In front of Dadan's house.
"I wonder how Sabo's doing…" Luffy said, looking at Ace.
"Ling told us last night he's alright," Ace replied calmly.
Just then, they spotted someone approaching.
"Dogra!" Luffy called out.
Dogra was drenched in sweat, looking visibly anxious.
Inside the house, Dogra explained everything to Ace, Luffy, and Dadan.
Earlier that afternoon, a World Noble shot at a small fishing boat… the very one Sabo had been on.
"What?! Sabo is...?!" Ace's voice cracked in disbelief.
"Stop lying, you bastard! Ling told us last night that Sabo was fine!" Ace shouted, lunging at Dogra with a clenched fist.
Luffy already bawling in tears.
"I'm not lying! I'm not joking about this!" Dogra said, stood on his ground.
"It all happened so suddenly!"
"Hey! What's going on?" Ling arrived, carrying a massive bag on his back.
Everyone turned toward him, stunned.
"Ling! You said last night that Sabo was okay!" Ace demanded.
"Yeah, and he is okay," Ling replied casually.
Dogra stepped forward.
"But… I saw his boat blow up!"
"Huh?" Ling blinked, pretending to be confused.
"Oh! Did I forget to mention? Sabo left last night."
"HUHHH?!" everyone shouted in unison.
"You said he was alright...but you never said he left!"
Ace pointed an accusing finger at him.
They all finally settled down, waiting for Ling's explanation.
Suddenly, Luffy's nose twitched.
"Meat?" His eyes locked onto the large bag on Ling's back.
All his gloom vanished in an instant.
He pounced on Ling, snatching the bag and diving in.
While Luffy happily devoured the food, the rest sat down waiting for Ling to explain everything.
"Explain," Ace said firmly, arms crossed.
Ling sighed. "Did I really forget to say all this last night?"
Ace glared.
"Alright, alright…" Ling rubbed the back of his neck.
"Last night, when I went to find Sabo, he was barely conscious, lying in an alley. There was a man with him."
He paused.
"I heard Sabo say... that as long as he stays in this country, he'll never be free."
Everyone fell silent.
"The man holding him said that one day he'll come back to change this country. And... I believed him."
Ling looked up, meeting their eyes.
"After thinking it through, I decided to let that man take Sabo."
Ace's eyes widened.
"What did you say?!"
Even Luffy stopped eating and turned to look.
"The man who took Sabo is the one who saved the people living in Grey Terminal," Ling added.
At that moment, a Delivery Coo flew by outside.
Miagra stepped out and grabbed the paper it dropped off.
Miagra stood up and took the paper the Delivery Coo had dropped off.
As he opened and read it, his eyes widened in shock.
"Boss! Ace! You're not gonna believe this!" Miagra exclaimed.
"We got a letter from Sabo!"
Everyone turned to him immediately.
He held up the paper.
'To my brothers at Mt. Colubo – From Sabo.'
"He must've sent it before the fire started," Miagra added.
"Give it to me!" Ace said, rushing over.
He took the letter and began walking aimlessly, eyes fixed on the words as he read aloud:
"Ace, Luffy, Ling..."
"I hope you guys weren't hurt in the fire. I'm worried about you three, but I believe you're okay."
"I'm sorry to say this, but by the time you read this letter… I'll already be out at sea."
"I can't stay in this place anymore. It reeks of rotten people. One thing led to another, and I made my choice... I'm setting sail before you guys."
"My destination? Anywhere but here."
"I'm gonna get stronger… and become a pirate!"
Ace stopped for a moment.
He turned and walked back toward the others, continuing to read.
"The four of us have to become the freest pirates ever!"
"One day, let's meet again... somewhere out there on the wide, open sea! Definitely, someday!"
"By the way, Ace, Ling… which one of us do you think will be the big brother?"
"Three big brothers and one little brother... It's kind of weird, but our brotherhood…That's my treasure."
Ace glanced over at Ling and Luffy.
They were standing right where the three of them had become brothers.
"That's what's in the letter," he said, voice quiet.
Luffy was crying openly now.
A few hours had passed.
Everyone had gathered for dinner.
Dadan was sitting off to the side, reading a newspaper.
"How can they call themselves observers? They partied the whole day!" she scoffed.
Ling, Ace, and Luffy were devouring their food like the world outside didn't matter.
"What the...!?" Dadan suddenly exclaimed, her eyes widening.
"It says someone stole food from the King's castle!"
She narrowed her eyes at Ling.
Ling averted his gaze and started whistling.
"You…!" Dadan gasped in disbelief.
"Ahem," Dogra cleared his throat and called out.
"Hey, Ling."
Ling looked over.
"Yeah?"
"Why'd you do it?"
"Oh! You mean the boat?" Ling said, casually chewing his food.
"I faked Sabo's death so his family wouldn't make a fuss again accusing us of hiding him."
Ace nodded in agreement, stuffing more food into his mouth.
"But it's strange…" Dogra muttered.
"Yeah," another bandit added.
"The news didn't mention anything about Sabo."
"I heard his parents didn't even react," someone else said.
"What a bunch of crappy parents," Ace said with a scowl.
"They might be nobles, but even they're powerless against the World Government and the Celestial Dragons." Miagra chimed in.
While everyone was deep in conversation, none of them noticed Luffy had already devoured all the food.
"Oi, Luffy!!" Dadan shouted.
But Luffy was already fast asleep, lying flat on his back with a massive food bump in his belly.
After dinner, Ling and Ace carried Luffy to their old room.
They had decided to stay at Dadan's house again. After all, the treehouse only reminded them of Sabo.
Luffy slowly stirred awake.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"L... Ling… Ace…" he mumbled, his voice shaky.
Ling and Ace turned toward him.
"I was scared," Luffy said. He pulled his hat down to cover his eyes.
"I thought Sabo really died…"
"I want to get stronger!"
"Stronger and stronger… more and more…!"
Tears welled up and began streaming down his cheeks.
"So I can protect the people I care about! I don't want to lose anyone!"
"I don't wanna feel that pain again…"
"I'm begging you… Ace… Ling…"
"Don't ever die!"
Ling's expression faltered. Guilt weighed heavy in his eyes.
Ace stepped forward and gave Luffy a light punch on the head.
"Idiot! Worry about yourself first!" he snapped.
"You're the weakest one of us!"
Then Ace's tone softened.
"Listen, Luffy. I'll never die."
"Me too," Ling said, his voice quiet but firm.
'Damn… I really do feel bad,' Ling thought, shaking his head.
Luffy nodded, though his hat still covered his eyes.
"We promise we'll never die," Ling said seriously.
'I'll make sure of it.' He clenched his fists tightly.
"How could we ever leave a wimpy little brother like you behind?" Ace grinned.
Then he turned serious.
"So listen, Luffy… we have to live without leaving any regrets."
Ace remembered what Sabo said.
"Boys from a noble family will become full nobles when they turn 18." Sabo.
"That's why I need to leave this island by 17!"
Ace look at them.
"We have to go out to sea someday… and live how we want. Freer than anyone else!" he declared to Luffy and Ling.
Luffy and Ling both nodded firmly.
"That means we'll make a lot of enemies," Ace continued.
"Even the old man Garp might come after us."
"You gotta be ready to risk everything."
He stood up.
"Let's go out to sea at seventeen!"
"And we'll become pirates!"
---------------------------
One more chapter and volume 1 is completed.