"I really didn't expect these two guys to become Marine Colonels."
Luo Ye said with a faint smile, hands tucked behind his back as he walked through the Headquarters plaza.
According to the original history recorded in the manga, things should've been vastly different by now.
Portgas D. Ace—biological son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—was originally supposed to become the commander of the Second Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, famously clashing with Blackbeard and eventually getting captured, leading to the infamous Marineford War.
Sabo, the sworn brother of both Ace and Luffy, was presumed dead after a Celestial Dragon's attack on his ship. In the actual timeline, he survived and joined the Revolutionary Army, later regaining his memory and inheriting Ace's Mera Mera no Mi.
And Monkey D. Luffy had already set out from Foosha Village in East Blue, forming the Straw Hat Pirates and beginning his wild journey through the Grand Line.
But everything changed with the arrival of Luo Ye.
Now, all three of them—Ace, Sabo, and Luffy—were at Marine Headquarters, standing not as enemies of the World Government, but as rising stars of the Marines.
"Mr. Admiral!"
"Silver Eagle Admiral!"
"Admiral Luo Ye is back!"
The moment he stepped into the plaza, several Marine elites straightened up and saluted with a mix of respect and awe.
Luo Ye nodded slightly and asked, "Where are Ace and Sabo right now?"
Swish!
The moment he spoke their names, the expressions of those nearby Marines changed drastically, as if they'd just been reminded of a traumatic event.
Their awkward, uneasy looks made Luo Ye raise an eyebrow in suspicion.
"What the hell did those two do now?" he thought. "I just said their names, and they all reacted like they'd seen a ghost."
One officer, clearly reluctant, finally gritted his teeth and said, "They're… at the sparring arena, sir."
"Sparring arena?"
Luo Ye's expression instantly turned strange.
Could those two be fighting again?
Of course, Luo Ye was well acquainted with the infamous sparring arena in Marineford. It was a place where many brash officers had been humbled—and some of them by Luo Ye himself, back in the day.
"Are they walking down my old path?" Luo Ye muttered.
He looked closer at the Marines in front of him and noticed more than one of them had bruised cheeks and swollen jaws.
No wonder they looked so miserable when he mentioned Ace and Sabo.
Suppressing a dry chuckle, Luo Ye said, "Alright, you're dismissed. I'll go check out the arena myself."
"Yes, sir!" they replied in relief, eager to avoid any more encounters with those two.
When Luo Ye arrived at the training arena, he immediately spotted Ace, his fist engulfed in flames, and Sabo, wielding a steel pipe, facing off against five exhausted Marine officers.
What surprised him most was that the surrounding Marines weren't cheering for Ace or Sabo—but rather, their opponents.
It was clear: Ace and Sabo had become that kind of presence at Headquarters.
"Maybe this explains why Sengoku's been so stressed lately," Luo Ye mused.
He sighed and mentally counted the problems.
He himself, a recently promoted Admiral, refused to play by the rules.
Ace and Sabo, both Colonels, constantly challenged others to duels.
And Luffy—still a recruit in the training camp—had somehow eaten through half the Headquarters' food reserves.
No wonder Sengoku was going gray faster.
Still, Luo Ye couldn't help but smile as he watched the synergy between Ace and Sabo.
Because Sabo never lost his memory in this altered timeline, he and Ace had spent years growing stronger together, fighting side by side. Their coordination was nearly flawless.
With just a glance between them, the brothers launched a synchronized attack.
"Hiken!" (Fire Fist)
BOOM!
Ace's iconic fire punch roared forward. The Marine he targeted wasn't inexperienced—he immediately activated Soru (Shave), one of the Rokushiki techniques, and dodged.
But to his shock, a second fire punch followed at blinding speed—Ace had faked the first attack and baited him.
CRASH!
The Marine was sent flying, unconscious before he hit the ground.
"Nice," Luo Ye murmured. "Your control over the Mera Mera no Mi is improving."
That fruit had once belonged to a fearsome pirate. Luo Ye personally took down the previous user and offered the fruit to Ace, believing its destructive power matched his firebrand personality.
Ace's rapid progress validated his decision.
But Ace wasn't the only one who impressed him.
Sabo, too, was a force of nature. Though he had no Devil Fruit powers, he handled his iron pipe with the precision and speed of a top-tier swordsman.
With one clean swing, he knocked a Marine out cold. The others soon followed.
Ace and Sabo exchanged a quick look, grinning.
"Anyone else want a go?" Ace taunted.
"You guys were bragging so much earlier. Where's that energy now?" Sabo added with a smirk.
The crowd stayed silent, their earlier bravado completely gone.
Just as Sabo was about to provoke them again, he froze—eyes locked onto the stands.
Sitting casually near the edge, arms crossed and smiling, was Luo Ye.
Sabo's heart skipped a beat. A cold sweat instantly formed on his brow.
He nudged Ace frantically.
"Huh? What is it?" Ace asked.
"Luo Ye. He's here."
"…WHAT?!"
Ace turned pale.
Wasn't Luo Ye supposed to still be in East Blue?! How was he already back?
They both turned and saw him wave lazily, as if watching kids play in the yard.
Both of them instantly felt a shiver down their spine.
They hadn't forgotten the last time the three of them sparred. Even together, they couldn't make Luo Ye take a step back. He had casually thrashed them without breaking a sweat.
And now, Luo Ye was an Admiral. They had only just become Colonels.
"Should we… run?" Sabo whispered.
"No!" Ace hissed. "Running will make it worse!"
"Then what do we do?"
"We face it like men."
Gulping hard, the two walked slowly toward Luo Ye, trying not to look as terrified as they felt.
Luo Ye couldn't help but chuckle. Watching these two bold warriors tremble in front of him was quite the sight.
"You two are quite something now," he said. "I heard you're known as the 'Invincible Colonel Duo'?"
Ace forced a smile and replied, "Well, we… uh… just learned from the best, right? You used to fight Admirals when you were just a Colonel!"
Without hesitation, Luo Ye knocked both of them on the head.
"You learned from me? I fought Admirals. You're bullying fellow Colonels."
Ace and Sabo rubbed their heads, not daring to argue.