"Lord... Enma?"
Hearing such a name from the mouth of the Shinigami before him, Whitebeard was shocked, finding it incredibly familiar.
He remembered hearing long ago from his brother Oden that in the ancient legends of Wano Country, the deity in charge of the afterlife was named King Enma.
Could the legends be true?
No, the Shinigami had already appeared, so King Enma must be real as well.
But Whitebeard had never imagined that he, a mere pirate, would be granted an audience with such a great figure after death.
It seemed his status as an Emperor carried some weight even in the netherworld.
Could it be that the enemies he had defeated had gone to the afterlife and spread his name?
Whitebeard was a little confused. Even if he had some fame, it wasn't enough to warrant a personal visit from King Enma, was it?
It wasn't just Whitebeard; the veteran pirates around him who had worked with Oden also couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise upon hearing the name.
"King... Enma..."
Ace had personally been to Wano Country, so he naturally knew the name as well.
Although surprised, the thought of his friends in Wano filled his heart with a sudden melancholy.
He wondered how Tama, Yamato, and the people oppressed by Kaido and Orochi were doing.
'I can no longer fulfill the promise I made back then...'
As they were heading over, a huge voice, like a great bell, sounded from behind them.
"Pops, Ace, everyone, I'm so glad you're okay."
"Huh? Why don't I see Marco and the others? Where are they?"
"Ah, isn't this Marine Headquarters? Why can't these marines see me?"
Hearing the voice, everyone turned in unison.
They saw an incredibly massive giant striding towards them. He had bluish-brown skin, two horns on his head, and a mouthful of fangs, looking ferocious and terrifying.
From a distance, it was as if a high mountain were slowly moving towards them.
"Oz Jr.?"
"Yeah, Oz Jr. is dead too."
Oz Jr. walked towards Whitebeard and the others, muttering his confusion.
In a few steps, he was in front of them, squatting down to look at Whitebeard and Ace.
"Pops, Ace, what's going on?"
Looking at Oz Jr., who still hadn't figured out his situation, a pang of pain shot through Ace's heart. Guilt and self-blame once again welled up inside him.
Tears streamed down his face again, but he bit his lip hard, stopping himself from crying out loud.
Oz Jr. had died to save him.
And he had implicated Whitebeard and his crewmates as well.
Looking at Ace's state, Whitebeard sighed. His expression then became solemn, and he looked up and shouted at Oz Jr., "Stupid son, you're already dead, aren't you?"
Realization dawned on Oz Jr. "Oh yeah, I remember now. I was killed by the Warlords and the marines."
Whitebeard gritted his teeth and shouted, "It's not just you! Me, Ace, and everyone else, we're all dead now!"
"Ace and Pops too... Does that mean we still couldn't save Ace?"
Oz Jr. was stunned at first. He then looked at Whitebeard and Ace's figures, but a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"We couldn't save Ace, and we even implicated Pops. Although that's not good..."
"But to still be with you all, it's really great."
The smile on such a ferocious face, on the contrary, made the fierce-looking giant seem to have a simple, childlike innocence.
"Stupid son!"
Whitebeard knew Oz Jr.'s naive personality, but hearing him say this, he couldn't help but feel his eyes redden.
But now was not the time to be immersed in emotion.
"Oz, we're going to see King Enma now. Do you want to come along?"
"Yes! As long as I'm with Pops, I'll go anywhere!"
"Then follow us."
Led by Fugaku, a large group of souls came to a pile of rubble in front of the Marine Headquarters building.
The moment they arrived, Whitebeard and the others were filled with complex emotions.
The reason was simple.
To one side of them, the Fleet Admiral and the Admirals were directing the post-war cleanup.
He was right beside Sengoku, yet the man was completely unaware... to face his old rival in such a state was a truly strange feeling.
"Whoa, it's my first time seeing the Fleet Admiral up close!"
"That's Akainu. He's wrapped in such thick bandages. He really fought hard. In comparison, Aokiji and Kizaru next to him..."
"That's a given. Admiral Sakazuki is a model for all marines! If he had died, he definitely wouldn't have let you pirates off!"
"Pah, pah, what are you saying? The Admiral should be alive and well, and then kill all the pirates on the sea to carry out justice to the end!"
Seeing that the pirates and marines were about to start another commotion, this time, without Fugaku needing to apply pressure, they were suppressed by Whitebeard and the marine generals.
After order was restored, Fugaku first warned Whitebeard and the marine generals.
"You are about to see our lord. You souls must be mindful of your etiquette in his presence."
Fugaku then said to the Uchiha around him, "In our lord's presence, you must maintain order among these souls. Do not bring shame to our Uchiha clan."
"Understood."
Several Uchiha responded and then dispersed among the group of souls to be ready to suppress any trouble.
Fugaku quickly descended from mid-air to the ground and ran towards the front.
On a pile of rubble sat two young men, also dressed in pitch-black clothing. One was sitting casually, the other stood guard behind him.
The group of souls saw the red-eyed Shinigami who had brought them over kneel on one knee before the young man sitting on the rubble.
His face was full of respect, completely devoid of the condescending air he had shown them before.
How could Whitebeard and the others not see that this young man was the "master" the Shinigami had spoken of, the legendary King Enma!
Observing the appearance of this King Enma, what surprised everyone was that this king who ruled the afterlife was not the ten-meter-tall, red-faced, fanged, ferocious figure they had imagined.
On the contrary, he was no different from an ordinary person, and was even quite handsome.
The only impressive feature was that this King Enma's eyebrows were very thick and heavy.
The red-eyed Shinigami was speaking to King Enma. The distance was too great and their voices were too soft for the group to hear clearly.
But after they finished talking, the red-eyed Shinigami stood up and beckoned for them to come over.
As they got closer, Whitebeard and the others could see more clearly.
'His appearance really is no different from an ordinary person.'
And that King Enma also looked over as the group approached.
He glanced lightly over the souls, his gaze finally resting on Whitebeard at the front.
His face was calm, without a single expression, giving off a serious and somber feeling.
"Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, right? Those last words of yours were very well said."
"You've heard the situation from Fugaku. I can give you a chance to live again."
"So, will you sign a contract with me?"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]