"You old man, it seems you've truly gone senile," Hiyori's dead-fish eyes flicked as she responded through gritted teeth.
She had high hopes for the formidable powerhouse before her.
But as for how to address him, Hiyori could only grit her teeth and go along with the words.
Marco and the others were slightly stunned.
Whitebeard's expression also flickered briefly, then he sighed and sat heavily on a chair, saying, "Oden, that guy, back then, had no rules at all. He kept saying he was my sworn brother."
"That guy refused to be my son, but since you're his daughter, calling me 'Old Dad' isn't too much!"
"However, after we learned about the Wano incident, we specifically sent Oden to investigate your whereabouts. Later, Kaido declared that you all had been killed, and that was the end of it."
Hearing this, Whitebeard grabbed the wine jar beside him and said, "But I want to know—are you planning to ask us to help you restore Wano this time?"
As soon as he finished, many people's nerves tensed up immediately.
Hiyori's face showed a hint of hesitation, then she bit her lip and slightly bowed in a courtesan's etiquette, saying, "Old Dad, I know this request is quite excessive."
"But my father, before he died, always hoped Wano could be restored. My father's confidants and I have been working on this too, but facing the snake that colluded with Kaido, it's like a drop in the ocean—completely insufficient."
Hiyori's face then showed a look of urgency as she added, "Old Dad, the person my father respected the most was you. I, Hiyori, now have no one else, only you can help me fulfill this long-cherished wish."
Her hurried words echoed on the deck, lingering for a long time.
Standing nearby, Oden's expression tightened, and he hesitated to speak.
But soon, Marco shook his head to stop him.
For a moment, everyone's gaze, including Shanks's, involuntarily turned to Whitebeard.
"Sorry, I've always valued my family," Whitebeard said in a deep voice.
"Oden was my family, and that's no mistake."
"But he refused our help that day. That was his decision."
"If he were still alive, we could do everything to save him. But unfortunately, he's gone. Kaido and the Snake are deeply rooted in Wano. With the natural defenses of Wano, unless we fight Kaido head-on, there's no way to break through."
Whitebeard paused, looked around, and then said, "I've lost Oden, my family. I don't want to lose more loved ones. I hope you understand…"
His heavy words hit Hiyori's soul like a hammer.
Initially, Kai had already given a reminder: being direct and blunt with Whitebeard wouldn't cause him to take action in such matters.
But hearing it firsthand was another matter altogether.
Looking at Whitebeard's resolute expression, Hiyori exhaled a deep breath.
Slowly, she stood up and said, "Hiyori understands her father's difficulties. Thank you, Dad, for your guidance."
"Saitama, are we leaving now?"
"I already said Whitebeard wouldn't waste effort on a dead man," Kai casually picked his nose and turned around to leave.
Seeing this big bald head, who was completely unrestrained and outspoken, many faces in the crowd couldn't help but twitch.
But there was a strange feeling—an inability to argue back.
After all, witnessing a stunning young girl from a beautiful country being publicly rejected, Hiyori, who was naturally charming and self-pitying, was well known in Wano.
And within Whitebeard's crew, her power wasn't insignificant.
"Wait a moment, kid!" Whitebeard suddenly spoke.
"What's wrong? Want to fight?" Kai's dead-fish eyes flicked, and he suddenly blurted out.
This made Hiyori's feet go cold.
Facing the leader of the Four Emperors, and someone on the Moby Dick able to say such things,
Only Kai, this rough-minded person, could possibly do it.
But this wasn't Kai's fault.
In the original story, Saitama became stronger after going bald.
This also caused his emotional fluctuations to weaken gradually.
He always gave the impression of a lazy, decadent little man lying on the sofa.
If he didn't still harbor heroic dreams in his heart, he might have long been lying there motionless.
However, when faced with Whitebeard's sudden words of warning, the atmosphere on the deck instantly became oppressive.
"You really have guts, kid!" Whitebeard laughed loudly. "Your personality is a bit like Oden's."
"But I told you to stop, not to cause trouble for me. I just want to invite you—become the reserve captain of the Fourth Division of Whitebeard's Pirates!"
Reserve Captain of the Fourth Division?
Everyone present was stunned, including the division captains.
"Dad, Thatch was just recently betrayed by Teach, and besides, according to the rules, to be promoted to division captain requires merit and assessment…" The Fifth Division Captain, Vista, was the first to lose his composure and spoke hurriedly.
But before he could finish, Marco reached out to stop him.
"Vista, Dad already said, this is for the reserve captain."
"Saitama, is qualified to succeed Thatch, but others also have the right to challenge. It's all about strength. Dad isn't breaking his own rules."
Seeing Marco explaining, the hesitant captains fell silent.
"Haha, little brother, Whitebeard's ship has a lot of rules. If you don't mind, you can come directly to my Red Force. We often hold banquets," Shanks suddenly burst out laughing.
"Want to join me and turn this world upside down?"
The huge deck instantly fell into silence.
Watching Shanks, who had come out in front of everyone, many people were stunned.
Even Whitebeard's expression darkened slightly.
If Whitebeard's gesture of extending an olive branch was to recognize Saitama's strength, it might also be to repay the kindness of rescuing Ace.
And the credit for escorting Hiyori.
But now, as one of the Four Emperors, Shanks, in front of Whitebeard, also extended an invitation.
This turned admiration into a hot potato—like holding a burning torch.
If the outside world found out that two of the Four Emperors simultaneously invited a newcomer, and promised him a core position, it would surely cause a stir among all factions.
Perhaps it could even trigger a scramble among other powers.
However, before everyone could react, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out.
"Haha, I didn't expect that after just running here, I'd encounter such a lively scene. It's truly exciting!"
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