MTLNOVEL Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Ace and Sabo
When Shanks left Dawn Island, the ones left in Makino's care were Uta, Gildarts, and Luffy. Gildarts and Luffy trained together daily—often in unusual ways. One of their more intense routines involved Gildarts helping Luffy confront his worst nightmare in combat. That nightmare took the form of a familiar figure: Garp, Luffy's grandfather. The fear and trauma from his childhood were so deeply ingrained that they remained vivid, even in dreams.
Before departing, Shanks had entrusted Gildarts with a physical training manual—one he had reportedly stolen from Cipher Pol during the same mission where he obtained the Gomu Gomu no Mi. Alongside it was a swordsmanship manual detailing techniques, stances, and drills. Gildarts followed the instructions diligently, never neglecting either his sword forms or his physical conditioning.
Over the next three months, Gildarts made considerable progress. He uncovered new capabilities of his Devil Fruit—learning to fly in both his dragon and hybrid forms, and eventually discovering the ability to summon both fire and lightning during combat.
Eventually, Garp returned to Foosha Village to check on his grandson. Upon discovering that Luffy had eaten a Devil Fruit, he immediately took him away from Makino's care. Gildarts knew this meant Luffy would now live with Dadan—and soon meet Ace and Sabo. At first, Luffy resisted, unwilling to leave Gildarts and Uta behind. But when Gildarts promised he would visit him soon, Luffy stopped struggling and went with Garp.
The next day, while Gildarts was in the middle of training, he suddenly heard rustling in the distance. He immediately halted and pointed his sword toward the source of the sound. Emerging from the bushes was a familiar figure—Luffy—whom he hadn't seen in over two days.
"Luffy? What are you doing here?" Gildarts asked as he helped pull Luffy out of the tangled brush. Just then, he felt an odd sensation—like someone was watching them. He quickly scanned the area, but having not yet awakened Observation Haki, he couldn't locate the observer.
"Gildarts! Hahaha! Thanks—you saved me!" Luffy laughed cheerfully.
"So, why are you here? Didn't your grandfather take you away?" Gildarts asked.
"Ah, yeah! But did you know I have a brother?" Luffy replied excitedly. "Shishishishi! I was following him, but I got lost. It's a good thing I found you! Let's go find him—I want to introduce you!"
At Luffy's words, Gildarts paused, realizing who the brother must be—Portgas D. Ace, the same one who would die during the war at Marineford. The name stirred a deep feeling in him.
"Let me finish my training first, then we'll go look for your brother," Gildarts said calmly.
Luffy nodded and sat down nearby, waiting patiently. About an hour later, Gildarts completed his routine, and the two set off into the forest in search of Ace.
As they ventured deeper, wild beasts began to attack. Gildarts could have easily taken care of them, but each time he stepped forward to help, Luffy would stop him.
"I want to train my Devil Fruit powers!" Luffy insisted.
Gildarts agreed and stood back, observing. Luffy kept messing up at first—punching wildly, only to bounce off trees or even hit himself—but he refused to give up. His stubbornness was unshakable.
Eventually, after several failed attempts, Luffy landed a solid punch on one of the beasts, knocking it out.
"Yosh! I finally did it!" Luffy cheered as he celebrated his small victory.
They continued walking through the forest, but as the sun began to set, they turned back and returned to the cabin where Garp had taken Luffy.
"When I become his friend, I'll introduce you. But don't come yet—I have to do this on my own first," Luffy said confidently.
The two said their goodbyes, and Gildarts made his way back to Makino's tavern, where both Uta and Makino promptly scolded him for disappearing without notice.
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More than three months had passed. During that time, Gildarts continued his relentless training. His sword strikes grew sharper and more precise by the day. One particular exercise from the swordsmanship manual involved repeatedly striking the same exact spot to improve accuracy. At first, his swings were inconsistent, but over time, Gildarts was able to hit the same mark twice out of every five attempts—an improvement that showed his dedication and progress. He also began incorporating physical conditioning routines aimed at preparing his body to use the Rokushiki techniques.
One day, while Gildarts was in the middle of his training, he heard a familiar rustling sound coming from the nearby woods. Before he could even go check it, a figure emerged—Luffy. But this time, he wasn't alone. Walking beside him were two boys Gildarts instantly recognized: Ace and Sabo.
The moment Luffy saw Gildarts, he ran toward him and threw his arms around him in a hug. It had clearly been a while since they'd seen each other.
"Ace, Sabo! This is my friend, Gildarts!" Luffy said excitedly. "Don't try to fight him—he's way stronger than all of us!"
"Hahh? He doesn't look that strong," Ace muttered.
"Yeah, he kinda looks weaker than us," Sabo added, crossing his arms.
That comment hit Gildarts right in the pride. A playful grin formed on his face before he suddenly transformed into his Kirin dragon form—towering and imposing. Both Ace and Sabo jumped back, eyes wide, and screamed in shock. The reaction made Gildarts and Luffy burst into laughter.
"Shishishishi! You both got scared!" Luffy teased.
Still in his beast form, Gildarts chuckled deeply. The look on the boys' faces was too priceless.
"Luffy... you have a friend who can turn into a dragon?!" Sabo asked, looking both terrified and amazed.
"Ah, yeah! He said he ate a Devil Fruit that turns him into a dragon," Luffy replied casually.
Sabo and Ace turned their attention back to Gildarts, their expressions shifting from awe to curiosity.
"How come he ate a Devil Fruit and turned into a dragon, but you just became rubber?" Ace said mockingly.
"Yeah! That's kinda lame!" Sabo added, both of them laughing at Luffy's misfortune.
"My father told me that every Devil Fruit is unique. There's only one of each," Gildarts chimed in, offering a more serious explanation.
Ace and Sabo nodded at that, clearly having heard the same thing before. But their eyes still sparkled with excitement at the thought of someone transforming into a full-blown dragon.