Chapter 119: The Invisible Bond

Tang Shen never required anyone to see him off when setting sail; he disliked partings.

Yet, someone appeared unexpectedly.

She stood in the wind, dressed as always, looking delicate and worthy of affection.

"You are leaving, too," Makino said, her voice as gentle as ever, her gaze flowing like water. "I saw it in your eyes when Ace left."

Tang Shen remained silent.

Women are sometimes far more sensitive and perceptive than men. Especially a woman like Makino—she was exceptionally sharp.

"This contains clothes I stitched for you. Take them," Makino said softly.

She offered no pleas for him to stay, nor did she speak further; she simply watched him with her eyes.

Tang Shen embraced her briefly. He didn't say a word, slung the parcel she had handed him over his shoulder, and turned to leave without looking back.

He boarded the merchant ship and embarked on a new journey.

Standing on the deck, back turned to the harbor, Tang Shen knew that the woman as gentle as water was still watching him.

The memories of their time together replayed in his mind. In truth, they hadn't spoken much. Was it love? Not quite. Friendship? Not that either. Yet, a subtle, unspoken mutual understanding flowed between them—a silent bond.

Tang Shen would not stay, so he chose to remain silent. He could not offer any promises, so he chose to remain silent. What the future held, he did not know. But he had to press forward; life would not allow him to stop, and he had to become stronger.

Tang Shen slipped away quietly, leaving behind the trail of his life and beginning a new voyage.

He was growing fond of this game world. It was pure, true, kind, and emotional; every character he encountered was vivid and lifelike. Often, he would forget that this was merely a game.

Sailing the open sea was monotonous, but soon, Tang Shen grinned. He spotted a small boat with a familiar figure reclining on it, soaking up the sun.

"Yo! Ace, what a coincidence!" Tang Shen said, leaning against the railing with a playful expression.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Ace jumped up instantly, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Un... Uncle!!!!"

He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

...

Ten minutes later, Ace and Tang Shen sat on the bow of the merchant ship with beer and food. Ace’s small boat was tethered to the stern.

They chatted as they ate.

"Uncle, did you come looking for me?" Ace asked with a cheeky grin.

Tang Shen rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I’m just heading out to sea myself."

This kid was too full of himself; it was just a chance encounter! Moreover, he knew exactly what Ace would say next, as he had heard it many times before.

"Then you should just be my first mate. Let's sail together," Ace said, his face full of confidence.

Tang Shen curled his lip, unimpressed. "You're too weak. Have you ever seen a captain weaker than his first mate?"

There was a moment of silence.

"That makes a lot of sense," Ace nodded, looking serious. "How about this: when I'm stronger than you, you come be my first mate, deal?"

Tang Shen: "..."

It reminded him of the saying: "You make a lot of sense; I’m convinced." Ace was in exactly that state.

Yet, Tang Shen was speechless. Why was he so fixated on making him a first mate? The boy was so stubborn. Couldn't he be flexible? If he were to be the first mate, perhaps Tang Shen might have actually considered it.

"Why not just let me be the captain? It would be less of a hassle," Tang Shen suggested.

At these words, Ace shook his head like a rattle, refusing with his entire being. "No way! I have to be the captain. I need to become the Pirate King, and only the captain can be the Pirate King."

Tang Shen: "..."

Damn it. He should have known Ace was just like Luffy, stubbornly obsessed with being the Pirate King. Asking that was a waste of breath. There was no point in continuing the conversation; it would only lead back to the start, so he quickly changed the subject.

"How does it feel to be out at sea?" Tang Shen asked.

Ace looked pained. "It was fine at first. The sea looked beautiful, but after a while, it gets annoying. You don't see a single soul."

Tang Shen smiled. It was true; sailing wasn't as wonderful as one might imagine. When alone, you only face the calm or the raging sea. The former is tedious, and the latter is dangerous for a small boat.

"You'll get used to it."

"Heh heh! That's why I need to find crewmates quickly and get a bigger ship. Then I'll have people to talk to and can throw parties! Sailing is only fun with companions—fighting together, growing stronger, and challenging even tougher pirates," Ace said, his eyes filled with longing.

Tang Shen was stunned. He had never thought of it that way.

In reality, most pirates set sail this way because humans are naturally inclined to band together for survival, and people cannot endure loneliness. Staying alone for too long drives one mad—which is why villages and cities were built. Even the need for a partner stems from the need for companionship.

People who travel, fight, and grow strong entirely on their own are rare. Such people are lonely at heart, yet they are also powerful—powerful enough to endure that solitude.

Tang Shen had developed this mindset because of his own experiences. Whether in his past life or the present, he had spent most of his time alone. Even with his beloved disciple Kuina, he had turned and left without hesitation, wanting her to experience true trials and combat, waiting only for their next reunion.

"Perhaps finding a few companions is a good choice after all," Tang Shen muttered softly.

Drifting on the sea was indeed quite lonely. Having experienced so much in this game, Tang Shen didn't want to repeat his past life, where he had struggled and grown strong in isolation.

Perhaps his inability to resist interacting with Luffy and Ace was, in some way, born of envy—envy for the laughter and camaraderie they shared in the anime, those precious experiences of having crewmates to whom you could entrust your back.

Hearing Tang Shen mutter, Ace asked curiously, "Uncle, what did you just say?"

"Haha, nothing. Let's drink!" Tang Shen beamed, raising his beer.

"Right! Cheers!"

The two sat on the bow of the ship for a long time. Mostly, it was Ace talking, dreaming of his bright future, the kind of crewmates he wanted to find, and how he would shock the world and make Luffy jealous...

This was the first time Tang Shen and Ace had truly chatted like friends. An invisible bond had begun to form between them.