Nothing much, Pops!
"Pops, how does this feel?"
Lucian Thorn cautiously asked as he worked hard at massaging, worried that his clumsy hands might annoy the Emperor of the Seas.
Whitebeard closed his eyes, letting out a satisfied grunt from his throat.
"Gurararara… not bad, brat."
"Alright!"
With that approval, Lucian's courage instantly soared. He nearly plastered himself against Whitebeard, using both hands to pound, knead, and press. Every massage technique he had once enjoyed at wellness parlors in his past life was now being put to use.
He had to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—every second counted!
[Analyzing Progress: 0.02%…]
[Analyzing Progress: 0.03%…]
On the system panel, the numbers crawled upward at an excruciatingly slow yet unwavering pace.
Too slow!
But… better than nothing!
From that day on, Lucian had completely transformed into a piece of "sticky taffy" aboard the Moby Dick—one that clung exclusively to Whitebeard.
His position shifted from that of an ignored errand boy to Pops' "personal little jacket."
"Pops, you're awake? Come, let me massage your temples—you'll feel refreshed all day!"
"Pops, the sun's a bit harsh, let me fan you!"
"Pops, you're drinking? I'll hold the cup for you!"
"Pops, look at that seagull—it seems to be saying 'Gurararara!' to you!"
Lucian showcased every flattery and fawning trick he'd mastered over two lifetimes, embodying the very essence of "sycophancy" and "filial devotion."
He always managed to find bizarre yet oddly irresistible excuses to stick close to Whitebeard and initiate physical contact.
At first, the old crew members only watched him with expressions that said they were waiting for a good show.
Marco more than once flew to the bow of the ship, pineapple-shaped hair bobbing, regarding this overzealous new "little brother" with a curious stare.
Jozu stood nearby with his arms crossed like a mountain, occasionally letting slip an amused grin.
But gradually, they noticed that this brat really was bringing a different energy aboard the ship.
Especially with the double gloom of Thatch's death and Ace's departure, Lucian's jokes—strange tales from another world no one here had ever heard—became the best seasoning for their heavy days.
"Pops, let me tell you a joke."
Lucian said with a mysterious grin while kneading Whitebeard's shoulders.
"So, there was a Den Den Mushi, and as it was walking along—bam!—it tripped. Guess what happened?"
Whitebeard didn't even bother opening his eyes.
Lucian answered his own riddle with exaggerated flair.
"It broke its signal!"
The deck fell silent for a second.
The division commanders exchanged looks, clearly failing to grasp the punchline.
Lucian wasn't discouraged and quickly followed up.
"And another one! Once upon a time there was a sword that could cut through anything. One day, it met something it couldn't cut. Guess what it was?"
This time even Vista glanced over curiously.
Lucian slapped his thigh and revealed the answer.
"It was its own scabbard!"
"Pfft!"
Finally, one of the crew polishing his rifle couldn't help but laugh.
That single laugh spread like a stone tossed into a lake, sparking a chain reaction.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard's iconic, thunderous laughter erupted, shaking the entire Moby Dick.
In his joy, he slapped Lucian's back with a mighty hand.
"Interesting brat!"
Thud!
Lucian felt like a prehistoric beast had rammed into him, his insides rattling out of place, nearly coughing up blood.
But instead of pain, a surge of ecstasy filled him!
Because at that very moment, when Whitebeard laughed and slapped him, his system panel numbers spiked!
[Detected intense emotional fluctuation in target…]
[Detected high-level energy reaction in target…]
[Analyzing Progress +0.1%!]
[Analyzing Progress +0.1%!]
[Current Total Analyzing Progress: 0.8%!]
So that's it!
Lucian understood instantly!
In a calm state, Whitebeard was like a stable signal tower—the data flow steady but faint.
But when his emotions spiked—laughter, anger, even just a flicker of his power—the overflow of data multiplied geometrically!
This discovery made Lucian ecstatic… but also filled him with crushing urgency.
Time.
Time was what he lacked most.
The good days didn't last. A few days later, a News Coo brought the latest paper—and with it, a report that froze the ship's atmosphere once more.
"It's… it's Captain Ace!"
A crewman's voice trembled as he pointed at the paper.
Marco snatched it, his face instantly darkening.
In the corner of the paper, a short article reported that in some island of the New World, Fire Fist Ace had briefly clashed with Blackbeard Teach. The two seemed evenly matched before retreating separately.
The report was short, but it struck every heart like a hammer.
They had found him!
But it also meant the thing they feared most had finally happened.
Ace had really crossed paths with that traitor.
The air at the bow instantly dropped back from lightheartedness to freezing despair.
Stifling, silent.
Whitebeard didn't speak, but his grip tightened around his massive naginata, veins bulging on his hand. The sheer aura radiating from him made the air itself feel thick and heavy.
Lucian stood silently behind him, not daring to breathe.
He understood more than anyone what this news meant.
This was the prelude to a decisive battle.
The countdown to Ace's capture and his march toward the execution platform!
Instinctively, he glanced at his system panel.
[Current Total Analyzing Progress: 1.2%]
A whole week of tireless effort, countless attempts at contact—only to gain this pitiful progress.
A drop in the bucket!
At this rate, he couldn't summon even a single hair of Whitebeard, let alone his peak self!
No. He had to find a way!
Lucian's heart pounded furiously, cold sweat dripping down his temples.
Inside, he roared at the system:
"System! This is too slow! At this rate, by the time I'm done Analyzing, the war at Marineford will already be over! Isn't there any way to speed it up?!"
[Ding!]
The system's reply was cold and mechanical.
[Analyzing speed correlates directly with the target's energy overflow intensity.]
[The more intense the target's emotions and the more active their energy output, the faster the Analyzing speed.]
As expected!