Ace, along with his companion Deuce, was led by Wright as they fought their way to Marine Headquarters.
Literally.
Wright held the line, Ace took the lead in combat, and Deuce—being a doctor—received some basic combat training from Wright along the way.
Deuce had a decent amount of talent. While he was nowhere near Ace's level, he was still above the average fighter. He simply had never received proper combat training before.
During their journey back to Headquarters, the relentless battles honed Deuce's survival skills. He gradually developed the ability to hold his own in a fight.
Deuce deeply admired Wright. A fellow adventurer and medical scholar from the East Blue, Wright's experiences were like something out of a dream to him.
He even begged Wright to let him write a novel based on his adventures!
As for why they didn't bring Ace straight to Headquarters—well, a wild child raised by mountain bandits couldn't just be thrown into the Marines without some prior training. That would be a disaster waiting to happen.
Even Kuina had undergone training in Shimotsuki Village before enrolling in the Marine Academy. Only after that did she formally join the Marines.
Ace's age and strength weren't suitable for the Academy, but he still needed to learn discipline.
"Uncle Wright! So this is the Sabaody Archipelago? Incredible!"
Having fought their way to Sabaody, Ace was awestruck by the breathtaking scenery before him.
He had long heard of the beauty of Sabaody, but now that he was here, both he and Deuce found themselves utterly mesmerized. The colossal Yarukiman Mangroves and their unique bubble culture were unlike anything else in the world.
"This place is extremely chaotic," Wright warned. "There are Marines stationed here, but their influence is limited."
Wright had foregone his Justice coat and instead donned a pair of sunglasses to avoid drawing attention. If an Admiral were to step onto Sabaody openly, the entire island would be thrown into turmoil.
"Is it because of… the Celestial Dragons you mentioned before?"
Ace's expression darkened, and a flicker of rage flashed in his eyes. "Sabo… those bastards were the reason!"
"Stay calm, Ace," Wright said calmly. "The time isn't right yet."
"You two go explore for a bit," he continued. "If you run into troublemakers, deal with them however you see fit. I have some business to take care of—I'm here as a private citizen, and there's an old… mentor I need to visit."
"Alright! Deuce, let's go! We've racked up quite a few bounties along the way—let's go have a feast!"
...
Grove 13: Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Behind the bar counter, Shakky took a drag from her cigarette and shook her head as she looked at a group of pirates lying unconscious on the ground, their faces swollen and bruised beyond recognition.
"Seriously, if you're going to come here for information, why wouldn't you bring any money?"
Sighing, she turned toward an old silver-haired man who was reclining on a chair, leisurely sipping a beer and reading a newspaper.
"Hey, old man. Do I really have to deal with the trash myself?"
"Meh, it's not much trouble," the old man replied. "These kinds of guys are everywhere—just toss 'em out."
Rayleigh didn't even glance away from his newspaper.
"'Thunder God' Enel… Hah! Now this is interesting. This Warlord seems completely different from the others."
"The World Government has already praised that long-eared guy three times this past month."
Shakky skillfully looted the unconscious pirates, extracting anything of value.
"A Logia user with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit… That ability is incredibly rare. To think it actually exists."
She picked up the unconscious pirates and tossed them out the door before rolling her eyes. As a seasoned intelligence broker, she was annoyed that she had failed to gather any solid information on this newly appointed Warlord.
"Oh? A customer?"
Shakky noticed a figure hesitating at the entrance, seemingly startled by her previous actions. She smiled invitingly.
"Come in if you need something! Don't mind those guys—they tried to dine and dash, so I had to handle it myself."
"Ah… I've long heard of this place, but seeing it in person is even more impressive."
As Wright took off his sunglasses, he noticed Shakky's expression stiffen slightly.
"Hello there. If I'm not mistaken, I should be calling you 'Aunt Shakky'?"
Shakky chuckled dryly and shook her head. "I wouldn't dare accept such a title. An Admiral visiting my humble bar—what an unexpected guest. Come on in."
Who would have thought she'd open the door to a guest of this caliber? There was no scamming her way out of this one.
"Much appreciated."
Wright entered the bar and immediately spotted "Dark King" Rayleigh sitting at the counter. He greeted him with a casual wave.
"Yo! Rayleigh-senpai, nice to finally meet you."
"…"
Rayleigh chuckled and shook his head. "I'm just an old man, no need for such formalities."
"So, Wright, you knew I was here. Did you come specifically to find me?"
"Indeed," Wright admitted. "A senior of your caliber residing on the island? I happened to be bringing a junior here, so I figured I'd stop by."
"To be honest, I tend to avoid coming to Sabaody," Wright added with a smirk. "I'm afraid I might lose my temper and do something… regrettable, which could cause unnecessary trouble for the Marines."
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed slightly.
Doing something 'regrettable' in Sabaody, as a Marine Admiral? Now that was interesting.
Shakky moved behind the bar. "Admiral Wright, what would you like to drink?"
"I'm here as a private citizen today," Wright said with a grin. "Just call me by my name."
"Beer will do. Rayleigh-senpai, care to join me? Drinks are on me today!"
"Hah! I haven't had a drink with that rascal Shanks in a while. Next time we meet, I'll make sure to drink him under the table!"
"Hahaha! Alright then, Wright, you're quite an interesting guy. You're not like any other Marine Admiral I've met."
Rayleigh downed his drink in one gulp. "Beer always tastes better when it's free."
Wright laughed. This old man clearly wasn't above freeloading. No wonder he'd almost sold himself into servitude back then.
As the drinks flowed and the atmosphere relaxed, Rayleigh tapped the counter.
"Wright, you've just been promoted to Admiral. Your schedule must be packed. You didn't come here just to have a few drinks with an old man, did you?"
"If you've got something to say, just be direct—we're not exactly on the same side, after all."
Shanks' influence could only go so far.
Wright nodded. "True. Like I said, I came here with a junior."
Rayleigh smirked. "Must be someone important to you, then?"
As Wright's mysterious smile deepened, Rayleigh turned to Shakky for help.
"Shakky, any idea who Wright's famous junior could be?"
Shakky frowned. "A high-profile protege of Wright? No one comes to mind… Unless they're the child of some major figure?"
Rayleigh stroked his chin. "If it's someone connected to me, that narrows it down even further…"
Wright's grin widened. "If even you don't know, that means we did a good job keeping it under wraps."
"I'm really curious, Rayleigh. Once you find out, what will you do?"
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