“Silvers Rayleigh, you can leave, but they—there’s no way they’re leaving here alive.”

Akainu pointed directly at Ace and his crew.

They were rookies.

There was no way they could possibly have any connection to Kuke, right?

Even though their pirate flag resembled that of the Sun and Moon Pirates, there were too many copycats these days—pirates trying to ride the wave of the Sun and Moon Pirates’ fame.

This wasn’t exclusive to the Sun and Moon Pirates.

Whitebeard and Red-Haired Shanks also had numerous imitators over the years.

In reality, these imitators had no genuine connection to the originals.

If they were truly connected, they would have been absorbed as allies or subordinate crews long ago. There would be no need for imitation.

As a result, Akainu never even considered that Ace, Sabo, and their Black and White Pirates might have any relationship with Kuke.

They were men, after all—an even more improbable link.

“Uncle Rayleigh, you don’t need to worry about us. We won’t necessarily die,” Ace said, his personality never one to hide behind others, not even in the face of death.

“Kid, confidence is a good thing, but too much confidence can be dangerous. With a personality like yours, the New World will leave you battered and bruised,” Rayleigh said, glancing at Ace with a mix of admiration and concern—and a hint of curiosity.

“Die!”

Akainu attacked again.

Rayleigh quickly stepped in front of Ace, forcing Akainu to pull back his magma-coated fist, his veins bulging in frustration. “Silvers Rayleigh, what exactly are you trying to do?!”

If it weren’t for the orders he was under, Akainu would have killed Rayleigh long ago.

“Akainu, don’t get so worked up. You can’t lay a hand on them,” Rayleigh said with a chuckle.

The veins on Akainu’s forehead throbbed.

“Silvers Rayleigh, your status might stop me from attacking you, but it won’t protect them,” Akainu threatened.

The orders were clear: no one directly connected to Kuke could be harmed.

But that didn’t extend to secondary connections. If it did, the entire world could claim some distant tie to Kuke, and the Navy might as well cease to exist.

Ace and Sabo were shaken to their core.

It was clear that Akainu’s rage was like a suppressed volcano, yet he dared not act against Rayleigh.

Unintentionally, they felt a sense of respect for the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

Even Ace, who harbored disdain for Roger, had to admit that he was an impressive figure.

Rayleigh, however, understood that Akainu’s hesitation wasn’t because of his association with Roger, nor his fame and strength.

None of these would make someone as unyielding as Akainu back down.

Rayleigh didn’t know the details of the agreement between Kuke and Im but could infer that the fear Akainu showed came from Kuke’s influence.

He couldn’t help but marvel: “Even after all these quiet years, Kuke’s presence still carries such weight. It’s terrifying. I didn’t even realize I was benefiting from his protection.”

Rayleigh never imagined there would come a day when he could live peacefully on the seas, thanks to someone he had once mentored.

“Akainu, they are connected to Kuke,” Rayleigh explained.

“What?”

Akainu froze, but he didn’t believe it.

“Kuke?” Hearing the name, Ace forgot everything else, staring at Rayleigh with wide eyes. “Mr. Rayleigh, you know Mr. Kuke?”

“Of course,” Rayleigh replied, reminiscing. “Meeting Kuke was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Ace could sense the admiration in Rayleigh’s words and grew even more excited.

“Haha! That’s just like Mr. Kuke!” Ace laughed joyfully, as if receiving the best gift.

“Ace, you’re the boy from the East Blue, the one who met Kuke and Shanks, aren’t you?” Rayleigh asked knowingly.

In the past, Shanks had met Ace in the East Blue and been deeply impressed. Even as a child, Ace had awakened Conqueror’s Haki, and his aura had left Shanks astonished.

Shanks had recounted everything that happened in the East Blue to Rayleigh, who had long suspected that this year’s supernova, Ace, might be that very boy.

Now, meeting Ace confirmed it.

“Yes, that’s me! I promised Mr. Kuke that we’d meet at the top. By then… I’ll be able to follow him!” Ace said excitedly, clenching his fists.

It was his greatest dream—his only dream.

“Let’s hope you can achieve that,” Rayleigh said, giving Ace a sympathetic look.

You’d be better off aiming to become the Pirate King—that might actually be easier.

Meanwhile, Akainu stood silently.

Hearing this exchange, the veins on his forehead pulsed violently. His face turned from red to green with rage, frustration choking him.

It was true.

Ace and Sabo really were connected to Kuke.

Damn it.

“Let’s go.”

Akainu glared at Ace with bloodshot eyes, biting his lip so hard it bled. Turning away, he led his forces back to their ship.

Far in the distance, an enraged roar echoed across the sea.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Meeting pirates and being unable to act because of Kuke…

Knowing that Ace and Sabo would grow into powerful pirates and being unable to stop them drove Akainu to the brink of madness.

“Three years—only three years. After that, I’ll act, even if it costs me my life. I’ll destroy the Sun and Moon Pirates for the Navy and for justice,” Akainu muttered, his face contorted with determination.

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago.

“They’re gone?”

Ace and Sabo stared in disbelief at the retreating Navy ship.

Just like that?

They had been ready to fight to the death.

“Mr. Rayleigh, was it because of you?” Ace asked, his voice tinged with awe.

Rayleigh laughed wryly. “Me? No, this was because of Kuke.”

“Kuke?”

Ace’s eyes widened in shock.

“Was it because of my connection to Mr. Kuke that the admiral had to leave?” Ace muttered, struggling to comprehend.

How could that be possible?

Mr. Kuke wasn’t even here.

And wasn’t there a rumor that Akainu had forced Kuke to retreat multiple times?

Why would a mere connection make Akainu back off?

“You’ll understand someday. Go find the answers for yourself,” Rayleigh said, walking away with a carefree smile.

Ace and Sabo stood in stunned silence, staring after him.

The two were left paralyzed with shock, standing like statues for a long, long time.

“Mr. Kuke is one of the Four Emperors. Is this the weight of a Four Emperor?”

“The experience we’ve had until now made me think the Navy holds absolute dominance over pirates. But now I see that the true pirate elites—the Four Emperors—are far more imposing. If Mr. Kuke’s mere reputation can make admirals back down, the other Four Emperors must be equally formidable.”

Ace and Sabo gazed toward the horizon.

Their anticipation for the New World grew, but so did their apprehension.

“Let’s go. To the New World,” Ace said, raising his hand.

The Black and White Pirates finally set sail for the pirate’s true paradise—the New World.

Upon arriving in the New World, Ace and Sabo quickly discovered that the first half of the Grand Line was nothing in comparison.

Every pirate they encountered was a monster.

The journey was arduous, marked by countless bloody battles.

Eventually, Ace led the Black and White Pirates to a famous island in the New World—one frequently visited by the Red-Haired Pirates.

Red-Haired Shanks.

Years ago, Shanks had replaced Charlotte Linlin as the fourth Emperor, becoming one of the Four Emperors.

The World Government had worked hard to amplify the influence of the other three Emperors—Whitebeard, Kaido, and Shanks—while subtly diminishing Kuke’s dominance.

This effort had been somewhat successful, especially in shaping the perceptions of newcomers.

When Shanks, drinking on the island, heard that the Black and White Pirates were coming, he was startled.

“This year’s supernovas want to meet me? Ace? The Ace from the East Blue?” Shanks muttered, the drunken haze in his eyes lifting. “That kid set sail? You’ve got to be kidding me. First Kuke, and now even his followers are coming to bully me?”

Shanks almost choked on his drink, feeling a pang of exasperation.

Ace led his crew into the Red-Haired Pirates’ territory.

“Mr. Shanks, why doesn’t your ship have a pirate flag?” Ace asked bluntly, pointing at the empty mast on the docked ship.

Shanks, caught off guard, spat out a mouthful of wine.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep