Soon, the sun set… and night came.
As we didn't have anything to light our way, everything around us was dark.
The sea was calm.
Suddenly—
BAM.
Sea Cat bumped into something, and so did I, since I was sitting on its back. I almost lost balance.
Gray asked,
"What was that…?!"
I looked ahead.
"Uh… maybe a cargo ship, probably."
I looked up properly—and it was a ship.
Then I noticed the flag.
DONQUIXOTE FAMILY.
I smiled.
"It's a great time to test my luck… and do some stealing."
I said to Gray,
"When I shout your name, remove your blindfold."
He replied,
"Whatever."
I told Sea Cat,
"Toss me up."
With one swing of its tail, Sea Cat launched me onto the ship.
I landed.
And in front of me—
People.
PEOPLE.
TOO MANY PEOPLE.
I shouted,
"EHHHHHHHHH?!"
They screamed back,
"G-G-GHOST!!!"
I quickly understood what was happening.
They thought I was the ghost of Portgas D. Ace.
So… I played along.
I straightened myself and said loudly,
"I AM PORTGAS D. ACE'S GHOST!!!"
They were clearly drunk.
One of them shouted,
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TALK BAD ABOUT WHITEBEARD—LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!!!"
I was trying so hard not to laugh.
Then I casually said,
"Actually… I'm not Ace."
They froze.
"I'm a copy of Ace.
Made by Joker-sama."
Their captain—who probably drank like twelve bottles—stood up.
"O-Oh… then sorry, mister Ace-but-not-Ace.
What brings you here?"
I asked calmly,
"Where is this ship going?"
One pirate replied proudly,
"We delivered a huge amount of SMILEs to Wano today!
So we're celebrating."
My expression changed instantly.
"…What did you say?"
"Huh? SMILE!"
BAM.
I smashed my pipe into his head.
Blood started flowing from his scalp.
I shouted,
"Do you even know what that is?!
Do you even know the consequences of eating them?!"
The other pirates stood up in shock.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Some grabbed swords.
Some axes.
Some broken bottles.
I looked at all of them.
"You all deserve to die."
Suddenly, I sensed something behind me.
SWISH.
An axe came straight at me.
"KH!"
I barely blocked it with my pipe.
I turned.
Their captain.
"What are you doing?" he growled.
I asked again,
"Do you know what SMILE does?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he threw his axe again.
It was fast.
Too fast.
It grazed past my face, cutting some of my hair.
I stared at him.
"Do you know the consequences?"
He smiled.
"It helps people laugh."
Then he laughed evilly.
I clenched my teeth.
"Are you high-ranking in the Donquixote Family?"
"No," he replied.
"But after delivering SMILEs for the hundredth time,
I'll get a position."
I sighed.
"I'm sorry…
but your dream ends here."
I grabbed a barrel beside me and threw it at him.
Then I shouted—
"GRAY!!!"
He cut the barrel mid-air and laughed.
"What was that? A tiny attack, Ace ghost?"
Nothing happened.
Then—
A HOWL.
A loud, terrifying howl echoed across the sea.
A huge shadow rose behind him.
Gigantic.
"Seems like it's started," I muttered.
I looked at Sea Cat in the ocean.
"Goodbye, Donquixote Family."
I jumped off the ship.
"Move! Full speed!"
Sea Cat bolted forward.
I turned back.
A massive white wolf stood on the deck.
Gray—
in Sulong.
Larger body.
Thick white fur.
A huge white tail.
Electro overflowing everywhere.
Then—
Pure brutality.
Gray pierced pirates with his claws, electro tearing through their bodies.
Screams echoed.
In seconds, nearly half the crew was dead.
Blood rained down.
The sea started turning red.
The captain jumped, axe raised, aiming for Gray's neck—
But Gray released all his electro at once.
The captain was torn apart mid-air.
Silence.
The remaining pirates jumped into the sea.
Bad decision.
Gray moved so fast it felt like teleportation.
In less than a minute—
everyone was dead.
I was frozen.
Sea Cat almost fainted.
"Bruhh… thank god I'm far from him," I sighed.
Then—
Gray turned his head toward me.
And growled.
I shouted,
"RUNNNNNNN!!!"
Sea Cat used all its strength and ran.
We escaped.
Gray slowly became smaller in the distance.
I sighed in relief.
"So it's over…"
But then—
I saw him.
Gray was detransforming, unconscious, and falling into the sea.
"TURN BACK!!!"
Sea Cat drifted sharply and rushed back.
But it was too late.
Gray had already sunk.
"Dive!"
I jumped, grabbed Gray, and pulled him up onto the ship.
I pressed his chest.
Water came out.
"Kh—!"
He breathed.
"…You need rest, Gray."
I placed him on the dinghy and tied it to the ship.
Sea Cat stayed beside him, watching silently.
I explored the ship.
It was slightly smaller than the Going Merry.
Inside, I found—
SMILE (3) inside a barrel,
a Log Pose,
food, clothes, drinks,
and normal ship equipment.
I looked at the dinghy…
then at the ship.
"Uh… if I take this ship… is it stealing?"
Sea Cat stared at me.
I smiled.
"That's what pirates do."
I burned every Donquixote Family flag.
Destroyed the Den Den Mushi and threw them deep into the sea.
"This ship is mine now."
I carried Gray onto our new ship.
Moved our supplies.
Tied the dinghy.
Sea Cat jumped in front of the ship.
Slowly, the sea returned to its blue color.
Above us—
the sun began to rise.
Then—
I saw it.
A massive shadow.
A super massive ship.
"…Bruhh."