Once Ace's small boat vanished beyond the coastline, Luffy, Bai Yun, and the other mountain bandits who had come to see him off started heading back.
Goodbyes are inevitable, but life must continue afterward—that is simply the way of the world. The group returned to Dadan's place. Of all the bandits, only Dadan hadn't gone to see Ace off, that sharp-tongued, soft-hearted old woman.
Dadan sat inside, smoking. A mother can never bear to see her child leave, and that held true even for an adoptive mother.
Seeing Dadan's back, Bai Yun knew she was struggling to keep her emotions in check, so he spoke with a smile.
"Dadan, Ace wanted me to tell you something."
"What? Is he going to complain about me even now, at the end?!"
"Ace said..."
"Thank you for taking care of him."
The moment Bai Yun finished speaking, Dadan completely broke down. Tears erupted from her eyes, and she magically produced a cloth to wipe them away, yet she still managed to be stubborn.
"Don't you dare embarrass yourself! You rotten kid!"
Bai Yun shook his head. Despite Dadan's usual ferocity, she was, in fact, the one who loved them the most.
In the original timeline, when Ace died at the Summit War, Dadan—who had feared Garp for half her life—still dared to punch him.
Stepping out of the house, Bai Yun found himself holding a cup of water. It couldn't be helped; his constitution demanded that he drink plenty of fluids.
What came into view was an ecstatic Luffy, who shattered a distant rock with a single Gum-Gum Pistol. Over the past seven years, Luffy's strength had improved considerably, though, of course, not as dramatically as his own rise to the status of a Yonko just two years after setting sail.
Watching Luffy train, Bai Yun also started imagining their own days at sea.
"Three years left."
...Time flowed silently, and another six months went by.
Since Ace had left, Luffy's training sessions had become longer and his appetite had grown even larger. Luckily, Bai Yun, acting as the "chef," was there to keep him fed.
That day, Bai Yun was simmering a soup made from a bird that had suddenly dropped dead right at his feet.
Bai Yun's luck seemed surprisingly good on certain days, whether it was ingredients delivering themselves or finding a wallet in the garbage mountain.
While the soup was simmering, Magra rushed into the house, shouting excitedly.
"Bai Yun! The paper! The paper!"
Bai Yun washed his hands, wiped them on his scarf, and took the newspaper.
"What's the big deal? Why so excited? Did all the Celestial Dragons finally drop dead?"
That was clearly impossible, of course; Bai Yun was just having a bit of fun with his words.
The largest section of the newspaper bore Ace's photograph.
"Pirate Super Rookie, Captain of the Spade Pirates, 'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace, forcefully steps onto the world stage with absolute power!"
"Refuses invitation to become a Warlord of the Sea!"
"Bounty: 550,000,000 Berries!!!"
Looking at Ace, who was posing handsomely for the camera in the newspaper, Bai Yun couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! You actually pulled it off, Ace!"
"...Keep it up."
Just then, Luffy returned from training, pushing the door wide open and shouting.
"I'm starving to death!"
"Bai Yun! I need food!"
Bai Yun served the pot of bird soup, but that wouldn't even be enough to fill a gap between Luffy's teeth; the main attraction was a large platter of roasted leg meat.
The aroma hit his nose, instantly triggering Luffy's massive appetite. Drooling, he immediately reached out, but Bai Yun blocked his face with the newspaper.
Seeing the familiar figure on the paper, Luffy immediately grabbed it.
"Ace is incredible! His pirate ship and crew are in the paper!"
"He's seriously amazing!"
"We can't lose to him, Bai Yun!"
Putting the newspaper down, Luffy's excitement soared even higher. He felt like rushing out right now to have a great fight with the wild beasts! Even though he had already conquered the forest.
Bai Yun took a sip of the bird soup, noting how fresh it tasted, and agreed.
"Exactly, we can't let Ace beat us. We still have three years, so keep pushing, Luffy."
"Yeah! Let's work hard together!"
Luffy threw the newspaper behind him and replied, then immediately transformed into a "vacuum cleaner," sweeping the food off the table. After all, he needed to be full to have the strength to train, and the strength to start the chapter... Time... In short, it passed quickly. Whether it flowed like water or galloped like a swift horse, it always slipped away.
In the blink of an eye, another two and a half years had passed. Bai Yun and Luffy were now qualified trainees... Pfft!
They had already come of age and were about to begin their voyage.
May 4th, 1520, inside Makino's bar.
"Hahaha, tomorrow! We're setting sail tomorrow, Bai Yun!"
Luffy stood on a chair, hands raised, cheering in anticipation of the next day.
The Mayor, as always, tapped the floor with his cane, scolding Luffy and Bai Yun not to bring shame upon Foosha Village.
Luffy, still covering his ears, wore a look that said, 'You can talk all you want, but if I actually pay attention, you win.'
Bai Yun watched the scene, realizing it was exactly the same as always.
"Come down, Luffy, let's have a drink."
Bai Yun picked up a wooden tankard that was larger than his own face and gestured to Luffy.
Luffy grinned, showing his white teeth, and nodded. But just as he sat down, the tavern door burst open.
The fishmonger rushed in frantically.
"Mayor!"
"Mayor! There's a strange pirate crew at the harbor. It looks like they just finished a fight. You need to go see this."
The old Mayor immediately shot to his feet. "Those desperate ruffians! Everyone, come with me!"
The old Mayor's call was instantly answered, and the young people in the bar immediately followed him.
Luffy certainly wouldn't be left behind. "A pirate crew! Let's go see them! Bai Yun, let's check if they need us to punch them into the sky!"
Bai Yun set his tankard down, wondering what this was all about.
A warm-up before setting sail?
...
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".
Get access to 50+ advanced chapters.
Membership starts at just $6.
Your support makes a world of difference and helps me write more!
Thank you for reading!