These two criminals, protected by the Roger Pirates, uttered words that would make anyone in the New World burst out laughing.
Whitebeard, seated in a massive chair and drinking heavily, likely never imagined something this absurd would occur. The bottle paused at his lips, never making it to his mouth.
"Hmm?" Whitebeard squinted at the two oblivious youngsters, and for the first time in a while, a flicker of amusement stirred within him. It was a rare emotion—because in his heart, anything not done for the sake of his family was meaningless.
There's a saying: "The one who understands you best is your rival." And it holds true.
Garp and Roger shared a friendship, and Roger knew him well—but Whitebeard was no different. He and Roger had crossed the same seas for decades, and their understanding of one another went deeper than anyone else's.
So now, Whitebeard found himself genuinely curious. Why did Roger allow Shanks and Buggy aboard as interns? And wasn't that straw hat on the red-haired boy's head the very same one Roger once wore?
Had the kid inherited Roger's will? Or did Roger believe he could?
Mulling over these thoughts, Whitebeard took another two swigs, remaining motionless in his great seat as he watched the two brats scurrying around like monkeys…
The fight on deck raged on. Shanks and Buggy, full of bravado, charged through the chaos toward Whitebeard. Onlookers watched with mild amusement, not taking the duo seriously.
Just then, a pirate ship sped across the distant sea toward the scene. The two captains standing at its bow wore anxious expressions.
The ship barreled straight into the clash between the Moby-Dick and the Golden Jackson. Its flag displayed two skulls pierced by crossbones—sideways.
The newcomers were the Dekalban Brothers, division commanders in the Whitebeard Pirates. Each bore a scar on their face—in precisely opposite positions.
The twins dashed into the fray at breakneck speed, leaping aboard the Moby-Dick, shouting simultaneously—
"It's bad, Dad!"
"Dad, something terrible happened!"
Their voices were frantic—like the sky had come crashing down.
The fight immediately halted. Members of both the Whitebeard and Roger Pirates lowered their weapons.
"Hmm?" Whitebeard turned from dealing with Shanks and Buggy and let out a booming laugh. "Gurararara! A man at sea must possess ambition as vast as the ocean, Dekalban... my sons!"
"Dad, it's terrible! After losing to the Roger Pirates, Scuyard tried to flee the New World—but he was killed by a rookie pirate near Fish-Man Island!"
"A new pirate entered the sea at Fish-Man Island... and killed Scuyard, Dad!"
Among the Whitebeard Pirates, even if relationships weren't always perfect, harming a crewmate was unforgivable. Their unity was unwavering.
Now, with one of their own dead—it felt as though the sky had collapsed.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed again—but this time, his laughter was filled with pain.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, his Conqueror's Haki exploded in all directions, sending massive shockwaves rippling through the sea. Buggy, closest to him, collapsed instantly, unable to move. Even Shanks turned pale and nearly lost his footing, though he managed to remain standing.
Newer members of both crews fell into unconscious heaps, foaming at the mouth.
Whitebeard clenched his fists and crushed his wine bottle into shards.
"My son died because he wasn't strong enough. When you go to sea, you must accept the risk of death. But since he was already my son—as his father, I cannot just sit by and do nothing!"
"Who's the murderer?" Whitebeard's towering frame radiated overwhelming pressure as he spoke.
The Dekalban Brothers, able to remain conscious under that pressure, were clearly no weaklings.
"The rookie pirate—Hippolyte D. Asa!"
"Hippolyte D. Asa! He's the one!"
They trembled as they said the name, barely daring to breathe.
...
"Hippolyte D. Asa?" On the Golden Jackson, Roger heard the name and narrowed his eyes, the memory still fresh of Asa's arrogant expression when she rejected his offer of rescue.
"Roger, what are you planning?" Rayleigh, ever attuned to him, instantly saw through Roger's expression.
Quickly recalling Buggy and Shanks, Roger said his farewells to Whitebeard. As the Whitebeard Pirates mourned, the Golden Jackson departed, heading toward the first three islands of the New World.
"A new era is coming... I can feel it. Asa is one of the ones destined to shake the future." Roger grinned—still smiling even in the face of his own death. "The calm seas are about to erupt. Let's go give him a proper welcome."
Roger's mind was clear. He would use his remaining time to lead the coming age—a final spark to ignite the future.
"Asa... the one hunted by the Navy's top forces?" Buggy and Shanks listened quietly to Roger and Rayleigh's exchange.
"He escaped from Impel Down... and wasn't the gold from Ark Maxim'—"
Buggy clenched his chest, heart aching.
"Buggy, don't get too hung up on treasure. Freedom and joy are the greatest treasures at sea!" Shanks patted him on the shoulder.
"What are you saying, Shanks?!" Buggy pressed his red nose to Shanks' face, full of grief and fury. "Shut it! There's no pirate who sails just for 'freedom' and not treasure!"
Their differing dreams would eventually lead them down separate paths.
...
Aboard the Moby-Dick.
"That reckless brat? I'll remember his name!" Whitebeard rose from his throne, gripping his naginata. "In the New World, being bold doesn't mean you can do as you please!"
"Dad! Let me go take his head!" Marco's lazy eyes blazed with rage.
"Let me teach him a lesson for daring to kill one of us!" Jozu shouted.
"Let me go! I haven't eaten a Devil Fruit—I've got a terrain advantage!" Bista, with two swords at his waist, was also burning with anger.
Until now, no member of the Whitebeard Pirates had died at the hands of another. Though all understood the risks of going to sea, actually seeing a companion fall was a different matter entirely.
"Let Bista and Namur go take this brat's head—as an offering to Scuyard's spirit!" Whitebeard roared.
(End Of Chapter)
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