Chapter 113: Rocks Has Returned?!
The Grand Line, the New World.
In a certain stretch of sea.
The Whitebeard Pirates were sailing across the waves. Aboard the Moby Dick, crew members moved about in small groups, animatedly discussing their most recent battle.
A few days ago, they had crushed a pirate crew that hadn't known its place. That crew had just entered the New World and immediately offended their Father, Whitebeard. Without hesitation, they had uprooted the fools and wiped them out entirely.
For the members of the Whitebeard Pirates, this was routine conversation. While there were heroes among pirates like their Father, most were just idiots who didn't understand where they stood. Having gained a tiny bit of fame, they were always impatient to challenge a Yonko at the top, dreaming of toppling them.
Such idiots appeared every year.
What they had to do was use victory after victory to clear out those arrogant fools, defending the name of the Yonko—or more accurately, defending their Father's dignity. As for the fools they had eliminated, they would soon fade from memory, becoming nothing more than another badge of triumph.
Soon, the conversation shifted from the battle to the victory feast. Many remarked on how good the liquor tasted during a celebration; especially after defeating a group of enemies, the drinks seemed to have a special flavor.
However, in contrast to the cheering pirates around him, Marco, the First Division Commander, kept a close eye on his Father. He was well aware that the Old Man was aging, and his physical condition wasn't what it used to be, so he had to stay vigilant.
Then, he noticed that his Father seemed unusually distracted today.
"What's wrong, Pops?"
Marco approached and asked curiously, "You seem like you've got something on your mind."
Hearing the concerned voice of his son, Whitebeard—Edward Newgate—pulled his gaze back from the horizon. "Where is Ace?"
Not long ago, Blackbeard Teach had betrayed them, murdering a comrade in cold blood. Without a doubt, this act violated the iron law of their crew. Consequently, the Second Division Commander, Ace, had immediately set out to hunt him down, intent on bringing Teach back to face judgment.
But ever since Ace left, a shadow had hung over Whitebeard's heart. He couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Today, that premonition felt even heavier, like a dark cloud pressing down on his soul, causing him to lose focus repeatedly.
That was why, upon hearing Marco's question, Whitebeard instinctively asked about Ace's location.
"I just spoke with Ace over the Den Den Mushi," Marco replied. "He's currently arrived at the Kingdom of Alabasta."
"Alabasta? The place that was reported to be the location of Pluton a few days ago?" Whitebeard knit his brows. "What is Ace doing there?"
Marco shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. Maybe he's there for Pluton?"
After all, it was Pluton, one of the three Ancient Weapons. Marco was fairly certain that Ace was likely in Alabasta to find Pluton as a gift for his Father. Even though Crocodile, who had been targeting the weapon, had been captured, Alabasta remained the center of a massive storm. There was no telling how many factions had infiltrated the country in search of the legendary warship.
The chaos in Alabasta wouldn't settle easily. Not unless someone proved that Pluton wasn't there.
Whitebeard sighed. "Pluton or not, I don't care. What I care about is the safety of my family. Contact Ace immediately and tell him to come back at once."
Marco gave a bitter smile. "I can call him, but whether he'll actually come back... I can't guarantee that. You know Ace's personality. Once he's set his mind on something, ten bulls couldn't pull him back."
Whitebeard couldn't help but chuckle. That much was true. Yet, for some reason, the dark cloud in his heart only grew heavier. He waved a massive hand. "Let me talk to him directly once you get him on the line."
Marco nodded, pulling out a Den Den Mushi from his robe. He was just about to make the call when...
The sky went dark.
Or rather, it wasn't the sky itself that darkened. Instead, the sun overhead was eclipsed by a gargantuan object.
Marco snapped his head up and saw a massive island suddenly appearing in the sky, over a hundred meters above them. The island floated serenely over the Moby Dick, blocking out the sunlight and creating the illusion that night had fallen.
Whitebeard saw the island as well. He stood up from his chair instantly, and a ferocious surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, sweeping outward like a landslide or a tsunami.
At the same moment, an equally wild Conqueror's Haki radiated from the island above, clashing violently with Whitebeard's. Black and red lightning crackled through the air, and the sky itself seemed to split apart in an instant.
A blond-haired man leaped from the island, hurtling toward the Moby Dick. He gripped two razor-sharp Meito swords in his hands, swinging them down toward Whitebeard's head with terrifying force.
Whitebeard clenched his right fist, activating the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. He coated his fist in Conqueror's Haki and punched upward toward the descending man.
"SHIKI!!!"
"EDWARD NEWGATE!!!"
*BOOM!*
Even with a gap still between them, the sheer force of their collision exploded, creating a thunderous roar. On the deck of the Moby Dick, a circular shockwave blasted outward like a tsunami, sweeping in all directions. Visible ripples in the air spread out layer after layer.
Marco watched the scene with wide eyes, silently thankful that the explosion had occurred in mid-air. If it hadn't, the Moby Dick would have been pulverized, and very few would have survived.
This was a clash of Yonko-level power. Even though Marco had seen it many times, he was still filled with awe every time it happened.
"Long time no see, Newgate. You've still got it!"
Seeing that his attack hadn't managed to topple Whitebeard, Shiki sheathed his swords and landed slowly on the deck of the Moby Dick, letting out a raucous laugh. "Gehahahahahaha!"
But Whitebeard didn't share the sentiment. "Shiki, do you have a death wish?"
If that attack hadn't been stopped in time, the entire Moby Dick would have been reduced to splinters. Countless crew members would have been lost, and several of his sons would have surely died. Whitebeard was genuinely furious; Shiki had crossed a line.
However, alongside his anger, he was curious about Shiki's state. If he remembered correctly, when Shiki escaped Impel Down over a decade ago, he had cut off his own legs. But the Shiki standing before him was completely whole, without a single scar. Even the steering wheel in his head was gone, and his entire body seemed rejuvenated.
What on earth had happened?
Facing Whitebeard's wrath, Shiki laughed even harder. "Don't be in such a rush, Newgate. I came here to find you today with two other old friends."
Old friends?
Before Whitebeard could react, two more figures descended from the floating island. One came riding down on a dark thundercloud, a ferocious Conqueror's Haki sweeping through the area. The other was a massive blue dragon, flying down with bared fangs and claws, its own wild Haki refusing to be outdone.
"It's been a long time, Newgate!"
"Whitebeard, I've arrived!"
Confronted by these two streams of Conqueror's Haki falling from the sky, Whitebeard refused to back down. He unleashed his own Haki once more, clashing with both of theirs.
In an instant, the sky split again. Black and red lightning ran rampant across the heavens.
This time, it wasn't just the Moby Dick; the surrounding ships were also caught in the aftermath. One by one, crew members collapsed, falling unconscious from the sheer pressure of the Haki collision.
"Linlin, Kaidou... you've gone too far! GU RA RA RA!"
Seeing his sons falling one after another, Whitebeard's rage reached its boiling point. Without hesitation, he channeled the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, unleashing an unprecedented strike toward Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin. A white halo of light exploded from his fist as if the very fabric of space were being shattered. The violent atmosphere carried a posture of total destruction, surging toward the two newcomers.
Kaidou immediately shifted into his hybrid form, swinging his iron mace.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Charlotte Linlin drew her weapon as well.
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
*KABOOM!!!*
Three distinct powers collided. For a moment, the world lost its color. The atmosphere wailed, and the resulting shockwave threw the sea into chaos, forming massive tidal waves dozens of meters high.
Whitebeard couldn't help but take a step back, and his heart sank.
If he were still in his youth, he wouldn't have cared if Kaidou and Linlin teamed up. Back then, he had absolute confidence in himself. But now was different. He was old, and his body was riddled with scars and illness. If it came down to a true battle, he wasn't sure he could handle both Kaidou and Linlin at once, especially with Shiki watching from the sidelines.
If the three of them worked together, he might truly not escape death today. The Whitebeard Pirates could very well become a thing of the past.
Therefore, Whitebeard suppressed his anger and asked in a cold voice, "Shiki, Linlin, and you, brat Kaidou... what exactly do you want?"
Beside him, Marco's face was grim. Shiki was hard enough to deal with on his own, and now they had Yonko Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin to contend with. He didn't understand why these three were traveling together, but this was the greatest crisis the Whitebeard Pirates had ever faced.
Shiki spoke calmly, "Relax, Newgate. We didn't come here to wipe out the Whitebeard Pirates. We came to recruit you. Someone wants to take action against the World Government, and they hope you'll join their faction."
Whitebeard was stunned for a moment. "Could it be that you three... have already joined?"
Shiki nodded. "That's right. We have all joined under that Lord's command."
Hearing this, Marco felt as if his entire worldview had exploded. The legendary Golden Lion, Yonko Kaidou, and Big Mom had all submitted to one person? Who could possibly be so powerful as to achieve such a feat?
Whitebeard was equally shocked, and a sudden possibility occurred to him.
"Could it be... that Rocks has returned?!"
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