"That... that man is... Whitebeard!"
"It's Whitebeard, Whitebeard is here!"
On the shore, the Marines recognized the towering figure standing at the bow of the ship. Cries of shock rippled across the coastline.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had just saved them from the tsunami, fixed his gaze on Edward Newgate at the bow of the Moby Dick and muttered gravely, "Why has that man suddenly appeared here?"
Sengoku had already suspected that the earlier tsunami was caused by Whitebeard's powers, but seeing the man and his ship at Lodestar Island's port still left him uneasy.
Though Whitebeard had once been a member of the Rocks Pirates and still bore the title of pirate on the seas, he was very different from ordinary pirates.
Most pirates survived by looting and pillaging, but not Whitebeard. He never actively plundered. His expenses were covered through taking down other outlaws, treasure hunting, and collecting protection money.
Generally speaking, as long as the Marines didn't provoke Whitebeard, he wouldn't come looking for trouble.
If the Marines were white, and the common pirates black, then Whitebeard was that shade of gray in between.
Yet now, this "neutral" pirate had taken action, something Sengoku had not anticipated when laying his plans.
"Whitebeard, what is someone like you doing in a place like this?!"
Facing both the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates, Sengoku knew full well that even with all the elite forces gathered at Lodestar Island, the Marines could not take on both legendary crews at once.
Understanding Whitebeard's true purpose and avoiding direct conflict was the only sensible path now.
"Gurararara!"
"So it's you, Sengoku!"
"Not listening when people speak, that's a bad habit."
"I said it already. I'm just here to fetch my brother."
"Kozuki Oden!"
Finally turning his attention to Sengoku, Whitebeard smiled as he spoke.
"Kozuki Oden? We Marines haven't seen him," Sengoku replied, frowning and shaking his head.
But even as he spoke, Whitebeard merely gave Sengoku a glance before turning to Marco at his side.
"Marco, go fetch Oden."
"Once we have him, we're leaving. The Marines' fight with Roger has nothing to do with us."
As Whitebeard spoke, Marco stepped forward with a bright grin and leapt from the ship's bow. In an instant, his arms transformed into azure wings as he soared skyward, racing toward the heart of Lodestar Island.
Sengoku watched Marco's rapid departure, his expression darkening.
Just as Sengoku prepared to press Whitebeard for more information, Rayleigh and his crew returned to the dock. Seeing the Moby Dick anchored there, Rayleigh greeted Whitebeard with a smile.
"Well, well. Long time no see, Newgate."
Whitebeard didn't return the friendly gesture. With a cold snort, he said, "Why is Oden on a Marine-occupied island? He sailed with you lot to explore, not to become your weapon, helping Roger in battle. I heard your voyage is done. Isn't it time for Oden to return to my ship?"
Whitebeard had never been pleased about Roger taking Oden aboard, even if it had been Oden's own choice. This was, after all, the first time family had chosen to leave him.
"Hahaha! Of course! We just lost two trainee crew members and came here to find them. Oden was only lending a hand. Our plan was to return him once we'd recovered our men," Rayleigh explained, still smiling.
Whitebeard's expression eased slightly at that. He didn't respond to Rayleigh, instead gazing inland.
Sengoku listened, piecing together the significance of Kozuki Oden's identity. That samurai hadn't just drifted between crews, he was deeply important to Whitebeard.
Others were like children to Whitebeard, but Oden was called a brother. What higher status could there be?
And with this realization, Sengoku's unease deepened. With Oden as the link, could Whitebeard really stay uninvolved in today's battle? Even if that was his intent, once Oden acted to aid the Roger Pirates, would Whitebeard stand aside?
No. Anyone else might, but not Whitebeard.
At the port, the tension faded with Whitebeard's arrival. But at the island's center, the atmosphere only grew heavier.
By the rock cave, both Garp and Roger had sensed Whitebeard's presence. After a glance toward the port, they refocused on the situation at hand.
Roger's grin grew broader. Without trading barbs with Garp, he turned to Oden and the others.
"Oden, take Shanks and Buggy and get out of here. Rayleigh's at the port, he'll meet you. Your big brother Newgate's here too. Go join him. The Marines won't dare stop you."
His brilliant smile said it all. With Whitebeard's arrival, Roger knew today's battle with the Marines was over before it began.
Garp, hearing this, shook his head with a wry grin. "So we Marines really are being written off, huh?"
Though reckless by nature, Garp understood the situation perfectly. He had no desire to continue fighting Roger now, not with Whitebeard present, and not with Yoriichi to protect.
A fight here would drag on without resolution, and Garp couldn't guarantee Yoriichi's safety against two pirate legends at once.
To him, Yoriichi's future mattered far more than defeating Roger's crew.
"Roger, what's on that island?" Garp called out as Roger prepared to leave after seeing his men off. "What did you find there?"
Roger paused. His grin didn't fade, but his eyes sharpened.
"You really want to know? If I told you, you wouldn't be able to stay a Marine. It would change everything for you. Do you still want to hear it?"
Garp hesitated, then smiled and shook his head. "Then don't bother."
Roger's gaze shifted to Yoriichi. "And you, young one? Aren't you curious? Curious about the final island's secret? If you want, I can tell you."
Yoriichi smiled and shook his head. "Whatever's buried there, it has nothing to do with me. I have my own path. If I want to know, I'll find out for myself."
Garp let out a soft sigh of relief. He didn't know what Roger meant exactly, but if it could shake Yoriichi's convictions, it was better not to hear it at all.
Roger wasn't surprised. Even with few encounters, he could tell, the quiet youth behind Garp had a will of iron. Anyone with the King's Haki would.
After a long look at Yoriichi, Roger suddenly muttered, "The future of the Marines... You and Shanks will make fine friends one day."
At that, Roger turned and strode toward the port.
Garp scowled at Yoriichi, who only grinned and quipped, "Maybe Shanks will want to become a Marine."
Garp rolled his eyes. Of course, that wasn't what Roger had meant. But he said no more. The future would be decided by the choices made today.
As Roger's crew withdrew, Garp and Yoriichi prepared to head for the port. But before they could move, a blue figure hurtled toward them from the sky.
In the blink of an eye, Marco hovered before them, his wings of azure flame beating steadily.
Garp chuckled, pointing. "Yoriichi, you've never met this birdman, right? That's Marco of the Whitebeard Pirates, a Mythical Zoan user of the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix. They say his regenerative powers match the undying bird itself."
Yoriichi studied Marco closely. Through his transparent world, he saw that Marco's phoenix parts lacked muscle or bone. They were pure flame with a unique aura.
Marco, irked at being called a birdman, ignored Garp and prepared to leave. But at that instant, Yoriichi unleashed a flying slash. The air compressed into a blade of wind that struck Marco's wing as he lifted off.
The right wing took a clean hit but was instantly engulfed in blue flames, the wound vanishing in a blink.
"Impressive regeneration," Yoriichi remarked.
Marco, furious, shouted, "Marine! Why attack me?! I haven't harmed you! Do you want war with the Whitebeard Pirates?!"
Yoriichi gave him only a glance before raising his sword again. With a hum, a black slash wrapped in red lightning shot toward Marco.
The slash came so fast Marco couldn't dodge. Just as it was about to strike, a shout rang out. Kozuki Oden appeared, booted Marco aside, and cleaved the slash apart with both swords.
Thud!
Marco hit the ground, then rose from the crater, scowling. "Oden, why kick me?! That hurt!"
He didn't even notice the fresh cut on his cheek that refused to heal.
"Haki injuries, so his fruit can't recover those," Yoriichi mused.
Garp roared at Oden, "Pirate! What are you lot doing?! You could've escaped! Now you want a fight?! Fine, the Marines will give you one!"
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