Chapter 51: Once You Get On My Ship, You Are Mine!

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Port.

Ace looked at Robin, whose expression shifted constantly, but he didn't rush her, patiently waiting for her answer. 

Ace had to know about the Void Century—a hundred years of forgotten history.

In his past life, Ace had been deeply curious about this lost century. Now, having met Robin, who could decipher the ancient texts, he couldn't let the opportunity pass. 

It's easy to pretend indifference, to come up with excuses to avoid chasing your curiosity. But no one can truly deceive their own heart. 

The consequence of suppressing one's desires is stagnation, weakening one's Haki. 

If you aim to be the king of the world, the supreme ruler, you have to climb to the very top—without hesitation or regard for consequences.

Consequences? A king never considers them.

All that matters is whether or not you choose to think about it.

"You... you've only just entered the Grand Line! How much do you really know? Do you even understand the kind of organization you're up against?" 

Robin's voice rose sharply, her expression tense.

"The World Government," Ace replied calmly, "the largest federation in the world, with over 170 member nations. Founded 800 years ago by 20 ambitious kings, its headquarters is in the 'Holy Land of Mary Geoise.' 

The highest authority is the Five Elders, who oversee the Marines, CIPHERPOL (CP), the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and other bodies. Together, they ensure that countries follow their laws and maintain global order."

Each word from Ace made Robin's face grow paler.

"And do you know what the World Government does to those it deems a threat?" she murmured, her voice trembling.

"The Buster Call?" Ace smirked, speaking the words nonchalantly.

"You... you know everything?! If you do, how can you dare continue this pursuit?"

Robin's eyes widened in shock, her face ghostly pale. The sheer power of the World Government suffocated her, reminding her of the bounty that had haunted her since she was eight years old. That monolithic force was impossible to fight against.

Anyone the World Government targets faces the Buster Call—ten Marine battleships, five Vice Admirals, and elite forces—all united in twenty waves of indiscriminate devastation. Everything in the area of the signal is obliterated.

Robin trembled, her mind flashing back to a past Buster Call. It was her greatest nightmare.

"I told you, I'm curious about that century of lost history. What I want to know, I will know," Ace declared, his lips curling into a confident smile.

Robin stared at him in disbelief as she began to laugh. This man! Just out of curiosity, he dared to provoke such a taboo? He understood the full might of the World Government and the terror of the Buster Call—yet he could still laugh about it?

Vivi, standing beside Ace, was stunned. This was the power of a pirate with a bounty of 85 million Berries? No wonder Crocodile was nothing to him. Compared to the World Government, Crocodile seemed insignificant.

Nami and Nojiko exchanged glances and smiled.

Suddenly, two soft voices broke the tension. 

"Mmm..."

Tashigi and Kaya had woken up, their expressions confused.

"Is it morning already?" Kaya mumbled cutely.

Tashigi, her face sleepy, fumbled for her glasses.

Ace couldn't resist lightly tapping the tips of their noses, causing Kaya to flash a sweet smile.

"Y-you!" Tashigi blushed furiously, fully awake now.

"Relax," Ace chuckled. "Come here, Tashigi, you tell the girls about the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

Tashigi's face reddened further as Ace grinned.

"What do you think, Robin?" Ace asked, turning back to her. Her expression, interrupted by the playful scene, had softened.

"If you can defeat Crocodile... I'll consider it," Robin replied after a pause. Power alone wasn't enough to challenge the World Government; true strength was required. If Ace could truly defeat Crocodile, she might just take a gamble on him.

"Alright, welcome aboard," Ace said, smiling.

"Huh?" Robin blinked in surprise.

"You said I just need to defeat Crocodile, right? I'm welcoming you to join the Entei Pirates in advance."

Robin smiled slightly. "I'm just considering it," she reminded him. "But yes, I look forward to seeing what happens."

Confident as always, Ace chuckled.

At that moment, Robin pulled out a log pose. "Originally, I was going to give you this pointer," she explained. "It leads to an uninhabited island. The next destination from Whiskey Peak is Little Garden. It's a dangerous place, but I suppose someone like you doesn't need it, right?"

"Of course," Ace replied with a grin.

With a smirk, Robin tossed the pointer into the sea.

"What?! The pointer!" Nami cried, reaching out helplessly toward the water, her face filled with despair. A safe route would have been so nice!

"Heh, that's our captain for you," Nojiko laughed, covering her mouth.

Kaya smiled sweetly, content to follow Ace anywhere.

Tashigi, however, stared at Ace, her expression conflicted. She couldn't make sense of this man.

"So, what will you do with me until you defeat Crocodile? Bind me?" Robin teased, holding out her wrists.

"There's no need for that. You can go."

"You're letting me go? Aren't you worried I'll help Crocodile instead?" Robin asked, taken aback.

Ace simply smiled. "That doesn't matter at all."

"Is that so?"

Robin paused, stunned for a moment, before smiling and nodding. She now had a deeper understanding of the magnitude of this man.

"Then let me show some sincerity as well," Robin said, her lips parting slightly as she looked at Vivi. 

"Crocodile's plan... the Utopia Operation…"

As Robin revealed the details of Crocodile's sinister plot, Vivi's expression shifted to one of disbelief.

"This... this..."

Vivi was speechless, overwhelmed by the revelation. The drought plaguing Alabasta was not a natural disaster, but the result of Crocodile using Dance Powder. Worse yet, he planned to frame her father for the catastrophe, sparking a civil war in the kingdom.

"That's inhuman!" Nami growled through gritted teeth. 

Crocodile's ruthless methods reminded her of Arlong. No, he was even worse than Arlong.

"Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea... How... how could this be?" Tashigi was frozen in place, muttering in disbelief. The Seven Warlords of the Sea were technically allies of the World Government, colleagues of the Marines, and yet Crocodile was capable of such treachery.

"The Marines won't investigate Crocodile at all, since he's one of the Seven Warlords," Ace said calmly. "This is how the World Government operates—they created the Seven Warlords of the Sea to maintain balance, allowing pirates to plunder with impunity. It's really quite ironic."

Ace's words struck a chord with Tashigi, who trembled slightly. The idea that notorious criminals could be granted legal status—and even allowed to pillage—was absurd. Her eyes filled with doubt for the first time. Doubt about Marine justice.

"Well then, can I go?" Robin asked with a smile.

Ace didn't reply with words. Instead, he simply raised his hand and gestured for her to leave.

"By the way, little princess... Vivi, isn't it? Before I go, one last piece of information: Mr. 8. I didn't kill him. He's still alive." Robin's parting words were directed at Vivi, whose face had grown pale.

With that, Robin glanced at Ace, smiled, summoned a large sea turtle, and disappeared into the horizon.

"Igaram... he's alive?!" Vivi gasped, covering her mouth as tears streamed down her face.

"Of course he's alive. Do you think I'd invite you to join my crew if he weren't?" Ace said, gently patting her shoulder with a smile.

Vivi bit her lip, saying nothing, her heart heavy with emotion.

Nami looked at Ace thoughtfully. "That woman... she's not so bad, is she?"

"But why didn't you bring Igaram back?" she asked, puzzled.

"Rescue him, only for him to die impersonating Vivi again? Robin has taken him somewhere safe. Once we defeat Crocodile, Igaram will return to Alabasta," Ace replied, still smiling.

"Thank you, Ace. Thank you," Vivi whispered, her tear-stained face finally breaking into a smile. 

For the first time, Vivi's heart was moved.

"I told you, you're destined to be with me," Ace teased, wiping away her remaining tears and smiling playfully.

"And when you join my crew, you'll be mine."

"!!!"

Vivi's face turned bright red at his words.

"Hey, Ace! Get ready to set sail already!" Nami interrupted, looking between Ace and Vivi with a knowing grin.

"Tch, way to ruin the moment." Ace chuckled, walking toward the ship, the Going Merry.

"Welcome aboard, Vivi! I'm Kaya, the ship's doctor," Kaya greeted Vivi warmly, pulling her into a hug despite her still-blushing face. 

"If Ace says so, then you must be one of his destined crew. Ace has a special power—he can sense the people meant to join him."

Kaya's words left Vivi dumbfounded. "Wait, really?"

"Well, he can read some people's inner thoughts, as well as sense certain fates..." Vivi trailed off, recalling the moment when Ace singlehandedly took down hundreds of Baroque Works agents and captured Crocodile's partner effortlessly. Could Ace truly possess such a supernatural ability?

Destined... crew?

Once more, Vivi's face flushed red as her mind raced with possibilities.

Nojiko, preparing for the journey ahead, smirked as she overheard the conversation. Kaya truly believed in Ace's supposed "destiny powers," and it seemed like even Vivi was beginning to buy into it.

Nojiko herself couldn't help but believe in Ace as well. She glanced at him, locked in another playful spat with Nami, and smiled faintly.

"Set sail! Next stop—Little Garden!" Ace shouted from the bow of the ship, full of energy.

"Yeah!" Even Vivi joined in, raising her hand to cheer.

Tashigi, though hesitant, didn't raise her hand. But she did notice her fingers trembling slightly.

——

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit office back in Alabasta...

Click.

A lighter flickered as a cigar was lit, smoke curling in the air. 

Crocodile sat behind a desk, several sketches of Ace, his crew, and Vivi spread before him. His gaze lingered on Vivi's sketch, the daughter of King Cobra.

"So... Nefertari Vivi. The daughter of that fool Cobra, daring to infiltrate Baroque Works, huh?" His voice was low, almost amused.

"And then, there's this brat—Portgas D. Ace?" Crocodile's eyes moved to Ace's portrait, next to a bounty poster. A dark smile twisted across his face.

"Hahahaha... 'Flame Emperor'? Isn't that title a bit too grand for someone like you?"

"With a bounty of only 85 million Berries, do you even know how vast this sea truly is? Do you want to swim in these dangerous waters?"

Crocodile's laugh echoed through the room.

"Let me show you just how big the world really is. Hahahahaha!"

——

After several days of sailing, the Going Merry reached its next destination: Little Garden.

"We're finally here! That's Little Garden!" Nami pointed at the distant island, her voice full of confidence.

"Little Garden..." Ace mused, thinking of the two giants and the ancient creatures that inhabited the island. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He'd never met a giant before—this would be fun. Plus, he was curious to try some dinosaur meat.

"We could encounter pursuers at any moment, so we should stay alert," Vivi warned, her voice tense.

"Don't worry. I'm looking forward to meeting any pursuers," Nojiko said with a smirk, confidently checking her gun.

Kaya smiled alongside her, both eager to put their newly learned skills to the test. Thanks to Ace, their strength had grown significantly during their journey.

Vivi, watching them from the side, pursed her lips. Ace was a mystery. Since joining him, Nami, Kaya, and Nojiko had grown astonishingly stronger. It was as if they were reborn. 

And Ace had called it the "exclusive benefit" of being his crew.

Was Ace hoping for Vivi and Tashigi to join as well? Could it be true, as Kaya had said, that Ace had a special power to know who was destined to be his crewmate?

Vivi's face flushed at the thought.

"Hey, Ace... something feels off..." Nami clung to Ace, her face full of fear as the ship entered the island. Towering vegetation surrounded them, unlike anything from the outside world.

Unlike Nami, Kaya's eyes sparkled with curiosity. She marveled at the massive plants, filled with excitement.

ROAR!

A loud roar echoed from the island, making Nami cling to Ace even tighter, screaming in terror.

"Ace! Let's just wait on the ship until the Log Pose records the island's magnetic field, okay?" Nami begged, her voice trembling.

Ace smiled gently, and for a moment, Nami thought she had convinced him. But then, to her dismay...

"What are you talking about? It's such an interesting island! Of course we have to explore it!" Ace laughed, dashing her hopes.

Nami groaned, her face full of exasperation as Ace continued to laugh.