One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

In the following days, Kaya, who had always been well-liked by the villagers, went door-to-door bidding farewell to everyone.

Meanwhile, Merry was hard at work building the ship he had dreamed of as a child—the Going Merry. Just knowing that Miss Kaya would be sailing the seas aboard his creation filled him with newfound passion for his craft, making him feel like his shipbuilding skills had improved dramatically.

What Merry didn't realize, however, was that Ace was secretly using the Realm of Comprehension to enhance his abilities. After all, Merry's natural talent for shipbuilding was only average. In the original story, the Going Merry eventually fell into disrepair due to these limitations.

But Ace was deeply fond of this ship that was destined to develop a spirit of its own, so he hoped Merry could build it to perfection.

As for Ace, he had his hands full with Nami constantly pestering him.

"Hey, Captain, I'm your first crewmate, so you can't be biased! You have to find me a Devil Fruit, too. I need to become stronger so I can help you!" Nami clung to Ace's arm, speaking in a playful tone. But her eyes gleamed with the shape of Beli signs.

"You want a Devil Fruit to get stronger? Or just to sell it for money?" Ace asked, shooting Nami a knowing look as her eyes twinkled like coins.

"What! How could you doubt your first crewmate like that?!" Nami protested loudly, feigning indignation.

"Hehehe," Kaya giggled softly, a look of contentment on her face. She had been frail and sick her whole life, confined to her room without friends her age. But now, her health problems were gone, and she had friends. It was all thanks to Ace...

Kaya smiled to herself as she quietly watched Ace from the side.

Smack!

"Alright, Nami!" Ace, trying to avoid being further pestered, grabbed Nami's face and playfully squished it.

"Of course, I've prepared a Devil Fruit for you, but the one that's perfect for you is on the Grand Line. I'll take you there to get it when the time comes," Ace said with a smile, looking at Nami's squished face.

"Pfft!" Nami pulled her face free, pouting. "The Grand Line? That doesn't sound very sincere."

"Oh? That Devil Fruit is far more valuable than Kaya's healing fruit. It's a super powerful Devil Fruit worth at least 3 billion Beli," Ace whispered into Nami's ear, a teasing smile on his face.

"Th-three billion?!" Nami's eyes widened in disbelief as she froze, feeling like she'd been struck by lightning. The phrase "3 billion Beli" echoed repeatedly in her mind.

"You… you're not lying to me, are you?" After a while, Nami finally snapped out of her daze, staring blankly at Ace.

"Have I ever made a promise that didn't come true?" Ace replied with a chuckle.

Nami thought back. Since meeting Ace, everything he'd said had come to pass—even miraculous things like curing Kaya's lifelong illness and letting her sail the seas.

Could this mean...

"Are you really going to give me a Devil Fruit worth 3 billion Beli?" Nami's heart raced.

"Of course, you're my navigator, Nami," Ace said warmly as he ruffled her short orange hair.

"That's amazing, Nami!" Kaya chimed in with a chuckle.

"But… the Devil Fruit is on the Grand Line?" Nami asked, looking a little puzzled.

"Yes. But for now, I'll teach you some combat skills. Come with me," Ace said, deliberately avoiding any mention of Arlong's gang.

He grabbed Nami's hand and led her outside, with Kaya following closely behind. As the ship's doctor, she knew she needed to stay near her captain.

Kaya smiled sweetly as she watched Ace's back.

——

"Pirates! Pirates are coming!" A long-nosed young man shouted from the village entrance, sending the villagers into a panic.

"Usopp! You idiot! If you're lying again, I'll beat you senseless!" someone yelled angrily when they realized it was another false alarm. The villagers cursed at him, but Usopp only laughed, running off despite their insults.

Thud!

Suddenly, a hand reached out, grabbed Usopp by the collar, and pulled him back.

"Hey, you must be Usopp," Ace said with a smile, looking down at the startled lad.

"Y-you… who are you?" Usopp stammered.

"My name's Ace, and I'm a pirate," Ace replied with a grin, though his smile looked more terrifying than friendly to Usopp.

"P-pirates?! Everyone! Pirates are coming! Run!" Usopp shouted at the top of his lungs, his body trembling with fear. He turned back to warn the villagers, but no one paid attention. After all, Usopp's constant false alarms had made everyone stop believing him.

When Usopp heard them dismissing him as a liar, a look of despair crossed his face.

"Don't worry, I'm not the kind of pirate who steals and burns villages. By the way, this is Kaya, my ship's doctor, and this is Nami, my navigator," Ace said, his voice calm.

Seeing Usopp's reaction, Ace smiled inwardly. Despite his cowardice, Usopp still tried to warn the villagers, even when faced with his greatest fear. That courage, Ace thought, made him worthy of being the sniper on his brother's future ship.

"K-Kaya?! You're that rich girl from the mansion! A pirate? And your health…?" Usopp trailed off in shock, looking at Kaya in disbelief.

"Yes, my illness has been cured thanks to Ace," Kaya said with a soft laugh, covering her mouth.

"Alright, Usopp. Your father is Yasopp, right?" Ace asked with a smile.

"You… you know my dad?!" Usopp's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Yeah. I've never met him personally, but my brother Luffy did," Ace explained with a smile.

"Are you looking for me because of my dad?" Usopp's fear eased a little when he heard Ace mention his father.

"Well, not just that. I need you to make something for me. A weather staff for Nami. Consider this a way of repaying your father for looking out for Luffy."

Ace raised his right hand, and the Realm of Comprehension activated, enveloping Usopp in its mysterious energy.

Not only did Ace want to repay Yasopp, but he knew that the stronger Luffy's crew became, the stronger his own influence would be.

——

To Nami's amazement, in just a few hours, Usopp had created a far more advanced version of the weather staff than the one from the original story.

——

"My sniping… how did it improve so much?" Usopp muttered in disbelief, staring at his hands as Ace walked away.

"Monkey D. Luffy… my father's friend? Ace's brother?" Usopp whispered, still trying to process everything Ace had told him as he watched the other party's disappearing figure.