Should We Sign a Contract?

"King Enma... sir?"

Hearing that name from the Shinigami before him, Whitebeard was startled. It felt incredibly familiar.

He remembered hearing from little brother Oden long ago that, in the ancient legends of Wano Country, the deity who ruled the Afterlife was called King Enma.

Could the legends have been true?

No, the Shinigami had already appeared. King Enma must be real as well.

Whitebeard simply had not expected that he, a mere Pirate, would be worthy of an audience with such a great figure after death.

It seemed that, even in the underworld, he had quite the reputation as one of the Four Emperors.

Could it be that the enemies he had defeated had gone to the Afterlife and spread Whitebeard's name there?

Whitebeard was somewhat puzzled. Even if he had some fame, it should not have been enough for King Enma to come personally.

It was not only Whitebeard. The veteran Pirates around him who had once served alongside Oden were also shocked upon hearing that name.

"King Enma..."

Ace had personally been to Wano Country, so he naturally knew that title.

Though surprised, thoughts of the friends he had met in Wano Country filled him with melancholy.

He wondered how Tama, Yamato, and the people oppressed by the Beasts Pirates and Orochi were doing now.

He could no longer fulfill their promise...

As they were heading over, a thunderous voice rang out behind them.

"Old Man, Ace, everyone, thank goodness you're all okay."

"Huh? Why don't I see Marco and the others? Where are they?"

"Ah, isn't this Marine Headquarters? Why can't these Marines see me?"

Hearing the voice, everyone turned around in unison.

They saw an enormous Giant striding toward them. His skin was bluish-brown, two horns grew from his head, and his mouth was full of fangs, making him look terrifying.

From afar, he looked like a mountain slowly moving toward them.

"Little Oars?"

"Yeah, Little Oars died too."

Little Oars walked toward Whitebeard and the others, muttering his questions to himself.

In just a few steps, he reached them, crouching down to look at Whitebeard and Ace.

"Old Man, Ace, what's going on?"

Seeing that Little Oars still had not understood his situation, Ace's heart ached, and guilt and self-reproach once again surged within him.

Tears spilled from his eyes again. His face was already streaked with tears, but he gritted his teeth hard to stop himself from crying aloud.

Little Oars had died trying to save him.

He had even dragged Whitebeard and the crew's companions down with him.

Seeing Ace like this, Whitebeard sighed. Then his expression hardened as he raised his head and shouted at Little Oars, "Idiot son, you're already dead, aren't you?"

Little Oars suddenly understood. "Right, I remember now. The Shichibukai and the Marines killed me."

Whitebeard gritted his teeth and roared, "Not just you. Me, Ace, and everyone else are all dead now."

"Ace and Old Man too... Does that mean we still couldn't save Ace?"

Little Oars froze at first, then looked at Whitebeard and Ace. A sincere smile appeared on his face.

"We couldn't save Ace, and we even got Old Man killed. Even though that's terrible..."

"It's still wonderful that I can be with all of you."

That smile on such a fearsome face instead made the vicious-looking Giant seem innocent and childlike.

"Idiot son!"

Whitebeard knew Little Oars's innocent nature, but hearing him say that still made his eyes redden.

But now was not the time to drown in their emotions.

"Oars, we're going to meet King Enma now. Do you want to come with us?"

"Yes! As long as I'm with Old Man, I'll go anywhere!"

"Then follow us."

Led by Fugaku, the mass of Lost Souls arrived at a pile of rubble before the Marine Headquarters building.

The moment they arrived, Whitebeard and the others felt a complicated mix of emotions.

The reason was simple.

To one side of them, the Fleet Admiral and Generals were directing the postwar cleanup.

Sengoku was clearly right beside them, yet he did not notice them at all... Facing their old enemy in such a state was truly a strange feeling.

"Whoa, this is my first time seeing the Fleet Admiral from so close!"

"That's Akainu. He's wrapped in so many bandages—he really went all out. Compared to him, Aokiji and Kizaru beside him are..."

"Of course. General Sakazuki is a role model for all Marines. If he had died too, he definitely wouldn't have let you Pirates off!"

"Bah, don't say that. The Generals should all be alive and well, then kill every Pirate on the seas and carry justice through to the end!"

Seeing that the Pirates and Marines were about to start another disturbance, this time Fugaku did not even need to pressure them. Whitebeard and the Marine officers suppressed it themselves.

Once order had been restored, Fugaku first gave Whitebeard and the Marine officers a warning.

"You will soon meet Master. As Lost Souls, you must mind your manners before him."

Fugaku then said to the Uchiha around him, "Before Master, you must maintain order among these Lost Souls. Do not disgrace the Uchiha Clan."

"Understood."

Several Uchiha responded, then spread out among the Lost Souls so they could suppress any trouble at once.

Fugaku quickly descended from the air and ran toward the front.

On the pile of rubble were two young men dressed in the same Pitch Black clothes. One sat casually while the other stood guard behind him.

The Lost Souls saw the red-eyed Shinigami who had summoned them kneel on one knee before the young man seated on the rubble.

His face was filled with respect, and none of the lofty demeanor he had shown before the Lost Souls remained.

How could Whitebeard and the others fail to realize it? This young man was the Master mentioned by the Shinigami—the legendary King Enma!

As they observed King Enma, they found, to their surprise, that the ruler of the Afterlife was nothing like they had imagined—not ten meters tall, not red-faced and fanged, nor terrifying in appearance.

Instead, he looked no different from an ordinary person. He was even somewhat handsome.

The only particularly striking thing about King Enma was his thick, heavy eyebrows.

The red-eyed Shinigami spoke with King Enma, but they were too far away and their voices were too soft for the others to hear clearly.

After the two finished talking, the red-eyed Shinigami stood and waved them over.

As they drew closer, Whitebeard and the others could see more clearly.

"He really looks no different from an ordinary person."

After everyone approached, King Enma also swept his gaze over them.

He lightly glanced across the Lost Souls before finally settling his eyes on Whitebeard at the front.

His face was utterly calm, without the slightest expression, giving off a stern and somber air.

"Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, correct? Those final words of yours were quite good."

"You have already heard the matter from Fugaku. I can give you an opportunity to Live Another Life."

"So, do you want to sign a contract with me?"