docked. "You like what I did with her?"

"Like it? Doppol, I love it! HAHAHAHA! She's so cool!"

The Ashen Dragon's current look was a ship befitting an Emperor of the Seas. Ace was very happy with Doppol's quality work.

Ace was thinking if he should expand his crew by recruiting lackeys. The ship was big enough for it, after all…

"I'm fired up now!" Ace said. "Let's set sail!"

"Hold it!" a voice shouted from the deck of the Ashen Dragon.

Ace and the others looked towards where they heard the voice. Hepha appeared and leaned on the railing.

"Not so fast, Ace!"

"What? Why?"

"The Log Pose! It hasn't set yet!"

"Seriously?" Ace was bummed out. He was excited to sail on the Ashen Dragon once again. "Do you know how long it would take?"

"I asked the locals," Hepha said. "They said it takes two weeks for the Log Pose to record this island's magnetic field."

"That's so long!" Ace sighed. "Ahh, whatever. Call the rest of the crew, Hepha!"

"Is it to celebrate the two new members?" Hepha asked as she eyed Tanya and Enel.

"You know it! HAHAHAHA!"

-----

(DAWN ISLAND, EAST BLUE)

"Boss! You're not going to see Sabo off?" Magra asked Dadan who was sitting inside their house, facing the wall.

"Hmph! Why would I go and see that brat off? He can go ahead and leave! I don't care!"

"You're being difficult again!" Dogra said before taking out a piece of paper from his pockets. "Well, Sabo saw this happening. So, he wrote a letter."

"Wha-"

"Dear Dadan," Dogra started reading, but slowly. He wasn't great at reading. "I know you probably won't see me off, so I decided to write this letter. You don't like emotional crap, so I'll keep this short. Thank you for being my mother all these years. Love, Sabo."

Hearing the words Sabo wrote down for her, Dadan immediately got up and ran to Dogra. She took the letter out of his hands to read it for herself.

Then, after confirming that Sabo really did write those words, Dadan took out a handkerchief from her pocket and started ugly crying.

"That fool! That stupid kid! I'm gonna miss him!"

…

Sabo sat on his dinghy that was being rocked gently by the waves of the sea. Today was the day he was setting out to become a pirate.

At the moment, he was focused on the papers in his hands. It was a newspaper detailing yesterday's events and a newly issued bounty poster.

"HAHAHAHA! Man, I can already hear Ace talking trash!"

[WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE - 'Blue Rebel' Sabo: 50,000,000 Berry]

"SAAAAAABOOOOOOOOO!"

A loud voice shook Sabo out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Luffy with the other important people in his life.

Almost everyone was there to see Sabo off. Luffy stood with Makino, Woop Slap, and the Dadan Family bandits. As Sabo expected, Dadan still didn't see him off.

Sabo was setting out in the same place Ace did three months ago. He stood up and faced the people seeing him off.

"You guys!" Sabo waved with both his hands. "I'll be going now!"

"It's so unfair!" Luffy said. "Why was I born so late?"

"No need to rush. We all have our own time, Luffy," Makino said to Luffy before turning to Sabo. "Sabo-kun! Be careful out there!"

"Makino-san! Let's get married when I come back!" Sabo decided to shoot his shot.

"Fufu! I'm sure you'll meet lovelier girls than me out there, Sabo-kun!"

Sabo fell on his knees after hearing Makino's words.

"Damn it. I thought I had a chance after Ace got shot down," Sabo whispered under his breath before standing back up.

"Unbelievable! Garp will be so angry if he hears about this!" Mayor Woop Slap said. "Another one of his grandsons became a pirate!"

"I guess you're talking about Sabo?"

The people seeing Sabo off suddenly froze and turned around to see a very angry looking grandpa.

"I-It's Garp-san!"

"Run!"

The bandits of the Dadan Family panicked and ran away. Only Makino, Woop Slap, and Luffy were left.

"Garp-san! Don't be so harsh on Sabo!" Makino said, already sensing impending danger for Sabo.

"Don't worry, Makino! I'm a very gentle and loving grandpa!" Garp said while he cracked his knuckles.

"Sabo! Go!" Luffy shouted before receiving a Fist of Love from Garp.

"Sabo! I heard about what you did! Demolishing High Town and the King's Castle? You need to be taught a lesson!"

"Ahh, crap. It's Gramps!" Sabo started rowing away.

"Sabo! Don't you dare run away from your grandpa!"

Garp jumped up and flew towards Sabo with Moon Walk.

"You think I'll let you become a good for nothing pirate?"

Garp reared back his fist in midair as he fell towards Sabo's dinghy. Since Sabo can use both Observation and Armament Haki, he saw Garp's fist get coated in a black sheen.

In response, Sabo took the long metal rod tied on his back. His hand that was clutching the rod turned black and spread towards the rod itself. 

Sabo's Armament Haki was advanced enough to cover his weapon as well. But, it wasn't all that he could do…

"I won't just be a pirate, Gramps!" Sabo said. "I'll be a hero! And I'll write all my adventures out there!"

Sabo jumped up to meet Garp in mid-air. Garp's reared back fist and Sabo's metal rod were about to clash.

Fist and rod met. A loud bang sounded out as if two metallic objects hit each other with great force.

"A hero?" Garp sneered. "Pirates aren't heroes!"

"Watch me!"

Then, as they clashed in mid-air, Sabo let his Haki flow.

Garp was surprised to sense the Haki flowing out of Sabo's metal rod. He grinned.

Sabo's attack became much stronger than Garp's. He sent the old man flying, but he knew that Garp wasn't hurt at all.

Garp righted himself as he was thrown away. He landed on his feet and skidded along the ground before stopping at the spot where he jumped off. His grin was still plastered on his face.

Sabo landed back on his dinghy. He stared at Garp, a gesture that the old man returned.

"Pirates are free men, Grandpa! We do what we want! And what I want is to be a hero fighting for justice!"

"Then, why not join the Navy?"

"Huh? No way!" Sabo looked disgusted. "I don't like taking orders from snobby old men!"

"What'd you say?"

"I said what I said!"

"..."

"..."

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Garp started laughing, much to everyone's surprise. It was a laugh of pure delight.

"You stupid brat! Do what you want! I'm getting a drink!" Garp started walking away. "Makino! Is your bar open?"

"Yes, Garp-san!" Makino said. She was about to follow Garp, but then turned to Sabo first. "Sabo-kun! Good luck!"

"Have fun out there, Sabo!" Luffy waved at his brother with a wide grin.

"I will! Thank you, everyone!"

Sabo started rowing away, off to the wide blue sea to begin his journey.

Garp didn't look back. Neither did Sabo. There was no need to exchange words.

Makino and Woop Slap followed Garp. Luffy stayed and watched Sabo disappear over the horizon.

Luffy was waving alone at the slowly disappearing dot that was Sabo. The moment he couldn't see him anymore, Luffy put his hand down and looked as if he was deep in thought.

But, in true Luffy fashion, a small smile was still on his face.

"Three more years… then, it's my turn," Luffy said. "Still, Sabo's amazing! Having a bounty before even becoming a pirate! He's so cool!"

Luffy fished out two pieces of paper from his pockets. It was the bounty posters of his two brothers.

"Shishishi! My first bounty should be high too!" Luffy said. "But… how can I beat them…?"

Luffy put a hand under his chin as his forehead and eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. He closed his eyes for maximum focus. He stayed like that for around three minutes.

"Hmmmm. Hmmm? HMMMM!" Luffy's eyes shot wide open. "Got it! HAHAHAHA! This should work!"

Then, Luffy started running. As he ran, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"GRANDPAAAA! GRANDPAAAA! GRANDPAAAA!"

Luffy ran at a great speed. It was almost as fast as their Flicker. His constant sparring with Sabo has made his body strong.

"GRANDPAAAA! GRANDPAAAA! GRANDPAAAA!"

"STOP SHOUTING! I'M HERE!"

Luffy heard Garp's shout. He ran in the direction of his grandpa's voice.

Moments later, Luffy stood in front of Garp.

"What is it, Luffy?" Garp asked. "You want to get a beating, too?"

"No way! Your punches hurt!" Luffy said.

"What is it, then?"

"I've decided!" Luffy said. "I want to be a marine!"

Garp, Makino, and Woop Slap were shocked at what Luffy said. Their eyes were wide open. Their mouths were agape.

Then, Garp looked pissed.

"No way! You're probably thinking of betraying the marines to get a high first bounty!"

"GEH! How'd you know?" Luffy blurted out before shutting himself up by putting his hands on his mouth.

"I KNEW IT! SEE? YOU DAMN BRAT!"

"AHH! I'M SORRY!"

Garp picked up Luffy by his shirt. His other fist was reared back to bonk Luffy on the head.

Then, Makino chimed in.

"Garp-san! I think Luffy is serious!"

"He is?" Garp asked.

"I am?" Luffy asked.

Garp glared at Luffy who then shut himself up by putting his hands on his own mouth.

"He is!" Makino said.

"That's right! I'm completely serious!" Luffy said.

"Really?" Garp glared harder.

"I am!" Luffy said, his eyes averting from Garp's gaze.

Then, Luffy started whistling. Or at least he was trying to.

Garp glared at Luffy for a few seconds more before setting him back down on the ground.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Garp then laughed as he patted Luffy's shoulder.

"That's great! That's so good to hear! Finally! You're seeing reason!" Garp said. "My grandson will be a marine! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

"Y-Yeah! Shishishi! I want to be strong like you, grandpa!" Luffy said, his eyes still looking sideways.

"I'm glad to hear that, Luffy!" Garp said. "With that said, let's start tomorrow!"

"So fast!"

"You better eat a lot today, Luffy! My training is very tough!" Garp said. "I'll personally put you through the wringer!"

Luffy started sweating at the intensity of Garp. But, he was resolute.

"I'll show you what I'm made of, grandpa!"