"Really, Captain Joz, you're eating way too much!"
"And Captain Bramank too..."
"At least leave us a sip of soup!"
Atop Oden Castle, the Whitebeard Pirates had surrounded Kozuki Oden's grave, indulging in their "Oden cooking." The atmosphere was surprisingly warm and jovial. Yet, except for a few, including Whitebeard himself, no one noticed the approaching spacecraft from afar.
Until…
"Daddy! Everyone!"
Shouts of excitement echoed down from the sky.
"Ace?"
"That's Ace's voice!"
"Everyone, look up!"
"Fairy Tail! That's Fairy Tail's ship!"
As the Fairy Tail vessel descended, the Whitebeard Pirates froze in panic. They hurriedly shoved bowls and chopsticks aside, guilt painted across their faces. After all, eating hot pot atop a friend's grave was not something they wanted outsiders to witness.
"Father… everyone… what are you doing? Are you actually having a party on someone else's grave?"
Ace leapt down from the ship first, his eyes wide in shock. In his mind, Whitebeard and the others had always been reliable and disciplined — nothing like this chaotic scene.
"That's… well… Ace, this is… our… karma with Oden!" Marco tried to explain, but words faltered.
"Hmph! Father Bai Xiaoji, what are you doing on my father's grave?"
A green-haired girl in a kimono stepped forward, hands on her hips, clearly annoyed.
"Who… are you?"
"This look… could it be… Hiyori-chan?"
"Yes, it must be Master Hiyori — she's exactly like Oden!"
Marco and the other captains were momentarily stunned before recognition hit. Kozuki Hiyori, Oden's daughter, was standing right in front of them. The embarrassment of being caught eating hot pot on her father's grave was instant. Even the calm and collected Marko stammered, flustered.
"Ahhh… Little Hiyori… I… I…"
"Hiyori-sama, I'm so sorry, but this is in honor of Oden-sama's life!" Yi Zang added, cheeks burning.
Watching their flustered expressions, Hiyori's anger melted into laughter.
"Alright, Father Bai Xiaoji… everyone. I know oden was my father's favorite when he was alive. If there's a spirit in heaven, I'm sure he'd be happy to see everyone gathered together like this!"
Her bright smile erased any remaining tension. Marco and the others finally exhaled in relief.
But now, with Fairy Tail's arrival, the "Oden farewell ceremony" naturally came to an end. The Whitebeard Pirates who hadn't eaten tidied up the scene, preparing for the next encounter.
Whitebeard rose to his full height, and the captains, led by Marco, lined up.
On the other side, Sugisawa Yuuto and the Fairy Tail girls disembarked. Two of the world's most formidable crews now faced each other. The tension in the air made the world itself seem to freeze.
Numerically, Fairy Tail was smaller than the Whitebeard Pirates, but their presence and aura were in no way inferior — if anything, there was a faint sense that they might even overshadow the larger crew.
This was no surprise. While the Whitebeard Pirates were legendary, only Whitebeard himself could truly contend with other great powers. Marco, as the vice-captain, could hold his own, but he was still far from matching Whitebeard's full might.
Fairy Tail, however, had Sugisawa Yuuto at their center. Erza had already defeated World Government Admiral-level threats, and Mirajan, ranked equally with Erza, was similarly formidable. Runti, wielding the combined might of the Eudemons Dakou Zhenshen Yamato and the Qinglong Fruit, formed an unshakable foundation for the team.
Though Nami, Vivi, and Kalifa couldn't match six top-tier opponents one-on-one, together their coordinated strength could outmatch anyone below the general's level. Robin's Wood-Wood Fruit powers, complemented by her Flower-Flower Fruit ability, were akin to a miniature Hashirama — critical for large-scale battles. Wendy, with Irene assisting invisibly, added another layer of support.
If an actual war broke out here, Sugisawa Yuuto was confident: Fairy Tail could take on the Whitebeard Pirates.
The invisible clash of forces stretched on in tense silence.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Whitebeard's booming laughter finally broke the frozen stillness.
"Fairy Tail! Seeing you in action is better than any tale — your reputation is well-earned!"
"And even now, the strongest among you still have room to grow!"
Yuuto paid no mind to the Emperor's playful boasting.
"First of all," Whitebeard began, shifting to a more formal tone, "as Oden's elder brother, I extend my sincerest thanks to President Sugisawa Yuuto for liberating Wanokuni. And then…"
He paused, switching topics.
"In all the seas, no one has dared release our Whitebeard Pirates' pigeons… except you, Fairy Tail!"
"You did?" Yuuto asked, intrigued.
"Of course! We foolishly waited on the agreed island for ages," Whitebeard admitted. "Yes, yes, the world was waiting!"
"We had agreed to form an alliance," he continued, "but you came directly to Wanokuni! You didn't just release our pigeons — you've outmaneuvered the entire world!"
Seeing Yuuto's calm, confident demeanor, the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration. Here was a crew smaller in size, yet so audacious in their approach.
"If that's the case," Yuuto replied, a slight smile curling his lips, "I should have informed Ace this morning, but I never promised an alliance with the Whitebeard Pirates."
He let the words hang in the air.
"Besides, the Beasts Pirates are just… mere pests. We can handle them ourselves — no alliances necessary."
The Whitebeard Pirates gaped. Mere Beasts Pirates? To call a force that had challenged the Emperors "mere" — it was almost sacrilegious. And to claim they had resolved it independently? The subtle arrogance cut deep.
Yet there was nothing they could do — Fairy Tail had done the impossible.
"Ha ha ha ha! Mere pests, you say? What an extraordinary man!" Whitebeard roared with laughter. "Do you intend to become the strongest today, right in front of me?"
The world seemed to hold its breath.
...
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