Golden Lion and Asura Path Pain left, both having basically achieved their goals. They departed in high spirits.
There was no way they could stay. They would only be unwelcome, and the Whitebeard Pirates did not want them there. Men of their standing could not possibly shamelessly linger.
After Golden Lion and Carlos left, Marco, who had regained the ability to move after treatment from the ship doctor and the healing of his own Phoenix Fruit, walked over to Whitebeard. Lowering his head, he said ashamedly, "I'm sorry, Pops. I disgraced you. I disgraced the Whitebeard Pirates, and even cost you two islands..."
"Gurarara... foolish son, those are merely things outside the body. Nothing is more important than you all."
"Failure is nothing. No one can succeed forever. Being able to stand back up after failure is what matters!"
"Besides, this wasn't your fault. Golden Lion was far too cunning. He actually had a puppet made by Bullet fight you, and the man controlling Bullet was no ordinary person either. They had planned this carefully, so defeat was hardly surprising."
"Most importantly, a temporary defeat means nothing. The ones who laugh last are what matter. Boys, do you have no confidence that the Whitebeard Pirates will be the ones laughing in the end?"
"We do! We do! We do!" All the members of the Whitebeard Pirates answered loudly, their powerful, resounding voices drowning out the sound of the waves.
"That's more like it. The feast continues. Tonight, we'll have a bonfire party. Smile! No matter how the winds and clouds of the sea may shift, we Whitebeard Pirates will laugh until the very end..."
"Because I am Whitebeard!"
Encouraged by Whitebeard, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates quickly recovered their fighting spirit. Their gloom was swept away, and the joyful