I'm in One Piece, and I'm Luffy's childhood friend.

Luffy shouted.

"Just you wait, I'll be famous throughout the world soon!!"

Ace replied confidently.

And so, Ace began his sea voyage, carrying the hat that Haku had given him, with a skull tag that Luffy had made himself over a month attached to it. With the "protection" of his two younger brothers, he set sail for his future.

Chapter 28 Warm-up Exercises Before Setting Sail

Once Ace's small boat disappeared off the coast, Luffy, Bai Yun, and the other bandits who had come to escort Ace began their return journey.

Parting is inevitable, but life goes on after parting; this is a common occurrence in life.

.......

The group returned to Dadan's house. Of the band of bandits, only Dadan didn't go to see Ace off; she was a stubborn old woman with a soft heart.

Dadan sat inside smoking, her child far away. A mother can never stand it, not even a foster mother.

Looking at Dadan's back, Bai Yun knew she was holding back her emotions, and said with a smile.

"Dadan, Ace asked me to pass on a message to you."

"What? Are you going to blame me in the end?!"

"Ace said..."

Thank you for taking care of me.

As soon as Bai Yun spoke, Da Dan couldn't hold back anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she magically produced a cloth to wipe them away, but she still stubbornly refused to admit it.

"Stop embarrassing yourself, you brat!!"

Bai Yun shook her head. Despite Da Dan's fierce demeanor, she was actually the one who loved them the most.

In the original timeline, Ace died in the Marineford War, and Dadan, who had been afraid of Garp for half her life, dared to throw a punch at him.

As Bai Yun stepped out of the house, he had an extra glass of water in his hand. There was no other way; someone with his constitution needed to drink more water.

What came into view was an excited Luffy, who smashed a rock in the distance with a rubber gun. In seven years, Luffy's strength had improved a lot, though not as much as his leap to become one of the Five Emperors in just two years at sea.

Watching Luffy train, Bai Yun also began to imagine the days of setting sail.

"There are still three years left."

........

Time flies, and another six months have passed.

After Ace set sail, Luffy spent more and more time training and his appetite grew bigger and bigger. Fortunately, he had Bai Yun, the "chef," to feed him.

That day, Bai Yun was making soup using a bird that had suddenly fallen from the sky and died at his feet as an ingredient.

Bai Yun's luck seemed to be good on some days, with ingredients delivered to his door or a wallet found in a garbage dump.

While the soup was simmering, Magula rushed into the house and shouted.

"Bai Yun! Newspaper! Newspaper!!"

Bai Yun washed his hands, wiped them on his scarf, and took the newspaper.

"What's wrong? Why are you so agitated? Are all the Celestial Dragons dead?"

But that's obviously impossible; Bai Yun was just venting his frustrations.

The largest section of the newspaper featured Ace's photo.

"The Pirate Supernova, Captain of the Spade Pirates, Portgas D. Ace, the Fire Fist, has made a powerful debut on the high seas with his absolute strength!"

"I refuse the invitation from the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

"A bounty of 550 million Berries!!!"

Seeing Ace striking a pose for the camera in the newspaper, Bai Yun couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hahaha! That's really good, Ace!"

"...It's going to continue like this."

Just then, Luffy returned from his workout, pushed open the door, and called out.

"I'm starving!!!"

"Bai Yun! I want to eat!!"

Bai Yun brought out the pot of bird soup, but that wasn't even enough to satisfy Luffy's cravings. The main dish was a large plate of roasted thigh meat.

The aroma filled Luffy's nostrils, whetting his appetite. He drooled and was about to grab the food when Bai Yun blocked his face with a newspaper.

Luffy saw the familiar figure in the newspaper and immediately picked it up.

"Ace is amazing! He even got the pirate ship and his crew reported it!"

"That's amazing!!"

"We can't lose, Bai Yun!!"

Putting down the newspaper, Luffy's enthusiasm soared even higher; he couldn't wait to go out and have a good fight with the wild beasts! Even though he had already conquered the forest.

Bai Yun took a sip of the bird soup and exclaimed, "It's really delicious!"

"Yeah, we can't lose to Ace. There are still 3 years left. Let's do our best, Luffy."

"Yeah! Let's cheer each other on!!!"

Luffy tossed the newspaper behind him and replied, then transformed into a "vacuum cleaner," sweeping up the food on the table. After all, only when you're full can you have the energy to train and read.

........

Time... well, it just flies by. Whether it's like flowing water or a galloping horse, it will always pass by.

In the blink of an eye, another two and a half years have passed, and Bai Yun and Luffy are now qualified trainees... Pshaw!

They have come of age and are about to embark on their sea voyage.

May 4, 1520 (Sea Calendar), inside Makino's tavern.

"Hahaha, tomorrow! Tomorrow we're setting sail! White Journey!!"

Luffy stood on a chair, raising his hands in a cheer, eagerly anticipating tomorrow.

The mayor continued to tap the ground with his cane, scolding Luffy and Bai Yun for bringing shame to Windmill Village.

Luffy still covered his ears, looking like he was saying whatever he wanted, and that if he listened, he'd win.

Bai Yun looked at the scene; it was exactly the same as before.

"Come down, Luffy, let's have a drink together."

Bai Yun picked up a wooden barrel-shaped wine glass that was bigger than his face and gestured to Luffy.

Luffy nodded, flashing a bright white smile, but just as he sat down, the tavern door was opened.

The fishmonger rushed in, looking flustered.

"Mayor!!"

"Mayor!! A strange pirate crew has arrived at the port. It looks like they just finished a fight. You should go and check it out."

The old town elder immediately stood up. "These desperate bastards! Everyone, come with me to see them."

The old mayor's call was met with immediate response, and the young people in the tavern followed suit.

Luffy, of course, wouldn't be left behind. "Pirate crew! Let's go take a look! Hakuyun, see if we need to knock him away!"

Bai Yun put down his wine glass, wondering what this was all about.

Warm-up exercises before going to sea?

Chapter 29 The Sleep-Sleep Fruit

The day before Bai Yun and Luffy set sail, a strange pirate crew arrived in the desolate Windmill Village.

Whether they are friend or foe is unknown.

But pirates, without a doubt, are mostly enemies.

When pirates come, it's usually the old mayor who leads the way. The naval base is in the kingdom, and they don't have time to deal with this little shabby place like Windmill Village.

........

The mayor and his group were in front, with Bai Yun and Luffy behind.

Because of his improved marksmanship, Bai Yun's eyesight became excellent, and he could spot the pirate ship on the dock from afar.

Just as the townspeople said, it looked like a fierce battle had taken place.

It looked like it was about to collapse, and most of the sails had been burned off.

The pirate flag above it is a skull with three diagonally arranged "Z"s on the right, making it look like the skull is sleeping.

.......

The old town mayor led everyone to the dock. On the dilapidated pirate ship, a skinny man with a scarred face pushed a wheelchair ashore.

Sitting in the wheelchair was a pale-faced girl in a white dress. She had a wound in her abdomen, and her dress was stained with blood.

The other people on the ship followed them off the ship one after another.

Everyone, including the skinny guy, had injuries, ranging from minor cuts and bruises to severed arms.

"Doctor! Quickly, call your doctor here!!"

The skinny man saw the old mayor and his group and immediately called out.

The old town mayor looked around.

"Your injuries are too severe; our village doctor is powerless to help."

“Continue to the right for a while, and you will reach the kingdom’s port.”

"The doctors in the border town are much more capable than the doctors in our village."

The old town mayor wasn't lying; skilled doctors naturally earn more money working in remote towns.

The old doctor in their windmill village can treat common ailments like colds, fevers, headaches, and minor ailments.

There's nothing we can do about this level of injury.