"Your Great-Grandfather?" Marco took the newspaper. After seeing the old man's face clearly, he felt a jolt of surprise.
The fact that Ace was the son of the Pirate King, Roger, was already shocking enough. Now, Ace was pointing at the legendary Marine Godfather and claiming him as his own Great-Grandfather?
However, after that brief shock, Marco's heart quickly regained its calm. Regardless of Ace's past identity, as long as he had joined the Whitebeard Pirates, they were all sons of the Old Man.
It wasn't just on the deck. At the same time, inside the cabin, Whitebeard himself held an identical copy of the newspaper. Gazing at the two familiar photographs on the front page, Whitebeard fell into deep thought.
"A challenge?"
Though Rowan's rise belonged to an era even earlier than Whitebeard's departure to sea, Newgate had encountered the man back in the day. Recalling the times he crossed paths with that man, the wrinkles between Whitebeard's brows deepened. No matter how he searched his memory, he couldn't recall a single scrap of information about that man being a swordsman.
Why would Hawkeye Mihawk challenge an old man who wasn't even a practitioner of the blade?
Others might not understand. But Whitebeard, now in his seventies and suffering from severely declining physical functions, knew all too well how brutal the erosion of time truly was.
Somewhere in the North Blue. On the shore of the island where the Red Force was docked.
Red-Haired Shanks, holding the paper, felt a sharp glint explode in his eyes. "Has Mihawk finally found the opponent he was looking for?"
"Hey! Boss, this is great news! Why don't we throw a party to celebrate?"
"Agreed!" "I'm in!"
"Haha, then it's settled! Let the party begin!"
"OHHH!!! Long live the Boss!"
The New World, Beast Seas.
Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors, was gulping down strong liquor. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but his expression was twisted in pain, and tears were sliding down from the corners of his eyes.
However, when he heard his subordinate's report, Kaido's expression shifted violently into a feral rage. "What did you say? That man?!"
The Four Emperors, Totto Land.
"A challenge? Hawkeye Mihawk and that old fossil Rowan? Interesting, truly interesting. I didn't think that old bag was a hidden master... Mamamama." Charlotte Linlin stuffed a piece of cream cake into her mouth, her smile unsettling.
"Fuffuffuffu! What fascinating news. The Warlord Hawkeye and the Marine Godfather? I wonder what the World Government will think when they see this?"
In the Dressrosa palace, Donquixote Doflamingo let out his unique laugh, looking intensely intrigued by the update.
On a small path in a certain kingdom within the Grand Line, Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army—clad in a green cloak with his head hidden beneath a hood—stared at a newspaper that had drifted before him. His expression gradually solidified.
Rowan, still lying on his small boat, smoking and drinking, had no idea that the duel he and Mihawk had scheduled for a month later was already global knowledge. He never imagined under what kind of intense scrutiny that battle would eventually take place.
And while the world was trembling with the news...
The New World, Whitebeard's Territory.
Splash!
A stout, blue figure leaped from the ocean, landing directly on the deck of the Moby Dick, over twenty meters above the water. The sheer force of his jump sent a massive spray of water into the air.
Seeing this sudden figure, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates on guard duty swarmed forward. A dozen blades, guns, and staves were instantly leveled at the uninvited guest.
"First Son of the Sea, Jinbe? What are you doing here?!"
The blue figure was none other than the Warlord Jinbe, who had been chased away by Rowan at Cocoyasi Village in the East Blue while trying to save Arlong. Even though the Fish-Man recovery rate was far superior to a human's, Jinbe's arm still hung limply and powerlessly at his side.
"I am looking for your Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace. I have urgent business to discuss with him!" Jinbe said, his expression grave.
Because a single word from Whitebeard had restored peace to Fish-Man Island, Jinbe held Whitebeard in the highest respect. A few months ago, because he wanted to protect Whitebeard's honor, he and Ace had shared a "fighting-to-know-each-other" destiny. Jinbe also had significant friendships with many of Whitebeard's commanders.
However, because his status as a Warlord was so sensitive, Jinbe's interactions with the Whitebeard Pirates were usually conducted in secret. Thus, not everyone on the Moby Dick recognized him. Some of the newer recruits were exceptionally wary of his arrival. After all, the Warlords were the World Government's dogs and theoretically enemies of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Brothers, stop! Jinbe is not our enemy. Put your weapons down."
Suddenly, a massive firebird wreathed in blue flames descended from the sky, landing between the gathered pirates and the visitor.
"Commander Marco!"
Hearing Marco's voice, the pirates withdrew their weapons without hesitation.
"Jinbe, why have you come at a time like this? If the World Government finds out about your ties to us, it'll cause quite a bit of trouble for your Warlord title," Marco said with a smile. But then, his brow furrowed. "Jinbe, what happened to your shoulder?"
The way Jinbe's shoulder hung uselessly was very striking.
"The shoulder is no matter; it will heal in a few days," Jinbe shook his head. "Please, inform Mr. Ace. I have urgent matters to speak with him about."
"Ace?" Marco's brow furrowed slightly. "Ace is in the cabin right now talking with the Old Man. If it's urgent, I'll fetch him immediately."
After Jinbe nodded, Marco transformed into the blue phoenix and flew toward the cabin. Moments later, Ace and Marco returned together.
"Boss Jinbe! What are you doing here? Wait, what's wrong with your arm? How did you get such a serious injury?" Ace noticed the injury immediately, his concern clear.
Before becoming a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, Ace and Jinbe had become friends through their legendary duel. Even now, Ace vividly remembered that fight. He was a Logia-type Mera Mera no Mi user, and had undergone Rowan's "hellish training" from a young age—his physical techniques were top-tier. Yet, even so, he had only managed to gain a slight upper hand against Jinbe.
For someone as powerful as Jinbe to have an arm broken by another person? Moreover, looking at the bloodstains not yet washed away by the seawater, it clearly wasn't a light injury.
"This wound is the result of Mr. Rowan's hand..." Jinbe looked at Ace and, without holding anything back, began to recount his experience in the East Blue.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
⭐ Read chapters early on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/Bagga_10 ⭐
BONUS CHAPTER REWARDS
• Every 20 reviews = 1 bonus chapter
• Every 100 Power Stones = 1 bonus chapter
Your support directly unlocks more content and faster releases.