And so, Ace learned proper etiquette from Makino.
After Luffy recovered, the three of them returned to their usual lives.
They would still cause a ruckus in town, dine and dash, then politely, but not overly so, bow to the owners.
They still sparred.
They encountered the bear that had injured Luffy again, and that day, they invited Dadan's family to eat bear meat hotpot together.
They fought thugs, survived in the forest, battled wild beasts, and even took on the "strongest boss," Garp.
Thus, time continuously left its marks on the three of them; it never stopped, and in the blink of an eye, like a galloping steed, it flew past them.
Seven years passed, and it was time for Ace to set sail... The new year, January 1st, 1517, in the pirate calendar, was also Ace's birthday.
The guy was in such a hurry that he wanted to set sail the day he turned seventeen.
Last night, Ace was taken out by Bai Yun to buy things he'd need for his journey, though the process was difficult; the shop owners looked at them as if they'd seen ghosts, and when they saw them pay, they wanted to see ghosts even more.
"What's there to buy! Bai Yun, don't bother so much."
Ace grumbled as he walked beside Bai Yun.
Bai Yun rolled his eyes at him, then why don't you put down that dagger?
If they weren't buying, then they weren't buying, it would save some money anyway; he was just responsible for stalling for time.
"Come on! Let's go buy an outfit. Tomorrow's your birthday, and you're setting sail, you should at least look presentable."
Bai Yun dragged Ace to a clothing store.
Ace didn't even have time to retort, "What do you mean by that? Am I not 'presentable' now?"
The weapon shop owner paused, did they not pay for that dagger?
...Inside the clothing store, Ace felt a bit uncomfortable. He had never bought clothes before; for all these years, Makino had made all three of their clothes.
Not having bought clothes was one thing, but he didn't even know what paying meant.
Seeing Ace frozen, Bai Yun grabbed him a denim outfit—a black vest with black denim shorts, wrist guards, and a belt, all complete—then pushed him into the fitting room.
The owner of the clothing store was a somewhat plump middle-aged woman, watching them with a look of alarm. After all, Bai Yun and his companions had a reputation, especially among the shopkeepers in these border towns, particularly restaurants and pharmacies.
While Ace was changing, Bai Yun wandered around the store and suddenly noticed a very distinctive cowboy hat.
It was an orange cowboy hat, with "smile" and "sad" badges pinned to the brim.
Bai Yun smiled as he picked it up, and at that moment, Ace pulled back the curtain and stepped out.
Bai Yun walked over, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, it really is true that clothes make the man. You actually look quite dashing, Ace."
"Really?"
"Wait, what do you mean by 'clothes make the man'? Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"
Ace smiled and nodded, then suddenly realized something was off; the compliment felt like it wasn't a compliment at all.
Bai Yun didn't answer, letting him look in the mirror himself, then he sneakily put the hat on Ace's head from behind.
Looking in the mirror again, he now perfectly matched the Ace from his memories.
"How about it, with this hat?"
"Didn't you say Luffy loves to smile, and I'm much more stoic, though not to the point of crying."
"Those two badges on the hat represent the 'protection' from us two younger brothers during your voyage, right?"
"Brother Ace."
Ace smiled and adjusted the hat, "It does look good."
"But, Bai Yun, as an older brother, I should protect my younger brothers. If I were protected by them instead, I'd be laughed at."
Bai Yun returned his smile, "Say whatever you want, I was just talking nonsense anyway."
He then glanced towards the door. They had lived together for seven years.
The three of them even knew if each other had moles on their butts; they certainly had that much unspoken understanding.
Ace nodded slightly, and the next second, both of them immediately ran off, politely shouting.
"Thank you for your gift."
...All the way, Bai Yun kept finding this and that to stall for time, not letting Ace go back.
It wasn't until the clock's hands reached midnight, signifying the start of the next day, that Bai Yun finally let Ace go home.
Ace was still talking as Bai Yun pushed open Dadan's door.
"Happy Birthday!!!"
Luffy, holding a large cake, and the other mountain bandits welcomed Ace home.
The house had transformed, bustling with excitement, thanks to Makino's decorations and the alcohol she provided.
A banner hung on the wall, proclaiming, "Happy 17th Birthday, Ace."
Ace held back tears, preventing them from falling. In the past, he hated celebrating his birthday.
Just like Dadan now, though she enjoyed the atmosphere, she still stubbornly claimed that celebrating a birthday was too much trouble.
Ace was just as stubborn, "I said, Bai Yun, why did you keep me from going home?"
"So this is what you were up to."
"It's not necessary, but since you've all prepared, then let's celebrate..."
"Luffy! You're drooling on the cake!!"
Mid-sentence, Ace saw Luffy's drool drip onto the cake and immediately lost his composure.
Watching them, Bai Yun rubbed his forehead with a bitter smile. It seemed letting Luffy hold the cake was a mistake... Separation always comes.
Happy times always pass, but they will come again.
The next day, on the coast of Mount Colubo.
Ace was about to take his first step to sea.
A small sailboat slowly pulled away from the shore, and Ace turned around, facing everyone who had come to see him off.
Luffy, Bai Yun, Makino, and the other mountain bandits from Dadan's family were there. Unexpectedly, the mayor of Windmill Village also came.
"You can do it, Ace!!"
Luffy shouted.
"Just you wait, I'll be famous across the seas in no time!!"
Ace replied confidently.
And so, Ace began his voyage, wearing the hat Bai Yun had given him. Tied to the hat was a skull emblem that Luffy had made himself, taking a whole month to create. With the "protection" of his two younger brothers, he set off towards his future.
...
A/N: The journey continues! If you're eager to read far ahead and support this story, consider joining the Eternal Phoenix community. You can find me on Patreon by searching for "Eternal_Phoenix".
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