Having his little scheme exposed by his son in front of everyone, Whitebeard let out an awkward laugh.
After he calmed down, the impatient, burly Jozu lifted his head and looked at Whitebeard, speaking in a deep, rumbling voice.
"Pops, what do you think about that Thunder God?"
"The newspaper says his previous actions against several Emperor crews were part of a World Government scheme?"
Hearing Jozu's words, the other division commanders first shot him a surprised glance, then their expressions turned serious.
Their father's interruption had nearly made them forget the main issue. Who would've thought that Jozu, who usually seemed a bit slow on the uptake, had remembered it all along?
Marco, sitting cross-legged, frowned in thought for a moment before adding with concern,
"At the moment, we're the only crew among the Whitebeard Pirates who hasn't had any contact with him. Now that he's entered the New World, could he be coming for us?"
"We're not afraid of him, but with his strength, he'd definitely cause a lot of trouble."
He looked up at Whitebeard and cautiously asked,
"Pops, should we start making preparations?"
"Gurararara..." Whitebeard pondered briefly before bursting into hearty laughter, then glanced at his sons.
He waved a hand dismissively. "No need for that."
"You lot shouldn't be so easily misled by what's written in the papers!"
"Look at the battles that man's been through. When was it ever him who made the first move?"
At his words, several pairs of eyes lit up.
Marco nodded in realization and chimed in,
"Pops is right. And recently, there's been news that when he was at Sabaody Archipelago, he even beat up a Celestial Dragon."
Jozu, sitting off to the side, glanced around and muttered hesitantly,
"But... didn't I hear that Kaido fought him because his daughter was abducted? And Shanks too—something about his daughter being taken as well?"
"..."
As soon as he finished speaking, silence fell over the area. Even the distant sounds of roughhousing drifted clearly to their ears.
Whitebeard, seated at the head, twitched at the corner of his mouth and shot the big oaf a speechless look.
The other commanders also turned strange gazes toward Jozu. Had he taken some medicine today? Since when was his brain working this fast?
Putting the rumors together, it really did seem to match.
Thinking about how that guy Leno had been collecting beautiful women all over the world—it didn't look like he was sailing the seas at all. It was more like the extravagant lifestyle of some decadent noble.
The commanders exchanged glances, their previous understanding growing uncertain.
Whitebeard looked at the confused expressions on his sons' faces and sighed helplessly, just about to say something—
When suddenly, Thatch seemed to remember something. He slapped his thigh and said excitedly,
"Oh right! When I spoke with Ace before, I think he mentioned having had contact with the Thunder God."
"Oh? Is that so?"
All eyes turned to him. Thatch nodded.
"That's right. They met at Fish-Man Island."
"I see..." Whitebeard gave a slight nod and thought for a while before saying,
"Then we'll wait and see. When Ace comes back, we'll hear his opinion before making a decision."
With that, Whitebeard leaned back slightly in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.
The division commanders rose one after another, no longer disturbing their father's rest.
…
In the first half of the New World, on an uninhabited island, the Red-Haired Pirates' temporary camp.
Ever since Shanks had suffered a crushing defeat at Leno's hands, the Red-Haired Pirates' momentum after ascending to the position of one of the "Four Emperors" had been forcefully halted.
Countless pirate crews had attempted to take advantage of the situation to drag them down. In the end, they were all annihilated by the officers led by Beckman.
Now that the crew had recovered, the authority of the new "Four Emperors" was gradually revealing its edge.
Of the pirate crews that had once stirred up trouble, aside from a few that had been wiped out, the rest were subdued one by one.
They were stationed here now because they had recently destroyed another crew that had dared to provoke them and were taking some time to recuperate on the island.
Beneath a massive tent in the center of the island, the officers were gathered together, discussing their next move.
Everyone was listening to Beckman's arrangements, but Shanks, sitting on a wooden stump at the side, had his attention caught by the information in the newspaper.
The bold headline caused his pupils to tremble.
His hidden identity was known only to a few officers. He hadn't expected that man to make his choice as well.
The agreement with those old geezers was still in effect. Now that they had given that man such a layer of identity, what exactly were they planning?
Just as his gaze flickered and he furrowed his brows in thought, Beckman's voice pulled him back.
"Shanks... what are you thinking about?"
"Hm? Ah, nothing." Shanks gave a light laugh, then casually handed the newspaper to Beckman before saying in a low voice,
"That man has officially entered the New World. There may be waves ahead."
As soon as he finished speaking, several officers stopped what they were doing, their expressions turning solemn.
They all knew exactly who their captain meant by "that man"—the terrifying monster far too young for his power.
After a moment, Beckman folded the newspaper and looked at his captain.
"I wonder what kind of agreement he reached with those people. Should we adjust our next moves?"
"...Stick to the plan. He can't affect us for now."
Shanks's right hand unconsciously brushed over the scar on his abdomen. After brief consideration, he made his decision.
They needed to eliminate the unstable elements in these waters as soon as possible, in preparation for the tides that might come in the future.
Seeing the heavy expressions on his companions' faces, he lifted a large bowl and drained it in one gulp, then burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Don't worry, everyone. Even if that man is strong, the Red-Haired Pirates aren't weak either!"
He poured himself another bowl of sake, raised it high, and said with a grin,
"I may have lost once—but next time, the Red-Haired Pirates will win!"
"Yeah! We'll win!"
The officers' spirits surged. For the sake of their crew, they raised their bowls and drank deeply.
They had been through countless battles. In the beginning, they had suffered defeats too—but in the end, they were always the ones left standing.
This opponent might be a bit ridiculously strong, but they wouldn't fear him.
Who would have the last laugh was still far from decided!
...
...