The East Blue.

The calmest sea in the world.

At the shoreline of Foosha Village, a small boat with a thatched roof carried the dreams of two young men—Ace and Sabo.

They were now 17 years old, ready to embark on their journey.

“Luffy, we’ll be waiting for you on the seas,” Ace said from the boat, waving at Luffy, who stood reluctantly on the shore.

Luffy’s eyes sparkled with envy.

“Just you wait! I’ll set sail in three years. I’ll find you then. I’m going to become the Pirate King!” Luffy shouted, declaring his dream once more.

“Pirate King? Hmph! Pirate King… The only one worthy of that title is Master Kuke,” Ace replied, clenching his fist in a threatening manner.

“Hey, it’s not like that! No one’s Pirate King yet—the title’s still waiting for me to claim it!” Luffy retorted, sticking out his tongue as he watched Ace and Sabo sail away.

For the first-time sailors, excitement filled their hearts.

But once the initial thrill wore off, both lay listlessly on the deck. The vast expanse of the ocean was far less entertaining than they had imagined.

“Ace, to form a pirate crew, the most important thing is to have a name and a flag. It’s a matter of lifelong pride,” Sabo said, looking at Ace.

“A name?”

Ace scratched his head, pondering.

What should they call it?

“How about the Little Sun and Moon Pirates?” Ace exclaimed, smacking his forehead.

Sabo gave him a deadpan look. “Ace, isn’t that a bit too straightforward?”

“True. Then how about the Black and White Pirates? The sun and moon represent day and night—we could be the Black and White Pirates!” Ace grew more enthusiastic as he spoke.

Sabo nodded in agreement.

They quickly huddled together, sketching out their pirate flag: one sun, one moon.

With a name and a flag, their pirate crew was officially established.

“I wonder where Master Kuke is now?” Ace gazed at the horizon, filled with longing.

Over the past decade, he had heard almost nothing about Kuke.

The Goa Kingdom, located in the remote East Blue, was heavily controlled by the World Government after the death of a Celestial Dragon. News from the Grand Line was scarce. After the death of Sengoku the Buddha, most information failed to reach these shores.

“With Master Kuke’s strength, he’s definitely alive—probably somewhere in the Grand Line. As long as we get stronger, we’ll meet him eventually.”

“You’re right. We promised to meet at the top.”

With dreams in their hearts, Ace and Sabo plunged into the Grand Line, aiming to make a name for themselves.

They quickly became the most dazzling rookies of the year, crossing the entire first half of the Grand Line and arriving at the Sabaody Archipelago, the destination of all new pirates.

“This journey was no walk in the park,” Sabo said, standing on the archipelago and reflecting on the hardships they had faced.

The other pirates were manageable, but the greatest threat came from the Navy.

They had endured countless Navy ambushes.

“I never realized how overwhelming the Navy’s presence is in the Grand Line. They’re crushing all the pirates,” Ace said with a hint of frustration.

Their experience in the first half of the Grand Line left Ace puzzled.

He had assumed pirates and the Navy were evenly matched, but it was clear the Navy dominated the first half of the Grand Line.

For pirates, survival space was exceedingly small.

As a pirate himself, Ace felt deeply worried about their grim reality.

At that moment, an elderly man with silver hair appeared before them. “It’s because the New World is a place the Navy doesn’t dare to tread. They’ve completely abandoned it, focusing all their energy on the first half. Naturally, life here has become much harder for pirates.”

It was Rayleigh.

Rayleigh had long since returned to the Sabaody Archipelago and was intrigued by these two remarkable newcomers.

“Why don’t they dare go to the New World?” Ace asked curiously.

“Because of the Four Emperors,” came a voice from a nearby pirate.

“The New World belongs to the Four Emperors. It’s a paradise for pirates,” the pirate said reverently.

“The Four Emperors… Is it Whitebeard’s Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, the Sun and Moon Pirates, and the Red-Haired Pirates?” Sabo asked, having picked up bits of information during their time in the Grand Line.

“That’s right. They’re the true emperors of the sea.”

“Master Kuke is incredible! He’s already one of the Four Emperors,” Ace said, excitement shining in his eyes as he learned about his idol’s achievements.

The Four Emperors? That sounded extraordinary.

“You know Kuke?” Rayleigh asked, studying Ace and Sabo curiously.

This didn’t add up.

They were just boys.

“We want to become men like Master Kuke,” Ace and Sabo declared in unison, revealing their shared dream.

Rayleigh’s expression grew strange.

“That’s quite the lofty ambition.”

“Even if it’s difficult, I’ll make it happen. I’ll become one of the Four Emperors too!” Ace said, his gaze firm and full of confidence.

Rayleigh stared at the fiery determination in Ace’s eyes.

His lips twitched slightly.

Who told you becoming one of the Four Emperors was equivalent to reaching Kuke’s level?

The Four Emperors? That was just one of the many titles Kuke held—one of the least remarkable, at that.

“It seems these rookies today don’t really understand the extent of Kuke’s accomplishments,” Rayleigh thought, unwilling to shatter Ace’s dream.

Just then, a sudden commotion broke out among the surrounding pirates.

“Run! The Navy is here!”

“Damn it! It’s Admiral Akainu!”

“It’s him—the most terrifying admiral! Over the years, countless pirates have been captured or killed by him. Run! Once Akainu sets his sights on you, you’re as good as dead!”

“It’s over! Akainu’s here! They say he’s even forced Emperor Kuke to retreat three times and made the Sun and Moon Pirates flee. If even an Emperor had to back down, we’re doomed!”

The pirates despaired as they looked at Akainu standing at the bow of the Navy ship, arms crossed.

“Admiral Akainu? This is serious,” Sabo said gravely, silver threads beginning to materialize between his fingers—evidence of his powers from the String-String Fruit.

Ace, however, focused on the nearby pirate.

“What did you just say? Akainu forced Master Kuke to retreat three times?” Ace demanded, incredulous.

“That’s what they say. I don’t know if it’s true—I’ve only been in the Grand Line for two or three years! Let me go! Akainu is coming—we need to run!” the pirate shouted, struggling against Ace’s grip.

“Ace, this isn’t the time for questions. The admiral is here. Are we fighting or running? He’s probably after us,” Sabo asked.

“I’m not running. I want to see how strong this Akainu is—strong enough to force Master Kuke to retreat,” Ace said, flames igniting around him as he stared at Akainu with battle intent.

Nearby, Rayleigh hesitated.

Akainu forcing Kuke to retreat?

There was some truth to that.

But those were old stories, and in the end, it was the Navy and the World Government who suffered enormous losses.

“The World Government has spent years deliberately downplaying the Sun and Moon Pirates and elevating Akainu to represent the Navy. Interesting,” Rayleigh thought, watching Akainu with curiosity.

He wondered if Kuke knew about the rumors circulating on the seas.

And why Kuke had remained silent, allowing the World Government to gradually obscure the truth.

As Rayleigh pondered, Ace and Akainu had already clashed.

——

DONT FORGET POWER STONE

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep