"Admiral Shikiryū: I will be the one to protect Fishman Island!"
The next day, those bold words made the front page headline, accompanied by a photograph of Kaito floating in the sky above Fishman Island, looking down.
The lighting in the photo was skillfully done, making the Rinnegan in Kaito's eyes stand out strikingly under the sunlight.
...
Aboard the Moby Dick...
"Pops! Fishman Island's been taken over by Shikiryū!"
Marco rushed up to Whitebeard, waving a newspaper in his hand. But to his surprise, Whitebeard didn't seem the least bit shocked. He casually took the paper from Marco, glanced at it, then tossed it aside.
Marco hesitated a moment before speaking.
"Pops, Fishman Island was under our protection. Isn't Shikiryū stepping over the line here…?"
Whitebeard gave him a glance. Of course, he knew Kaito's move was a provocation—but what could he do about it?
Just last night, Neptune had called to inform him, clearly apologetic in his tone.
...
...
If this had happened in the past, with Whitebeard's old temperament, even his good relationship with Neptune wouldn't have stopped him from retaliating. But the one who took over Fishman Island was Uchiha Kaito!
Whitebeard was confident in his own strength, but not so deluded as to think he could beat both Kaido and Shanks in a single day. Even if he managed to defeat Kaido, he'd have nothing left in the tank to face another Yonko like Shanks.
Whitebeard was getting old. These days, he just wanted to stay with his sons. If confronting Shikiryū meant losing them, how many would be left standing?
Besides, not long after Neptune's call, Shanks himself had come aboard and said only one thing the moment they met:
"Don't go up against Shikiryū."
"..."
Frustrated, Whitebeard took a deep swig of his sake, then smashed the gourd on the ground, shattering it into pieces.
The man once hailed as the "Strongest in the World"—when had he ever been forced into such a humiliating position?
Now, he was being pushed into a corner by some upstart in the Navy. And the two of them hadn't even met face to face!
Marco watched his father in silence, feeling the same helplessness weighing on his chest.
A thought crept into his mind for the first time—
Has Pops... really gotten old?
Just then, Blackbeard Teach arrived and overheard part of their conversation. He instantly panicked inside.
Is the Whitebeard Pirates not even safe anymore!?
Was this still the crew with the "Strongest Man in the World" at its helm?
He used to think that if the Dark-Dark Fruit never came his way, he'd just settle down here and live out his days. But now... that plan was starting to look shaky.
Clenching his fists, he gritted his teeth and muttered internally,
No! I can't keep living like this. I have to get my hands on the Dark-Dark Fruit!
As he stood there deep in thought, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder. He spun around with a snarl, glaring murderously.
"Who's there!?"
The one who had touched him was Thatch, commander of the Fourth Division of the Whitebeard Pirates. He froze on the spot under Teach's fierce gaze.
This was the first time Thatch had seen such a look from Teach. In his mind, Teach had always been a harmless, good-natured guy.
Realizing his outburst, Teach immediately cursed himself. He couldn't let the persona he'd built for years collapse now.
He quickly put on his usual grin.
"Oh, it's just you, Captain Thatch. What's up? Something you need from me?"
Thatch blinked, wondering if he'd imagined it—Teach looked totally normal now.
But after years of seeing Teach act like a harmless buffoon, Thatch decided not to dwell on it. He asked,
"You've been standing here for a while. Something on your mind?"
"Oh, it's nothing serious, Captain Thatch. I'm just a bit worried about Pops. He seems really upset about the Fishman Island situation."
"I see... Well, it can't be helped. Shikiryū's power is terrifying—neither Kaido nor Red-Hair could beat him. Pops held back for our sake."
"Yeah, that Shikiryū really is a monster! Zehahahahaha!"
Teach let out his signature laugh and brushed it off.
Thatch didn't want to dwell on such a depressing topic either. After a moment's thought, he casually said,
"Some folks seem to have forgotten how scary the Whitebeard Pirates can be. A crew attacked our territory recently, and Pops ordered the Fourth Division to wipe them out. Get ready for battle."
"Got it, Captain Thatch!"
Teach responded obediently and turned to leave. He needed to return to his room and think—really think—about what path he would take from now on.
Thatch watched his retreating back, deep in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that Teach was hiding something.
But before he could dwell on it, Whitebeard started coughing violently. The stress had triggered his illness.
Seeing Whitebeard in such pain, Thatch immediately forgot about Teach and rushed to help Marco insert needles to stabilize him.
Once Whitebeard had been brought back to his room, Marco and Thatch stood side by side on the deck, both looking grim. Marco said darkly,
"Pops' condition is getting worse. We can't go on like this. The Navy's power is growing, and we're in a tight spot."
Thatch nodded in agreement. At that moment, he was hit with a hard truth—he wasn't strong enough. Not against today's Navy.
As the ship's cook, Thatch suddenly felt an overwhelming hunger for power. But strength wasn't something you could just conjure up—it wasn't treasure.
Wait—treasure?
Thatch's eyes lit up. He thought of the fastest way to gain strength. He hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit yet!
Everyone knew that for those with limited talent, a powerful Devil Fruit was the fastest way to gain strength.
Take Marco, for example—he was already strong in hand-to-hand combat, but his Phoenix Fruit gave him incredible boosts. Everyone knew how jealous they were of his flying ability and insane regeneration.
Thatch had never cared much before, but now he truly understood the value of a Devil Fruit. He stared at Marco, lost in thought.
Marco felt uncomfortable under Thatch's stare and asked curiously,
"Thatch, what's with that look?"
Thatch snapped out of it and didn't hide his thoughts. He told Marco everything.
After listening, Marco gave it some thought. Thatch had a point. The Whitebeard Pirates needed to raise their overall power. That way, Pops could rest easier.
They had no shortage of Devil Fruits, but if Thatch was going to eat one, it had to be a good one. The leftovers weren't all that great.
No wonder they were just sitting in storage.
Thatch knew this too, so he said directly,
"Let's hold off for now. We've got a fight coming up in a few days—maybe our enemies will have something decent."
"Alright then. Good luck, Thatch!"