[137] : The Whitebeard Pirates
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The two rookies, shielded by the Roger Pirates, had just uttered words that would become the laughingstock of the New World.
Whitebeard, his massive hand frozen mid-swig, his sake gourd paused at his lips—he hadn't expected this.
He glanced at the two—a flicker of amusement in his eyes, an emotion rarely seen from the man who lived only for his family.
There was a saying: "Only your rivals truly know you." It held a certain truth.
Garp and Roger, their bond forged in battle—they understood each other deeply. But Whitebeard knew Roger just as well, perhaps even better, after decades of clashing on the same seas.
He studied Shanks and Buggy, intrigued by Roger's decision to bring them on board as apprentices. And that straw hat on the red-haired kid's head—wasn't that Roger's? Had Roger seen something in this boy? A successor, perhaps? Someone to inherit his will?
Whitebeard took another swig of sake, watching the two rookies' antics with a detached amusement, as if observing a pair of particularly entertaining monkeys.
The battle on the deck continued, Shanks and Buggy, fueled by youthful bravado, oblivious to the danger, charging towards Whitebeard, while the other pirates watched, amused.
Suddenly, a ship, its crew frantic, its captain's face pale with fear, sailed into their midst, its Jolly Roger—crossed bones impaling two skulls.
It was one of Whitebeard's allied captains, one of the Decalvan Brothers, their faces mirrored images of each other, each bearing a scar on opposite cheeks.
They scrambled onto the Moby Dick, their voices filled with urgency.
"Pops! Bad news!"
"Bad news, Pops!"
They rushed towards Whitebeard, practically tripping over themselves in their haste.
The battle stopped, the Whitebeard and Roger Pirates lowering their weapons, their attention drawn to the commotion.
Whitebeard, about to deal with Shanks and Buggy, turned his head, his booming laughter echoing across the deck. "Gurararara! A true man of the sea faces every challenge with courage! What is it, Decalvan Brothers? My sons!"
"Pops! It's Squard! After Roger's crew beat him, he was trying to leave the New World. Some rookie pirate killed him! Near Fish-Man Island!"
"A rookie pirate, near Fish-Man Island, killed Squard, Pops!"
The Whitebeard Pirates considered themselves family. Even those who weren't close wouldn't tolerate harm to one of their own. They were fiercely loyal, their bond unbreakable.
One of their own had been killed—it was a blow to the entire family.
Whitebeard's laughter subsided, replaced by a low growl, his voice thick with grief.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A wave of Conqueror's Haki, a palpable pressure, radiated outwards, rippling across the sea, slamming into the nearby ships. Buggy collapsed, paralyzed by the force of it, while Shanks, his face pale, swayed, but remained standing.
The rookies on both crews fainted, foaming at the mouth.
Whitebeard's hand tightened around his sake gourd, crushing it.
"My son was killed. Perhaps he was weaker. Everyone who sails the sea knows the risks. But he was my son. I will not tolerate this."
"Who…killed him?" Whitebeard's voice was low, dangerous, his massive frame radiating power.
The Decalvan Brothers, able to withstand his Haki, were clearly strong.
"Seabury D. Arthur. A rookie pirate."
"A rookie pirate named Seabury D. Arthur."
Their voices trembled as they answered, barely daring to breathe.
——
"Seabury D. Arthur?" Roger, overhearing the name, his memory flashing back to Arthur's defiant refusal of his help, his expression thoughtful.
"Roger, what are you thinking?" Rayleigh, knowing his captain well, saw the familiar glint in his eyes.
Roger, recalling Shanks and Buggy, turned to Whitebeard. "We'll be going now, Newgate. Until next time." He didn't wait for a response, the Oro Jackson turning and sailing away, towards the three starting islands of the New World, leaving the grieving Whitebeard Pirates behind.
"A new era is coming—and I have a feeling Arthur will be a major player." Roger grinned. Even facing his impending death—his spirit remained unbroken.
"The sea is about to get a whole lot more interesting. Let's go pay him a visit."
Roger had a plan, a final act to ignite the new era.
——
"Arthur—The one the Marines ambushed with their strongest forces?" Shanks and Buggy, listening to Roger and Rayleigh's conversation, exchanged glances.
"He escaped Impel Down? Then the gold on Skypiea…" Buggy's face paled at the thought.
"Buggy, don't be so obsessed with treasure. Freedom and adventure are the real treasures of the sea," Shanks said, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Shut up, Shanks!" Buggy's face was red with anger and the imagined loss of gold.
"What kind of pirate doesn't care about treasure?!" Their differing views, their clashing personalities—it was a sign of their eventual separation.
——
On the Moby Dick—
"That arrogant rookie? I remember his name." Whitebeard, his bisento clutched in his massive hand, stood up. "The New World isn't a playground for the reckless."
"Pops, let me bring you his head!" Marco's usual laid-back demeanor vanished, his eyes blazing with fury.
"He killed one of us, Pops!!" Jozu added, his voice thick with anger.
"I'll go. I haven't eaten a Devil Fruit. I have the advantage in the sea," Vista said, his hands resting on the hilts of his swords.
No Whitebeard Pirate had ever been killed by an outsider. While they all knew the risks of the pirate life, seeing one of their own murdered…it ignited their rage.
"Vista, Namur—bring me that punk's head! We'll avenge Squard!" Whitebeard roared.
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