Chapter 13 - 13: The strongest what ?

When Edam followed them he would never have thought they would do so much crazy things. Although he himself was no saint, but the three of them were really rascals among rascals, they were really meant to be friends.

Indeed, everyday they were going to Gray Terminal to steal and beat up some bandit's buŧŧ and sometimes they were even dealing with pirates that were roaming Gray Terminal instead of going to the seas like every pirates.

They became so infamous that their reputations even made their way to the kingdom.

Of course they were still returning home with a lot of foods on their hands for Dadan's house's people pŀėȧsurė and their own, as they were four they could bring back a lot of food.

The days were going by as they continued their journey.

Luffy, Ace and Sabo even came to know that Edam was the famous or more like infamous monkey ghost that was, like them stealing money from bandits, even though he was only doing it for foods while they were doing it for their dreams.

The shock on Luffy's face was priceless when he asked unbelievably with wide eyes.

"Ehhhhhh... niichan is a ghost ?!"

However Ace and Sabo weren't really surprise, especially Ace as he already had his ȧssumptions. A ghost with a monkey tail appearing the same month when a kid with a monkey tail began to sleep in his house, wonder who it is huh?

Anyway knowing that Edam was also a fellow little bandits like them, they hit it off pretty quickly.

And it really didn't displeased Edam, on the contrary he really found fun in having friends, as in the past he would always restrain himself from making friends.

Althought now it was completely different as Edam would leave at the end of this month so becoming friends with Ace and Sabo even if it was only one month that could be fun he thought.

However he began to regret this decision.

As the end of the month was nearing he became even more reluctant to leave them behind as his grandpa would certainly make him a marine's soldier while they were going to be pirates that he would have to hunt in the future.

He didn't wanted to be on the opposite side when they grew up.

They had been doing training every day to become even stronger to be great pirates one day. The training consisted of one hundred fight everyday to improved themselves but also to see who was the best.

Obviously Luffy who was the youngest and most inexperienced was always losing with a perfect rate of loss.

Ace, Sabo and Edam's results were a bit more complexes as Ace and Sabo were almost equal, with Ace being above with two more wins than Sabo.

As for Edam he had five wins above Ace and Sabo, however he had "struggle" a little against them as his tail hasn't regrow yet.

Sometimes Ace would win against Edam, however, Ace always felt that Edam was going easy on them or was it just an impression ?

Anyway, during this month we had disguises ourselves to infiltrate the city behind the great wall.

As we were famous now anyone would recognized us on the streets, after all four kid, especially Luffy with his straw hat wasn't something that we could concealed,we didn't even tried to convince him to let it at home because that would be pointless, the admiration he felt for Shanks was something that we learned to understand, so we thought of a trick to pass incognito, three of us would mount on each other to act like an ȧduŀt while another one would do the kid.

To decide who would do what, we just played a game of chances.

Me and my crappy luck really angered me to death as I had to act like the kid, each time. Those three idiots were giggling nonstop whenever it was time to act.

Yet our act was a success as we managed to swindle a lot of restaurant like this while getting a lot of food to feed our poor stomachs.

At the last restaurant where we had ordered a lot of ramen, we were busted but we quickly escaped by jumping out of the window breaking it by the way.

As we were falling, I shouted while cupping my hands around my mouths to make it sounded louder "Sorry for the window !!!"

when I said that Ace berated me and said

" Don't apologize to them, Humph that will serve them well for placing such a price..."

We jumped on the ground and ran away like the rascals we were.

However, while we were running a relatively old noble guy called out in desperation and also relief Sabo's name as we all stopped in place surprised by the shock.

Sabo who was at the front stopped in place like a statue and slowly turn his head to look behind him.

His face was filled with shock, fear and even disgust.

He pretend that he didn't know him and continued to run.

After that we arrived on the edge of a cliff where the sea was greeting us and there we began our questioning.

Well it was mostly Ace and Luffy who really want to know the thruth.

I didn't really care about it, Sabo will always be Sabo no matter what happen so yeah his origins was no big deal to me.

He could be the son of the most wanted person in the world for all I care, I would still be friend with him.

I've decided to be friend with him, not his background.

However the same couldn't be said to Ace and Luffy as they really did want to know.

"Tell us the thruth, who was that man there ?" Luffy asked a bit vexed it seems.

"Since when did we started to have secrets to each other." Ace asked as if it was a betrayal.

"I'm telling you that, I'm not hiding anything already." Sabo replied as if he was credible.

As for me, I just stood there with my arms crossed while I just squint my eyes at the side while looking at him.Although I did wanted to know it, I wouldn't force him to reveal anything if he didn't want to, unlike those two brute who were literally harassing and nearly ȧssaulting him.

And even though I didn't say a single words but he knew that I wanted to know it too... What can I say... Curiosity is human...

After a rather long time, Sabo finally spit out the thruth and revealed that he still had living parents and that he was a noble and that the old man earlier was his dad.

When they heard it, both Luffy and Ace put their finger in their nostrils while saying at the same time.

" And ?" They said that with the same expression on their face.

I really began to wonder if they weren't brothers instead of me and Luffy.

We learned from Sabo himself that his parents just saw him as a way to maintain and gain even more power by marrying him into the royal family.

Suffocated by this heavy atmosphere he decided to run away even if that meant living in the stinking and polluted air of Gray Terminal.

Having finished revealing his past, Sabo said.

"Ace, Luffy, Edam, we have to absolutely set off on the seas to be free. I want to travel around the world and narrate all the things I saw in a book, and I will become a great pirates, that will be the proof of my liberty." he said that with so much conviction that when Ace and Luffy heard it they were all smiling happily.

Unknownwingly, even I had a faint smile on my face.

Then Ace walked on the edge while saying

" Heh...I didn't wait for you to decide what I would do. I will become a great pirate that will beat everyone, that will be the proof of my existence. All those guys who hate me can just wait, one day I will show them what I'm worth."

"I will not flee, I will not yield, I do not fear anything. My name will resonate across the world !"

Hearing this the smile on our faces became even more brighter as Luffy said " Hihihi, not bad, my turn."

I already knew what he would said so I wasn't really surprised but Ace and Sabo were really stunned as they were making a funny face.

Obviously Luffy had shouted " I WILL BECOME THE PIRATE KING" it was supposed to be really loud but the sound of the sea wave has suppress his shout.

"Hihihihi..." he giggled while looking at us with his habitual stupid but innocent smile.

Hahaha..., you're really someone interesting Luffy, hahah..." Sabo was laughing along with him while Ace was still shocked but he smiled in the end.

As for me I had a faint smile on my face as I made my way to the edge too.

They looked at me clearly stunned that I will shouted something too as they knew that I wasn't really into becoming a great pirates.

"Eh you too?" Sabo asked me.

"Why not ?" I replied to him while grinning a bit.

"Nhihihihi !" Luffy giggled as he looked at me.

Ace didn't say a thing but just looked at me.

"Unlike you guys becoming a pirate doesn't really hook me too much."

"But, the three of you will become one day great pirates, I'm sure of it, the whole world would have a huge headache if you three were to make trouble."

" Eh ?" the three had a puzzled faces.

"I mean grandpa will take me with him and I'll certainly become a marine if I stay with him, so I had already reflect on what I will be." I paused a bit and turned toward them.

"I don't know what kind of pirates you will become in the future, what you will do, if you will hurt innocent people or not. That's why I will become a marine and if you were to ever do something bad then I will be here to beat the shit out of you if necessary." I grinned a bit evily.

'And obviously I will be here to protect you, you three idiots.' he add this in his mind.

"I'm currently the strongest and the oldest right now, so maybe I should act like a...let's see...?"

"Right !"

" I will become the strongest big bro, hihihi." a big smile was plastered on my face without realizing it.

Unknowingly I was affected by their joyous and naive way of thinking.

"Hhhaaaaahhh ?!!!" the three of them were completely shocked.

"Why should you be the big bro ?" Ace and Sabo asked.

"Because I'm the only one who can beat the shit out of you two obviously."