"Is that so?"
Hearing Ace's answer, Ian didn't say more. He simply sat beside him, quietly watching the sunset as well.
No one knew how much time passed before Ian finally spoke. "Thinking about going out to sea?"
Ace: "...?!"
Ace froze, took off his hat, then scratched his head with a playful grin. "As expected, you have already guessed it, Mr. Ian ."
"Judging by the date, it's indeed almost time for you to go to sea."
Ian said in his usual flat tone. "Back then, that annoying old man of yours only stuffed you into that barrel because he thought I already had enough trouble on my hands, and adding you wouldn't make a difference. If you want to go out to sea, then go. That old man of yours can't stop you. If you want to start from East Blue, I can have Kuma send you back."
"Going to sea, huh…"
Hearing that, Ace pressed down on his hat again, turning his gaze back to the sun that hadn't yet set.
He didn't answer Ian but spoke on his own. "Going to sea was the promise I made with Luffy and Sabo. Back then, for various reasons, we made a vow to find our own freedom. Later, something happened, and Luffy and I thought Sabo died, so we swore to fight for his freedom too."
Then he let out a helpless laugh. "But we didn't expect that Sabo wasn't dead. He just seems to have lost his memory."
He had heard about the memory loss from Mr. Kuma, but he didn't mind. He believed that once Sabo saw him and Luffy, Sabo would definitely remember them.
"Now Sabo doesn't need Luffy and me to chase his freedom anymore. I believe that no matter where he is, Sabo will definitely live freely. But Luffy is different. Luffy has promises to others. He must go out to sea. It's just that..."
He scratched his head again, a troubled smile on his face. "Mr. Ian... What exactly is freedom?"
"That's it?"
Ian looked at Ace with surprise, then, after a brief pause, said expressionlessly: "Son of the King of the Pirates."
Once those words fell…
Ace: "..."
Ace's expression immediately collapsed, and he stared helplessly at Ian. "Mr. Ian, why are you saying that again?"
"You see?"
Ian didn't answer Ace's question this time. Instead, he said calmly, "You're not jumping in anger like before when I say it now."
He patted Ace on the shoulder. "Why think so much? My wife is the Devil Child, and my daughter has the Devil Child's blood, and neither of them overthinks things like you. You're not confused about freedom. You're confused about your own existence."
"There are plenty of people with backgrounds like yours on this sea. For example, a certain gap-toothed fellow, his father is even scarier than yours. But that guy never hesitates. To him, as long as he can achieve his dream, anything can be used, even his own father's blood!"
"Huh? Who? There's such a terrible guy?"
"There are tons of guys like that. You're the one obsessing over your blood. Maybe compared to the fact that your father was a simp for trying to steal his brother's girlfriend, inheriting the King of the Pirates's blood is even harder for you to accept!"
Ace: "..."
No, compared to that, I definitely accept the King of the Pirates part more.
Ace stared in confusion at Ian, who suddenly brought this up again. He had heard some of this before, but when he wanted to ask more, Ian didn't continue.
Honestly, he used to feel annoyed whenever his father was mentioned, not even wanting to talk about that man. But he had to admit, after hearing this, he'd become curious about the father he despised.
"He was like that? Why didn't the old man ever tell me?"
Ace's eyes brightened with curiosity and anger. "Damn it, that kind of guy even dared to go after my Mom... Which brother's girlfriend was he trying to steal?"
"I should tell you, things were pretty chaotic back then. Not just your father, but others also wanted to steal his brother's girlfriend!"
Talking about gossip made Ian a bit livelier, but after one more sentence, he noticed Ace's glowing eyes and decided to stop. "Forget it, I won't say more. If you want to know, ask that old man of yours. He knows more."
"Ahhh, Mr. Ian stopped again! Damn it, I was curious! Was that era really so chaotic?"
"It was quite chaotic. Or you can ask your father's crewmate when you meet them."
"Huh, that guy's crewmates are still alive?"
"They're alive. His girlfriend is too, except... Forget it, I'm not saying it anymore!"
Ace: "..."
What the heck?
Why stop again?
Mr. Ian is really awful!
Ace shook his head helplessly, but suppressed his curiosity. He decided to wait until he met the old man or his father's crew to ask them.
Right now… it felt like he had something he wanted to do.
He looked toward Mr. Ian again, but before he could speak…
"Feeling better now? Anyway, I'm done talking."
Ian patted Ace's shoulder and stood up. "It's getting late. I need to go back and accompany my wife."
But just as Ian finished speaking and was about to head down, suddenly, a voice came from below the tower.
"Ian! What are you doing up there?"
It was Zephyr's voice, tinged with urgency. "Ain, she's going into labor!"
Ian: "...?!"
Bang!
Hearing Instructor Zephyr's words, Ian didn't hesitate at all and jumped straight down from the watchtower immediately.
"You little kid..."
Before the anxious Zephyr could speak, with a piercing sound, Ian turned into a ray of light and vanished from sight.
Shave!
Zephyr: "..."
Staring at the place where the figure had already disappeared, the originally anxious Zephyr stood frozen for a moment.
Then he suddenly whipped his head around, his eyes catching that streak of light as he shouted loudly: "I'm still here! I'm still here! Wait for me, you kid!"
But Ian paid no attention to the frantic Zephyr behind him. Using the final rays of the setting sun, he quickly disappeared before Zephyr's eyes.
"That kid!!"
Zephyr slapped his own thigh as he cursed: "I even came specially to call you, and you actually left me behind and ran off on your own! Damn it, I wanted to be the first to see the child, too!"