Short Summary
Main Summary
After doing another dine-and-ditch, Ace resumes his search for Blackbeard in another town. However, a case of mistaken identity gets Ace thrown into the river by the townsfolk. The pirate is saved by the milkmaid Moda, and in return, agrees to deliver a letter for her.The letter's destination happens to be the Marine base G2. Ace mugs a Marine sailor for his uniform and infiltrates. At a buffet, Ace overhears another sailor talking smack about Whitebeard and attacks him. This blows his cover, and Ace is forced to change disguises, this time into a high-ranking officer. Ace sneaks into a meeting headed by Vice-Admiral Comil, which serves bitter coffee much to the vice-admiral's disgust.
Just then, a Marine scout ship returns, but it's set afire by pirates. Ace jumps to help, saving the sailors aboard , as well as the intel it contains. In doing so, his cover is once again blown. Before leaving, Ace delivers Moda's letter to Comil. It turns out to be an advertisment for her milk. The Marines sends a grocery ship to buy Moda's milk. The ship's workers turn out to be Moda's parents, so the family is happy to be reunited. The milk makes the coffee much better, so Comil is happy. And Ace now has information on Blackbeard, so he's happy too...and eager to end his hunt.
Ace's Great Blackbeard Search has the following tropes:
- Cement Shoes: A variant, as Ace is thrown into the river and, as he's a Devil Fruit user, will likely drown.
- Dressing as the Enemy: Ace disguises himself as a Marine in order to infiltrate their base.
- Foreshadowing: Ace ruins his own infiltration of a Marine base when he hears someone badmouthing Whitebeard. But it's not like he'll make the same mistake again, will he...?
- I Owe You My Life: Ace repays the young milk-maid that saves his life by delivering a letter to a Marine ship which her parents just happen to work on.
- Identical Stranger: Ace accidentally attacks someone named Dr. Blackbeard, thinking it the real one (said doctor has a body and hairstyle almost identical to Teach's, with only his face being notably different).
