Unexpected

"Now, what should I teach them? body strengthening? Battle Technique? Movement technique?" As Gid swimming in his thought, Dadan shouted on top of her lungs.

"Open your eyes wide and search for Luffy's hat! That brat... I'm sure you all know of his straw hat, he's been unconscious for several days since that blonde kid incident. That damn government's dog..." A hoarse shout out of Dadan's mouth, she could only gnash her teeth in anger.

...

"Luffy has been unconscious? Now that's new, that's not supposed to happen in the canon. or at least didn't get mentioned at all..." Gid stands up and dashed away following the direction where the shout comes from.

When he was neared the voice source, Gid slowed his speed and concealed himself. Slowly he sneaked around following Dadan and her gang, he keeps doing that until one of Dadan's goon shouted from nearby which made him jump from surprise.

"Boss, I found Luffy's hat!"

'Shit! I was too focused on concealing myself while eavesdropping that fat woman, I almost made my presence known just from that little surprise. It seems like I still lack training...

'But still, how can he walk near me without me notice his presence? It's either I'm too lacking or he's crazy talented in concealing his presence. Or maybe his presence was just too thin...'

That Goon walked excitedly toward Dadan while holding Luffy's straw hat, he knew that he's bound to be rewarded by Dadan.

"Good job! uh... what's your name again?"

"My name is Bontenmaru Boss, please remember my name..." Bontenmaru said to Dadan dejectedly, he's 15 years old now and it's been his second year since he followed Dadan.

"Don't mind the small stuff! Okay, I'll call you Bon! Now give me that hat, you can be freed from any chores for a week!" Dadan said with a wide smile blooming on her face as if saying, 'Thank me, I'm the most magnanimous person that ever exists!'.

Hearing Dadan's word, Bontenmaru becomes downcast. Ever since he joined her bandit wannabe group, he never feels the thrill and the rich he imagined when he first joined this band. All he did was did some menial chores like cleaned the bathroom, swept the floor, and the like.

'Are you really a bandit?'

Bontenmaru is a son of a blacksmith, his parents passed away when he was a kid. Ever since he was 7 he helped people to bring their stuff in the market and get paid after that, from that job he barely has enough for his food necessity, he has to hold his hunger for a day several times though.

When he saw Dadan's band pillaging a merchant, he thought that if he's strong then he won't need to worry about food to eat nor clothes to wear. He can just take whatever he needs without worrying about the repercussions, that is if he's strong enough to do that.

Since that he volunteered to join Dadan's group, but unfortunately for him not long after he joined, the Marine heroes came and left behind a child called Ace. And as if it was not enough, when he came back again years later he brought another little disaster named Luffy. It's not that he hates kids, but most of the house chores became his main job instead of fighting after they came.

"At least my stomach is always full now..."

At night, Bontenmaru seated near a tree watched a full moon shine solemnly above the serene forest. A soft breeze gently rubs his whole body, and the song of the insect in the jungle whispered rhythmically escorting his journey to the Dreamland.

'Mom... Dad...' Unconsciously tears came out and flows gently from the corner of his eyes, his memories of his late parents still haunting him at night.

'I'm Sorry...' a soft whimper escaped from his little mouth

...

"So, this is where the trio's Basecamp was huh."

Gid was stand up in front of a big tree with a little construct on its upper branch, he took a step to approached the tree and climb it slowly. When he arrived on the little tree house, he saw a teenager seated on the corner with his eyes staring at an empty space in front of him.

'Is that ace? wow, he got so many acne on his face.'

Gid silently observing ace from head to toe, comparing him with the anime version. But the longer he observed ace, the more Gid pity him.

'Constantly in fear, cursed by the world by mere existing, just lost his sworn brother, his little brother is currently unconscious...

'These were not the burden a kid should shoulder, he really is a great person!'

Slowly a determination rose within Gid's heart, ideas Poppin out one after another.

'Screw history, screw the future! I will invert the fate according to my will! Only others submit to me, not the other way around!'

Gid coughing slowly to make his presence known, when ace finally detected Gid's presence he snapped out of his thought and jumped immediately then take a defensive posture.

"Who are you?! What do you want?" said ace with a cold and wary voice, his tone was fierce, but his little body betrayed his fierce tone and gave a funny impression instead.

'Really? there's no essence in that posture, it's full of opening...' Gid thought with his scrutinizing eyes keep scanning Ace.

"Easy Tiger, I mean no harm. I just need a place to rest and coincidentally found this place, I thought this place was abandoned." A grin showed on Gid's mouth. His word was not without logic after blue jam pirate ransacks it to searched for the trio's treasure, their Basecamp was still messy.

"Scram! this place belongs to me, no, this place belongs to us! Now, go away before I go rough on you!" Ace said that while slowly moving to the side to take a metal pipe as a weapon.

"Haha, with what? that little stick? calm down will ya, I just battled a Rear-Admiral and worn out, but even in this condition I still can take you on with a finger." Gid waving his left pinky in front of his face to taunt Ace, both for his plan and to fulfill his little ego.

'It's not an everyday occasion you can mock White Beard's dearest son. Moreover, he's the late King's son.'

Ace feeling his opponent looked down on him feel ticked, he tightly holds his metal pipe and dashed to Gid while swaying the pipe downward.

'Die!!!'

Alas, his pipe only hit an after image. Instead, he got tripped by Gid's right foot and almost fell out of the tree house.

"Wow, your balance is suck. Watch where you hitting little fella, that's not how you hit your enemy." Gid said while holding Ace's Shirt and lift him back to the tree house.

Seeing how fast his opponent is, Ace struck with a realization. 'Isn't he the one who fought the Marines when that so-called-nobles came?'

"Hey, you're the one who battled the Marines, right? teach me how to become strong! I have a little brother to protect."

'Duh, I've said it before...' Gid disgruntled hearing Ace's question.

"That's not how you asked someone, little fella. I don't even know your name, let alone your personality, so why should I?" Gid showed an annoyed expression.

'Even though old man Garp is strong, his presence here in a year is fewer than my fingers able to count...' Ace thought while cursing Garp for not taught him anything and instead just throw him into Dadan's house.

Remembering Sabo's demise and Luffy's circumstances, his emotions in turmoils. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his pride, he bowed and once again asked Gid to teach him.

"My name is Portgas D Ace, I want to be strong! Strong enough to defy the world and to protect my little brother, so please teach me!"

Gid unknowingly become touched by Ace's sincerity, he almost blurted out Sabo's survival but he barely managed to hold it in.

"Well done! I, Victor Von Gideon, accept you as my disciple. Although I'm not the strongest, Currently in the four blue seas there are few people able to touch me, And I will become the strongest man in the whole world!" Gid said it all with a tone full of conviction both to motivate his new disciple and constantly remind himself of his dream.

"Although I'm barely older than you, rest assured I've got plenty of neat tricks to teach you." A wide smile bloom on Gid's face.