The noise in the room died down. Nero was thinking, Ace was also thinking, and the others looked at the two, believing it was not a good time to speak.
Soon, Nero figured it out, gaining a deeper understanding of the karma between herself, Nika, and Imu.
She was just missing a special point in time; her true nature wasn't suppressed by her rationality, it was simply that the time hadn't come yet.
Unless Nika was relentlessly pursued, delaying this moment indefinitely, this day would eventually arrive.
The time Roger and her companions waited for, the so-called New Era, had taken so long; did she also need to wait?
Thinking of this, Nero felt like she had wasted her efforts, though she hadn't really done much!
After figuring it out, Nero finally felt completely at ease. She picked up the freshly brewed tea, took a sip, and quietly spat it out.
The taste was truly indescribable... Looking at Ace and Luffy, hmm, so, is it playtime now?
"Hey, brat! Have you realized how unreliable your identity is?" Nero put down her teacup and tapped the table.
Ace looked up blankly. Was the inner demon that had plagued him for so many years actually a lie?
But why?
Ace looked at Nero, hoping to get an answer from her: "Then do you know who I am?"
...This child's words indeed carried an aura of kingly dominance, and he truly seemed like he had a Pirate King for a father.
"Hmm, first, how did you confirm that you are Roger's child?"
Nero asked patiently. Being named Ace suggested that this child's parents must have had some connection with Roger.
Her own questions had been answered, so listening to this little gossip about the presumed Roger wasn't bad.
"Garp, Marine Hero Garp!" Ace didn't hide it, and at the same time, he suddenly realized how unreliable it was for the Pirate King's descendant to be adopted by Garp.
"Hmm, so it is? You should also know something about the Roger Pirates, right?" Nero wasn't surprised. Garp's grandson was here, so she continued to press: "If you were Roger, who would you choose to entrust your child to when you needed to?"
"Rayleigh... Jabba, and you..." Ace thought for a moment and named a few people.
"Exactly! How could it possibly be Garp, Roger's mortal enemy? Haven't you ever doubted it?"
Faced with Nero's questioning, Ace was speechless. Yes, it was such an obvious question, why had he never doubted it?
Garp was that man's lifelong enemy; how could he possibly take in him, the evil bloodline of the Pirate King?
But why? Why did they tell him he was the Pirate King's bloodline?
The more Ace thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, as if he had been drawn into some massive conspiracy.
The question returned to square one: Who was he, really? And what role did Garp play in this matter?
But no matter what, this matter must be inextricably linked to that Pirate King, and Nero in front of him was absolutely the key to breaking the current stalemate!
His identity, his mother, Garp, Roger, and the whole truth... "Nero... Your Highness, if you know the truth, can you tell me?" Ace said, even forcing out a stiff smile.
"You brats, do you only show manners when you're asking for something?"
Nero rolled her eyes, speechless: "And... aren't you worried about what I might do to your brother?"
"What?! I'm not afraid of you!" Luffy rolled up his non-existent sleeves and shouted loudly.
"Shut up, idiot!" Dadan hugged Luffy tightly, revealing a smile uglier than crying: "This kid is an idiot! Your Highness Nero, please don't mind him!"
Upon hearing this, Ace instantly became tense again, subtly shielding Luffy and Dadan behind him: "As long as I'm alive, Luffy can't be handed over to you!"
"Do you really still think I want to lay a hand on that kid?" Nero was truly speechless now. Even after all this, these people still maintained such strong vigilance towards her.
Did she really look like such a bad person? She was even retired from being a pirate now.
"You still haven't said why you're looking for Luffy!" Forgetting about his own origins, Ace glared at Nero and questioned loudly.
"Hmm, never mind, I've lost interest. I'm going back." Seeing Dadan's family and Ace's timid caution towards her, Nero suddenly lost interest.
Anyway, her goal had been achieved. That was enough. She'd go back to the ship early for a bath. Hmm, and she'd call Makino too.
"Wait!" Seeing Nero turn to leave, Ace quickly stepped forward, wanting to stop her.
So many mysteries remained unsolved, not just for himself but for Luffy too. How could he let her leave without understanding Nero's purpose?
"Don't you want to become a pirate? Then go find it yourself. The sea surely holds the answers you seek. Wouldn't that bring you more peace of mind than my charity?"
Nero stopped as desired, turning her head to leave Ace with these words.
A flash of crimson flame, and Nero's figure vanished with her words, only the lingering echo remaining in Ace's mind.
"Go find it myself, huh..." Ace murmured to himself, his gaze slowly becoming resolute.
As long as he followed that man's footsteps, and like Nero, reached Raftel, ONE PIECE! There, he would surely find the answers he sought.
A strong premonition flashed through Ace's mind, and his peripheral vision caught Luffy struggling in Dadan's arms.
'Sorry, Luffy! It seems I can't give up ONE PIECE no matter what.' Ace thought to himself.
Nero, meanwhile, had returned to the golden rose. The worries that had weighed on her these past days could finally be put to rest.
It wasn't that the problem was solved; on the contrary, things were hurtling uncontrollably towards their conclusion.
The ultimate point of the era, the focus of all, dormant beings following ancient covenants to fulfill their missions, surging in the tide of destiny.
On the world's grandest stage, she would appear as the strongest protagonist. Nero felt that such a future... was quite exciting.
Such a future wasn't bad at all. Those who believed fate was unfair were generally dissatisfied with their own script.
Nero hummed an off-key song, only feeling anticipation for the role she played, even having to admit that the Goddess of Destiny was truly a screenwriter on par with herself.
"Hathaway! I want to take a bath, and I want to use the essential oils that Fish-Man Island sent over before!" Nero bounced around the cabin, giving instructions.
Seeing Nero like this, Hathaway finally showed her most genuine smile in a long time: "Aye!"
Then she said to Kuina, who was training: "Put your training aside for now, Kuina, hurry and prepare!"
Kuina pointed to herself in confusion: "???"
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