March, Year 1468 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
The New World.
Sphinx Island.
"Gurararara~~~"
"Ike!"
A bold voice rang out. Along with that hearty laughter, a rough, powerful tone followed, "I've finally found you!"
The man who appeared was towering, over 650 centiters tall. His upper body was bare, a coat draped over his shoulders. He had long golden hair and a crescent-shaped white mustache. Holding a naginata in his hand, he laughed loudly, his face filled with excitent as he looked at the young man before him.
Standing opposite him was a youth with equally golden hair, but far more handso and refined, clearly around seventeen or eighteen years old.
Edward Newgate.
Edward Ike.
The forr was twenty years old.
The latter, eighteen.
They were true like brothers by blood. As Ike looked at the man laughing boldly before him, though still young, he could already see the bearing of the future strongest man in the world.
"Seriously…" Ike smacked his lips and thought to himself, "I never expected this. Whitebeard is actually my cousin. I rember my parents ntioning I had an uncle and a cousin when I was little, but in a place like Sphinx… who would've thought?"
Ike was a transmigrator. Eighteen years ago, he ca to this world of great pirates as a newborn. When he was just three years old, his parents passed away, and from that point on, he survived on his own through sheer resilience and talent.
Of course…
Being born on Sphinx Island, carrying the Edward surna, he had once wondered whether he had any connection to Edward Newgate, the man destined to beco the strongest in the world.
Unfortunately, on an island like Sphinx, where chaos was constant, simply staying alive was already a challenge. He had never imagined that after struggling to survive until eighteen, and after going out to sea and returning, his cousin would actually co looking for him.
Good grief.
Seriously.
His cousin really was the future strongest man in the world.
After all, on Sphinx Island, the surna Edward wasn't rare—it was a fairly large family na.
"Gurararara~~~"
Seeing Ike lost in thought, Newgate assud his younger brother was overwheld. He laughed heartily and said, "Ike! Don't be nervous. We're definitely family! Don't worry—from today onward, as long as your big brother is here, nothing will ever happen to you!"
"…."
Ike watched his cousin pounding his chest and laughing boldly, then shook his head with a faint smile.
Honestly.
He might doubt anyone else's strength, but he would never doubt his cousin's.
No joke—this was a man who had set sail from a young age and survived through the Rocks era, the era of the three great legendary pirates, the Great Pirate Era, and even into the era of the Four Emperors. If he hadn't charged straight into Marine Headquarters, he could've lived into the next era as well.
A great pirate revered as the strongest man in the world—weak?
If anyone said that, Ike would slap them across the neck and ask if their brain was broken.
He was just… too shocked.
He never expected that Whitebeard was actually his cousin.
"That's wonderful…" Newgate looked at Ike, his laughter gradually fading. His resolute expression softened with emotion as he said quietly, "Ike… I've finally found you. I finally have family again. This is great… truly great!"
"…."
Hearing Newgate's words, the faint smile on Ike's lips slowly disappeared.
Family.
For both Newgate and Ike, those two words carried imnse weight.
Even though Ike was a transmigrator, his parents had given him warmth and love before he turned three. But everything disappeared in that upheaval, leaving him alone.
As for Newgate, there was no need to elaborate. He went out to sea to search for family, to build one. He devoted everything to it. The War of the Best in the future—wasn't it all for the sake of his sons?
"Gurararara~~~"
Seeing Ike fall silent, Newgate suddenly burst into laughter again. "Ike! No matter what, we're not alone anymore! Pack your things—we're setting sail! We'll venture out into this sea, and we'll definitely find family. We'll build a family of our own!"
"…."
Looking at the overly excited Newgate, Ike asked, "Big brother, I have an idea. Can I ask you sothing?"
"Huh?" Newgate blinked, puzzled. "Ike, what is it?"
"Big brother," Ike asked curiously, "how exactly do you plan to find family and build one?"
Newgate answered without hesitation, "Of course, we find people like us, take them in, make them our family, and build it together!"
"Big brother…"
"…Eh?"
"Big brother!"
Ike thought for a mont. Calling him cousin felt a bit off, but Newgate didn't mind at all.
Listening to his plan, Ike couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Big brother, are you sure that idea works? On this sea, how dark people can be—you know that, right? The ones you take in, the ones just like us… can they really be trusted?"
"This…" Newgate froze.
He wanted family, but that didn't an he was stupid. In this chaotic sea—especially in the New World—betrayal was the norm.
"Ike…" Newgate smacked his lips and asked, "Then what do you think we should do?"
"Simple."
Ike snapped his fingers, completely calm, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Big brother! If you want a family, then just have one yourself. Your own sons, your own daughters—aren't they better than outsiders? Think about it. That's our real family."
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