Starting with two Kamui, they raised the flag of rebellion in One Piece.

However, to everyone's surprise,

"W-what is this??"

Karina looked shocked, and the words slipped out unconsciously.

The pirates were dumbfounded, Nami stared blankly, and even Ace couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

I never dreamed it would turn out like this.

What appeared before them was neither the golden mountain they had imagined, nor the reclusive great pirate Wu Nan.

Yes, it was just a skeleton.

"The one who came here seeking gold, my name is Unan. I was once known as the Great Gold Pirate, but now I am just a man waiting to die. I have returned all the gold to its rightful owner..."

At that moment, a pirate who noticed the writing on the wall read it aloud in astonishment.

"I've been fighting all along, and I've achieved my childhood ambition, finally building an unprecedented mountain of gold. But when I face all this gold, I remember something someone once said: 'Gold doesn't laugh, it's like stone.'"

"That's right, what I'm willing to risk my life for isn't gold, but the adventurous journey to find it."

"There is no gold here, but there are more precious treasures. They may be worthless to others, but I am very content with them now. Please do not destroy this place."

As Ace listened to the crew's account, he suddenly noticed that there seemed to be something in front of the skeleton.

He went forward, picked it up, and saw that it was a flag.

A tattered pirate skull flag, resembling a child's doodle, but with traces of careful stitching in the middle.

"The last treasure left behind by the great pirate Udon was actually a flag that looks like a child's doodle?"

Seeing this, the pirates nearby said with mixed feelings, "Well, it's really unexpected."

"No way! No gold?! There isn't any?!"

Nami snapped back to reality and exclaimed, "I went through so much trouble to get here!"

Nami's body went limp, and she almost fainted on the spot.

She went through all the hardships of climbing the mountain, even traveling with the Spade Pirates, all for gold, right? And now they're telling her there's no gold!

Doesn't that mean that all the effort she's put in during this time wasn't a complete waste of time?!

"Although I didn't think there was much of a chance of finding it from the beginning, it was still a bit hard to accept when we actually found it and there was no gold."

"Since things have come to this, there's no other way but to leave."

Karina looked at what was in front of her again, and sighed with regret, saying softly, "After all, their last words were a request for us not to damage this place."

As Karina spoke, she turned back to look at Nami, whose eyes were swirling like mosquito coils and whose whole body was swaying unsteadily.

She patted the other person on the back, trying to soothe Nami's wounded heart.

At the same time.

Just as the surrounding pirates were coming to their senses and starting to discuss among themselves, Ace was still staring blankly at the pirate flag in his hand, inexplicably falling into silence and not saying a word for a long time.

They set sail in search of gold, but what they truly desired was not gold itself.

"Until the very end of life, are you finally content?"

Ace was vaguely moved, but strangely, he didn't know what he was being moved about.

Clearly, the two have absolutely nothing in common, whether in terms of life or experiences.

But why do I feel an indescribable feeling when I look at those last words covering the wall?

With this question in mind, Ace pondered the answer and stood in the room for an unknown amount of time. During this time, the others around him, after experiencing a series of psychological changes such as disappointment and regret, gradually adjusted their mindset and began to leave the tomb one after another.

Although Nami was still somewhat unwilling, she ultimately did not disturb the room to search for gold. Instead, with a tearful expression, she leaned on Karina's shoulder, and the two left the basement together.

And so, an unknown amount of time passed.

When Ace stepped out of the room, the sky had already darkened, and the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire island.

"Is it already this time?"

Ace looked at the distant scenery on the cliff, somewhat surprised.

Looking around, not only were Nami and Karina nowhere to be seen, but even the Spade Pirates crew had vanished.

I have no idea how long I was inside before I came out. Did he stay there for that long?

"Honestly, a bunch of willful bastards, not a single one of them waited for me."

Turning back, Ace took one last look at the dilapidated house.

"I'm so sorry for bothering you, but we've put the flag back by your side, as well as the basement. We tried our best to restore everything to its original state before we left, so please forgive us for that."

Pulling his hat tighter, Ace chuckled softly and muttered to himself, "I hope that one day I can achieve my dream just like you."

Having said that, with a hint of melancholy, Ace found the direction of the beach and prepared to leave.

However, just as Ace left the vicinity of the house, he suddenly saw the scene that was obstructing the view next to the house.

"what?"

Ace opened his eyes wide, looking at what was in front of him with some surprise.

Not far away, a man was leaning against the back wall of a house, gazing at the sunset in the distance.

Ace couldn't help but call out the other person's name.

"Li Mingyuan, what are you doing here?"

Ace asked with some surprise, "Weren't you uninterested in gold exploration?"

Yes.

The person waiting for Ace at this moment was none other than Li Mingyuan.

He had been waiting for the other party for quite some time.

Upon hearing Ace's voice, Li Mingyuan turned to look at Ace.

Unlike usual, the figure bathed in the sunset carried a touch of mystery, exuding a completely different atmosphere.

Li Mingyuan stared at Ace's face and slowly said, "I am indeed not interested in gold, but everyone else has already gone back, yet you have not been seen at all."

"Even as a friend, I can't just leave you like this."

Li Mingyuan's voice was calm and steady, carrying a warmth that made him difficult for ordinary people to approach.

But for some reason, hearing that familiar voice from the other person, Ace suddenly felt a sense of peace.

Looking at Li Mingyuan in front of him, Ace no longer hesitated. He took a few steps forward and walked to the other party's side, patted Li Mingyuan's shoulder hard, and couldn't help but laugh and scold him.

"You! You actually underestimate me? You don't believe in my strength at all? I'm the captain of the Spade Pirates, my future goal is to become the Pirate King... no, a pirate even greater than the Pirate King!"

"How could anything possibly harm me in a place like this?"