Young Whitebeard! The First Encounter with the New World's Strongest Man

The sky over the New World could change in an instant. One moment it was clear for miles, and the next, dark clouds were churning overhead and enormous waves were surging across the sea.

Lin Yuan and his three companions stood on tiny doors, suspended in midair as they looked down at the raging sea.

"This is the New World," Lin Yuan said. "The weather is ten times worse than in the first half of the Grand Line."

"Wororororo..." Kaido laughed. "I like it! The worse it gets, the more interesting it is!"

Bullet stared at the sea without expression, then suddenly spoke. "There's a ship ahead."

Lin Yuan closed his eyes, spreading his Spatial Perception outward.

It was a massive ship, larger than most of the warships they had seen. Its bow was shaped like a whale, and its sails bore a skull emblem—the skull marked with two crossed bones, fierce and imposing.

The emblem of the Rocks Pirates.

"Whitebeard." Lin Yuan opened his eyes. "Edward Newgate."

Kaido's smile faded.

"Newgate... that guy from Rocks's ship."

"He was an officer-level powerhouse on Rocks's ship," Kaido said.

"Stronger than you?"

"We've never fought, so I don't know." Kaido tightened his grip on his iron club. "But I'd like to find out."

Lin Yuan raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't be rash. We don't want to make enemies of any major powers right now. Let's see what's going on first."

Two

Whitebeard's ship, the Moby Dick, was sailing toward them.

Lin Yuan and his three companions landed on a nearby reef and watched the massive ship slowly approach.

A group stood on the deck, led by a burly man. He was tall, a head taller than Kaido, with muscles knotted all over his body and a massive naginata in his hand. His face was young, no more than twenty-three or twenty-four, and his chin was clean-shaven. But there was a composure in his eyes that belied his age.

Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.

Several young people stood behind him, including one dressed as a ship's doctor, some carrying swords, and a young woman with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Hey, you lot on the reef." Whitebeard spoke in a deep, resonant voice. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Lin Yuan stood up and slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Passing through. We'll leave when the weather clears."

"Passing through?" The young man beside Whitebeard scoffed. "This is the New World, not the West Blue. You expect anyone to believe you're just passing through?"

"Marco." Whitebeard raised a hand to stop him. "Don't butt in."

Marco curled his lip and stepped aside.

Whitebeard looked at Lin Yuan, then at Kaido, Bullet, and King behind him.

"Are you pirates?"

"You could say that," Lin Yuan said. "We don't have a pirate flag or a ship yet. We're just a small team that was recently formed."

"A small team?" Whitebeard laughed. "Gurararara... a team with Kaido in it counts as small?"

Kaido stepped forward.

"Newgate, you know me?"

"I do," Whitebeard said. "I saw you when we were on Rocks's ship. You were just a brat back then, but you've grown taller."

Kaido's expression darkened. He didn't like being called a brat.

"Newgate, want to fight?"

"Gurararara... no." Whitebeard waved a hand. "I'm in a good mood today. I don't feel like fighting."

"Are you scared?"

"I'm not scared," Whitebeard said. "There's no need. You're no match for me, and I'm not interested in bullying a junior."

Kaido's expression grew even darker.

Lin Yuan patted Kaido on the shoulder, signaling him not to be rash.

"Mr. Whitebeard, we aren't looking for a fight," Lin Yuan said. "We're just passing through. We'll leave when the weather clears."

Whitebeard glanced at him.

"Your name's Lin Yuan? That Marine recruit who deserted, the one with a billion-berry bounty?"

"Yes."

"Interesting," Whitebeard said. "A Marine recruit who stole the Door-Door Fruit, hijacked a World Government transport ship, and rescued Kaido and that Lunarian brat from Punk Hazard. You've got guts."

Lin Yuan didn't deny it.

"I've always had guts."

"Gurararara..." Whitebeard laughed. "I like your kind. How about coming aboard my ship for a drink?"

Lin Yuan thought it over.

"Sure."

Three

On the Moby Dick's deck, Whitebeard had barrels of liquor and meat brought out.

Kaido grabbed a piece of meat and dug in without ceremony. Bullet was eating too, while King sat in a corner, saying little.

Lin Yuan held a cup but didn't drink.

"Don't drink?" Whitebeard asked.

"No," Lin Yuan said. "Drinking leads to mistakes."

"You're cautious, aren't you?" Whitebeard took a long swig himself. "Do you know Rocks is looking for you?"

Lin Yuan's hand paused slightly.

"Did Sengoku tell you that?"

"Sengoku?" Whitebeard paused in surprise. "No. It was Golden Lion. He said Rocks wants to meet you."

"Why?"

"Because you hijacked a World Government transport ship and rescued people from Punk Hazard," Whitebeard said. "Rocks thinks you've got guts and wants you to join him."

"I'm not interested."

"I know," Whitebeard said. "If you were interested, you'd have gone to find him already instead of wandering around here."

Lin Yuan was silent for a moment.

"Mr. Whitebeard, what do you think of Rocks?"

Whitebeard set down his cup and looked out at the sea.

"He's a madman," he said. "But madmen have their own kind of charm. He can gather a bunch of unruly people together and make them risk their lives for him. I can't do that."

"Do you want to?"

"No," Whitebeard said. "I don't want to be a king or anything. All I want is a family."

Lin Yuan looked at him.

Family. Coming from Whitebeard, the word sounded strangely out of place. But he knew Whitebeard was serious. What he cared about most in his life was family.

"Then why are you in the New World?"

"Because it's free here," Whitebeard said. "No World Government control, no Celestial Dragons oppressing you. You can do whatever you want."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"What about your family?"

Whitebeard turned to look at the young people behind him—Marco, Jozu, Vista, Whitey Bay... They were all looking at him.

"They're my family."

Four

After several rounds of drinks, Whitebeard suddenly asked, "Lin Yuan, what do you plan to do from now on?"

"Build a power," Lin Yuan said. "One that can stand against the World Government."

"With just the four of you?"

"There will be more than four," Lin Yuan said. "Many more."

Whitebeard was silent for a moment.

"If you're willing, I can help you."

Lin Yuan looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because you remind me of myself when I was young," Whitebeard said. "I was wild back then too. I thought I could change the world on my own. Later, I found out I couldn't. This world is too big. One person can't do much. But a group of people, maybe they can."

"You're willing to join us?"

"No." Whitebeard shook his head. "I have my own ship, my own family. I can't abandon them. But I can form an alliance with you. If anything happens, we can look out for each other."

Lin Yuan thought it over.

"Agreed."

They clasped hands.

Five

As the sky darkened, Lin Yuan and his three companions took their leave.

Whitebeard stood at the bow, watching their figures disappear over the sea.

Marco walked over to him.

"Pops, do you really trust that Lin Yuan?"

"Whether I trust him isn't important," Whitebeard said. "What matters is that he's capable. The Door-Door Fruit, a spatial ability user. Someone like him will become a major figure on these seas sooner or later."

"So you're investing in him?"

"You could say that." Whitebeard smiled. "Gurararara... let's call it making a friend."

In the distance, out at sea.

Lin Yuan and his three companions stood on a reef, watching the Moby Dick gradually sail away.

"Whitebeard's a decent guy," Bullet said.

"Yeah." Lin Yuan nodded. "A friend worth making."

"Where are we going next?" King asked.

Lin Yuan pulled a sea chart from his pocket and studied it by moonlight.

"Deeper into the New World. We'll find an island of our own."

He raised a hand and opened a door in front of him.

"Let's go."

(End of Chapter 13)