Ace

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"Thanks a lot! You've really helped us out again!"

Luffy expressed his gratitude to Akira.

"How did you even get here?"

"I'm not really sure. Some big, fat guy slapped me, and I went flying—just flew and flew until I landed here. Where is this place, anyway?"

They had encountered a massive, powerful man on the island earlier.

This wasn't the first time they'd met him—he had appeared back during the Thriller Bark incident.

To make matters worse, they had also run into Admiral Kizaru. It was then they truly understood the terrifying strength of an admiral. Facing near-certain annihilation, that same big guy suddenly sent them flying.

Luffy didn't understand why the man had done it, but thanks to him, they had survived.

"This is Amazon Lily, located in the Calm Belt on the Grand Line," Akira explained.

"The Calm Belt?! Isn't that where all those giant sea monsters live?!"

Despite being naive, Luffy knew enough about the world to understand the layout of the Grand Line, flanked by the Calm Belts on either side.

When they accidentally entered the Calm Belt on their way to the New World, they were nearly wiped out by the terrifying creatures there. The experience left Luffy with a deep fear of the area, and he never wanted to return. Yet somehow, here he was, far from the Sabaody Archipelago.

"Yep, tons of monsters around here. Most people can't reach this island."

"Could you lend me a ship to leave? I made a promise to my crew—I have to find them!"

"Sure," Akira agreed without hesitation.

The speed of his response left Luffy stunned.

"Really?! Awesome! You're such a good guy! Thank you so much! You've helped us so much already—I don't even know how to repay you!"

Luffy knelt and bowed enthusiastically before Akira, clearly overjoyed.

Akira smiled, helping him up. "No need for thanks. I'm just doing what little I can. But let me be clear—I don't see myself as a good person, nor do I aspire to be one. Being 'good' means sacrificing your own interests for the sake of others, and I won't do that. As long as my interests aren't affected, I'm willing to extend goodwill to anyone. But if we ever find ourselves at odds, I'll choose my own interests without hesitation."

Though Akira liked Luffy as a character in the anime, things were different now.

In the real world of the anime, everything was interconnected.

For example, during the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha, Akira knew what would happen and even admired the Fourth Hokage. But when his own interests were at stake, he chose to stand by and watch.

He wasn't a saint—in fact, he detested saints.

If Luffy ever became his enemy, Akira wouldn't hesitate to kill this fate-blessed protagonist. But now Luffy was the strongest weapon against the World Government.

---

Luffy scratched his head, puzzled. "I don't get what you're saying, but you're helping me now, and that's enough for me to be grateful. If we end up enemies in the future, that's a problem for later."

"I'm glad you think that way. Let's go—I'll take you out of here now."

Before Luffy could react, Akira grabbed his shoulder.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, their surroundings changed. They were now inside a building.

"Wait... Where are we?" Luffy looked around in confusion.

"This is somewhere you've been before: Water 7," Akira replied calmly.

"Water 7?!"

Luffy dashed to the window, peering outside. Sure enough, the familiar scenery of Water 7 greeted him.

"Eh?! EHH?! WHAAAT?!"

Luffy was utterly flabbergasted. First, a giant man had smacked him to an island in the Calm Belt, and now, he was instantly back in Water 7.

He remembered something. Back at Enies Lobby, Akira had also brought them back to Water 7 in an instant.

"How did you do that?!"

"It's called the Flying Thunder God Technique. It's pretty much teleportation," Akira explained.

Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Teleportation?! That's so cool!!!"

Just then, several figures appeared, kneeling on one knee before Akira.

"President!"

The members of the Uchiha Security Company treated Akira with even more respect they would treat a Hokage or their clan leader.

Though Uchiha Fugaku was still the clan leader, his abilities paled in comparison to Akira's, both in power and leadership. After introducing techniques and wealth that had dramatically improved their strength, Akira had become their unquestioned leader.

If Fugaku's orders ever conflicted with Akira's, they would prioritize the latter without hesitation.

"How are things here?" Akira asked Itachi, who had been managing Water 7.

"Everything is stable. Ever since Captain Shisui fought Admiral Kizaru at Sabaody, no one has dared cause trouble here."

Itachi's voice carried pride. The Uchiha clan had risen to prominence, and their strength was the talk of the world.

"President, have you heard? The World Government has announced the public execution of Fire Fist Ace, a key member of the Whitebeard Pirates."

Akira had yet to reply when Luffy froze. "Who... did you just say?"

"Fire Fist Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."

Luffy paled. "Ace… is going to be executed?"

Even with the Uchiha's presence, fate's gears continued to turn.

Akira feigned ignorance. "What's going on?"

"Apparently, a pirate named Blackbeard captured Ace and earned the title of Warlord of the Sea. Now, the government plans to execute Ace publicly to provoke a war with Whitebeard."

"…Ace… He's my brother! ACE IS MY BROTHER!"

Luffy's shout shocked everyone present.

"I had no idea he'd been captured! How could this happen?! Isn't there any way to save him?!" Luffy cried.

"If Whitebeard wins the war, there might be a chance," Akira replied calmly.

"Where is the execution happening?" Luffy asked, desperate.

"The plaza at Marineford, the Marine Headquarters. It's in one week," Itachi replied.

"One week?! But it takes over a week to reach Sabaody from here! I won't even see my crew before Ace is executed! How long would it take to reach Ace?!"

"If you sail, at least four days," Itachi answered.

"Four days… That's still time."

Luffy pulled out a piece of paper from his hatband—Ace's Vivre Card, which pointed toward its owner and indicated their life force.

The card had shrunk dramatically, now a fraction of its original size.

"Ace gave me this so I could find him if I needed help… But now, it's my turn to save him."

Turning to Akira, Luffy bowed deeply. "Thank you for everything, but I need to go now! I have to save Ace!"

"Wait."

Luffy paused as Akira tossed him a scroll.

"What's this?"

"If you can't get into Impel Down, open it," Akira instructed.

Luffy nodded and stored the scroll. After bowing once more, he took off, determined to save his brother.

Watching Luffy leave, Akira thought to himself, "This will be the last time I help you—a farewell to my childhood memories."

Brrrrr… Brrrrr!

Shortly after Luffy left, the company's Den Den Mushi rang.

Itachi answered, and the snail transformed to display the face of Sengoku, Fleet Admiral of the Marine.

"I am Sengoku, Fleet Admiral of the Marine. I need to speak with your president, Akira."

Taking the call, Akira raised an eyebrow. "What a surprise. To what do I owe the honor of a call from the Fleet Admiral?"

"I assume you've seen the news. The World Government is summoning all Warlords of the Sea to Marineford. This is a condition of their title, and failure to comply means losing their status."

"If you're looking for Hancock, I can ask her, but no promises."

Sengoku knew Akira was deflecting. With the Uchiha's presence, Hancock no longer needed the Warlord title to protect Amazon Lily.

Sengoku cut to the chase. "This isn't about the Pirate Empress. I'm here on World Government business. You once said you'd take on any job for the right price. Does that offer still stand?"

The request stunned everyone, including Akira.

They were still technically enemies of the government, with bounties on their heads.

Recovering quickly, Akira smirked. "If it's business, I'm listening. What's your offer?"

"You and Shisui. two billion berries."

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