One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

East Blue, Mt. Colubo...

"With this drink, we swear to be brothers."

At the edge of a cliff, Ace held a bottle of sake, pouring it into three bowls set atop a wooden stump. On either side of him, Sabo and Luffy looked on with eager anticipation.

"And from today onward..."

Ace raised one of the cups with a determined expression. Luffy and Sabo mirrored his actions, their faces glowing with joy.

Clink!

"We are brothers!"

Ace laughed as their three cups clinked together. Luffy and Sabo grinned widely in response, brimming with excitement.

——

"Hey, Luffy."

After finishing the drink, Ace turned toward Luffy, who was still gleefully celebrating.

"Hm? What is it, Ace?" Luffy asked, beaming with his usual toothy grin.

"Do you really want to be the Pirate King?" Ace asked, staring seriously at Luffy.

"Of course! The Pirate King is the freest person on the sea! I'll definitely become the Pirate King!" Luffy declared confidently.

A thought suddenly struck Luffy, and his expression changed. "Wait, Ace... you don't want to become the Pirate King too, do you?"

Luffy asked nervously. He knew Ace was strong, and the idea of competing against him made him anxious.

"I have no interest in being Pirate King," Ace reassured him with a smile. "But... I want to be the King of the World."

Ace stood at the cliff's edge, spreading his arms wide as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

"The... King of the World?" Sabo stammered, caught off guard.

As a noble of the Goa Kingdom, Sabo understood the weight of Ace's words. To aspire to be King of the World meant challenging the very rulers of the world—the Celestial Dragons!

"The King of the World? Wow, that sounds incredible! But I still think the Pirate King is better! He's the freest person on the sea!" Luffy said, chuckling lightheartedly.

Ace glanced at him, amused. "So, if the day ever comes that I need your help to become King of the World, what will you do, Luffy?"

Luffy blinked, then smiled earnestly. "If you need my help, no matter where I am, I'll come running! You're my brother!"

Luffy's voice rang with sincerity.

"And me too!" Sabo chimed in. He clenched his fists, overcoming the fear of the Celestial Dragons that had been ingrained in him as a noble. "I'm your brother too, Ace!"

Ace smiled at their enthusiasm. "Then it's settled."

——

Several months passed since the day the three of them swore brotherhood.

During this time, Sabo had moved in with Ace and Luffy at Dadan's hideout. However, Sabo's noble father eventually tracked him down.

Even though Sabo had grown stronger than in the original story, he still chose to return to his family—he didn't want to bring trouble to Ace and Luffy. Ace understood and didn't stop him. Sabo needed to choose his own path.

Just like in the original timeline, tragedy struck when the king ordered the Gray Terminal to be burned down in preparation for the arrival of the Celestial Dragons.

After writing a farewell letter to Ace, Sabo set sail alone. But his ship encountered the Celestial Dragons, who fired upon it and sank it.

Thankfully, Sabo was saved—not by chance, but by Monkey D. Dragon, Luffy's father.

The news soon reached Dadan's hideout...

——

"Sabo! I don't believe it! Waaah!" 

Luffy sobbed uncontrollably after hearing the news.

Ace, however, remained silent.

On the day of the incident, Ace had gone to the scene, using his Observation Haki to lock onto Sabo's presence. If Dragon hadn't appeared to save Sabo, he wouldn't have allowed his brother to perish.

Luckily, Dragon had followed the original story's course, and Sabo was rescued.

"Ace, here's a letter from Sabo," Dogra said, handing Ace a folded note.

"Give it to me," Ace said, gently patting Luffy's head. "Stop crying, Luffy. I believe Sabo is alive. He's our brother, just like you."

Luffy sniffed, his face streaked with tears. "Really? You really think he's alive?"

"Yeah, I do."

Ace's words carried quiet confidence.

"Okay! Ace, you can't die either! You're my brother!" Luffy said tearfully.

Ace smiled. "I won't die."

With that, he turned and walked toward the cliff.

——

Standing at the cliff's edge, Ace carefully opened Sabo's letter.

"Ace, Luffy, I hope you made it out of the fire safely, haha! Ace, you're a flame user, so fire can't hurt you at all, right?

By the time you read this, I'll already be at sea.

A lot has happened, but I've decided to set out first. My destination? Anywhere but this country.

I need to get stronger. If I'm going to help you become King of the World, Ace, I'll need much more power...

I want to be stronger, become a pirate, and find true freedom. When that time comes, I'll be able to help you for sure, right?

The three of us will meet again someday, somewhere out on this vast, free ocean.

Ace—no, brother—thank you for everything. Our bond as brothers is my greatest treasure.

Oh, and Luffy, take care of him for me. If you're around, I know that crybaby will be just fine.

Your brother, 

Sabo."

——

Tears welled in Ace's eyes as he finished reading the letter.

"So, you want to be the freest person and help me? You'd better get strong then, Sabo... my brother."

Ace gazed out at the horizon, a smile spreading across his face.

——

Time flew by, and seven years passed.

Ace, now seventeen, stood at the shore. It was the day he would finally set sail.

At the Dadan family hideout...

"Boss! Ace has something to say to you!" Magra called out to Dadan.

"What does he want now? He's finally leaving, and I bet he's going to give me some lip as a parting gift," Dadan grumbled, turning her back.

"No, boss. He said... thank you for taking care of him all these years."

Magra's voice was steady, but Dadan was instantly overwhelmed.

Tears streamed down her face as memories of raising Ace—since he was just a baby—flooded her mind. Despite everything, she had come to see him as her own child.

——

At the Foosha Village shore...

"Ace! Good luck!"

"Ace! Become a great pirate!"

"You're the pride of Foosha Village!"

The villagers gathered at the beach to send him off with laughter and cheers.

"Quiet down! Calling him a pirate is an insult to our village's reputation!" Mayor Woop Slap scolded, though his eyes betrayed his deep concern for Ace.

"Ace! I'm setting sail in three years! Wait for me! I'm going to be the Pirate King!" Luffy shouted from the shore.

"I'll be waiting, Luffy," Ace replied, smiling from his small, modified sailboat.

Facing the crowd, Ace bowed politely. "Thank you all for looking after me."

His gaze softened as he looked back at his younger brother. "Take care of that idiot for me," he said, smiling.

Turning toward the vast sea, Ace's feet ignited with flames, propelling his boat forward. With the wind at his back, he grinned in anticipation.

——

"A new chapter of my story is finally starting."

Ace's heart surged with excitement as he sailed into the unknown.

——