On the deserted island, Ace and Jinbe faced off.
"Seriously... big guy, my target isn't the Shichibukai, I'm going to see Whitebeard!" Ace looked at Jinbe, seemingly dissatisfied with his opponent.
"I won't let a bloodthirsty brat like you go see your Old Man!" Jinbe clearly wanted to defeat Ace here and now.
Although Jinbe is not Whitebeard's "son," he is still respectfully addressed as "Old Man."
Moreover, compared to Whitebeard's sons, Jinbe didn't need to worry and went straight to block Ace.
But just then, a figure that Jinbe never expected appeared...
"Jinbe!" Sig came out from the deck at that moment.
Jinbe was startled when he heard the familiar voice. He turned his head and saw that it was indeed Sig!
"Little Fei?" Jinbe's eyes flickered with excitement as he recalled what had happened before, followed by a complex mix of emotions.
From the bottom of his heart, Jinbe undoubtedly regarded Sig as a comrade and a fellow countryman.
However, since Fisher Tiger's death, Sig and Jinbe have each represented two different wills of the Sun Pirates and even the entire Fish-Man Race!
Although it wasn't exactly a conflict, Sig left the Sun Pirates because he couldn't agree with Jinbe's decision.
"Hey, hey, hey, can you guys wait a bit before you catch up?" Ace said impatiently from the side.
Sig then used "Flash of Lightning" to travel from the deck to the island.
"Jinbe, Aladdin... it's been such a long time." Sig ignored Ace and continued catching up.
Jinbe and Aladdin were also filled with emotion.
"Yes, it's been... a full nine years." A look of nostalgia appeared in Jinbe's eyes.
"Alright, alright, I know you guys set sail a long time ago, can we start fighting now? Or are you planning to have a drink and get together? I'm going to find Whitebeard first!" Ace said flippantly.
"Kid! Show me some respect!" Jack said, clearly annoyed.
Putting aside Ace and Jack's argument, Jinbe looked at Sig with a puzzled expression and asked, "What are you doing on this kid's ship?"
"I'm here on behalf of the Red-Hair Pirates to deliver a message to Whitebeard."
"Delivering a letter? You?" Jinbe's first reaction was clearly, "This letter is being delivered in a very grand manner!"
"Yes, our Captain wants to invite Captain Whitebeard, Captain Charlotte, and Captain Kaido to Hakunnos in March for another proper discussion," Sig said honestly.
It wasn't something that needed to be kept secret, especially since it involved Jinbe.
Upon hearing this, Jinbe's eyes narrowed. Jinbe, who was well-versed in the "rules" of the pirates, had noticed the unusual nature of Shanks' actions.
"But if Whitebeard has already been defeated by then, then give it to me!" Ace emphasized from the side.
"Okay, okay, if you win, it'll be yours," Sig coaxed him.
Jinbe guessed that Red-Hair must have some purpose in doing this, but he didn't ask, since Sig was now Red-Hair's crew member.
Actually, Sig had nothing to hide from the question he asked.
Jinbe was still a little confused. "Why is it you who delivered the message to Old Man?"
Jinbe and the Whitebeard Pirates were very close. The Sea Bass' often sailed alongside the Moby Dick,' and the Sun Pirates frequently joined Whitebeard and other division commanders for banquets and drinks...
Jinbe naturally wouldn't be completely unaware of the deeds of a certain "former executive." In Jinbe's view, it was normal for Sig to be responsible for delivering this important letter, given Sieg's "status in the underworld." But why would it be this letter to Whitebeard? He couldn't understand it!
"Because... my relationship with Captain Kaido and Captain Charlotte is more 'complex'," Sig remarked.
Jinbe:...
Good heavens, so back then, you treated your Old Man... and that was the least you could have offended?
Suddenly, Sig took Jinbe steps closer to Jinbe in a mysterious manner, then covered his mouth and asked, "Jinbe, how's Miss Buckingham doing now that I entrusted to Whitebeard's son to be returned to him a few years ago?"
Jinbe:...
Jinbe stared at Sig without a word—"What's going on? Shouldn't your Old Man thank you properly?"
"That woman... At first, Old Man let her be the Ship Doctor because we were once colleagues, but she started bossing around Old Man's sons, so Old Man kicked her out." Jinbe looked at Sig with a speechless expression.
Back when Miss Buckingham hadn't yet driven him away, Sig was often scolded among Whitebeard's sons!
"Sigh," Sig sighed.
It seems that Whitebeard's old age wasn't very fulfilling; he didn't seem to have any romantic relationships or anything like that.
Meanwhile Ace and Jack were about to fight. Although Jack was Fish-Man, he had little sense of belonging to the Fish-Man Race and had no feelings for the Sun Pirates or Jinbe, but he recognized Sig as his "big brother".
"So you're Jack? Leave this to me." Jinbe had also heard of Jack of the Red-Hair Pirates.
In several clashes with other dominant pirate crews, Jack and Weevil were always the most reckless.
At the same time, Jinbe also glanced at the other "big guy" next to Sig...
Jack's physique has continued to grow over the past few years, exceeding eight meters in height, essentially reaching the height he had when he first appeared in the original work. Meanwhile, "Whitey Bay" has become more intelligent over the years, and with the physiological guidance he received from Sig, his development of the "artificial Tremor-Tremor Fruit," or rather, the "artificial Whitebeard Fruit," and his training in Life Return have become more scientific, and his physique has become closer to normal.
Now he's also over 7.5 meters tall, not much shorter Jack, and his build is very similar to Jack's, only slightly wider!
Compared to the abnormal physique in the original work, it is much more normal.
Although he didn't deliberately cosplay Whitebeard again, the two main features—the crescent-shaped beard and the naginata—were still very obvious.
"Huh? You blue fatso, are you trying to act tough with me because you're old? The hope of the Fish-Man Race is only my big brother, don't you understand?" Jack retorted provocatively to Jinbe.
Jinbe:...
You even brought Whitey Bay and a simpleton to find Whitebeard...
Even so, Sig still thinks that choosing to join the Whitebeard Pirates is the "safest" option among the three choices?
Jinbe now thinks it's a good thing Sig left the crew back then, otherwise the Sun Pirates would probably have been wiped out long ago!
"Jack! Don't be rude to Jinbe!" Sig punched Jack, sending him flying into the sea—he wouldn't drown anyway, he just couldn't swim.
"If you want to deliver the message, wait until I've dealt with this kid, then I'll go with you to find Old Man."
Jinbe finished speaking with Sig, he began fighting Ace...