The time was evening, and the location was Shakky's Rip-off Bar in the Sabaody Archipelago.
At this moment, all eleven members of the original Spade Pirates, except for their captain Portgas D. Ace, had gathered.
Their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation. Every so often, their eyes would drift toward the door, unable to hide their eagerness.
They were waiting — waiting for the one they'd missed for an entire year. Over that year, they had trained relentlessly, each determined to grow stronger, all for the day they could once again set sail together under Ace's leadership.
In the sky, a figure soared from the distance and landed gracefully at the bar's entrance.
Ace opened the door and was greeted by familiar faces. A warm smile spread across his face as he raised his hand in greeting.
"Hey, long time no see. I'm back."
"Ace!" ×5
"Captain Ace!" ×6
The Spade Pirates jumped to their feet in excitement, each welcoming Ace in their own enthusiastic way.
"You've all gotten stronger," Ace remarked as he looked at his crewmates, pride evident on his face.
"Of course!"
"I'm super strong now!"
"We're not dragging you down anymore!"
Laughter and chatter erupted as everyone scrambled to tell Ace about their growth and experiences over the past year.
"My crewmates!" Ace raised his glass high and shouted with joy,
"To the reunion of the Spade Pirates — Cheers!"
"Cheers!" ×11
After taking a hearty swig, Ace added,
"By the way, I found a few new partners during my travels. They're powerful and have their own followers. All of them are amazing people."
"Eh? New crewmates?"
"Who are they?"
"Are they from the Longarm Tribe?"
"Or maybe Fish-Men?"
"...Well, definitely not Tontattas, right?"
Hearing about new additions, the crew lit up with curiosity, eager to know more.
"There are three of them," Ace explained.
"First is a Sky Islander — a fallen monk named Urouge. He's from the Sky Islands and leads a group of fellow monks who also broke their vows."
"The second is someone like me — a Logia user. His name is Enel. He's also a Sky Islander and used to think he was a god until I defeated him. He's incredibly strong and has a really cool ship, though it's still under construction. Once it's done, we'll head back to Sky Island to meet him. Oh, and get this — the ship is made entirely of gold."
"He's got a few priests under him too. They're no joke."
"The third is named Trafalgar Law. He's a doctor and captain of the Heart Pirates. For now, he's sailing under the Spade Pirates."
"That's it for now. But there are still some people I really want to invite to our crew if we meet them at sea."
"Sky Islanders? I heard they have wings, like angels!"
"A Logia user like Captain Ace? That's crazy!"
"Captain, you always attract powerful people!"
"I can't wait to meet them!"
"They joined after us, right? So they'll have to call us 'senpai'!"
The crew chuckled and cheered, looking forward to meeting their new allies.
Watching the celebration, Silvers Rayleigh smiled as he leaned against the wall, a nostalgic gleam in his eye.
"Such energetic young people..."
The celebration continued throughout the night. A year's worth of stories and emotions couldn't be exhausted in just one evening.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the Sabaody Archipelago, in a branch of the World Economy News Paper, a reporter burst into the office, camera in hand.
"Boss! Big news! I've got a scoop!" the reporter shouted excitedly as he barged into the office of the branch chief.
"What is it this time?" the chief asked lazily, clearly unimpressed.
Events occurred daily on Sabaody, but the only real earthshaking incident in recent memory had been the attack on the Celestial Dragons a year ago.
"I caught members of the Spade Pirates — the ones involved in that Celestial Dragon incident!"
The chief's demeanor changed instantly.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive!" the reporter declared.
"I got shots of Rockflow from the Longarm Tribe — bounty: 58 million — and Fenamore the dwarf — bounty: 64 million. They're 100% members of the Spade Pirates, the crew led by Portgas D. Ace who assaulted the Celestial Dragons. If they're here, Ace is probably nearby!"
The chief sat upright, now completely alert.
"If Ace really shows up again, this could be tomorrow's front-page headline! Assemble everyone — search every corner of the Sabaody Archipelago for traces of Portgas D. Ace. I'll report this to the President immediately."
"Got it!" the reporter saluted and ran off.
Once alone, the chief opened a drawer and pulled out a special transponder snail — the one shaped like a bird's beak. After a brief pause, he dialed.
"Moshi moshi, this is Morgans! Who is this? Got any big scoops for me?" came the lively voice of Big News Morgans, president of the World Economy News Paper.
"President Morgans, this is Stanley, Sabaody branch news director."
"Oh, Stanley! Got something worth my time?"
"Yes, sir," Stanley replied.
"We've discovered members of the Spade Pirates involved in last year's Celestial Dragon attack. There's strong reason to believe Portgas D. Ace may have returned to Sabaody."
There was silence on the other end, then Morgans responded thoughtfully:
"Hmm... Portgas D. Ace, the Supernova who vanished after assaulting the Celestial Dragons..."
"Stanley-kun, that's definitely good news. But unless something really big happens, it's not front page news yet. Keep watching — if Ace causes a stir again, then we'll make the world listen."
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