Chapter 6: Timeskip

As the years passed on Dawn Island, life continued steadily, with many of the future's pivotal events quietly unfolding. Despite Gildarts' powerful presence, he chose not to interfere with certain events—particularly Sabo's fate. He knew Sabo would eventually be rescued by Dragon and would reunite with Luffy in the future, pursuing the Mera Mera no Mi. Gildarts instead focused on strengthening himself, training relentlessly to sharpen every skill he possessed.

After a year, Ace and Luffy asked to join his training. Both were determined to grow stronger—driven by the same desire: to live more freely than anyone else, a dream that demanded strength, especially in a world where weakness meant powerlessness.

In their first year of training under Gildarts, Ace and Luffy focused on building up their physical strength, following the same training manual Gildarts had used himself. Thanks to the rigorous regimen, they developed incredible endurance and discipline. Gildarts, having already learned Soru and Geppo, guided them through the techniques methodically.

To strengthen their fighting instincts, Gildarts employed a unique method: putting both Ace and Luffy to sleep to summon their nightmares—phantoms of their deepest fears. For Ace, it was a devil-like silhouette that closely resembled Roger. For Luffy, it remained Garp—a figure of trauma from his childhood. These powerful nightmare figures served as fierce sparring partners, pushing all three of them beyond their limits.

Even Uta began joining their sessions, although she claimed she was only training her stamina to improve her singing endurance. Gildarts, however, saw through her excuse. In truth, Uta felt left out. Gildarts was often away from Makino's cabin for days on end, and Uta missed him deeply. The training was her way of spending time with him, though she never admitted it aloud.

By the second year, Ace and Luffy had grown strong enough to begin training in the Rokushiki techniques. Gildarts had already mastered all six forms and had even learned Rokuogan, the ultimate technique that caused internal destruction upon impact. It was incredibly taxing, making it Gildarts' preferred way to test his stamina—since even with both Ace and Luffy attacking together, they still couldn't make him break a sweat.

Initially, Gildarts could only use Rokuogan ten times before exhausting himself, and it required both arms to perform. But after another year of intense practice, he pushed those limits dramatically. Now, he could unleash the technique over a thousand times, and with only one arm—much like how Whitebeard used his Tremor-Tremor Fruit. His body had entered a stage of rapid adaptation, growing in response to the brutal training.

'What if I could channel the Rokuogan through my sword—turning impact into force rather than slash?' Gildarts wondered. This thought inspired his unique swordsmanship style. He remembered how Rocks D. Xebec's sword style was once described as bizarre and devastating—like a cannon blast or a hammer strike. Gildarts trained endlessly until he could replicate the force of Rokuogan through his sword strikes.

Uta also blossomed in this period. Her stamina improved significantly, allowing her to use her Devil Fruit powers with greater creativity and endurance. With her confidence growing, she became more enthusiastic about training alongside the others.

By the third year, Ace—now thirteen—entered his period of rapid growth. His physical maturity advanced quickly, and it became apparent in his power. He mastered the full Rokushiki arsenal, including Rokuogan, and finally abandoned his metal pipe, preferring to use his bare fists. He began regularly sparring against the nightmare version of Garp, becoming more and more proficient with each battle.

Luffy wasn't far behind. He reached a level where he had full control over his Devil Fruit abilities, comparable to his strength during the Loguetown arc. He could easily defeat enemies across the East Blue and began incorporating the Rokushiki techniques into his unique fighting style.

But among them all, Gildarts showed the most extraordinary growth. He perfected his custom swordsmanship, where each swing mimicked the destructive power of Rokuogan. Hours upon hours of relentless practice paid off, as every strike became devastatingly precise and powerful.

Simultaneously, Gildarts continued developing his Devil Fruit powers. His goal was clear: awakening. His Kirin abilities expanded dramatically. Inspired by Kaido's flame cloak, Gildarts created his own version—surrounding himself in crackling lightning instead of fire. This not only boosted his raw strength but also greatly enhanced his speed and reflexes.

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After years of relentless training, the time had finally come—Ace was setting off on his journey. It had been over seven years since the day Sabo was believed to have died, and six years since Ace began training under Gildarts. The results were undeniable. Unlike in the original timeline, Ace's physical potential had not been squandered. His strength, skill, and discipline had matured far beyond what most pirates could hope to achieve at his age.

At one point, Ace had even sparred with Garp—his legendary grandfather—and while he ultimately lost, he had managed to push Garp to get serious. That in itself was no small feat.

Gildarts often wondered what would happen if Ace ate the Mera Mera no Mi again, as he did in the original timeline. He was confident that Ace wouldn't fall so easily to Akainu—not with the way he'd trained his body and mind. But that also depended on one critical factor: whether Ace would abandon all he'd learned for the convenience of a Logia's invulnerability, or whether he would fuse his skills with the fruit's power and evolve beyond what anyone expected.

Now, atop a cliff on the edge of Mt. Colubo, a group stood in solemn silence, watching a small figure in the distance drift away on a modest boat. The mountain bandits, Luffy, Makino, Uta, the mayor, and Gildarts had all gathered to send Ace off.

The breeze was gentle, rustling the leaves and grass around them. The sky was open and endless—the kind of sky only someone destined for the sea would understand.

Standing at the bow of his boat, Ace turned back toward them one last time. He placed a hand over his chest and bowed deeply—a gesture of sincere respect and gratitude.

"Everyone… thank you for your kindness," Ace said, his voice steady despite the emotion behind it.

It was a small act, but a meaningful one—something Makino had taught him years ago when he asked how to properly thank the people who shaped his life. He'd learned not only strength from Gildarts, but also discipline, honor, and humility. And from Makino, he'd learned how to express it.

As Ace sailed off toward an uncertain future, he carried with him not just strength, but conviction and purpose.

On the cliffside, Luffy's eyes were fixed on the boat, his small fists clenched at his sides. He was holding in his emotions. He knew his turn would come soon, too.

Gildarts stood silently beside them all, arms folded, eyes narrowed at the horizon. He didn't speak, but his thoughts were clear.

I'm going to follow soon.

He had already made up his mind. He would leave Dawn Island when he turned fifteen—just as Shanks had done when the Roger Pirates disbanded.