radicalducati Page 122
Page 122
That year, Ace was eighteen years old.
The dense forests of Mount Gorbo remain lush and green, and the bandit stronghold is still bustling, but the figure wearing an orange cowboy hat, as dazzling as a flame, is about to leave the land that nurtured him.
The determination to go to sea had long taken root in his heart, like the power of a flaming fruit, which could not be suppressed and could only be allowed to burn fiercely.
The title of Mountain Bandit King?
He announced the disbandment.
There was a wider, freer, and more dangerous stage outside, beckoning him from the depths of the distant sea.
On the morning of parting, the thin mist had not yet dissipated.
There was no grand farewell ceremony, no noisy howling of the bandits, only the closest person.
Rouge stood quietly on the shore, the sea breeze caressing her face, which was no longer young but still gentle, with a few strands of hair dancing lightly in the wind.
She looked at Ace, her eyes filled with a thousand reluctances and ten thousand concerns, but in the end, they all melted into a gentle tenderness and support. She gently adjusted the orange cowboy hat on his head.
Her voice was as gentle as ever, but with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, "When you get to sea, take good care of yourself. Eat on time, remember to wear warm clothes when it gets cold, and don't be impulsive..."
The endless nagging and admonitions are a mother's never-ending concern.
Ace looked at the fine wrinkles at the corners of his mother's eyes, and his heart ached. He nodded vigorously, interrupting her, "Don't worry, Mom! I'm very strong!"
He tried to make his smile appear relaxed and confident, patting his chest where an inextinguishable flame burned.
"I will make sure the entire Grand Line remembers the name Portgas D. Ace! I inherited my mother's surname!"
Rouge's eyes welled with tears, but she stubbornly held them back. She reached out and gave her son a final, gentle hug, whispering in his ear:
"No matter where you go or what you become, this will always be your home. Mom... will always be proud of you."
Ace's throat tightened, and he hugged his mother tightly before resolutely turning around and striding towards the medium-sized sailboat the bandits had prepared for him. He feared that if he lingered even a second longer, his feigned strength would crumble.
"Ace!!"
Just then, a loud shout, choked with sobs, came from behind.
He was much taller than he had been a few years ago, but his face still held that pure naiveté and reluctance. His rubber arms suddenly stretched out, and the next second he tightly hugged Ace's body, refusing to let go like he had when he was a child.
"Ace! You bastard! Didn't we agree to go to sea together?!"
Luffy buried his face in Ace's back, his voice muffled and thick with nasal tone, "How could you run away first!"
Ace stiffened, not turning around to push him away. He remained silent for a few seconds before whispering, "Idiot, we each have our own paths."
"I don't care!" Luffy looked up, his face covered in tears and snot, like a child. "You have to wait for me! When I set sail, I'll find the best crew in the world! And then...and then I'll definitely catch up with you! Then, we'll go on adventures together again!"
Hearing his brother's words, Ace was touched in the softest part of his heart.
He turned around, unusually refraining from mocking Luffy's disheveled state, and instead reached out and vigorously rubbed his precious straw hat, just like he did when they were children.
"Ah, I'll be waiting for you."
Ace's smile finally carried a hint of genuine warmth. "But by then, I'll be a renowned pirate across the seas. Don't let me leave you too far behind, you crybaby."
"I'm not a crybaby!" Luffy wiped his face hard and shouted stubbornly, "I will definitely become stronger than you! And then... and become the Pirate King!"
It's that familiar phrase again.
Ace chuckled. In truth, he was quite averse to the title of Pirate King, after all... his mother had told him since he was a child that Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, was his biological father.
At that moment, it felt like the sky had fallen!
Such a heinous bloodline, yet the mother left behind it?
It is said that it was that uncle, Liu Jiu, who protected the mother and son.
But this uncle happens to be... a member of Roger's crew, the one who started the great pirate era.
With such a relationship, it's no wonder that Liu Jiu didn't stay for long, even though he could have stayed.
Because of that relationship... he could only envy Robin and Kuina.
Therefore, Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, is not worthy of being his father at all!
He didn't refute as usual, but just looked at Luffy deeply, engraving the image of this younger brother who carried his dreams in his heart.
"As you wish."
Without further hesitation, he leaped and landed steadily on the deck of the medium-sized sailboat.
The mooring lines were untied, the sails billowed in the sea breeze, and the ship slowly sailed away from the shore, heading towards the shimmering, infinitely possible blue expanse.
Ace stood at the stern of the ship, waving vigorously at the two figures on the shore.
Rouge also raised her hand and waved gently, her face filled with tears, yet also a smile.
Luffy waved frantically and shouted with all his might, "Ace—! You must live and wait for me—! We will meet again—!"
The sound drifted on the sea breeze, carrying the boy's most sincere wishes.
Ace watched his mother's figure grow smaller and smaller on the shore, and the straw hat boy jumping and shouting, until they became blurry black dots in his field of vision and finally disappeared completely beneath the sea.
He turned around, facing the vast and boundless sea, and took a deep breath of the sea breeze, which carried the scent of freedom and the unknown.
Beneath the brim of his orange cowboy hat, his eyes burned with a fierce flame.
"Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Luffy."
"My adventure... is about to begin! My primary goal is to defeat the world's strongest man—Edward Newgate!"
The sailboat cut through the white waves and headed resolutely toward the entrance to the Grand Line.
Chapter 145 The Spade Pirates
Ace's sailboat, like a rocket launched from a bow, carrying his burning dreams and unwavering goals, plunged headlong into the vast and magnificent sea.
Having left his mother's haven and laid down the burden of being the bandit king, Ace felt like a flame that had broken free from all restraints, finally able to burn freely and illuminate his own sky.
His true nature was fully unleashed on the vast ocean!
At this very moment, the Spade Pirates were founded!
Not long after leaving the East Blue, Ace officially raised his pirate flag.
The striking skull, with its two crossed tails adorned with a few flames, is just like him—bold and full of vitality.
After setting sail, wherever they went, they swept away all the pirates they encountered, leaving none unscathed.
"Fire Vortex!"
"Sacred Fire Shiranui!"
He wielded the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit with increasing skill, sometimes transforming the orange flames into a roaring fire dragon, sometimes forming a huge vortex of fire, and sometimes condensing them into a sharp spear.
Those pirate crews that act arrogantly and domineeringly in the East China Sea are often blasted to pieces by the raging flames before they can even get close to his ship, resulting in the destruction of their ships and the loss of their lives.
His fighting style is wild and direct, full of power, which complements his fiery personality.
Before each battle, he would announce himself as "Fire Fist Ace".
Over time, his reputation grew!
The Spade Pirates initially consisted of only Ace. Gradually, the number of crew members increased. Although there were still only a few, they were all like-minded individuals attracted by his personal charm and powerful strength.
With his powerful Logia-type abilities, generous and righteous personality, and unique leadership qualities as a bandit king, Ace's fame spread rapidly like wildfire throughout the East Blue.
"Have you heard? That 'Fire Fist Ace' has taken down another notorious pirate with a bounty of eight million!"
"His power is fire! I heard it's a Logia-type."
"Why don't we follow him and become pirates? We're sure to achieve great things!"
Countless rookie pirates, eager for adventure, seeking fame, or simply captivated by Ace's personal charisma, flocked to join him like moths to a flame.
The Spade Pirates expanded rapidly.
Soon, this medium-sized three-masted sailing ship, capable of withstanding the harsh weather of the Grand Line, began to gather a crew of average strength but utterly loyal to Ace.
Having accumulated enough prestige and experience in the East Blue, Ace had no regrets.
His gaze had already been set on that legendary, mysterious sea area, known for its ever-changing weather and the presence of countless powerful beings—the Grand Line!
"Young ones!"
Ace stood at the bow of the ship, his orange cowboy hat swaying slightly in the wind. He pointed ahead at the seemingly calm entrance to the Upside-Down Mountain, which actually concealed countless whirlpools and storms, his voice loud and passionate.
"The East China Sea's warm-up is over! The real stage is ahead!"
"Oh—!!" The crew members erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
"But... our goal is—" Ace grinned, revealing his white teeth, flames dancing on his fingertips, "to conquer the Grand Line, and then... defeat the strongest man in the world! To become the strongest, and to be famous throughout the world!"
"Become the strongest, and become famous throughout the world!" The crew shouted even more fervently.
The Spade Pirates' ships charged headlong into the entrance of Reverse Mountain.
Following the incredible upwelling current of Reverse Mountain, as if lifted by an invisible giant hand, it roared up to the top of the Red Line. After briefly experiencing the dizzying feeling of being on the roof of the world, it followed the even more violent downwelling current on the other side, and fell like a meteor into that legendary sea area - the Grand Line!
The ship crashed heavily onto the sea, sending up towering waves.
The crew cheered with relief and excitement, but Ace stood steadily at the bow, his eyes burning as he surveyed the new and unknown ocean beneath his orange hat.
Their ships passed the famous Twin Points, the strait where a huge lighthouse stands.
Beneath the lighthouse, a figure was leisurely fishing; it was Crocus, the former ship's doctor of the Roger Pirates.
Crocus raised his head, squinting at the flamboyant pirate ship and the spade pirate flag with the burning flame symbol. His gaze lingered for a moment on the spirited orange-hatted boy at the bow of the ship.
His brow twitched almost imperceptibly, then returned to its usual detached indifference. He gently shook his head and whispered in a voice only he could hear:
"A newcomer? This restless energy... it seems this sea is about to get lively again."
He didn't say anything, but silently watched as the ship, without stopping for a moment, as eager and determined as its owner, chose one of the seven initial routes and quickly disappeared into the horizon.
Ace was completely unaware of the gaze fixed upon him from beneath the lighthouse.
Or rather, his entire mind was now occupied by the unknown adventure ahead.
He casually pointed to a route that looked reasonably pleasing, and the Spade Pirates plunged into it, beginning their adventure in the first half of the Grand Line.
"Watch, Kuina, Sabo, and Robin... Let me show you what true freedom of navigation is, not becoming a lackey of the World Government!"
The Spade Pirates, charging into the Grand Line, were like tigers descending a mountain. Their momentum was not diminished by the fact that this was not the East Blue; on the contrary, they became even more ferocious!