The news of Ash staying in Gran Tesoro had already spread across the Four Seas through the World Economic Journal.
Big News Morgans felt uneasy. Ever since the Big Mom Tea Party incident, he believed he had offended Ash. Not long after that, Ash took two Shichibukai to challenge Kaido and even killed two of Morgans' reporters without hesitation.
That alone was enough to make Morgans think he was in serious trouble.
Under those circumstances, he would never dare provoke Ash again, let alone expose his location without permission.
So this report had actually been published under Ash's direct instruction.
He intended to use his time in Gran Tesoro to settle the loose ends from the previous battle.
Originally, Ash expected the Marines or the World Government to come knocking.
In the end, only Gion showed up.
Putting aside her sense of justice, her earlier exchanges with Ash and Sali had not gone well. Sali had even attacked her directly. Although Gion recognized that Ash and Sali behaved far better than most Shichibukai and leaned toward lawful conduct, she still showed him no warmth.
Ash had no interest in accommodating her attitude.
"If you are going to keep that expression, who exactly are you trying to impress?"
Ignored completely, the Admiral candidate could only suppress her frustration. She reminded Ash that Sengoku had been unable to reach him, then turned and left decisively.
Not long after, Ash took out his Den Den Mushi and received a call.
As expected, it was Sengoku.
The message was straightforward.
First, regarding Ash's previous disappearance and his unauthorized joint attack on Kaido, Sengoku had done everything possible to smooth things over.
Second, he hoped Ash would avoid provoking the World Government again in the near future and maintain communication.
To Ash, Sengoku's tone lacked confidence.
As for the World Government, Ash did not take it seriously.
"What kind of World Government? Just say the Gorosei and be done with it."
Still, since Sengoku avoided being direct, Ash chose to play along.
Sengoku had handled many issues for him, so giving him some respect was reasonable.
As for Devil Fruits, Ash had already decided to wait until events aligned with the timeline he knew before harvesting them. By then, Sengoku would have already stepped down.
Whoever took over after that would not receive the same courtesy.
Thinking of Devil Fruits, Ash immediately contacted his forces in Wano Country.
He ordered the New Beast Pirates and the fake Orochi to gather as many Devil Fruits as possible within the territory of the Beasts Pirates, while ensuring their safety and keeping their identities hidden.
With that handled, Ash finally felt a bit lighter.
After the World Economic Journal reported that Ash was staying in Gran Tesoro and hinted that the golden city might become his third permanent base alongside Gourmet Island and Carnival Island, countless spies from various factions quietly infiltrated the area.
Naturally, Ash could not meet Bartholomew Kuma there.
Besides, Bonney was still on Sky Island. He needed to bring her back first.
At the end of February, Marine Calendar 1519, Kuma secretly arrived at Gourmet Island in Paradise.
Ash brought Bonney to meet him.
Now fully recovered, Bonney reunited with her father. The two had much to say in private, and Ash had no intention of staying nearby.
He originally planned to go out and enjoy a meal, but considering the secrecy required for Kuma's situation, appearing publicly might create problems.
After thinking it through, Ash decided to visit Uncle Mark's farm instead.
Using Observation Haki to scan the entire island, he confirmed that only two people were at the farm on the eastern outskirts, and there were no News Coo in the sky.
Only then did he teleport over.
His sudden appearance startled the people there. One of them instinctively activated Armament Haki.
Ash paused.
The young man in front of him was clearly not Uncle Mark.
If Aunt Martha had not been standing nearby, Ash might have assumed something had gone wrong during his absence.
"Hey, don't misunderstand, Aunt Martha, it's me."
He quickly spoke to prevent any unnecessary reaction.
"So it's you. You've grown taller again."
Aunt Martha smiled as she patted his arm.
"I saw in the World Economic Journal that you were in Gran Tesoro. Why are you back so suddenly?"
"And tell me, is that place really as incredible as they say? Is it truly a city of gold?"
Ash was already used to her rapid-fire questions. This time, however, he did not answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at the young man beside her.
Noticing this, Aunt Martha laughed.
"Let me introduce you. This is my son, Fidel Mark. You can call him Fidel."
Fidel had already withdrawn his Armament Haki. Hearing his name, he stepped forward.
Aunt Martha continued, "He grew up close to the Kirk siblings, but he has always loved freedom. He left to explore the seas even before you came here."
"You're lucky you came back now. Otherwise, he would have set sail again in two days, and who knows when you would have met."
Ash examined him carefully.
Fidel looked slightly older than Kirk, with a solid build similar to Uncle Mark's.
As for his Armament Haki, it was unclear whether he learned it from his father or developed it through experience at sea.
Either way, mastering it at this age in Paradise showed real talent.
Before Ash could speak, Fidel spoke first.
"I know you. Ash, the so-called Heavenly Emperor among the Shichibukai."
"I came back planning to help the Kirk siblings take revenge and invite them to sail with me, but I found out they had already left with you."
Ash nodded slightly.
"So that's what happened. Kirk and Saff prefer to stay out of the spotlight. They rarely act openly, so their existence is not widely known."
Fidel raised an eyebrow.
"Not even the Marines or the World Economic Journal know about them?"
Ash smiled faintly.
"When your strength reaches a certain level, people around you tend to become very cooperative. If I don't want something known, then even if they know, they will pretend they don't."
Without giving Fidel time to press further, Ash shifted the topic.
"You've been sailing alone for five years. That suits your personality. So what have you been doing out there? Adventurer, bounty hunter, or something else?"
"Adventurer. I take bounty jobs occasionally to cover expenses. Though it has been harder to earn in recent years."
Fidel then asked with a hint of curiosity.
"I've heard that any pirate who crosses paths with your crew gets wiped out. If I were a pirate, would you kill me too?"
Ash rubbed his chin.
"You're Uncle Mark and Aunt Martha's son. Even if you were a pirate, I wouldn't handle it personally."
He paused, then added,
"But your understanding is not entirely correct. We don't eliminate every pirate without exception."
"People pretending to be pirates for adventure without committing crimes, or those forced into pirate crews who have not participated in wrongdoing, they are not our targets."
Fidel frowned slightly.
"Then how do you tell who is guilty and who isn't?"
Ash smiled.
"A higher-level application of Observation Haki."
He looked directly at him.
"Interested? I can teach you."