It was rare to have so many people gathered together. Everyone was happily eating and drinking.
"No hard feelings after the fight."
Ace clinked glasses with Whitey Bay and laughed.
"I never expected you to join our crew. From now on, we're family. My son, Loxus, is also with you too—sorry for the trouble," Whitey Bay said.
"Not at all. Loxus's an important comrade. He's strong," Ace replied.
"Is that so?" Whitey Bay glanced at Loxus.
Loxus had a proud expression on his face, completely unlike his father's.
"You're nothing like your dad. Your father's refined and gentle, how did he end up with a little bandit like you?" Whitey Bay mused, thinking her son took after her.
"I'm a pirate, not a bandit! And I don't want to be like Dad anyway. He's too weak," Loxus scoffed.
"Who told you your father's weak? You just don't know him well enough!"
"He is weak! Everyone knows that!"
"You idiot! No respect!" Whitey Bay punched Loxus, sending him flying.
Ace's smile stiffened. Yep, that was classic parental behavior; it reminded him of Garp.
"Loxus is still young and doesn't understand anything. I hope you'll teach him well," Whitey Bay said.
"Mm-hmm, I definitely will!" Ace nodded quickly.
The drinking went on late into the night. Some sang, others danced, and the crew's musicians struck up the pirates' anthem—Binks' Sake.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho! Yo-ho-ho-ho!"
"Yo-ho-ho-ho! Yo-ho-ho-ho!"
"Binkusu no sake wo todoke ni yuku yo~"
"Umikaze kimakase namimakase~"
The singing was loud and joyous, with the entire Whitebeard Pirates present.
The party lasted late into the night. Some passed out directly on the deck, while others managed to stumble back to their rooms.
Apart from those on night watch, everyone was asleep.
Roy was no exception, he had fallen asleep too.
Under the moonlight, Thatch suddenly woke up, shivering from the cold. He decided to return to his room.
"Ugh… Everyone's out cold. I should go back to sleep inside. Gotta wake up early tomorrow and make breakfast—need to prep the dough first." Yawning, he mumbled to himself as he headed to his quarters.
At the same time, a shadowy figure slipped out of Thatch's room—only to freeze at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Who's there?" Thatch rubbed his eyes, his vision still blurry.
"It's me, Captain Thatch."
Thatch squinted. "Teach? What are you doing here?"
"N-Nothing! Just went to the bathroom," Teach chuckled.
"Oh?. Really? Then what's in your hand?" Thatch noticed Teach hiding something behind his back.
"Pops! You're here!" Teach suddenly called out, looking past Thatch.
"Pops?" Thatch turned around.
"Pops isn't, wait, you—!"
At that moment, Teach drew a dagger and tried to stab Thatch in the back.
But a hand suddenly appeared, grabbing the dagger.
"You dare raise a hand against your own comrade?!" A pair of angry eyes locked onto Teach. At that moment, Teach felt like he couldn't breathe.
Thatch also sensed something. The killing intent was terrifying. He turned around in fear, only to see the dagger inches from his back, held back by someone's hand.
"B-Big Bro?!" Thatch looked at the man holding back the dagger, then at the one who wielded it.
Cold sweat drenched Thatch's back. If not for Roy's intervention, he'd be dead.
"Teach… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Thatch still couldn't believe it—Teach had tried to kill him.
"The Whitebeard Pirates have only one iron-clad rule: no harming your comrades. You have violated our greatest law. You deserve death." Roy crushed the dagger in his grip, then unleashed a torrent of Conqueror's Haki directly at Teach.
BOOM!
Only Thatch and Teach truly felt the power of that Haki. It was more terrifying than anything, even more than what they had seen from Shanks.
"Conqueror's Haki… So this is Big Bro's true power?!" Thatch stared at Roy in disbelief.
They had all assumed Roy was weak, just an ordinary man. But now, seeing him crush a dagger with Armament Haki and release such powerful Conqueror's Haki, he was someone who could truly stand as a king on the seas.
CRASH!
Roy's fist slammed into Teach's gut, sending the massive man flying through multiple wooden walls before crashing onto the outer deck.
The commotion instantly roused the crew. Whitebeard and the commanders, sensitive to killing intent, snapped awake the moment Roy's rage flared.
"What's happening?!"
"Did something just explode?"
"Who's out there?"
One by one, they scrambled up.
"Zehahaha! I didn't expect you to be this strong, big bro. I really underestimated you!"
Teach lay sprawled on the deck, laughing. Roy and Thatch chased after him, but before they could catch him, Teach jumped into the sea.
A speedboat quickly sped away from the Moby Dick. That guy had clearly prepared an escape route in advance.
"Give me your sword."
Roy took the blade from Thatch. With Haki wrapped around it, he threw the sword toward Teach.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a wave surged up. The sword, originally locked onto Teach, veered off course and landed in the ocean.
BOOM!
The sea exploded, sending water dozens of meters high. Roy and Thatch could only watch as Teach escaped.
"So this is fate's doing?!"
Roy watched the retreating figure of Teach. He hadn't managed to stop him.
"Big Bro! Thatch! What's going on?!" Marco and the others burst onto the deck. Whitebeard strode out, his naginata in hand.
"Roy?!" Whitebeard's gaze demanded an explanation.
"Pops… Teach just tried to kill me," Thatch said, still shaken.
"WHAT?!"
Whitebeard's eyes bulged. Marco and the others were stunned.
"Teach tried to kill you?!" Whitebeard's voice was thunderous.
"Yeah. I caught him leaving my room. When I asked why, he tricked me by saying you were behind me. The moment I turned around, he pulled a dagger. If Big Bro hadn't been there…" Thatch trailed off.
"Roy!" Whitebeard's voice was heavy with trust.
"Remember what I told you years ago?" Roy said quietly.
"Twenty years… You—" Whitebeard's memory flashed back, the day Teach joined, when Roy had wanted to kill him. Whitebeard had stopped it then. Now, it was clear Roy had foreseen this. His sudden return… had all been to save Thatch.
"Why?! Why would Teach try to kill you?!" Ace, as the Second Division Commander, was furious. Teach had been under his command, a subordinate attempting murder was unforgivable.
"A Devil Fruit. Did you recently acquire one?" Roy asked.
"How did you know, Big Bro?" Thatch blinked.
"Go check if it's still there."
......
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu