Before Orin arrived at Fishman Island.
New World, aboard the Moby Dick.
"Pops!!! Please allow to leave for a while! Fishman Island needs !!!"
On the deck, a figure knelt on the floor, tears streaming down his face, his head bowed deeply toward the towering man seated on the chair before him.
"The friends from Fishman Island have already told everything! With the dawn of this new era, the number of pirates has exploded! So many rmaids and fishn are being captured, enslaved, tortured, and sold! How can I just sit back and do nothing?!"
Hearing the pained plea of the 8th Division Commander Namur, the eyes of the world’s strongest man, Whitebeard—Edward Newgate—narrowed slightly, a flicker of emotion flashing through them.
Marco and the others clenched their fists as they watched, unable to bear seeing their crewmate in such agony.
Living in the New World for so long, they truly hadn’t realized just how dire the situation had beco for Fishman Island.
Since Roger opened the Great Pirate Era, there had indeed been a surge of newcors challenging Whitebeard, but none of them had expected the chaos to spread this far.
Even though fishn were generally five tis stronger than ordinary humans, Fishman Island lacked any top-tier powerhouse to protect it. Against pirates capable of surviving the New World, they were simply too weak—especially the beautiful rmaids, whose strength was no different from ordinary humans.
Catching even one rmaid could bring in a sky-high price, asured in billions of Belly. The more beautiful they were, the higher the price.
And so, Fishman Island had suffered greatly.
Neptune had once been Whitebeard’s friend, helping him greatly in his younger days.
And now, Fishman Island was also the holand of Namur, his son.
At this mont, Whitebeard made his decision.
"Silly son..."
He extended his massive hand and pulled Namur into his embrace, like a gentle, loving father.
"Neptune’s kingdom is in danger. How could I possibly stand by and do nothing? Let go there myself!!!"
Though he was past his pri and slowly descending from his peak, Whitebeard was still the World’s Strongest Man. His declaration of intent shook the hearts of every one of his children.
"O... Pops..."
Namur was overwheld, tears streaming down like rivers, his heart too moved for words.
"Ooohhhh!!!"
The Pops’s orders were absolute—every son understood this. Their cheers erupted like thunder, morale soaring high as they prepared for battle!
"This ti, we’ll make those human-trafficking bastards understand who they’re ssing with!!!"
"Yeah!!! The Whitebeard Pirates are invincible!!!"
"That’s amazing, Namur!!!"
The entire crew roared with excitent. Jozu raised his fist and shouted loudly, his body faintly shimring as diamond-like hardness crept across his skin.
Flower Sword Vista stroked his small mustache, a confident smile playing at the corners of his lips.
But among the lively crowd, two people didn’t share the sa joy. Instead, they frowned in deep thought.
One was Marco, standing at the very front among the division commanders.
The other was a black, heavyset man lurking among the other crewmates, drawing no attention to himself at all.
"What’s wrong, Marco? You don’t look too good... Is sothing bothering you?"
A nearby comrade noticed the change in his expression and asked.
"...It’s nothing. I was just thinking... This ti, our enemies might not be limited to just those human-trafficking pirates."
Marco’s voice was low and heavy.
The mont these words left his mouth, the lively atmosphere around them froze instantly. Everyone turned their gazes toward him.
Even Whitebeard lowered his head, looking at his usually calm and composed eldest son.
"What do you an by that, Marco?"
"Pops... everyone... Think carefully. What’s the closest place to Fishman Island?"
Closest to Fishman Island?
They thought about Fishman Island’s location—deep beneath the Red Line, directly under the ocean. The first place that ca to most people’s minds was Mary Geoise, situated at the very top of the Red Line.
But Mary Geoise was far above sea level, and the Celestial Dragons rarely, if ever, paid attention to the depths beneath them. So if they excluded Mary Geoise, the next closest place was...
So faces went pale.
Others froze with their mouths wide open.
It seed many had reached the sa frightening conclusion.
Finally, Whitebeard narrowed his eyes slightly and answered Marco’s question in a deep voice:
"...The Sabaody Archipelago?"
"Exactly."
The Sabaody Archipelago—the transit point between Paradise and Fishman Island, the gateway to the New World. There wasn’t a soul on the seas who didn’t know what that island represented today.
"You an... Could it be... that guy?"
"[Black Emperor]Orin?"
The mont that na was spoken, the expressions of the older crewmbers—those who had sailed with Whitebeard the longest—grew solemn.
They had crossed paths with this man before, back when he was still aboard the Pirate King’s ship. The most unforgettable encounter had been during the battle in Wano’s seas.
Only a few years had passed since then...
And that monster had already grown into sothing terrifying.
Marco had been defeated in a single blow back then. Aside from Oden, no other crewmber had managed to remain undefeated against him.
Among the crowd, Teach’s eyes flickered strangely, and the scar on his neck near his shoulder—left behind from that very battle—still stood out starkly against his skin.
"And more than that... as the current master of the Underworld, there’s a good chance the slave trade is either partly—or mostly—controlled by the Black Emperor himself. If we make a move... we have to be prepared for an all-out war with Orin!!!"
Orin was no longer that rookie intern from back then.
He had grown into a monstrous force—an entity so massive that even the Emperors would think twice before provoking him.
To put it bluntly, if they truly clashed with Orin and his forces, the pressure on the Whitebeard Pirates would be no less than during the future Marineford War.
After all, their potential opponents included:
[Black Emperor]Orin,
[Hawk Eyes]Dracule Mihawk—the world’s greatest swordsman,
[Desert Crocodile]Crocodile,
[Thunder God]Enel—a rising star whose divine power had recently shaken the seas,
[Heavenly Yaksha]Donquixote Doflamingo,
Possibly even the involvent of the legendary [Dark King]Silvers Rayleigh,
Not to ntion the Six Titans of the Underworld, countless elite forces, and an overwhelming fleet.
But Whitebeard, still in his pri, wasn’t about to be intimidated by the na of so "little brat."
"Don’t worry, Namur."
Though he now wore a headscarf, that didn’t an he was old or frail. He was still the man who once rivaled Roger himself—the World’s Strongest Man!
"I’m Whitebeard!!!"
Boom!!!
The butt of his naginata, Murakumogiri, slamd against the deck with a resounding thud. The white cape behind him fluttered wildly, and the sheer presence of the World’s Strongest Man refused to yield—not even to a so-called Black Emperor.
Just as, years later, his aged self would never allow Shanks at his peak to lecture him.
"Set sail!!!"
"Head for Fishman Island!!!"
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