Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates-Crocodile the Sand?
"Crocodile the Sand, it's been so many years, I never thought you would return to this sea!" Marco said with a wistful expression.
"It's been twenty years, hasn't it?" Crocodile the Sand touched the Golden Hook on his left hand. "Even I never thought I'd be back."
"If it weren't for the captain, this day might have been delayed indefinitely." After all, Crocodile the Sand thought that without Roy, he might have been stuck in the Ancient Weapon pit for the rest of his life and never be able to climb out.
Of course, Crocodile the Sand didn't know was that if it weren't for Roy, he would have been defeated and thrown into Impel Down two years later, and it would have taken another two years before he returned to the New World.
"Nightmare? That guy is indeed a monster." Marco suddenly changed his lazy demeanor and stared intently at the Crocodile the Sand. "But what I can't understand is, you even chose to betray your Old Man, so why would you willingly submit to Nightmare twenty years later?"
"Betrayal? It's not really betrayal, just a difference in ideology." Crocodile the Sand exhaled a smoke ring and suddenly noticed that Enel and Augustine were both looking at him with gossipy expressions, almost as if they were about to pull out small stools to eat sunflower seeds.
Crocodile the Sand's lips twitched a few times, and he said speechlessly, "Twenty years ago, after witnessing the execution of Pirate King Roger and his last words, I, like most people, set sail full of hope, marching triumphantly into the New World. In the end, I overestimated myself and challenged Whitebeard, suffering a crushing defeat. I must say, his spirit was truly extraordinary. Instead of exterminating me, his enemy, he offered to let me stay on his ship and join his pirate crew."
"Hmm, just like what happened to that kid." Crocodile the Sand blew a smoke ring at the freckled youth standing by, while Ace, who was caught in the crossfire, looked completely bewildered.
"That's right, your talent is extraordinary. You've made many great contributions in battles across the country, and you quickly became the captain of the second division." Marco revealed a deeply hidden secret of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"What? Could it be that the vacant Second Division Commander has been left for him all this time?" Izou Izo joined the group later, exclaimed.
"It's not quite like that, it's just that we haven't found the right candidate for the Second Division in Old Man's mind yet," Marco shrugged.
Enel and Augustine both wore inscrutable expressions, secretly marveling that Old Sand was indeed a man with a story.
" With Pirate King Roger executed and Golden Lion Shiki imprisoned in Impel Down, the title of Pirate Kings would have been easily within Whitebeard's grasp if he wanted to. If he had listened to my advice back then, this sea would have been Whitebeard's domain long ago, and we wouldn't have this so-called Four Emperors situation we have now," Crocodile the Sand said, clearly displeased.
"You should understand, Old Man isn't that interested in these things. He just wants to have his own family." Marco looked at Crocodile the Sand meaningfully. "Moreover, the reason Old Man doesn't want to fight for supremacy is for our sake. As long as there is fighting, there will be sacrifices. Old Man doesn't want any of his sons to die, so he bears the title of the World's Strongest by himself."
The Whitebeard Pirates members standing nearby stared wide-eyed. Over the years, they had harbored some resentment. After all, their Whitebeard Pirates were clearly the World's Strongest, yet they only managed to hold onto their own little territory, allowing rising stars like Kaido and Red Hair to catch up and become equals. They always felt a sense of resentment.
After hearing Marco's explanation, they felt a lump in their throats. Perhaps this was the true meaning of fatherhood: using one's towering figure to shield from the wind and rain, silently dedicating oneself without ever asking for anything in return.
"Ha, what an idiotic idea." Blackbeard in the crowd scoffed. "That old man Whitebeard protected his son too well, which is why they can't see the true nature of the world. If he can live forever, it doesn't matter, but he is, after all, just a mortal. He will grow old and die one day. Without the banner of Whitebeard, the seemingly huge Whitebeard Pirates are already vulnerable."
"It seems I have to speed things up. As long as I can inherit his legacy, I can rise to the top and become Four Emperors, and even become the true Pirate Kings with the help of that Devil Fruit's power." Teach looked at the two people in the center of the ship and licked his dry lips. "Nightmare Roy, I will definitely become the Pirate Kings before you!"
"I understand what you're saying!" Crocodile the Sand's voice was a little hoarse. "But when reality and ideals conflict, I will still choose ideals. Since he doesn't want to become the Pirate Kings, I will become the Pirate Kings myself."
"But you still failed," Marco said incisively.
"You're right, I am indeed a loser." Crocodile the Sand chuckled self-deprecatingly. "So, after meeting the captain and witnessing his ambition, I made up my mind to submit. Yes, I will make Nightmare Roy the next Pirate Kings."
Looking at the Whitebeard Pirates glaring at him, Crocodile the Sand raised his left hand and sneered, "No matter what you think, I consider myself to have repaid Whitebeard's debt of gratitude."
"So that's what you were thinking?" Marco Ohm. "So not only did you not run away, but you also took the initiative to face your Old Man's angry attack, even at the cost of cutting off your own left hand?"
"That's right, I'm different from you bunch of good-for-nothings. I'm willing to pay any price if it means witnessing the ultimate end of this world!"
"So-called ideals... are they more important than family?" Marco retorted sharply. "It seems you're right, you and we are indeed not on the same path."
"Kid, I remember reading in the newspapers that you're not even twenty yet, are you?" the Whitebeard asked as he drank.
"Hmm, if we're counting by this body, it should be nineteen, right?" Roy said, his eyes filled with endless reminiscence.
Whitebeard didn't delve into the meaning behind Roy's words, but instead laughed heartily, "Didn't expect that almost twenty years have passed? You, who were born right in the wave of the era that Roger started, are perhaps the real Worst Generation."
"I originally thought that the so-called Great Pirate Era that Roger started with his life was just bringing some meaningless trash to the sea. But now it seems that the Great Pirate Era he started has actually brought a bit more life to this lifeless sea!"
"The Great Pirate Era? It's certainly a blessing for the strong, but for the weak, it's hell," Roy said, shaking his head.
"I never expected you to have such compassionate thoughts, you little brat. I thought your head was full of killing, kura rara."
"It is precisely to avoid falling into hell that I constantly force myself to become stronger." Roy downed the drink in his cup in one gulp. "Only the strong can rule everything. This is the truth that the Great Pirate Era taught me!"