Gradually, the one-armed pirate calmed down.
"It happened like this…"
He explained everything.
Their ship had been transporting supplies and sailing normally when they encountered the ship commanded by Jack the Drought.
Although the Four Emperors appeared peaceful on the surface, there were still constant frictions between them.
So they chose to avoid him.
However, Jack ignored their attempt to withdraw and chased after them.
He seized their supplies and injured many of them.
Several of their crewmates were even killed.
The most important point was that the attack had not happened in territory controlled by the Beasts Pirates, nor in one of the neutral zones tacitly recognized by the Four Emperors.
It had happened in territory protected by the Whitebeard Pirates.
"I see."
Edward Newgate nodded after hearing the explanation.
Although he appeared calm on the surface, anyone could see the anger burning inside him.
"This must be avenged. It's not only revenge for our brothers, it's also a warning to Kaido not to go too far!"
Immediately, the crowd became furious.
Someone quickly stepped forward.
"That's right! If this had happened in neutral territory or in Beast Pirates territory, Jack's actions might still have some justification. But looting ships in territory protected by the Whitebeard Pirates means he completely ignores us!"
It was not only the ordinary pirates who spoke.
Even the division commanders and vice-captains stepped forward.
"Pops."
"Jack has truly gone too far this time."
At that moment, Renji stepped forward as well.
Anger was visible in his eyes.
But he also had his own considerations.
Renji knew very well that the incident involving Marshall D. Teach would inevitably damage the reputation of the Whitebeard Pirates.
What he had not expected was that the impact would be this large.
Even the Beast Pirates had already sent one of the Three Calamities to test them.
Whether the Whitebeard Pirates wanted to react or not, they had to deal with Jack.
If they backed down now, their authority and influence in the New World would drop drastically.
Whitebeard nodded.
The things Renji could think of were naturally obvious to a man who had sailed the seas for decades.
He had dominated the ocean for decades.
How could he possibly feel no anger about this?
However, as the pillar of the Whitebeard Pirates, he could not show his emotions as openly as Renji.
"Revenge is necessary."
As he spoke, Whitebeard looked toward Marco and Jozu.
Jack was one of the Three Calamities of the Beast Pirates, a genuine Yonko commander level fighter.
Logically speaking, the most suitable person to handle this mission should have been Portgas D. Ace.
Ace was the newest among their Yonko-commander-level fighters and the weakest of the three.
That made him a natural match for Jack, who was considered the weakest among the Three Calamities.
Marco and Jozu could then support from the side in case the other two Calamities intervened.
As for whether Kaido would personally appear, Whitebeard did not worry about that.
He did not believe Kaido would dare start a full-scale war with him.
However, Ace was currently absent because he was pursuing Blackbeard.
Under the current circumstances, the choice had to be either Marco or Jozu.
Since Ace could not be sent, the best option would be to send the strongest fighter and crush Jack outright.
Whitebeard looked toward Marco.
"In that case, this mission will be led by—"
"Pops, I request permission to fight!"
At that moment, Renji stepped forward.
He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
Battles between Yonko-commander-level fighters could produce far more attributes, especially if he personally participated.
He would never miss such a chance to grow stronger.
Whitebeard looked at him.
Although he trusted Renji, Jack was still a veteran Yonko-commander-level fighter.
He was not completely reassured.
"Pops, I support Renji."
Once again, Jozu spoke up.
"If you compare him with me, he might be slightly weaker. But against Jack, he can definitely win."
Even Whitebeard looked slightly surprised.
He trusted Jozu's judgment and knew Renji had improved rapidly recently.
Still, he had not expected Renji to grow this quickly.
That meant Renji had already surpassed Ace and become the fourth strongest fighter in the crew, second only to Whitebeard himself, Marco, and Jozu.
Whitebeard's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
"I agree as well."
Marco added his support.
With both Marco and Jozu backing Renji, Whitebeard hesitated for a moment before finally making his decision.
"Very well."
"In that case, Renji will lead the Fourth Division to capture Jack and seek justice for the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Marco will lead the First Division and Jozu will lead the Third Division to support from a distance and prevent the Beast Pirates from sending reinforcements."
"Yes!"
A roar of agreement echoed across the deck of the Moby Dick.
On the sea not far from where the attack had taken place, Jack's mammoth-headed warship had not left yet.
Jack casually played with a handful of grain before tossing it into the ocean with disdain.
"So the person Whitebeard sent after me is just a vice-captain?"
From his attitude, it was clear that Jack did not care about the stolen supplies.
He had been sent by Kaido to test Whitebeard's limits.
If Whitebeard reacted fiercely, they would simply retreat and perhaps hand over a few islands to calm things down.
But if Whitebeard's reaction was weak or merely symbolic, they could begin gradually encroaching on Whitebeard's territory in the New World.
"It seems Whitebeard really is nearing the end."
Jack sneered.
He had already concluded that Whitebeard's response was merely an attempt to demand an explanation.
"You want an explanation from me?"
"A mere vice-captain thinks he deserves that?"
A violent killing intent appeared in Jack's eyes.
"If you look down on me so much, then the loss of one ship clearly wasn't enough."
"If I kill this vice-captain…"
"What kind of reaction will the strongest man in the world have?"
Thinking about it, Jack suddenly opened his eyes wide.
His pupils shrank into tiny dots.
The whites of his eyes were filled with blood vessels from excitement.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Wild laughter erupted from his mouth.
His gaze turned toward the direction of Whitebeard's territory.
"Come quickly."
"Let me…"
"Kill you."