Hearing Marco's words, no one objected. He continued, outlining the stakes. "Our Whitebeard Pirates control the largest territory in the New World and are the strongest crew, not merely because of our numbers, but because of Father's protection. Now that Father is gone, both our crew and our affiliated pirate crews have suffered devastating losses. Among the Four Emperors, our strength has dropped from the strongest to the weakest. Many pirates will surely see this as an opportunity."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Marco, you lead us!" Jozu said immediately. "Father trusted you the most. Your strength is evident, and now you've awakened Conqueror's Haki. The position of Captain belongs to no one but you."
Ace nodded in agreement. "I support Marco as well."
Rakyō added, "If it's Marco, I have no objections."
Soon, various voices emerged suggesting other names: "I recommend Captain Vista." "I also support Captain Vista." "Captain Vista stopped Kizaru before." "Captain Namur is strong." "I recommend Kingdew."
Kingdew, hearing this, immediately declined. "Count me out! I don't have the strength to be a Captain." He knew he could not surpass Marco or Vista. Namur refused as well.
With most Captains declining and showing support for Marco and, to a lesser extent, Vista, Marco's support far outpaced any other candidate. Vista, seeing this, was about to concede, when Marco spoke.
"Then Vista, let's have a fight. Whoever wins becomes Captain. Anyone else who wishes to compete may also challenge. With Father gone, we must rely on our own strength. The Captain must be on par with the other Emperors."
Vista shook his head. "Forget it! I've never truly fought you, and I'm likely no match."
"No," Marco said firmly. "We still need to fight. If conflicts exist, it's better to resolve them openly. Refusing could cause dissatisfaction among your supporters."
Vista smiled and nodded. "Alright, then. I want to fight and see."
"After Father is buried, we'll hold the duel to decide the Captain quickly. Only then can we move forward. Father left us many foundations, and we must settle internal matters swiftly to face external threats together," Marco said seriously.
Vista's smile widened. "You're already thinking beyond yourself, Marco. You have the demeanor of a Captain."
Marco turned to Jinbe, who had been sitting silently. "Jinbe, what are your plans next?"
"I am no longer a Shichibukai. After Father's funeral, I want to focus on protecting Fish-Man Island," Jinbe replied, frowning slightly.
Marco looked at him earnestly. "How about joining us?"
"Join the Whitebeard Pirates?" Jinbe asked, surprised.
"Yes. Your Sun Pirates can come along. Father is gone, but our crew will still protect Fish-Man Island," Marco offered.
Voices around them chimed in support. "That's right! Jinbe, join us!" "We've been comrades for a long time!" "You're no longer a Shichibukai, so why not join the Whitebeard Pirates?"
Jinbe felt the weight of responsibility but was swayed by Marco's sincerity. "I… need time to consider. I'll discuss it with everyone in the Sun Pirates."
"Of course," Marco said, smiling.
The next day, over twenty thousand members of the Whitebeard Pirates and allied crews arrived at Sphinx. Marco and the Captains carried Whitebeard's coffin and slowly laid it to rest. The funeral lasted all day, and Father Whitebeard was finally buried.
At that moment, a mechanical AI voice sounded in Marco's ear: "Body recovered. Mission complete. Whitebeard successfully buried on Sphinx Island. Reward: 3,000 attribute points."
Marco immediately allocated 1,000 points to Strength, raising it to 10,054.
With 2,000 remaining, he considered his next move. His goal was to raise all six primary attributes above 10,000. Speed stood at 4,500, Defense at 8,800, Stamina at 8,100, and Mental Power at 4,800. Investing in Defense or Stamina could get him closer to his goal, but he decided otherwise.
"Speed and Mental Power first," Marco decided. "Haki consumes Mental Power, and my Phoenix recovery ability drains both Stamina and Mental Power."
He added all 2,000 points to Mental Power, bringing it to 6,800.
Just then, an affiliated pirate ran up, holding a stack of newspapers. "Captain Marco, Captain Vista! Your new bounties have been released!"