The fleet led by Aleus rested on Whale Tail Island for two days, taking care of a mountain of problems. There were more than twenty thousand corpses, including quite a few pirates with bounties on their heads. Turning them in at the G1 Branch would bring in a good amount of money. Then there were the fifty-odd warships in good condition. They were Umit's aid to the Amento Kingdom, and selling them all would bring in a hefty sum too!
Taking care of all these odds and ends was quite time-consuming.
Even with his aides assisting him, he couldn't leave everything to them.
It only strengthened Aleus's resolve not to take over the throne just yet. Even as Crown Prince, he already had so many troublesome matters to deal with. If he became king, wouldn't he have to stay cooped up in the Royal Palace every day? His father was always boasting about his adventures when he was young, but never said a word about his years as king.
Clearly,
it was better to put off taking the throne a little longer.
At last, after wrapping up the remaining business on Whale Tail Island, Aleus led the fleet north, bound for the recapture of Whale Belly Island and Whale Head Island.
Meanwhile,
news of the great battle between the Ekmondo Kingdom and the Amento Kingdom on Whale Tail Island spread far and wide. The main reason was that a certain newspaper publisher was especially interested in a certain prince, and had gathered the latest firsthand intelligence. He immediately devoted a section of his paper to reporting on a war that, truth be told, barely ranked as news in the New World.
Of course, that was an overly absolute way to put it.
Umit's operation had indeed been top secret, but he couldn't deceive everyone. The Queen of Pleasure District, who controlled the New World's entire pleasure industry, was also a major intelligence broker. She sold Umit's plans to the Ekmondo Kingdom for a sky-high price, and afterward the kingdom deliberately leaked the news.
Virtually every powerful figure of note in the New World knew about Umit's little scheme.
As a result, many were keeping an eye on the war between the Ekmondo Kingdom and the Amento Kingdom. Some gambling industry magnates had even secretly opened exclusive betting pools, wagering on whether Umit could really take the Ekmondo Kingdom. Word was, plenty of influential people had placed bets.
And so,
when the latest report appeared in the newspaper, it immediately kicked up quite a storm in the New World.
The influential figures who had bet on Umit getting his way were especially furious. Having lost a fortune, many cursed Umit's incompetence and the Ekmondo Kingdom's sheer audacity.
They had managed to stop Umit's reaching claws without even borrowing the power of the Whitebeard Pirates. And the [Beautiful Sword] and [Fighting Dog], both fairly well-known in the New World, hadn't even made a move. If that wasn't audacious, what was?
The New World might seem full of hidden talents, but in reality, the pecking order was crystal clear.
Umit, the King of Maritime Transport, was a major figure in the New World, and the Ekmondo Kingdom was a powerful nation there too. But compared with a Dark World heavyweight like Umit, most people thought the outcome was obvious. The only reason the betting pool had gotten off the ground was that the Whitebeard Pirates added an unpredictable factor.
Yet the Whitebeard Pirates hadn't even made a move!
Instead, Sokachio Aleus had appeared out of nowhere and beaten Umit's men so badly they were left sprawled across the ground. He had also killed twenty thousand in a single battle... Many New World big shots first praised his ruthlessness and brutality. How could anyone make a name for themselves in the New World without thousands upon thousands of corpses beneath their feet?
Just look at the New World's big shots. Whose hands weren't stained with blood?
Even Red-Haired, the least eager for conflict among the Four Emperors, had climbed to the throne of Pirate Emperor on a staircase made of countless enemies' bones.
"More than twenty thousand dead... Not a small number, but not an especially large one either. He seems like a ruthless fellow. Even Ghost Sword lost... Is the New World about to be swept up in another storm? How exciting! Fufufufufufu!"
That was the opinion of a certain king who was also one of the Shichibukai.
"I never would've guessed Ghost Sword was one of Umit's men. I once thought about recruiting him myself. I nearly fell for that bastard Umit's scheme. The Ekmondo Kingdom... Hmm, I'll give you a ten percent discount from now on."
That was the remark of a New World mogul in the warehousing industry.
"The Sokachio Family... I remember that old geezer Worlek. This Aleus... Is he that shameless old bastard's grandson or great-grandson? Come to think of it, that old geezer Worlek once said he wanted to become family with me! This young man seems like a fine match!"
The speaker was the owner of a major international hotel chain in the New World.
"Oh my! From the photo, he looks like such a handsome prince! Oh, goodness... Just looking at him is enough to make me melt!"
The lovestruck woman was, in reality, the power behind the New World's black-market drug trade.
But enough about those big shots who were simply watching the spectacle.
The Whitebeard Pirates.
Just a few days ago, Gion, the Blue Horn and Second Division Captain, had died of an incurable disease. On top of that, Whitebeard's health wasn't great either. He'd had an IV in his arm for days without removing it, and the mood throughout the Whitebeard Pirates was gloomy.
With more than sixteen hundred people in the crew, not one of them had dared to raise their voice for days. Everyone was worried about Pops's health and grieving their brother's death. Even a certain traitor in their midst was putting on a flawless display of grief.
The oppressive atmosphere lingered for quite some time.
Even the return of Marco, the Phoenix and First Division Captain, hadn't managed to break it.
Until—
On the deck of the Moby Dick,
"Aleus... You mean that arrogant brat?" Whitebeard, with an IV drip in his arm, flipped through that day's newspaper and spotted the report in a fairly inconspicuous spot. Seeing the name that seemed vaguely familiar, he asked.
"Pops, if you mean the kid who turned you down five years ago, I doubt there's another Sokachio Aleus." Marco was reading the paper too. As the Whitebeard Pirates' second-in-command, he knew exactly what the war between the Ekmondo Kingdom and the Amento Kingdom was about.
A Dark World heavyweight had opened a betting pool on it. It would've been hard for him not to know, especially since that heavyweight paid taxes to the Whitebeard Pirates regularly.
"That arrogant brat's all grown up now! Gurararara!"
Remembering how he'd been turned down five years ago, Whitebeard wasn't angry. He found it amusing instead, and let out his first laugh in a month.
Hearing Pops's familiar laughter for the first time in ages, Marco's heart finally settled. As long as Pops's spirits recovered, there was no immediate need to worry about his health taking a turn for the worse.
"Pops."
Marco told Whitebeard about what was going on between Umit and the Ekmondo Kingdom.
Then he asked, "Should we give the Ekmondo Kingdom a hand? Teach Umit a lesson?" Since Aleus's story had made Pops laugh, Marco was thinking of helping the Ekmondo Kingdom a little. He also wanted to teach Umit, that reckless bastard, a proper lesson.
No one could just barge into the Whitebeard Pirates' territory and do as they pleased.
"No."
Whitebeard rejected Marco's suggestion.
"Let the young people handle their own affairs. Umit... Let the young ones deal with him for now. We can step in later."
"I understand, Pops."
Marco was a little surprised that Pops thought so highly of the arrogant brat Aleus, who wasn't exactly likable. But that didn't stop him from following Pops's orders. Fine, Umit could enjoy himself a little longer. They could settle the score with him later.
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