Vice Admiral Momonga keenly sensed that something was amiss. However, Mayor Slap caught up in Rowen’s affirmative response, was overjoyed and eagerly said,
“Thank you, Vice Admiral Momonga!”
“Actually… it’s like this. Although we have a famous Marine here, Garp, I must confess that our efforts in educating the next generation have been less than satisfactory.”
*Cough, Cough, Cough!*
Suddenly, Vice Admiral Momonga exaggeratedly coughed, interrupting Mayor Slap’s words.
“Sorry, was it too spicy?” Makino hurried over and handed Vice Admiral Momonga a glass of water.
The latter’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t get the words out that were just on the tip of his tongue. In the end, he could only shoot a warning look at Rowen and masked it with a sip of water.
However, Rowen paid no heed to this. Seeing that Vice Admiral Momonga didn’t speak, he lit a cigar and motioned for Slap to continue.
“Ah, old man, get to the point.” Mayor Slap sighed.
“I don’t know if Vice Admiral Momonga is aware of ‘Fire Fist’ Ace. He’s actually a pirate who originated from our village.”
Whoosh!
A sharp gaze swept over, sending shivers down the spines of the onlookers who didn’t quite understand. Rowen, with a smile playing on his lips, asked, “‘Fire Fist’ Ace? I naturally know of him… but why are you asking me? He’s considered a pirate, isn’t he?”
In response, Mayor Slap spoke with a touch of regret.
“Ah! Truth be told, ever since he caused a huge commotion by defeating the Ignaz Pirate Crew over half a year ago and was subsequently hunted down, we haven’t received any news about him. We don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.”
“Even though he’s a pirate, he’s a child we watched grow up.”
“If Vice Admiral Momonga knows, please, I implore you, tell this old man… whether he’s alive or dead. I just want a definite answer!”
The surrounding people fell silent at his words, and Makino was no exception. They knew that what they were doing was not right, especially considering Rowen was a Marine. But concern overruled propriety; they couldn’t stand not knowing Ace’s fate, whether he was alive or dead.
If an ordinary civilian inquired about a pirate’s status to a Marine, to be honest, if this wasn’t Windmill Town, Rowen would have considered wiping them out.
But it was only human nature. Mayor Slap wasn’t asking as an ordinary person but as an elder genuinely concerned about the safety of his younger generation.
This little old man, who always had the phrase “It’s a shame for the village to produce a pirate” on his lips, was actually one of the people most concerned about Luffy and Ace. With Garp not returning, leaving them all in the dark, he had no choice but to place his hopes in Rowen and Vice Admiral Momonga.
After all, from their interactions over this period, these two Marine inspectors were not difficult people to get along with.
Ignoring Vice Admiral Momonga’s fiery gaze, Rowen nodded calmly and said,
“You’re right. It’s normal that you didn’t know about the information being blocked.”
Then, under the expectant gazes of Slap and the others, Rowen continued in a calm tone.
“How should I put it?”
“After defeating the Ignaz Pirate Crew, Ace’s general experience was one of defeat, escape, pursuit, and escape again. Now, he’s the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirate Crew, renowned in the New World as ‘Fire Fist’ Ace.”
Gasp…!!
A synchronized gasp filled the room, and Mayor Slap was left speechless, shocked.
“Whitebeard? The one hailed as the world’s strongest, the terrifying Whitebeard sung about in nursery rhymes?!”
“If the title of world’s strongest isn’t an understatement…”
Rowen smiled. “Indeed.”
“No… it’s inconceivable! Ace has become this powerful?!”
“Hahahaha! That little rascal did quite well!”
“A Commander on Whitebeard’s ship? Doesn’t that mean his bounty is over a Billion?!”
“Far more! I’ve heard that in the New World, if your bounty isn’t in the Billions, you’re not worth mentioning!”
The townspeople discussed animatedly. After all, Ace was someone they had watched grow up. Now that he had risen to prominence, they felt a great sense of pride.
Fortunately, there was someone present who understood the situation. Makino, the tavern boss, quickly silenced herself after her initial surprise. Her face turned red, and she apologized to Rowen and Vice Admiral Momonga.
Makino didn’t know what else to say. After all, the two were Marines, and their lack of manners could potentially lead to trouble. However, the anticipated anger did not surface.
The young Marine known as Vice Admiral Momonga remained indifferent, occasionally sharing an interesting observation with Issho. On the other hand, Vice Admiral Momonga with his distinctive purple-mohawked hairstyle had an expression as dark as his surrounding atmosphere.
But this wasn’t directed at them; it was directed at his comrade, Vice Admiral Rowen.
Slowly noticing the unusual atmosphere, tension gradually settled in. Everyone stopped what they were doing, carefully observing Vice Admiral Momonga’s expression.
After a long while, Vice Admiral Momonga spoke heavily,
“Rowen, you should speak the truth!”
“I’m speaking the truth!”
Rowen blinked, seeming not to understand what Vice Admiral Momonga meant.
Vice Admiral Momonga took a deep breath and set down his utensils. “You should tell them that it was you who killed Ace’s comrade, and it was you who forced him to seek refuge with the Whitebeard Pirates. Even though he’s a pirate and we’re Marines, these people here are just ordinary citizens. They shouldn’t be deceived and misled!”
Vice Admiral Momonga’s words were resolute, but at this moment, Makino and the others couldn’t hear anything else.
Killed… Ace’s Comrade?
Vice Admiral Momonga, the Vice Admiral Soryu?
This… this must be a joke! But looking at Rowen’s expression, if it were a false accusation, the other party would probably feel indignant. However, Rowen’s face remained calm, a calmness that sent shivers down Makino’s heart.
“How could this…” She suddenly knelt on the ground, her eyes vacant, gazing into the distance.
“Vice Admiral Momonga, Vice Admiral Soryu… isn’t this joke going too far?” Mayor Slap stammered, trying to find a trace of jest in all this.
“No, this is indeed the truth.” But at this moment, Rowen’s response shattered his hopes.
“Ace’s Spade Pirate Crew, with him as the Captain, I captured him, and I killed the rest of the crew.”
“Later, I personally pursued him, driving him all the way to Sabaody Archipelago.”
“Afterwards, he escaped to the New World and joined Whitebeard’s ranks. We were concerned about the consequences of going to war with the Yonko Whitebeard, so we stopped the pursuit and let him escape with his life.”
Rowen briefly recounted the events on Jaya Island involving Ace, omitting the part about the Shichibukai invitation. Finally, his experiences of Ace after that were known to the people of his hometown.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the tavern grew incredibly heavy.
“Sorry for the disturbance, we’ll take our leave now!”
Vice Admiral Momonga took a deep breath and stood up, nodding slightly to the people around.
Rowen shrugged indifferently, feeling bored as he didn’t get the reaction he was expecting. Mayor Slap and the others stared at him in a daze, as if they hadn’t yet snapped out of the blood-soaked scene he had described with such detachment.
Boom!
However, at this moment, the tavern’s louvered doors were forcefully pushed open. A young, emaciated man covered in dirt pounced in from outside, collapsing on the floor.
The familiar straw hat clung to his back, his red vest unmoving. Just as Vice Admiral Momonga thought he had passed out, the newcomer weakly raised his head, revealing a foolishly grinning face.
“Makino… Nee San, give me… food!”
Monkey D. Luffy had unexpectedly arrived in the village at this crucial moment.
(End of this chapter)
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