Unexpectedly, Whitebeard suddenly got up and ran out, even throwing away his IV drip tube and cloak. Marco's expression changed drastically. Without thinking, he immediately stepped in front of Whitebeard to block his path.
"Dad!"
"You'll scare them if you go there now! Especially the children at the Sphinx, they're all terrified of you!"
"Yes, Father!" Vista the Flower Sword rushed over, "Your sudden appearance could very well start a war!"
However, Whitebeard simply pushed his two sons aside, and his tall figure, without pausing, quickly rushed out of the forest and onto the wasteland.
In one of the wastelands, several children who were learning to work with the adults were the first to spot him.
The first child, whose nose was still wet with snot, stared blankly at the legendary giant figure for a moment, then his mouth twitched.
"Wow--"
The sound of crying rang out instantly.
" Whitebeard is coming! Whitebeard is coming! Everyone run!"
He cried as he prepared to get up and run towards the adults not far away.
"Smack!"
Another, slightly older child slapped him on the back of the head and yelled angrily, "What are you crying for? What are you yelling for? Sphinx has a Marine captain here, what are you afraid of?!"
"Wipe your tears! If that Whitebeard dares to cause trouble, we'll shoot him with a slingshot!"
The sobbing child choked out, "But... but what if we can't beat them? Whitebeard is terrifying."
The slightly older child, hands on hips, looked like a little adult. "If you can't beat them, run away, you idiot! Go find the Marine! If the Marine can't beat them either, we'll use Den Den Mushi to contact the Lord Marshal!"
" Lord Marshal... can you defeat Whitebeard?"
"Of course! He's the Lord Marshal!" The older child gave him a look that said, "How dare you question the Lord Marshal!"
Amidst the innocent chatter of the children, the tall Whitebeard figure had already arrived before them.
Before he could get close, the older boy immediately spread his arms, shielding his friends behind him. Looking up at them with his little face, he mustered his courage and shouted, " Whitebeard! What are you doing here? The Marine said your area of activity is limited to that cherry blossom grove!"
"Oh?"
Whitebeard looked at the brat, who wasn't even as tall as his knee, with great interest, and slowly squatted down. "Aren't you afraid of me? I'm Whitebeard, you know."
"What's wrong with Whitebeard?" The child puffed out his little chest. "We have the Navy Captain and the Lord Marshal protecting us! If you dare to cause trouble, the Lord Marshal will definitely send you flying!"
The Whitebeard man's smile deepened.
"You're so confident that the navy can protect you?"
This time, not only the child in the lead, but also the several little ones behind him who had been trembling, all poked their heads out and shouted in unison, "We believe!"
"Gulalalalalala!"
Whitebeard could no longer contain himself and burst into hearty laughter.
His laughter caused the cherry blossom petals to fall softly, and it also swept away the pent-up frustration in his chest.
These children are the people from his hometown whom he has silently protected for decades. Seeing them living a life free from worry and fear, he naturally feels gratified.
The laughter stopped, Whitebeard simply plopped down on the ground, his massive body resembling a small mountain.
"I know you're clearing land," he said, looking at the children. "If you allow me to join in, I'll help you clear this entire piece of land, how about it?"
"Really?" The child in the lead's eyes lit up.
"Of course it's true," Whitebeard nodded, "But on one condition."
"What are the conditions?" The child instantly became alert, his little face hardening as he glared at him. "Old man! Do you want us to join the Whitebeard Pirates and become pirates?"
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly straightened his back:
"Don't even dream about it! If you want to capture me and make me a pirate, I'd rather die!"
"Also, we've made a promise that when we grow up, we'll join the navy together and protect our homeland!"
Before Whitebeard could react...
The children behind him immediately followed his example, straightening their backs, raising their chubby little hands, and shouting in unison in their childish voices:
"Loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
Whitebeard froze, staring at the group of kids before him, his vision blurring for a moment.
There was a time when he also wanted to protect his hometown. But in that era, his abilities were limited, and in the end, at an age similar to these children, he could only choose to go to sea and become a pirate.
What he couldn't achieve, he accomplished in this new era, in ways he never imagined.
After a brief silence, a kind and gentle smile appeared on Whitebeard's weathered face. "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to become pirates. My condition is... you have to call me 'Grandpa Whitebeard '."
That's it?
The boy in the lead was stunned. He looked the Whitebeard up and down, his little face full of doubt. "You really can help us cultivate this wasteland? This isn't a small piece of land."
Before Whitebeard could answer, the other children had already realized what was happening and crowded around him.
"Is Grandpa Whitebeard really going to help us?!"
"Grandpa with the Whitebeard, you're so tall!"
"Grandpa, shall we start now?"
The clear, childlike calls of "Grandpa" gradually won over this legendary pirate who had roamed the seas for decades.
"Gurrah gurrah... Children, watch closely!"
Whitebeard's voice was filled with unprecedented exhilaration, and even carried a hint of boastfulness, "Grandpa Whitebeard will now show you the correct way to use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"
As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible wave spread out from his palm like ripples on the surface of water.
Buzz--
The earth murmured softly.
To the children's astonishment, the land, abandoned for countless years and hardened beyond recognition, cracked open.
The next second--
The soil churned and the stones crumbled to dust.
In the blink of an eye, a large area of wasteland that would require dozens of people to work hard all day was softened and leveled by this silent tremor.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of freshly turned earth.
The children stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, as their toy hoes clattered to the ground.
"Wow--"
The boy in the lead was the first to react. He looked at the soft ground before him, then at the smiling Whitebeard, and exclaimed excitedly, "Amazing! Grandpa Whitebeard is amazing!"
"Grandpa! Please take care of this side too!"
Grandpa, you're amazing!
The children swarmed around him, Whitebeard and dancing.
At the edge of the cherry blossom grove, Marco, Vista, and the others watched as their father, surrounded by children and laughing like a child, froze one by one.
--