267 Oyaji, is that you?

Lynch said coldly, "Want to leave? Sure if you can stay alive."

Ms. Bakin's voice turned icy. "It seems the Emperor of West Blue has no intention of letting us go today."

For a moment, she seemed ready to fight to the end. But in the next instant…

"Go! Run!" she shouted into Weevil's ear.

"Oh, got it, Mom." Weevil drew his long blade, turned, and sprinted toward the shore.

"Too late, Fire Fist."

With a single punch, a massive pillar of fire, dozens of meters high, engulfed them.

Weevil barely withstood the flames, but Bakin was thrown from his back. Her body was charred black, her condition unknown.

"No! Mom! Don't die!"

Weevil fell to his knees, cradling Bakin as he sobbed.

"You killed my mother… I'll make you pay!"

Laying her down gently, he stood up, eyes filled with rage. Gripping his machete, he charged at Lynch, tears streaming down his face.

Most people might be fooled by his stupid demeanor, but Lynch knew this man was a solid mid-to-high-tier fighter among the Shichibukai.

If he had even average intelligence and room to grow, he might have been able to fight Bartholomew Kuma.

The truly terrifying part? He hadn't even eaten a Devil Fruit—his strength came purely from his body and instincts.

"Ahhh! I'm going to kill you!" Weevil roared, charging at Lynch.

"Be careful!" the Empress cried out.

"Hahaha, get up!" Lynch grinned, his smile reminiscent of Roger's.

A deep roar echoed as a small, dark green dragon shot out of the scabbard, transforming into a long blade in his hand.

Lynch swung.

Their Haki weren't even on the same level. Weevil's Armament Haki-coated sword shattered instantly.

His body sank, his vision blurred, and in the next moment, he was sent flying like a meteor.

"So… this is what it feels like to be cut by a sword…"

Mid-air, Weevil stared at the massive wound on his chest, his small mind struggling to process the pain.

"It hurts… a lot."

"But losing my mother… that hurts even more."

Rumble!

Weevil crashed into the mountain, sending dust and debris flying as massive rocks tumbled down.

"Snakes Holy Mountain!" Elder Nyonba clutched her chest, her heart aching. The ancestral temple was at the base of that mountain—she could only pray the ancestors wouldn't be angered.

From the thick smoke, a battered figure emerged, his chest still bleeding, his body covered in dirt and sand.

"Revenge… I will avenge my mother!"

Weevil's eyes burned red with fury. He didn't care about the overwhelming gap in strength. He had barely survived—but instead of fleeing, he charged again.

Lynch observed him calmly. Aside from heavy bleeding, Weevil wasn't seriously injured.

His durability is impressive.

But there won't be a next time.

Lynch took a familiar stance.

"Hakoku!"

Before Weevil could get close, a terrifying shockwave sent him flying.

This time, the power was far greater than before. Even with his monstrous endurance, he was nearly killed on the spot.

Hundreds of bones shattered instantly, his limbs twisted into unnatural shapes. His skull caved in slightly, and he coughed up blood and pieces of his own organs as if spilling coins from a broken purse.

Like a falling meteor, Weevil streaked across the sky and vanished into the sea.

…..

Somewhere across the ocean…

Rayleigh and Whitebeard walked along the shore at a steady pace.

"Lynch said it was urgent and left ahead of us, but he didn't bother explain anything," Rayleigh grumbled.

Between the two of them, they had nearly 150 years of experience. If they had to be tossed into the sea, so be it at least Rayleigh knew the way to Amazon Lily.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"I'll be damned! Whitebeard, look! A shooting star in broad daylight!" Rayleigh pointed excitedly at the sky.

"How can there be meteors during the day?" Whitebeard turned, frowning. Then he noticed the trajectory and snorted.

"That's no meteor it's flying in a straight line. It must be a person!"

Thud!

Whitebeard reached out his massive hand and caught the falling figure just before it hit the sea.

His first thought: Who the hell beat this big oaf so badly?

Looking at the bruised and broken body, Whitebeard couldn't help but wonder what kind of monstrous beating this guy had taken. In this state, he probably wouldn't even recognize his own father.

Then he noticed something half a torn photograph and a crescent-shaped mustache poking out of the man's pocket.

His second thought: Why does this guy's beard look so much like mine? And why is he carrying my photo?

And then, realization struck.

His third thought: Damn it! He must've been beaten so hard he calls every man he sees 'Oyaji'!

Weevil, barely conscious, opened his eyes and, upon seeing Whitebeard, lit up with excitement.

"Oyaji…" he mumbled before passing out from his injuries.

Rayleigh, having clearly heard the word, smirked.

"Whitebeard, is this your son?"

"Don't talk nonsense! Where would I get a son like this?" Whitebeard said firmly.

He had many sons, but he remembered each one clearly they were his family. And the kid in front of him? This was definitely the first time Whitebeard had ever seen him.

"Then explain why he called you 'Oyaji' and that beard? It looks just like yours," Rayleigh said, staring at Whitebeard with suspicion.

His expression seemed to say: Come on, be honest—did you leave behind a romantic debt in your younger days?

"He must've taken a hit to the head and started spouting nonsense." Whitebeard crossed his arms. "As for the beard, that's just a coincidence."

But under Rayleigh's relentless stare, doubt started creeping in.

Could it really be…?

After all, everyone had their wild years especially pirates. And Whitebeard wasn't exactly a saint in his youth.

Sure, he'd been with plenty of women back then, but it was all just for fun. Could one of them really have gotten pregnant?

No way.

His name was known across the seas. If someone had his child, they would've come looking for him long ago.

Seeing Whitebeard's hesitant expression, Rayleigh's curiosity burned even brighter.

"Stop overthinking it, Why don't we head in the direction he came from? Maybe we'll find some answers."

"Good!"

When Whitebeard and Rayleigh arrived at their destination, they were both stunned.

He actually flew out of Amazon Lily?!

Wasn't this the trouble Lynch had mentioned?

"Look, Lynch is over there. Let's go."

—

Meanwhile, Lynch was tending to the wounded, using a special medicine newly developed in the West Blue. Alongside him, the Empress was also treating injured citizens scattered across the battlefield.

Seeing Whitebeard and Rayleigh approach, Lynch looked up.

"Rayleigh, Whitebeard you're here."

His eyes narrowed when he noticed Weevil in Whitebeard's hands.

"Why did you bring this guy back?"

Whitebeard got straight to the point. "Can you tell us what happened here?"

"Nothing too serious," Lynch said casually, then gestured at Weevil. "This guy barged into Amazon Lily, killed people, caused destruction… and tried to force the Empress into marriage."

Rayleigh's gaze darkened.

His eyes toward Weevil were no longer friendly.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED

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