A Brief Introduction
"His name is Ace."
"His name is Luffy."
"Okay, that's it."
Dadan introduced the two children as briefly as possible.
She had no idea how to properly raise kids.
As long as they had food and shelter, that was enough. She didn't need to worry about anything else.
Most of the food Ace ate came from his own hunting.
So, for the most part, all Dadan had to do was make sure they had a roof over their heads.
But for little Luffy in this world…
He was ecstatic.
Finally, he had met someone around his age.
And not just anyone—Ace was strong.
He had managed to take down such a massive wild boar by himself.
This instantly lit a fire in Luffy, who had always been competitive.
But while Luffy admired Ace's strength, another person in the audience was suddenly shaken.
---
Roger's Frustration
"(Original) Roger: Well done, Garp. You really left my son here too."
"(Original) Garp: Haha, do you think I have time to look after a kid? Besides, isn't this a good place for him?"
"(Original) Roger: Good?! Those guys are bandits! At the very least, you should've left him with a pirate crew!"
…Wait, what?
Was that the issue here?
Everyone watching the broadcast was stunned.
All this time, they thought Roger was angry because his son wasn't properly taken care of.
But it turned out…
His real complaint was that Garp hadn't left Ace in the hands of pirates instead?!
"..."
Everyone nearly fainted.
So even Pirate King Roger wasn't reliable when it came to raising children.
A moment ago, people had been sympathizing with Roger, believing that Ace had been entrusted to the wrong person.
But now?
It was clear.
Even if Roger had raised Ace himself, he would have been just as reckless.
Most likely, Ace still would've ended up as a pirate either way.
"(Present) Sengoku: So this is the difference between raising a child with bandits and raising one with pirates? Have you ever considered leaving him with a normal family?"
"(Original) Roger: Of course, there's a difference! Can bandits be as strong as pirates?!"
At that moment, a gruff voice chimed in.
"(Present) Bandit King: Who's looking down on bandits? Watch your mouth, or I'll smash your sake bottle!"
"(Present) Shanks: Uh… that's Roger, the Pirate King."
"(Present) Bandit King: …Forget what I just said."
"(Original) Shanks: Wait, who is this 'Bandit King'?"
"(Present) Shanks: That's the guy who smashed a bottle over your head at Makino's tavern in your world. He has a bounty of 8 million berries."
"(Original) Shanks: Oh, him? Wasn't he eaten by the Sea King?"
"(Present) Shanks: In our world, he met Ron. It's a long story—you'll understand once the comparison video plays."
"(Present) Sengoku: It's unfortunate that these two kids never met Commissar Ron in your world. No wonder both Luffy and Ace ended up as pirates."
"(Original) Sengoku: Wait, does that mean Ace didn't go astray in your world?"
"(Present) Sengoku: Of course! Thanks to him meeting Ron."
---
The Hidden Truth of the Goa Kingdom
The scene fast-forwarded.
After much effort, little Luffy finally earned Ace's acceptance.
He followed Ace on his adventures, exploring the Uncertain Terminal outside the Goa Kingdom.
For the first time, the people of the original world got a glimpse of the other side of the so-called "most beautiful kingdom in East Blue."
The city was pristine and spotless.
But why?
Because everything deemed unnecessary or imperfect was discarded.
Including people.
Those deemed unworthy were dumped into the Uncertain Terminal like trash, alongside the city's waste.
The audience was horrified.
"(Original) Sengoku: Damn it! I never knew there was such a kingdom. If not for this video, I would've remained in the dark!"
Sengoku was furious.
"(Original) Stelly, King of Goa: Damn it! We've been exposed! This damn comparison video!"
Meanwhile, in the other world…
"(Present) Sengoku: Wait—you haven't discovered this yet? And you haven't done anything about it? My other self, are you even fit to be a Fleet Admiral?"
His counterpart's face darkened.
From the way Present Sengoku spoke, it seemed like the Goa Kingdom's corruption had already been dealt with in his world.
But how?
The royal family had hidden their crimes so well… How had they been exposed in the other world?
As the screen continued playing, the original Sengoku felt an overwhelming sense of failure.
---
The Birth of the Three Brothers
As time passed, Ace and Luffy met another boy in the Uncertain Terminal.
And after experiencing a fierce battle together…
Their bond grew stronger.
A few months later, the three of them made a decision.
They would become brothers.
Taking out a stolen bottle of sake, they poured three cups and raised them high.
"Cheers!"
Ace, who was standing on the execution platform in the original world, felt tears welling in his eyes.
He was about to die.
Sabo was already dead.
Who would take care of Luffy after he was gone?
Meanwhile, on a distant white island…
Sabo watched the scene unfold on the screen.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head.
His mind was overwhelmed with countless flashing memories.
He clutched his head and collapsed to the ground.
"Ahhh!!!"
Koala, who was standing beside him, panicked.
She had never seen Sabo in such agony before.
"Sabo! What's wrong?!"
Sabo had been rescued by Dragon years ago.
When he was found, he was severely injured and had no memory of his past.
But now…
As he watched the three of them drinking the oath of brotherhood wine…
His memories came rushing back.
He finally remembered who he was.
And he finally understood…
Who the man on the execution platform was.
---
Sabo's Realization
"(Original) Sabo: Ace!!! Ace!!! Luffy!!! Luffy!!!"
Tears streamed down his face as he frantically spammed messages in the live chat.
"(Original) Ace: Sabo?! You're alive? That's great!"
"(Original) Luffy: Wahhh! Sabo! I thought you were dead!"
The audience noticed something important.
When dead people sent messages in the chat, their text was black.
Roger's had been black before.
But Sabo's?
His text was in color.
Which meant—
Sabo was alive.
---
A Future That Could Have Been Different
"(Present) Kizaru: What a tragic trio. If only they hadn't chosen the wrong path… Now one of them is about to be executed."
"(Present) Akainu: Exactly. If only they had become Marines instead. They could have been like the three of us—unbreakable, forming the next generation of Admirals."
"(Present) Aokiji: Admiral Luffy… If you hadn't met Ron, if Ace hadn't met Ron, if Sabo hadn't met Ron… your fate would have been just like theirs. It's unbearable to think about."
Admiral Luffy thought about his present-day Ace and Sabo.
They had just met for drinks last week.
The contrast between the two worlds was staggering.
And it was all thanks to one man—
Commissar Ron.
----––-------------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Samurai492