Chapter 157: Ace and Sabo

The first half of the Grand Line.

A bizarre small boat, spitting flames from its stern, sped across the surface of the sea.

The master of this vessel was Portgas D. Ace, the commander of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, known far and wide as "Fire Fist."

"The Outlook family..."

While casually releasing the powers of his Devil Fruit to propel the flame-jet boat, Ace was engrossed in a booklet that had already spread widely across the ocean.

Reading the contents of the booklet, Ace could not help but mutter to himself:

"This Outlook family, wiped out by the Celestial Dragons..."

"This is definitely Sabo's family, right?"

"Sabo?"

A rough voice rang in Ace's ear: "Is that a friend of Captain Ace's?"

The speaker was Ace's capable subordinate, an elite pirate belonging to the 2nd Division, nicknamed "Blackbeard" Marshall D. Teach.

"Yes."

Ace adjusted the brim of his cowboy hat, which had been blown askew by the sea breeze, and openly revealed a look of grief in front of Teach:

"He was my sworn brother in childhood, but he died many years ago."

"Hahaha..."

Teach let out a hearty laugh, taking a hefty gulp of rum to liven up the atmosphere:

"To be able to become the sworn brother of Captain Ace, that young Master Sabo must have been a hero among men!"

"That's for sure, haha..."

Ace was coaxed into laughter by Teach's few words.

Teach was accustomed to reading people's expressions, and his usual demeanor was bold, generous, and straightforward, which made him very popular within the Whitebeard Pirates.

Ace, the newly appointed 2nd Division commander, was Teach's direct superior, and after several encounters, he had come to view Teach as a trustworthy close friend and his most capable assistant.

"Captain Ace."

Without batting an eye, Teach addressed a young man nearly twenty years his junior as his superior, his words always conveying a sense of "heartfelt" respect:

"Since it's your brother's family that was massacred..."

Teach put on a resolute expression, as if he were ready to go through fire and water for his brothers:

"Let us brothers avenge them for you!"

"Even if they are some Warlords of the Sea or Celestial Dragons, we Whitebeard Pirates will never retreat an inch."

"No."

Ace shook his head, frowning as he said:

"I always feel there's something fishy about this matter..."

How could he not know what kind of people the Outlook family were?

Less than two years ago, before he even set out to sea, Ace had heard of the evil notoriety of Stelly, the new head of the Outlook family.

How could Stelly suddenly transform into some kind of hero who defied tyrannical powers overnight?

Ace shook his head and simply smiled:

"Teach, thank you for your kind intentions."

"Let's focus on completing the mission entrusted to us by Pops!"

Ace asked Teach again: "How much further is our destination?"

"No problem."

Teach nodded, pulling out navigation charts, a sextant, pen, and paper to take on the duties of a navigator.

Beneath his rough, big-bear exterior lay a remarkably sharp and agile mind.

A moment later, Teach finished calculating their position:

"Captain Ace, we will arrive at Water 7 in half a day."

Ace nodded in response and smiled:

"It's a good thing you came along with me this time, Teach..."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't be good at things like negotiating business with shipyards!"

Water 7 was the world-renowned premier shipbuilding base. Their products were celebrated globally and exported far and wide, making them top-tier ocean vessels favored by major factions across the seas.

The mission Whitebeard gave Ace was to be responsible for purchasing warships for the pirate crew in Water 7 and escorting them all the way back to the New World.

The purchase amount this time was astronomical and the scale was staggering, concerning the warship reserves of the Whitebeard Pirates. It had to be entrusted to someone reliable.

Feeling that he was not suited for such tasks, Ace had brought along his most trusted subordinate, Blackbeard Teach.

Facing Ace's heartfelt gratitude, Teach simply laughed heartily and patted Ace on the shoulder:

"Hahaha... Captain Ace, you're being far too polite!"

"We're bonded by life and death!"

..........................................................................................

Also in the first half of the Grand Line.

Inside a pirate ship disguised as an ordinary merchant vessel, a young man with a scar over his left eye and a head of blond hair lay unconscious on a bed.

"Sabo, Sabo!"

A female voice, filled with a mixture of anxiety and sorrow, kept calling his name by his ear, but the unconscious Sabo showed no response at all.

The young woman sitting beside his bed wore a form-fitting short dress that barely covered her thighs, and a pair of over-the-knee black stockings outlined the perfect shape of her legs, making her look quite striking and pleasing to the eye.

Moreover, with teardrops hanging at the corners of her eyes and her eyelids slightly red and swollen, she looked even more pitiful.

"Koala!"

A tall, middle-aged merman with wavy long hair, standing guard beside her, advised in a deep voice:

"Don't be too anxious! Sabo will be fine!"

The anxiety on Koala's face did not recede in the slightest; instead, she said with an uncontrollable sob:

"Master Hack!"

"Sabo has been unconscious for a whole day!"

"Just because of reading that booklet! Why on earth is this happening?"

"Sigh..."

Hack, a high-ranking officer of the Revolutionary Army and a merman, sighed helplessly:

"When the leader and I rescued him eight years ago, it was in the Goa Kingdom. But ever since then, he lost his memories and couldn't remember his family or his surname at all."

"Before he fell unconscious, he kept muttering things like 'Outlook,' 'Outlook'..."

"I think this must be related to Sabo's background!"

"Sabo's background..."

Koala's expression turned grave:

"Could that Outlook family, wiped out by the evil Celestial Dragons... be—?"

"It's possible."

Hack the merman nodded heavily.

"Damn it!"

Having once been a slave to the Celestial Dragons, Koala could not help but recall the dark experiences of her youth, feeling an empathetic sympathy for the pain Sabo had endured.

A person she had never met before, named "Gallen," had already died a hundred times over in various ways within Koala's mind.

At that moment, the unconscious Sabo on the bed suddenly stirred.

A moment later, with his forehead covered in cold sweat, Sabo suddenly bolted upright from the bed and shouted excitedly: "Luffy, Ace!"

"You're awake?"

A wave of joy instantly blossomed on Koala's face.

However, she immediately grabbed Sabo's collar, shook him, and cried with tearful eyes: "Do you know how worried I was?!"

"Koala..."

Only then did Sabo realize where he was. After a long pause, he said in a deep voice: "I remember who I am."

"I know everything!"

Koala wiped her tears, pulled Sabo into an embrace, and comforted him:

"Did all your family members and brothers die? That Outlook family?"

" Uh..."

Sabo's expression turned somewhat peculiar:

"'Outlook' is indeed my surname, and Stelly can be considered my younger brother..."

Though he had abandoned his noble status in pursuit of adventure, Sabo had secretly kept this surname buried in his heart, and his demeanor still retained the elegant grace of noble education.

However...

Upon hearing that his entire family had been wiped out...

Sabo could only feel a mild, polite sense of grief in his heart.

That hypocritical and cold noble family, parents devoid of any family affection, and a treacherous, ruthless adoptive younger brother made it difficult for Sabo to muster any genuine mourning for their deaths.

Instead of mourning them, the first thing Sabo thought of after regaining his memories were Luffy and Ace, his true brothers.

"Sabo!"

Koala cried even louder: "Don't be sad, we will definitely help you get revenge!"

"This..."

Sabo gently pushed Koala away: "Let's not talk about revenge for now."

"I need to go find someone right now."

"Find someone?"

Koala's tears stopped, and she asked with some puzzlement: "Find who?"

Sabo sorted through his somewhat chaotic memories, a smile full of anticipation blooming on his face.

"Let's go find the captain of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates first!"

"Ace?"

Hack the merman advised with a concerned expression: "He should be in the New World right now."

"We still need to return to the base to report to the leader, and this direction is completely opposite."

"Senior Hack."

Sabo solemnly requested of Hack:

"Please help me ask the leader for a leave of absence; this matter is really important to me!"

"This..."

Hack paused, then advised:

"But the Eternal Pose to the New World isn't ready yet. Isn't it too hasty for you to leave right now?"

Sabo had already climbed down from the bed and began organizing his clothes:

"I'm sorry, but I must go see him."

"Without an Eternal Pose, I'll just go to the next island to record the magnetic field and then hurry over."

Having dressed himself, he looked entirely invigorated:

"Uncle Hack, which island is next on the route to the New World?"

"Water 7."

Hack replied.

Looking at the resolute expression on Sabo's face, Hack sighed helplessly once more:

"Forget it..."

"Let Koala and me accompany you instead!"

"Put the mission aside for now; I will notify the leader."

"That's wonderful!"

"Then I'll go inform the crew to change course."

Sabo nodded with a smile and excitedly walked out of the cabin.

Watching Sabo's receding figure, Koala could not help but wear a worried expression:

"Sabo lost all his family members..."

"Is he really not sad at all?"

"Sigh..."

Hack sighed in a deep voice:

"How could that Celestial Dragon Gallen be someone easily provoked?"

"Sabo is just putting on a brave smile for the sake of the big picture of our Revolutionary Army!"

"Sabo!"

Koala could not help but clutch her chest in heartache, her eyes once again brimming with tears.

Even Hack had tears pooling in his fierce eyes at this moment.

He thought of that great hero Stelly, who remained unyielding under tyranny, and then thought of Sabo, who suppressed his inner grief for the great cause of revolution and faced everyone with a smile...

"This Outlook family..."

Hack sighed with deep emotion:

"A household full of heroes!!"