"Father, that's how it is."
Teach returned to Whitebeard's side and laid out the news.
"What? These Marines… they've set their sights on us?" Whitebeard rumbled.
"What should we do? If they pin us down, the losses will be huge," one crewmate muttered anxiously.
The numbers weren't pretty; over thirty thousand Marines already on the move, and nearly ten thousand more riding Sengoku's fleet. Forty thousand in total. The Whitebeard Pirates didn't fear battle but needless deaths among their brothers were a price none of them wanted to pay.
Whitebeard crossed his arms, his massive frame like a mountain at the center of the deck. "Gurararara! My sons, your father won't let you be slaughtered. We'll avoid them."
It was the rational call.
Sengoku was an old rival, but in a straight clash Whitebeard would be tied down against his shockwave fruit while the rest of the crew was left exposed.
Avoidance was survival.
But Teach stepped forward, a shadow of a grin tugging at his face.
"Since the Marines want to strike, why not give Sengoku a proper greeting? The heads of those three Vice Admirals would do nicely, don't you think?"
The crew fell silent, listening. Teach's tone was half-mocking, half-lethal.
"Overall, they've got us in numbers. If we don't want to be encircled, we need to cut their strength first. Father's power at sea is unmatched. As long as we avoid Sengoku's binding grip, every one of their warships becomes nothing more than floating targets. That's when the hunt changes hands."
His black skull-patterned bandana caught the wind as he smiled wide.
"Teach, your grin's downright sinister," Whitey Bay laughed, "but I like it."
The strategy was ruthless...hit the smaller fleets, avoid Sengoku's main force, strike like sharks in the deep. It risked Whitebeard's reputation, but not his sons' lives.
Whitebeard's booming laughter shook the deck. "Gurararara! For my beloved sons, even if it means bruising Sengoku's pride, I'll see the Marines taught a lesson they won't forget!"
"Father!" Many were moved to tears.
"You look cool even when you're shameless!" some teased, and Whitebeard only roared louder.
"My sons, give it everything. Don't let them breathe!"
"Teach, you've saved us from disaster," one brother said, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Zehaha, it's only possible because of Father's strength," Teach said, scratching his head, playing modest. Inside, he was grinning. His contributions meant merit and merit meant access to Whitebeard's collection of Devil Fruits.
The trap was sprung.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannons thundered, and another Marine warship began to sink beneath the waves. Vice Admiral Thomson went down with it, his Vivre Card burning to ash.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's expression was grave. "It's gone."
Sengoku's jaw tightened. Losing a Vice Admiral so quickly was a blow but as commander, he couldn't waver.
"Send word to Vice Admirals Rona and Janson. Tell them to engage immediately. Delay Whitebeard until we arrive."
The G1 base had moved in full force with one goal; to crush Whitebeard's crew. Even if Whitebeard survived, breaking his sons would tilt the balance of the seas.
But Sengoku's unease gnawed at him. "Something feels wrong," he muttered.
Tsuru studied him. "Your instincts?"
He only frowned deeper.
Soon, two warships appeared from opposite sides, aiming to box in the Moby Dick.
"Where's Thomson? Already sunk? Pathetic fool," Janson sneered. Rivalries among Vice Admirals ran deep; clashing factions, personal grudges, and bitter pride.
"Enough," Rona snapped. "He's already sacrificed himself. Focus, we're facing Whitebeard."
"Fire!"
Cannons roared again, the sea alight with smoke. But Whitebeard only raised his hand.
"My sons! Full speed ahead. Don't let them slink away."
"Leave those cannonballs to us!" Vista shouted, leaping forward. His blade flashed, petals of steel scattering like blossoms in the wind. "Flower Sword Style: Dance of Flowers!"
The air shimmered as every cannonball was sliced mid-flight then exploded in a synchronized chain of thunder.
The Marines' faces went pale as the Moby Dick cut the distance in half in a single charge.
"They're coming straight for us!"
"They've already killed Thomson—now it's us?!"
They still hadn't realized their plan had been exposed.
"Keep firing! Don't stop! Increase the distance!" Rona barked, panic seeping into his voice.
Then the sea itself roared.
With a single swing of his bisento, Whitebeard cracked the air. The shockwave ripped through both warships like a hurricane, sending Marines sprawling.
"Gurararara! Running won't save you, little brats."
Decks split, masts snapped, and men were hurled into the sea screaming. Even Rona, using Geppo to dodge, barely avoided being torn under.
On the Moby Dick, cheers erupted.
"As expected of Father!"
"His power never ceases to amaze!" Oden's eyes gleamed.
Teach's pulse quickened. This is the power I've been waiting for—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the strength to crush the world itself.
But he stayed silent, his eyes burning with secret hunger.
"Report!" A Marine staggered to Rona, face ashen. "The propulsion system's destroyed!"
"What?!"
The other warship was no better, its engine gutted, hull already taking water.
The Vice Admirals knew the truth. Escape was gone. Survival, impossible. Only one option remained.
They drew their blades.
"Then we fight to the death," Rona said, standing firm. "Hold them until Sengoku arrives. For justice!"
"Justice!" the Marines roared, a final surge of courage against the inevitable.
"Zehahahaha!" Teach's laughter rang like thunder. "Such conviction! I'll give you a fitting grave, Marines. A funeral at sea!"
He drew his twin blades... Thunder Fang in his left, Purgatory in his right, and launched into the air on Geppo.
This was his chance. He'd been stuck at the threshold too long. Tonight, amid the chaos, he would carve his way forward into the realm of true Swordsmen.