Pirate: I'm about to do something big!

Alyosha swiftly brought down his knife.

Ace's head fell to the ground.

Sabo buried his face in his hands and knelt down, weeping bitterly.

Luffy was so frightened that he fainted and fell to the ground.

The above scenes all come from the illusions that Alyosha created for these three little ones.

In fact, Alyosha only knocked Ace unconscious, which scared Sabo and Luffy so much that they fainted.

He simply sat down next to the house and waved to Shanks, who had been watching from afar.

Shanks didn't understand what Alyosha had done, but he could roughly guess that Ace and the others were under a spell and were not in mortal danger.

Only then did he feel relieved and sit down next to Alyosha.

"It seems our young Ace knows very well whose son he is, Mr. Garp."

"Mr. Ran, it seems you have a problem with Mr. Garp."

"Because Mr. Garp is very irresponsible."

Alyosha didn't mince words when Shanks expressed his doubts, directly criticizing Garp's upbringing of Ace.

Since Garp agreed to Roger's promise to protect his only child, fine, you're a naval hero, and your every move is being watched. I can understand handing Ace over to Dadan to raise.

It's understandable that he comes to Windmill Village from time to time, but why do you tell Ace that his father is Roger?

Do you, Garp, not know how bad Roger's reputation is among ordinary people?

At Ace's age, growing up in a world where everyone cursed Roger, and even having a child made Roger a sinner, how good could his personality be?

Unfortunately, Garp couldn't find the time to properly teach Ace. Every time he came to see Ace, he would tell him that he couldn't become a pirate and had to become a marine.

The reasons aren't explained properly, and the education isn't taught effectively.

In this way, it would be difficult for Ace not to go astray.

Shanks couldn't very well point out that Alyosha's complaints about Garp were wrong. In the logic of this great pirate, wasn't it only natural for the son of the Pirate King to go out to sea and become a pirate?

"Perhaps Mr. Garp wanted Ace to accept the fact that he was Captain Roger's child."

Alyosha rolled his eyes at Shanks' words, letting Shanks figure it out for himself.

Alyosha found this argument the funniest.

As an observer, he only felt sorry for Ace, very sorry for him.

He was purely a character maliciously designed by Oda, the author, with the purpose of allowing Luffy, the true protagonist, to grow stronger.

As the son of Roger, the Pirate King, Ace never even saw Roger's face. In order to ensure Ace's safe birth, Ace's mother made him stay in her womb for two more years before giving birth to Ace. That's what you call a pirate Nezha.

After giving birth to Ace, she only had time to name him before passing away. Garp then took Ace to Windmill Village and entrusted him to the female bandit Dadan to raise. Garp would visit Ace in Windmill Village from time to time. When Ace was old enough to remember things, Garp told him that he was Roger's son.

Then he told Ace that he couldn't become a pirate like his father, but had to become a marine like him.

But from Ace's perspective, it was all no different from a nightmare.

He had never met his father, only that his name was Roger. His mother died in childbirth, and he grew up in the home of a bandit's foster mother.

An old man came along claiming to be his grandfather and kept telling him that he couldn't be a pirate and had to become a marine, without giving any reason.

When I grew a little older, I asked everyone I met what they thought of my father, Roger, whom I had never met.

What should be done if Roger has children?

The answers were all the same: Roger, who started the Age of Exploration, deserved to die; if Roger had children, then those children should also die!

Is this fair to Ace?

He didn't enjoy any of the benefits his dead father Roger had. Everyone he met thought that if Roger had a child, that child should also die, just because he was Roger's bloodline.

Growing up in such an environment, it's remarkable that Ace didn't commit murder or arson.

In the end, it even became a stepping stone for Luffy, the true protagonist, to grow.

Alyosha really wanted to ask, "Why me?"

As a time traveler, Alyosha has the most basic values, which is that the premise of not harming one's family is that one should not benefit one's family.

Ace is a typical example of someone who committed no crime. Just because he knew he was Roger's son, he was never treated normally from a young age until he met Whitebeard at sea and found a sense of belonging.

Alyosha really liked the character Ace. Since he had come to this world, there were some things he should do and some people he wanted to save.

Ace was one of the people he wanted to save.

Shanks felt uncomfortable with the look Alyosha was giving him and subconsciously glanced at his left arm.

Alyosha also noticed Shanks's gesture; this was the third time Shanks had done it. Whenever Ace was mentioned, Shanks would make this small gesture.

Could this be related to him letting a marine mammal near the coast bite off his left arm?

Forget it, now is not the time to dwell on this.

Alyosha was determined to straighten out Ace's distorted mind and life, and this trip to Windmill Village was the perfect starting point.

Looking at the three children who were still unconscious and the female bandit Dadan and her gang, Alyosha snapped his fingers.

The three little ones and the female bandit Dadan also slowly woke up from their coma.

"Ace!!!"

As an adoptive mother, the female bandit Dadan called out the name of her eldest son, Ace, the first thing she did upon waking up.

As sworn brothers, Luffy and Sabo felt the same way the moment they woke up.

Both rushed toward Ace, who was the last to wake up. After repeatedly confirming that Ace was still alive, they both burst into tears of joy, crying loudly, completely unaware of Alyosha and Shanks sitting and watching the show.

"It seems that even as the son of the Pirate King Roger, you are still loved, Ace~"

Alyosha's gentle voice broke the heartwarming scene.

The family then noticed Alyosha, the Marine who had suddenly barged in, and Luffy also saw Shanks sitting next to Alyosha.

"Shanks?"

"Good evening, Luffy. I'm here with Mr. Ran. Hmm, don't be nervous, let's see what Mr. Ran is going to do."

Shanks greeted Luffy as if nothing had happened, and then handed the initiative over to Alyosha, who had just stood up.

Seeing Alyosha, the Marine, slowly approaching, the female bandit Dadan immediately shielded Luffy and the others behind her, even though she knew she was no match for Alyosha.

"Sir Navy officer, could you spare Ace? I'll give my life in exchange."

"Dadan! I don't need you to save me!"

Upon hearing that his adoptive mother was willing to trade her life for his, Ace spoke up first, but Dadan pressed him to the ground.

Alyosha maintained his forced smile and asked, "Oh? You'd trade the life of a bandit like yourself for Roger's son's life? I'm curious, what is Ace to you? Is he worth doing this?"

"Ace—no, these three guys are all my sons. As a mother, what's wrong with exchanging my life for my children's?!"

Faced with Alyosha's oppression, Dadan, who usually spent her days bickering and playing around with Luffy and the other two, called them her sons for the first time, which surprised Ace, who had been trying to break free from Dadan's grasp.

Alyosha stopped smiling and silently drew his wooden sword.

Although it was just a wooden sword, everyone present knew that the wooden sword in Alyosha's hand could kill.

Alyosha's wooden sword stopped in front of Dadan, and he said calmly, "Even so, it doesn't change the fact that he's Roger's child. He admitted it himself. He should know what a crime it is to admit he's Roger's child. As a Marine, you know what I have to do. Even so, are you going to protect Ace with your life?"

"No, that's right! It's what a mother should do, isn't it, Navy!"

Faced with Alyosha's silent power, Dadan's voice trembled with fear of death, but she still chose to respond.

"Very well, then let your death be the price for this child's survival."

"No!!!"

Seeing his adoptive mother Dadan's resolute acceptance of death with her eyes closed, Ace, as a descendant of the Pirate King Roger, once again displayed his talent, releasing his invisible Conqueror's Haki with a shout.

However, Alyosha, who had anticipated this, neutralized the Conqueror's Haki that Ace had unintentionally released with his own aura. No one fainted, and no one died.

The expected strike did not land on Dadan's head.

The three little ones looked up and only saw Alyosha putting the wooden sword back at his waist.

"As a mother, you are prepared to give your own life for your child's life. Similarly, as a member of the Navy, I cannot bring myself to kill an innocent child. Polkas D. Ace, you have a mother who loves you very much and two good brothers."

Without exchanging many words, Alyosha walked past Dadan and his group, who had survived the ordeal, and headed straight for the camp on the coast.

Seeing this, Shanks hurriedly followed.

Having grown up in a twisted environment where others hated him for being Roger's son, this was the first time Ace had experienced Alyosha's treatment of him.

Completely baffled by Alyosha's behavior, he disregarded Dadan and Luffy's attempts to stop him, broke free, and called out to Alyosha, who had already walked some distance away.

"Hey, Marines, are you just going to let me off like this? I'm the son of the Pirate King, Roger!"

"Roger is dead, and you are just a kid named Porcas. Roger's crimes cannot be attributed to you, an innocent child, and I cannot raise my sword against a child. So remember this night, Ace. You are not a child who is unloved. Look around you. You have your mother, your brothers, and many people who love you. Isn't that wonderful?"

Oh, and remember to return what you stole, or I'll have you little rascals arrested for theft and brought to my ship to wash the deck.

Alyosha waved to Ace behind him without turning his head, and he and Shanks gradually disappeared into the dense forest.

Only Ace, standing there forlornly, and Luffy and Sabo, who had followed, remained.

As Alyosha and Shanks gradually disappeared from sight, Ace, the eldest of the three brothers, suddenly spoke.

"Hey Luffy, Sabo, shall we return what we stole from them?"

"ah?!"