Over the next few days, Kaya—always well-liked in the village—went door to door to say her goodbyes.
Meanwhile, Merry was hard at work fulfilling his childhood dream: building the Going Merry, a ship born straight from his heart.
The very thought of Ojou-sama Kaya sailing the seas aboard the vessel of his dreams filled Merry with boundless energy. It felt like his shipbuilding skills had leapt to a whole new level.
What Merry didn't know... was that Ace had enveloped him in the Domain of Comprehension.
After all, Merry's talent as a shipwright was only average. In the original story, the Merry eventually deteriorated beyond repair. But Ace, who genuinely loved the ship that would one day birth a klabautermann, wanted to ensure Merry built it to perfection.
As for Ace... he was just barely surviving Nami's relentless pestering these past few days.
"Hey, hey, Captain! I am your very first crewmate, remember? Don't play favorites!"
She clung to Ace's arm, her voice all sweetness and sugar.
"Find a Devil Fruit for me too! I want to get stronger so I can actually help you!"
But her eyes… had turned into Beri signs.
"You seriously think eating a Devil Fruit will make you stronger?" Ace said, glaring at her money-symbol-shaped eyes. "Be honest. You're just looking to sell it, aren't you?"
"Whaaat?! You don't trust your first crewmate at all!"
Nami huffed in indignation, her voice rising.
"Hehehe…"
Off to the side, Kaya giggled softly, her delicate face glowing with quiet happiness.
She'd been frail and bedridden her whole life, never able to make friends her own age. But now her health had recovered. She had friends. And it was all thanks to Ace…
Chin resting in her hands, Kaya gazed at Ace's profile and smiled brightly.
Smack!
"Alright, that's enough outta you, Nami."
Ace, looking thoroughly exasperated, palmed her face and squished her cheeks into a round little ball.
"Of course I've got a Devil Fruit in mind for you. The one that suits you best is in the Grand Line. I'll take you there myself when the time comes."
He grinned at her as he held her face in place.
"Pffft!"
Nami pulled away, pouting furiously.
"In the Grand Line? Yeah right. Like you're actually serious."
"Oh? That Fruit's even rarer than Kaya's Heal-Heal Fruit. It's worth at least three billion Beri. A real powerhouse of a Devil Fruit."
Ace leaned in and whispered next to her ear, his voice teasing.
"Three… three billion…"
"THREE BILLION?!"
It was like lightning had struck her. Nami froze, stunned stiff, her brain echoing with that one phrase:
Three billion Beri…
"You… you're not lying to me, right?!"
It took her a while to regain her senses. She stared up at Ace, dazed.
"When have I ever said something I didn't mean?"
Ace's smile was calm and confident.
Nami thought about it. Ever since she met him, every word he'd said… had come true.
Even something as impossible as getting the sickly Kaya to sail the seas—he'd done that too.
So that meant…
"You're really giving me a Devil Fruit worth three billion Beri…?"
Nami's voice trembled. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest.
"Of course. You're my navigator, aren't you?"
Ace laughed and ruffled her orange hair.
"That's amazing, Nami."
Kaya smiled sweetly.
"But that Devil Fruit's on the Grand Line, huh…"
Nami looked a little conflicted.
"Well, you will need some combat ability now anyway. Come on, follow me."
Ace deliberately avoided mentioning Arlong and his crew. He just said it with a casual smile—
Then he took Nami by the hand and walked outside. Kaya followed close behind, her eyes fixed firmly on his back.
After all, as the ship's doctor, her place was right by the captain's side.
She smiled contentedly.
"Pirates! Pirates are coming!"
A long-nosed boy shouted from the village entrance, sending the place into an uproar.
"Usopp! You little brat! Yell that nonsense one more time and I'll beat you senseless!"
The moment people realized it was just another one of his lies, the yelling started.
"Hahahaha!"
But Usopp didn't care. Laughing, he bolted from the angry crowd.
Thwack!
Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him to a stop.
"Yo. You're Usopp, right?"
Ace looked at him with a calm, amused expression.
"Y-You are…?!"
Usopp stammered.
"I'm Ace. A pirate."
Ace smiled, but to Usopp, that smile looked absolutely terrifying.
"P-P-Pirate?! Everyone, pirates are here! RUN!"
Usopp was shaking like a leaf, but he still gathered his courage and shouted back toward the village—
Only to be met with a chorus of scolding voices.
The boy who cried wolf… No one believed him anymore.
The moment he heard the villagers calling him a liar, Usopp's face fell in despair.
"Relax. I'm not the kind of pirate who goes around robbing people."
Ace turned to gesture. "This is Kaya, my ship's doctor. And this is Nami, my navigator."
Ace couldn't help but smile a little in admiration.
For someone as cowardly as Usopp, to face what he feared most and still try to protect the village—that was the mark of a true sniper. A man worthy of joining his little brother's crew.
"W-Wait. Kaya?! You're the rich girl from the mansion?! You… you became a pirate? But your health—"
Usopp was completely stunned.
"It's true. Ace healed me."
Kaya covered her mouth with a gentle laugh.
"Anyway, Usopp, right? Your father is Yasopp, isn't he?"
Ace looked him over and smiled.
"You… you know my dad?!"
Usopp's eyes lit up.
"Well, not personally. But my little brother Luffy? He's been under your dad's care before."
Ace chuckled.
"Then… then why are you looking for me?"
Now that he knew Ace wasn't a threat, Usopp relaxed a bit.
"I want you to build me a Clima-Tact. Consider it a small token of thanks, for what your dad did for my brother."
As he spoke, Ace's right hand shimmered with a strange energy—slowly enveloping Usopp.
Of course, he had another reason too:
The stronger Luffy's crewmates became, the stronger Ace's own forces would grow.
Domain of Comprehension.
And so, under Nami's stunned gaze, Usopp forged a Clima-Tact far stronger than the one he built in the original timeline.
"M-My sniping skills…"
Usopp stared down at his hands, then back at Ace's departing figure. He was in utter disbelief.
It had only been a few hours, but his skills felt like they'd more than doubled.
"Monkey D. Luffy… someone my dad once looked after. And Ace's younger brother…"
He murmured to himself as Ace's silhouette disappeared from view.
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TL/N:
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