Chapter 144: Alliance.

Moby Dick

Whitebeard sat on the deck of the Moby Dick, surrounded by members of the Whitebeard Pirates. At this moment, their expressions were serious, as if waiting for something momentous.

Despite the tension, Whitebeard remained relaxed, holding a barrel of sake and pouring it down his throat, as though nothing in the world could concern him.

After a while, a crew member came running over in a panic and shouted,

"Pops! Red-Hair's ship is approaching!"

"Gurararara! He got here fast. Let that Red-Hair brat come aboard," Whitebeard said, amused.

The officers of the Whitebeard Pirates perked up, knowing that the man about to board was known to possess the most fearsome Conqueror's Haki in the sea.

Of course, none of them knew that Shanks had already been bested in that regard—by Chiga.

As several crew members collapsed inexplicably under the pressure, Shanks boarded the Moby Dick, empty-handed, and stood before Whitebeard.

Whitebeard frowned, clearly displeased.

"Hey, hey, Red-Hair brat, don't you know to bring some good sake when you visit my ship?"

Shanks's face was grim. With a heavy expression, he suddenly flung off his black cloak with his right hand, revealing an empty left sleeve.

The sight stunned the Whitebeard Pirates. To them, Shanks was a man on par with their captain in strength. For him to have lost an arm—without word reaching the seas—was shocking.

Even the normally unconcerned Whitebeard frowned deeply. Though he called Shanks a brat, he fully acknowledged his strength.

Now, seeing Shanks missing an arm, Whitebeard understood this wasn't just a casual visit.

Whitebeard slowly put down his sake barrel and said in a deep voice,

"Red-Hair brat, what happened to your arm?"

Shanks touched the severed area, still able to feel the burning sensation left behind. He doubted he'd ever forget the purple lightning that nearly claimed his life—or the man who wielded it:

Uchiha Chiga.

A bitter smile crept onto Shanks's face as he sat down on the deck and began to speak.

"I ran into Chiga in the East Blue… that terrifying Marine rookie. His lightning destroyed my arm—I barely escaped with my life."

The deck fell utterly silent.

Everyone stared at Shanks in disbelief.

Marco shouted, unable to believe it,

"Hey, hey, are you serious?!"

Deep down, Marco had already accepted the truth. Ever since Chiga fought Rayleigh at Sabaody, Marco had been the one on board paying the most attention to him.

He later witnessed Chiga defeat Whitebeard Jr. and take down the Golden Lion. Marco had been genuinely shaken by the Marine's power, and he'd tried to discuss it with Whitebeard.

But Whitebeard remained indifferent. To him, Chiga was just another Marine brat—not even Akainu posed a serious threat, let alone a newcomer.

Besides, in his view, Whitebeard Jr. was just a mindless powerhouse, and Golden Lion had long since passed his prime—losing was expected.

But this was different.

Shanks—one of the Four Emperors—had not only been defeated, but nearly killed by Uchiha Chiga.

Even Whitebeard couldn't brush that off.

And worse still, Shanks's defeat would shift the balance of power across the seas. As an Emperor, he represented a cornerstone of stability. His fall would shake everything.

Whitebeard had to take this seriously.

He asked gravely, "Has Chiga's power really reached that level?"

Shanks gave a bitter laugh and dropped another bombshell.

"As much as I hate to admit it… he's far stronger than me. And before he fought me, Kaido had already lost to him. That came straight from Kaido's daughter. For whatever reason, Chiga spared his life."

"…"

Silence fell again across the Moby Dick.

Even Blackbeard, lurking behind Marco, had a grim expression.

He'd been biding his time in the Whitebeard Pirates for over a decade, all to steal the Dark-Dark Fruit. He'd even begun to think about settling in for the long term.

But hearing this from Shanks made him reconsider. Staying might soon become a death sentence.

Clenching his fists tightly, Teach swore to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit as soon as possible—so he'd at least have the power to survive.

Whitebeard silently picked up his sake barrel, only to find it had gone empty. Frustrated, he tossed it overboard and stared at Shanks, who still wore a bitter expression.

"So… what do you want to do?"

Whitebeard's tone was low. He knew Shanks hadn't come just to sing Chiga's praises—there was something more.

Shanks met Whitebeard's eyes and said,

"With a monster like Chiga in the Marines, no single Emperor crew can stand against them anymore. So, let's form an alliance."

"What?! Are you kidding me?!"

Whitebeard's reaction was instant and fierce. To him, forming an alliance meant admitting fear—something he, the "Strongest Man in the World," could never accept.

But Shanks had expected this. He wasn't shaken—because he knew Whitebeard's greatest weakness: his "family."

He deliberately glanced around at the nearby Whitebeard Pirates and said,

"You know better than anyone what Chiga does to pirates. If you fight him head-on, can you protect everyone here? Do you want your sons to die like that?"

Whitebeard's expression stiffened. That was his one vulnerability.

Once, he never feared anyone coming after his family—not while he was alive. But now, with Chiga's frightening record, even Whitebeard had to admit: protecting them might no longer be so simple.

Seeing Whitebeard hesitate, Shanks pressed the advantage.

"It's just a nominal alliance. Enough to make the Marines think twice."

Whitebeard fell silent, visibly conflicted.

At that moment, Marco stepped forward and added,

"Pops! Let's agree to it. Chiga's power has gone beyond what we expected. We need to be cautious!"

Whitebeard looked at Marco, eyes full of emotion. Deep down, he'd already decided—all he needed was an excuse.

To him, his pride and his life were nothing compared to his family's safety. Right now, an alliance with Red-Hair was the best move to protect them.

At last, Whitebeard bowed his noble head.

"…Fine, Red-Hair brat. I'll agree to the alliance."

"A wise decision."

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