Chapter 88: Revolutionary Army.

"I don't know who he is to me! All I know is he's a bastard!"

At the mention of Roger's name, Ace reacted like a startled cat.

Chiga showed no reaction to Ace's outburst, merely nodding in agreement and stating casually, "He certainly is a bastard. This so-called 'Great Pirate Era' is pretty much his fault. Now every Tom, Dick, and Harry wants to be a pirate. You can imagine how many lives and homes have been destroyed because of these so-called 'scourges of the sea.'"

Chiga's words struck like a blade to Ace's heart. He already despised the blood of Gol D. Roger flowing in his veins, and now a wave of guilt rose up within him.

Luffy, though a bit scatterbrained, had a good heart. He fell silent after hearing Chiga's words, but after a moment he mumbled, "But pirates are the freest people on the sea! I still want to be a pirate! I'm going to be the Pirate King!"

The moment those words left his mouth, Luffy felt a strange force pull him violently toward Chiga.

Chiga grabbed Luffy by the neck midair, his grip tightening just enough to turn Luffy's face red.

"Mmph! (Let me go!)"

Ace rushed forward to help, but Chiga shot him a glare that froze him in his tracks. Ace instantly understood—there was no way he could stop Chiga with sheer force.

Chiga's eyes were cold, filled with a sharp, unsettling aura. "Say 'Pirate King' to me one more time, and you're never leaving this place."

Luffy's face paled. The seriousness in Chiga's eyes shut him up immediately.

Without sparing Luffy another glance, Chiga turned to Ace. "And you? You hate Roger, yet you still want to follow in his footsteps? You still want to become a pirate?"

"I…"

Ace hesitated. He couldn't deny that part of the reason he wanted to be a pirate was because of Luffy and Sabo. They believed pirates were free, and that idea had stuck with him.

But another part of him wanted to become the Pirate King to surpass Roger—to prove he wasn't just his father's son.

Now, after hearing Chiga's words, he was shaken.

He knew why so many people hated Roger.

Over the years, from rumors and stories he'd heard, he knew most pirates were nothing more than thieves and killers. He couldn't stand what they represented.

Seeing Ace hesitate, Chiga gave a faint nod.

"There's hope," he thought.

Ace and Luffy were fundamentally different. Unlike Luffy, Ace had always lacked a place to belong. That emptiness would one day lead him to join the Whitebeard Pirates in search of a family.

Ace's drive to become Pirate King wasn't weak, but compared to Luffy's unwavering conviction, it wasn't quite enough. Luffy would rather die than serve under someone else's flag. Ace? Not so much.

"Maybe I can actually steer him onto a better path," Chiga thought.

"If you want to prove you're stronger than your father by becoming some pirate and replacing him, then let me just say this: you're childish—and worse, boring."

Ace's face darkened at the bluntness, but Chiga didn't care. He continued:

"You feel indignant? Fine. But to willingly become the very thing you hate, just to chase some shallow idea... isn't that just plain stupid?"

Chiga's words hit Ace like punches to the chest. His hands balled into fists as tears welled up. He couldn't hold them back.

"Then what do you expect me to do?! I want to be free—I don't want to live in that man's shadow! What other path do I have besides becoming a pirate?!"

Luffy looked at his brother in shock. He could feel something shifting inside Ace, but didn't know what.

Chiga, meanwhile, remained calm as ever.

"Good. That's the reaction I wanted."

He had struck deep enough. Now it was time to press further.

"Since when did 'freedom' mean becoming a pirate? Lawless freedom will only lead to emptiness. And loneliness."

"Then what should I do? You want me to become a Marine or something?!"

Chiga shook his head. "Forget it. Ace becoming a Marine would be a disaster waiting to happen."

With Ace's talent, he'd quickly rise through the ranks, and that would attract attention—dangerous attention.

And Garp? He'd never ignore Ace if he joined the Marines. That would draw even more heat.

If Ace joined the Marines, he'd become a ticking time bomb. And when he exploded, it wouldn't just affect him—it'd drag Garp, and Chiga too, down with him.

No. The Marines were out of the question—for now. Maybe, after Chiga accomplished one thing... destroying Mariejois.

Seeing Chiga shake his head, Ace's gaze dimmed again. Was there really no place in this world for someone like him? Would he always be trapped in Roger's shadow?

Then, unexpectedly, Chiga asked, "Don't you have another brother? Sabo?"

The name hit Ace like lightning.

He clenched his fists tightly. "He's dead. Killed by a Celestial Dragon."

"Is that so? Did you see the body?"

"No… his ship was blown up. He disappeared at sea."

"Then is it possible… that he's still alive?"

"!"

Ace and Luffy's eyes widened.

Ace forgot all about how dangerous Chiga was and rushed forward, grabbing Chiga's sleeve with desperation. "Why do you say that?! Do you know something?! You wouldn't joke about this, right? Please, tell me! If you tell me where Sabo is, I'll give up on being a pirate. I'll stay in Foosha Village for the rest of my life if I have to. Please!"

Luffy ran up too, eyes pleading. On one side was his dream. On the other, his brother.

Chiga didn't answer immediately. Instead, he calmly shook off Ace's grip—his sleeve was already starting to tear from the force.

Ace quickly let go and muttered apologies, then stood beside Luffy, both staring at Chiga with hope in their eyes.

Chiga simply said:

"Maybe… you should look into the Revolutionary Army."

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Also bro's gonna be like one of those Otsutuki Race, it's hella cool btw.