One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 120

"What's the use of looking!" Ace's chest heaved violently, his tone sharp. "They...they actually became Shichibukai! They're our enemies!"

"Enemies?" Luffy was even more confused, scratching his head. "How could Kuina and the others be enemies? Aren't they our family? Aunt Rouge said so!"

"Would my family members risk their lives for the world government?!"

Ace practically roared it out, his eyes reddening.

Sabo, Kuina, Robin... and Uncle Liu Jiu, they spent so much time together on Mount Golbor. Although they were always fighting and arguing, in his heart, they were important family members, just like Luffy and his mother.

He couldn't understand or accept it.

"I do not care!"

Luffy didn't care about the Seven Warlords of the Sea or the World Government; all he knew was that he had received news of his long-lost family, but Ace rudely interrupted him.

"You tore up the newspaper, you have to pay me back! I need to know where they are!"

"What compensation?!" Ace scratched his hair in frustration and kicked away the scraps of paper on the ground. "Don't mention them again! They chose that path, so they're no longer our family!"

After saying that, he turned around angrily and plunged into the deeper woods, leaving behind an angry and stubborn back view.

Luffy stood there, looking in the direction Ace had disappeared, then looked down at the scattered pieces of newspaper on the ground, and pouted in grievance.

He crouched down and carefully picked up the fragments bearing Kuina's image and the blurry figures of Sabo and Robin, trying to piece them back together, but they were torn to shreds and he couldn't put them back together no matter what he did.

"What the hell..." Luffy muttered under his breath, clutching the shards tightly in his hand, "They're family... Ace, that idiot."

The forest returned to silence, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Luffy looked at the crumpled, unputtled pieces of paper in his hand, his little face scrunched up.

Ace has disappeared, and he can't read. What should we do?

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed in his rubber head!

"Oh, right! Aunt Rouge!"

Luffy's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had grasped at a lifeline. Aunt Rouge is so kind; she'll definitely find a way to piece these fragments back together!

Thinking of this, Luffy no longer cared about being angry with Ace, nor about the other small pieces of paper scattered on the ground.

He carefully gathered the relatively large fragments that still bore images and words, holding them tightly to his chest as if they were priceless treasures.

"Rubber, rubber—!"

He gave a low shout, and his other rubber arm suddenly stretched out, grabbing a towering tree trunk in the distance. He shot out like a slingshot, quickly weaving through the dense jungle and rushing towards a small cabin.

"Aunt Luju! Aunt Luju!"

Before he even arrived, Luffy's distinctive loud voice echoed throughout the entire hut.

Rouge, who was hanging clothes to dry in the open space in front of the house, looked up at the sound and saw Luffy rushing out of the forest like a small cannonball, kicking up dust as he stopped in front of her, panting, his little face flushed from running.

"What's wrong, Luffy? Why are you running so fast?"

Rouge put down the clothes in her hands, looked at him gently, and noticed his hand tightly clutching his chest. "What are you holding?"

"Aunt Lu Jiu! Look! Look at this!"

Luffy eagerly handed Rouge the handful of newspaper scraps he was clutching tightly in his hand; the scraps were slightly damp from the sweat on his palms.

"It's Kuina! And Sabo and Robin too! They're in the newspaper! But that idiot Ace tore it up!"

His tone was urgent and aggrieved, mixed with dissatisfaction with Ace and a longing for news.

Lu Jiu was slightly taken aback, and took the handful of crumpled, jagged fragments.

Upon closer inspection, she indeed saw the cold profile of a girl holding a knife on some of the larger fragments, as well as the outlines of two other blurry but familiar figures in the corner.

Although it was broken, she could still vaguely make out the words "Seven Warlords of the Sea", "Purple Sword", and "Kuina".

Her heart sank slightly.

As Ace's mother, she understood the bond between her children better than anyone else, and she also understood Ace's almost obsessive insistence on freedom and his pirate identity.

Especially since his son is now the bandit king of the Golpo Mountains.

In Ace's eyes, the identity of a Shichibukai was undoubtedly a betrayal.

She looked into Luffy's eyes, which were filled with eagerness and anticipation, and sighed softly.

"Come on in, Luffy."

Rouge took Luffy's hand and led him into the cabin, where they sat down at the table. She gently spread the fragments out on the table, patiently piecing them together according to the texture and writing, as if completing an intricate jigsaw puzzle.

Chapter 142 Ace's Venting

Luffy lay down beside her, his eyes fixed on Rouge's hand, watching the fragments gradually recombine into an image of Kuina and a news headline.

"Aunt Rouge, what does it say?" Luffy asked eagerly. "What happened to Kuina and the others? Why is Ace so angry?"

Rouge looked at the pieced-together, still incomplete but containing the main information, report and slowly read it aloud to Luffy in a gentle yet clear tone:

"...Kuina...defeated the great pirate Gecko Moria...the World Government bestowed upon her the title of 'Shichibukai'...Sabo and Robin...appeared as her companions..."

She tried to simplify the complex content in a way that Luffy could understand, but the core information was conveyed.

As Luffy listened, his mouth slowly opened wider.

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea?" He tilted his head, not really understanding the term, but he grasped the key point. "So Kuina is really strong now? She defeated some really strong guys? And Sabo and Robin are with her too?"

His focus was completely different from Ace's; instead, a happy smile appeared on his face: "Great! They're all alright! And they've even become so powerful!"

But then he remembered Ace's attitude, and his face fell: "But... why was Ace so angry? He even said they were enemies... Aunt Rouge, what exactly are the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Why are they no longer family once they become the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

Luffy looked up, his pure eyes filled with genuine confusion. In his simple world, family was family, and that would never change.

Looking at Luffy's innocent yet stubborn face, Rouge felt a mix of emotions. She reached out and gently touched the straw hat on Luffy's head.

It was exactly the same hat that her husband Roger wore when he was alive.

“The Seven Warlords of the Sea… is a very complicated position.” She chose her words carefully, trying to explain, “It is recognized by the World Government and has certain privileges… In Ace’s view, this may mean choosing order rather than the absolute freedom he yearned for. That’s why he felt… betrayed.”

"Freedom?" Luffy was even more confused. "Aren't Kuina and the others free? Aren't they adventuring together?"

Rouge smiled helplessly. Luffy's pure logic sometimes hits the nail on the head. She couldn't, and didn't want to, distort Luffy's pure definition of "family."

"Maybe," she said softly. "Ace needs some time to figure things out. Luffy, you just need to remember what you believe in."

Luffy nodded vigorously and carefully gathered up the still torn pieces of newspaper that had been pieced together on the table. Although they were still broken, at least he could see Kuina's face clearly now.

"Yes! I believe in Kuina, Sabo, and Robin! They have always been my family!"

He said firmly, then clenched his fist and shouted angrily in the direction Ace had disappeared, "Ace is a big idiot! When he comes back, I'm going to beat him to a pulp!"

Looking at Luffy, who remained full of energy, Rouge's eyes flashed with a hint of worry, yet also a hint of relief.

Ultimately, the bonds that children form are something they must face and resolve on their own.

All she can do is spend more time with her children while they are still young.

Whether it's Ace or Luffy!

Deep in the dense forests of Mount Gorbo lies a hidden bandit stronghold.

The atmosphere was completely different from the cozy Lucy Cottage; a large group of people had gathered here.

Ace stood on a protruding rock.

The anger and frustration he felt at the news about Kuina and the others had now transformed into a burning urge to destroy something.

He wore an orange cowboy hat that he'd snatched from some unfortunate merchant, the brim pulled low, obscuring his slightly reddened eyes but unable to hide the burning flames within them.

Before him stood a band of mountain bandits led by Dadan, most of them bare-chested and scarred, carrying various weapons.

His eyes held a mixture of admiration for Ace and excitement for the upcoming mission.

"Listen up, everyone!"

Ace's voice, clear and bright like that of a young man, yet with an undeniable decisiveness, echoed through the valley.

"Target: the noble warehouses of the Goa Kingdom! Those parasites that leech off ordinary people!"

"Ow—!"

The bandits let out excited howls, their weapons striking the ground and tree trunks, producing a chaotic and threatening sound.

"But!" Ace suddenly raised his voice, silencing the commotion. His gaze swept over every excited face, carrying an authority beyond his years. "Remember all the rules!"

He held up one finger, his tone resolute:

"First, we'll only rob nobles and their caravans! Anyone who dares to lay a hand on ordinary townspeople or farmers, don't blame me for turning my back on them!"

"Second, be quick! Retreat immediately after grabbing something valuable. No lingering or fighting!"

"Third, anyone who dares to secretly conceal most of the valuables, or who commits indiscriminate killing due to personal grudges, will bear the consequences!"

His small body stood on high ground, yet he exuded a heavy, oppressive aura, like that of a mountain.

These rules were established after he became the bandit king.

Although they are bandits, they cannot be without restraint, otherwise they are prone to causing trouble.

Dadan stood at the front of the line with her arms crossed, looking at the spirited young man on the rock with a complicated expression.

This kid has a natural talent for uniting people and leadership, and the rules he sets do, to some extent, reduce the troublesome behavior of this group of lawless guys.

"Did everyone hear what Boss Ace said?"

Dadan roared in a gruff voice, "Anyone who dares to break the rules, I'll skin them alive before Ace even lifts a finger!"

"Yes, Boss Ace! Boss Dadan!"

The bandits responded in unison, their voices so loud they startled the birds in the forest. They might be savage, but they were quite obedient to Ace, who could provide them with enough to eat and wear and who would occasionally rob the rich to help the poor.

"Good!" Ace waved his hand in satisfaction, his eyes sharp as an eagle's beneath the orange brim of his hat. "Check the equipment, we're leaving in ten minutes! Let those high and mighty nobles pay a good price!"

"Ouch-ouch—!"

An even more frenzied howl erupted, and the bandits sprang into action, some sharpening their knives, others packing their belongings. The air was thick with tension and excitement as a great battle loomed.

Ace jumped off the rock, walked to the side, and silently inspected his specially made steel pipe.

He wants to become stronger, accumulate wealth and power, and then go to sea to make a name for himself in his own way!

He wanted to prove that even without relying on his status as a Shichibukai, he, Portgas D. Ace, could still become a prominent figure on this sea!