Michael's words were, to some extent, a jab straight to Whitebeard's heart.
So the very instant those words came out, Whitebeard's hearty "Kurarararara" laugh came to an abrupt halt.
And the members of the Whitebeard Pirates standing behind him were now even more at a loss.
"This Marine's attitude toward Pops isn't great… should we be mad about this? And you can see Pops' pride has taken a hit…"
"Yeah… but then again, considering he's a Marine, I guess that's actually a pretty polite way to put it."
The crew of the Whitebeard Pirates, whose mental CPUs were never the best, suddenly found themselves overheating and spewing metaphorical smoke.
System overload.
But only Marco, the man who had been with Whitebeard the longest, quietly turned his head and discreetly wiped the redness from his eyes.
Others might not know, but he knew Whitebeard's entire life story.
Whitebeard had absolutely no interest in becoming the Pirate King.
In fact, he had no sense of belonging to the identity of "pirate" at all.
The only reason he went to sea…
…was because he wanted a family.
He wanted a home.
Nothing more.
And because of his obsession with the idea of "home," even after leaving and never returning to his homeland, he would anonymously send all of his share of treasure back there.
Even if that place no longer had a single person he once knew.
Even if almost no one—save for a very few—knew that Whitebeard had been born there.
He still did it.
So Michael's words weren't so much a blow to Whitebeard's pride as they were a strike right at the softest place in his heart.
Whitebeard had come to Fish-Man Island not only because of his friendship with Neptune and his admiration for Queen Otohime.
More than that, he didn't want Fish-Man Island to become just another "former homeland" that all Fish-Men could only look back on with regret.
So he decided…
…the name Whitebeard would descend upon this island.
Hanging the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates over Fish-Man Island's territory was giving an opportunity to an entire nation, an entire race.
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
"I won't give you power—but I can give you the chance to gain the strength to protect yourselves."
"You really are… sharp-tongued." Whitebeard didn't resume his "Kurarararara" laughter; instead, there was a hint of irritation on his face at having his true feelings laid bare. He let out a cold snort and asked,
"So, what's your plan for this cooperation?"
"Ahem, keep your voice down. I'm taking this private job without the World Government knowing… I'm not afraid of them, but for now it's best not to bring extra trouble to the Marines." Michael shrugged with a smile. "Let's head to Ryugu Palace. Since this is a three-way cooperation, of course we should all sit down and discuss it together."
Without waiting for Whitebeard's answer, he turned and left the plaza with Garp and the Marines.
"Pops… are we really going?" Vista leaned toward Whitebeard. "Can we really trust the Marines?"
"No matter what, with this so-called angel brat Michael and Garp here, our original objective can't be achieved anymore," Whitebeard didn't reply—Marco was the one who picked up the conversation.
"So, this cooperation is at least worth considering…"
...
"The aftershocks from that battle just now were terrifying—what an incredible fight!"
Queen Otohime recalled the Holy Light flaring in the distance and the enormous angelic figure visible to everyone, her heart filled with worry.
"It seems the Marines really did clash with the Whitebeard Pirates."
"I don't think you need to worry about that, Your Majesty," Fisher Tiger thought for a moment before looking up.
"With the Marine hero leading the Marines, they're naturally trustworthy. And Whitebeard has had good relations with His Majesty Neptune—he's trustworthy as well. So no matter which side wins in the end, it won't be a bad thing for Fish-Man Island."
"I hope it's just as you say… but being both Garp's and Whitebeard's friend really puts me in a tough spot."
Neptune shook his head, then sighed.
His two friends belonged to two naturally opposing camps, like water and fire. Being caught in the middle was more than a little awkward.
Supporting either side felt wrong.
And just as Neptune finished speaking, a Ryugu Palace soldier burst into the hall in a rush to report:
"Your Majesty! The… the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates are both here!"
"Huh!?"
Everyone present wore the classic Oda-style shock face.
Weren't they just fighting fiercely? The battle had looked like it was heading for a final showdown!
So why were they all coming to Ryugu Palace now?
"Quick! Tell the guards along the way not to block them—let them through!"
After giving the order, everyone in the palace waited.
Not long after, they heard the noise outside the palace gates.
Then the doors swung open, revealing two sharply divided groups: the Marines on one side, the Whitebeard Pirates on the other.
Garp and Whitebeard walked side-by-side at the front.
And the Marine Rear Admiral who had first spoken with them—Michael—was now taking a Den Den Mushi from a communications officer and dialing…
"Hello? Sengoku here."
"Oh, old man, it's me—your favorite, Michael."
"…Why are you speaking in such a disgusting tone?" Sengoku's voice carried clear distaste. "That weird voice of yours is even more irritating than Borsalino's!"
"Ahem, fine, I'll stop. I have some serious business to discuss with you."
"Serious business? What is it? Have you found a solution to the Fish-Man Island problem?"
"Sort of." Michael nodded with a smile. "By the way, I need to confirm something—your promise to give me the highest level of operational authority still stands, right? That includes signing certain cooperative agreements with certain… violent organizations?"
"Wa–wait a second, what exactly are you trying to do?" Sengoku's tone instantly grew wary. "Who are you signing an agreement with? You're not stirring up trouble again, are you?"
"That 'again' hurts my feelings, you know."
"Cut the crap! Spit it out!"
"Ah, it's someone you know well—Whitebeard, the old man himself."
"…What?" Sengoku's voice was thick with disbelief. "Did I mishear that? Or did you misspeak?"
Michael rolled his eyes.
At a time like this, pretending not to hear in the hopes it wasn't real?
"You heard me right—it's Whitebeard, the old man who spends all day out on the sea collecting sons."
The next moment, Sengoku abruptly hung up.
Michael looked at the Den Den Mushi, then glanced up at Whitebeard with a grin.
"Didn't expect Sengoku to crack this early. It's going to get even more exciting from here!"
---
(For each review +1 additional chapter)
read +100 chapters on Patreon tambeerg