At dawn, the sky gradually brushed with a pale, pearly hue. The sun's rays broke through the horizon once more, washing over the rolling ocean and reflecting a shimmering, diamond-like glint across the swells.
Four silhouettes prepared to step back onto the path of the unknown. Sabo brought up the rear, watching Ace and the others from behind as a warm, contented smile curved across his lips.
He harbored a secret dream of his own.
When they eventually returned to this land once again, he vowed to chronicle the exploits of Ace, Drake, and the Straw Hat Pirates into a book, sharing their legend with the entire world.
He would teach the world of the wonders hidden within this earth, and preserve the indomitable figures of these men charging fearlessly into the wind.
The sea stirred continually, cresting into rolling waves that crashed against the shore with vibrant, soaring spray.
Reaching the coastline, the four brothers gazed into the crimson glow rising in the east, their eyes reflecting an eager, hopeful longing.
Their place remained out upon the boundless sea. Countless uncharted adventures awaited them in the days to come, filled with myriad faces and strange encounters yet unwritten.
Some might be sights they had never imagined; others, wonders beyond the reach of human fancy.
Vast as the ocean was, even standing at the heights they now commanded, their hearts retained a deep, instinctive reverence for the sea.
Fierce as their Observation Haki might be, probing the fathomless mysteries lying ten thousand meters beneath the ocean floor remained impossible.
Formidable as their combat might was, no mortal could claim the power to unmake the ocean itself. Stepping forward meant plunging back into an endless tide of passion and unfinished tales...
With a heavy, resonant boom, the Demon Warder materialized upon the water. Neither Ace, Sabo, nor Luffy had brought vessels of their own for this leg of the journey.
After all, traversing such immense distances in so brief a window meant sailing a ship here was out of the question.
Sabo had hitched a ride via Kuma's paw, while Ace and Luffy had crossed the seas utilizing Brûlée's mirror network.
Yet none of them intended to board the Demon Warder, knowing full well that Drake had his own path to walk.
They possessed the gift of flight!
A stream of figures came pouring down the narrow coastal path, accompanied by a cacophony of overlapping voices.
Amidst the din, Drake caught a familiar, sharp shout. In the next breath, the owner of that voice vaulted through the air, landing squarely upon a massive boulder resting beside the Demon Warder.
It was Dadan!
Though Ace and the others might remain oblivious to the full depth of Dadan's affection for them, Drake understood it down to the marrow.
As he pondered this, he noticed Ace and his brothers standing in dead silence, heads bowed with no intention of looking up.
Drake's heart sank instantly.
They... had known all along!
The villagers streamed closer, calling out to Ace and the brothers with cheers, eager shouts, and fond farewells.
"Luffy! You're the Pirate King now, you punk! Next time you come back, you damn well better introduce us to your crew, just like you promised!"
"Ace, Sabo! The next time we cross paths, we're drinking until we drop! Oh, and Drake! You barely spent any time drinking with us this trip!"
"We won't let you slip away next time!"
"All four of you take care of yourselves!" Makino waved enthusiastically toward the four figures, her voice ringing out clear across the air.
The villagers' calls overlapped in a ceaseless, roaring wave of warmth. The atmosphere thrummed with boisterous life as everyone struggled to mask their heavy reluctance to part beneath broad, cheerful grins.
Parting was merely a preamble to a more wondrous reunion ahead. A man's farewell required no superfluous words. Drake slowly turned his back to the shore.
Just as he prepared to issue the command to set sail, a frantic, thunderous roar shattered the quiet from behind: "Ace! Sabo! Drake! And... Luffy!!"
All four figures froze in their tracks, stiffening into unmoving statues.
"Boss..." Dadan's bandits stared in dumbfounded shock at their leader.
The one who had just bellowed at the top of her lungs was none other than Dadan herself.
Standing entirely alone atop the massive boulder, staring rigidly toward the Demon Warder, Dadan sucked in ragged, heaving breaths of air.
Gathering every ounce of her remaining stamina, she cupped her hands around her mouth and roared once more: "The next time you bastards come back! You better tell me all about your adventures!"
"I want to hear every damn word, without missing a single detail!"
The uproar along the shore dwindled in unison, dying away into breathless silence until only Dadan's solitary voice echoed across the open expanse.
After screaming out those words, Dadan stood panting heavily, slowly closing her eyes.
She hadn't seen Ace and Luffy off when they first set sail, an omission that had gnawed at her conscience with burning guilt every time she thought of them.
Especially whenever word reached her that they had stumbled into mortal danger; back then, she had often tormented herself with the thought that... perhaps that parting years ago had been their final meeting!
And she hadn't even bothered to walk them to the edge of the world.
The pirate world was a treacherous, unforgiving place!
So she had sworn to herself that this time, come hell or high water, she would personally see them off on their voyage!
At the very least... at the very least, she had to shout those words aloud!
"Dadan..." Makino watched the fearless, unyielding mountain bandit, a sweet, gentle smile blooming across her face.
"Yeah... you should have done this a long time ago."
In that moment, she recalled the years when the four brothers were just rowdy boys running wild through the mountains. To them, Dadan had undoubtedly fulfilled the role of a mother.
After all, Ace and Luffy had never known their parents from infancy.
Sabo and Drake's circumstances were unique in their own right.
Everyone watched as the physical aura surrounding the four brothers shifted perceptibly.
They stood motionless with their backs turned, wrapped in heavy, eloquent silence. Unbeknownst to the cheering crowd, a shadowy mist seemed to shroud the corners of Ace and the brothers' eyes.
Concealing every hint of raw emotion.
As motionless as carved stone.
Suddenly, the lively, noisy atmosphere compressed into a stillness so profound one could hear a pin drop.
Before the eyes of the stunned onlookers, those four warriors—bathed in the golden splendor of the morning sun—raised their right hands in unison, snapping them into a sharp, unyielding salute of pledge.
"You bet we will! We'll talk your ears off until you're completely sick of listening, and don't you dare start whining and chasing us off when that happens..." Sabo's lips curled upward as he cast a sideways glance toward Drake and the others.
"Right... guys?"
"Aha, ha, ha, ha..." Luffy suddenly burst into a bright, booming laugh. "Of course!"
"Once my crew and I finish this leg of our adventure, I'm definitely coming back here. We'll throw another massive banquet, and I'll introduce all my crewmates to everyone!"
"I know you guys are going to love them! Shishishi... Alright... see you all later!" Shouting the parting words, Luffy rocketed straight into the heavens, vanishing into the upper atmosphere under the escort of the villagers' awestruck gazes.
Ace slapped a hand across his face in exasperation and scrambled into the air after him, knowing all too well that Luffy possessed zero sense of cardinal direction.
The direction he had blasted off toward was the exact opposite of where the Straw Hat Pirates were currently anchored.
"Good grief! Luffy and Ace just took off flying into the sky! As expected of men who carry the titles of Pirate King and Emperor!" The villagers stared with wide, sparkling eyes, brimming with unadulterated worship and shock as they tracked the departing streaks.
They had seen it with their own eyes—neither Ace nor Luffy had utilized wings or mechanical contrivances of any sort.
It was nothing short of miraculous!
Listening to the awestruck murmurs and praises of the crowd, Drake and Sabo exchanged glances and broke into helpless, amused smiles.
That was so quintessentially Luffy!
"Alright, Drake. I have to head out as well. Though my mission here in the East Blue is wrapped up, there's still one loose end I want to tie up along the way."
"I'll take my leave first!" Waving a casual hand toward Drake, Sabo dissolved into a roaring flash of fire, streaking across the horizon at breakneck speed.
Watching his silhouette fade completely from view, Drake slowly pulled back his gaze.
Fixing his eyes on the open sea ahead, a proud, indomitable smirk curved gracefully across his lips.
"Target: the New World! Dragon Flag Pirates... SET SAIL!"