With Blackbeard Teach's current whereabouts unknown, this was the only viable thod of tracking him down.
Thankfully, Ryū still rembered enough of the One Piece storyline to know where Teach would head after eating the Dark-Dark Fruit. Without that knowledge, a ten-day ti limit to find one man in an entire world would have been—
Well, a needle in a very, very large ocean.
After a brief pause, Ryū continued. "Intercepting him along the route to Fish-Man Island, or waiting for him at Fish-Man Island itself, is our best shot."
Whitebeard considered this carefully, then nodded with a decisive expression.
"If that's the Admin's assessnt, then we move imdiately. Set course for Fish-Man Island!"
Whitebeard had no idea where Teach might have fled. In a situation like this, the only person he could trust was the one who knew the future — the Admin.
And in Whitebeard's mind, the man who held the title of Dinsional Chat Group Admin had to be soone deeply reliable.
So he chose to trust Ryū unconditionally.
Standing nearby, the division commanders — Marco, Ace, Jozu, Vista, and others — watched in bewildered silence as their old man conversed with two complete strangers.
What had their jaws on the floor was the fact that Whitebeard had called the young man "Admin-dono." A term of deep respect.
This was Whitebeard. The Whitebeard. Using an honorific for soone.
And he'd called the young woman "senpai." Another honorific.
One of the three legendary pirates of the old era. One of the current Four Emperors of the New World. The man the World Governnt branded the "Strongest Man in the World."
And he was showing deference to two strangers who looked younger than Ace.
The division commanders nearly dropped their eyeballs.
Even Marco — who'd been with Whitebeard the longest out of anyone — had absolutely no idea what was going on. When had their old man picked up two mysterious "old friends"?
And this pair of teenagers was supposed to be old friends?
That didn't track. At all.
The commanders exchanged bewildered glances. Every pair of eyes reflected the sa shock and confusion. So of them half-wondered if they were dreaming.
But they held their tongues.
This was one of those monts where silence was the only correct response.
If their old man said these two strangers were his friends, then as his sons, all they could do was stand there quietly and watch him talk.
The Moby Dick was an excellent vessel, but the shipbuilding technology of the One Piece world couldn't hold a candle to modern engineering. As a result, their sailing speed was respectable but far from blazing.
Fortunately, the Whitebeard Pirates' navigators were veterans of the New World. They skillfully skirted around storms, squalls, and other brutal weather systems, keeping the voyage as smooth as possible.
"Mmm… this cuisine has quite a distinctive flavor. Nothing like what we have in Gensōkyō. The chef's skill is easily top-tier."
Yukari dipped a slice of sashimi into a dollop of sauce and slipped it past her lips with practiced elegance, chewing lightly before swallowing.
She offered genuine praise: "Almost on par with Ran's cooking."
Then she turned to Ryū, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "Admin-dono, it's been three days now. If we can't complete the Group Quest within the ti limit… there won't be so kind of penalty, will there?"
Ryū dabbed at his mouth with a handkerchief and shook his head. "No penalties. If you can't finish within the deadline, you just don't get the reward, and you get sent back to your own world automatically."
He gazed out at the endless ocean stretching to the horizon and genuinely wondered: why did so many people choose to beco pirates?
Three days on the open sea had already bored him half to death. And actual pirates spent months drifting like this.
Did they just… never get bored?
Whitebeard studied a nautical chart, then spoke up. "At our current speed, we should reach the waters directly above Fish-Man Island in two or three hours. The Moby Dick is faster than anything Teach could manage alone — we'll beat him there. We just need to find a place to anchor nearby."
"Or better yet, find soone to coat the Moby Dick first. Then we can descend directly into Fish-Man Island and wait for Blackbeard Teach to co to us."
Whitebeard had spent decades on these seas. He might not have been a professional navigator, but reading a nautical chart was child's play for him.
Ryū nodded. He was about to say sothing when a familiar chi echoed through his mind from the Dinsional Chat Group.
And it wasn't just him. Yukari and Whitebeard heard it too — the unmistakable notification sound.
Yukari's chopsticks paused mid-air. "Admin-dono, sothing's happened in the chat group… it seems a new mber has joined."
Almost simultaneously, Whitebeard added, "Indeed — a new mber. Their na is… 'Crazy Diamond'? What a peculiar userna. Don't tell it's one of my sons — Diamond Jozu?"
Hearing the words "Crazy Diamond," Ryū visibly stiffened.
Because that na sounded extrely familiar.
Was it really Diamond Jozu from the Whitebeard Pirates? Could two people from the sa world — the sa ship — the sa crew — both join the Dinsional Chat Group?
It wasn't impossible, technically…
But that seed like way too much of a coincidence.
Sa world was already a stretch. Sa ship? Father and son?
No way.
Crazy Diamond…
Crazy Diamond…
Where had he heard that before? The mory was fuzzy, right on the tip of his tongue.
Ryū dove into the Dinsional Chat Group. Sure enough, a new mber notification was waiting.
DING!
[「Crazy Diamond」 has joined the Dinsional Chat Group!]
Staring at the hauntingly familiar userna, Ryū wracked his brain for a few seconds.
Then it hit him like a Stand rush to the face.
"Crazy Diamond… don't tell that's Josuke Higashikata from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4 — the guy whose hair looks like a seat??"
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