A chekhov-explicit + dramatic-irony Wano seed planted at the very start of the arc: a child’s hope hinges on a brother the reader knows is dead, guaranteeing a payoff. Ties Ace’s off-page past directly to Wano’s living people and to Luffy’s grief, and seeds the emotional fuel for Otama’s place in the coming rebellion. Cross-link Ace, Ace Learned Straw-Hat Weaving From The Wano People.