Aboard the Moby Dick, Ace stared at the young man before him, eyes welling with tears.
That feeling—when someone you believed dead is suddenly standing alive right in front of you—was beyond words. His body trembled slightly.
"S-Sabo!"
After a long pause, Ace finally cried out his name, overwhelmed with emotion.
"Yo. Long time no see."
Sabo tilted the brim of his hat down slightly, a warm smile lighting up his face as he raised a hand in greeting.
"You bastard!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Ace, tears brimming in the corners of his eyes, lunged forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Sabo's neck.
The long-awaited reunion of brothers, after more than a decade apart, instantly moved the entire Whitebeard Pirates crew.
"Haha, surprised?"
"I was just as shocked when I saw you in the papers!"
Sabo laughed as he felt Ace trembling beside him.
"You idiot… If you were alive, why didn't you tell me? Or Luffy?" Ace asked, slightly upset.
"I'm sorry."
"I didn't know either. That day…"
Sabo bowed deeply to Ace, then explained the circumstances of his memory loss. At the end, he added:
"What shocked me most… was finding out that Mr. Dragon is Luffy's father!"
"Ah! That, I knew." Ace nodded.
"There's so much I want to say to you…"
"But I'm afraid duty calls."
Turning toward Whitebeard, Sabo bowed respectfully.
"Captain Whitebeard, on behalf of the Revolutionary Army, I've come to invite you to become our ally."
"Gurararara…"
"Kid, do you even know what you're saying?" Whitebeard chuckled, cracking open one eye as a fearsome aura erupted from his body.
"I know exactly what I'm saying. This isn't just the will of the Revolutionary Army—it's also the intention of my teacher, Ghidorah."
Under the crushing pressure of Whitebeard's Haki, Sabo held his ground, meeting his gaze with steady eyes.
"Ghidorah, huh…"
Whitebeard looked at him with a flash of admiration in his eyes—then froze for a beat when he heard that name.
By now, everyone in the world knew what that name meant.
A being that openly opposed the World Government, who had taken over the former Holy Land of Mary Geoise and renamed it the "Kingdom of Joy."
Such an act had never occurred in the history of the World Government.
"Politics have nothing to do with pirates like us."
Whitebeard didn't refuse—but he didn't accept either. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and asked calmly.
"Politics may not matter to pirates—but what's coming will affect the entire world."
"And I believe you can see that."
"From this moment until the chaos ends—no one will be able to stay out of it."
Whitebeard's eyes flashed with cold light. Without a word, he suddenly grabbed the massive bisento beside him and swung it toward Sabo.
"Pops!!"
Startled, Ace rushed forward to intercept—but a hand fell on his shoulder.
"Relax. Pops is just testing him."
It was Marco, who appeared calmly beside him.
Hearing this, Ace hesitated—then stepped back, though his face remained tense.
The blade sliced through the air like a tidal wave.
In that overwhelming pressure, Sabo stood like a lone boat in a raging sea.
His instincts screamed at him to dodge—but in that moment, he realized Whitebeard's intent.
So he stood firm, feet rooted to the deck like an immovable tree, and did not flinch as the bisento came crashing down.
"Sabo, move!!" Ace screamed.
The Whitebeard crew, shocked, watched in horror.
This was their first time meeting Sabo, but being Ace's brother earned him their trust. And yet… this fool looked like he was frozen in fear!
Even Whitebeard was about to pull back at the last second—until he caught a glimmer of absolute confidence in Sabo's eyes.
But it was too late—the attack had already landed.
BOOM!
CRACK! CRACK!!
A shockwave burst across the deck—splinters and dust flying everywhere.
"Nani?!"
"No way!!"
"That was Pops' full force!!"
As the smoke cleared, everyone stared wide-eyed at the young man now revealed beneath the bisento.
There he stood—skinny, scholarly in appearance—his jet-black arm holding back Whitebeard's mighty weapon.
"Oi, old man… maybe don't open with a sneak attack?"
"Kuwainé~!"
Despite the power behind the attack, Sabo responded with a calm and cheeky smile.
"Gurararara…"
"As expected of that monster's student."
"With the strength you have now, you've already surpassed the me of old."
Whitebeard withdrew his weapon and slammed it into the deck beside him with a resounding thud.
His eyes scanned across the crew.
Since returning from the Paramount War, his health had been deteriorating.
The seas, once calm, were now in turmoil—and in his condition, he might not live to see what was coming.
Though he smiled for his sons every day, deep down… he feared for them.
Could they truly stay uninvolved?
No. No one could stay uninvolved in this world anymore.
"My boys may not be the sharpest blades—but with them by my side, I'm content."
"Ace. Marco."
Hearing Whitebeard call their names, both men stepped forward without hesitation.
He looked at them with pride, then turned back to the crew and declared:
"From today onward, the Whitebeard Pirates will be led by Ace and Marco."
"Gurararara… I'm just an old relic of a bygone era. I won't meddle in your decisions—but…"
"Whatever path you take, your old man will back you to the very end!"
Silence fell across the ship.
Not because of the leadership change—everyone had expected Ace and Marco to succeed Whitebeard years ago.
But because of Whitebeard himself.
Even if they didn't want to admit it, everyone now sensed it:
The end was near.
"Pops…"
Ace and Marco spoke at the same time.
"Gurarara… I'm not dead yet!"
"Don't go looking so gloomy. Do whatever you feel is right!"
Whitebeard barked, forcing a grin.
"Hahaha… hey, old man, it's just an invitation—why make it sound like a final farewell?"
Sabo's voice broke the heavy mood, drawing everyone's glare.
Unfazed, he continued:
"My teacher said—if you agree to cooperate, you should come to the Kingdom of Joy yourself."
"Because with your condition…"
"You might not even live to see the war begin."
"Nani?!"
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