In the cemetery on Sphinx Island.
A large number of new graves have appeared.
Whitey Bay and Elwan stared blankly at Karma and Andre's new tombstones.
There are also cenotaphs for Whitebeard, Jozu, and the division commanders.
To this day, they have not been able to redeem their Pops's remains from Wang Shi.
It's unclear what happened to Jozu's body to the Cross Guild.
It has been confirmed that the bodies of the other division commanders and their subordinate captains have fallen into the hands of Gecko Moria of the Shichibukai.
However, Gecko Moria and Doflamingo are now very close.
After the Whitebeard Pirates managed to stabilize their territory on more than a dozen islands, they were simply unable to attack Gecko Moria and retrieve his remains.
The Whitebeard Pirates are truly powerless in every aspect right now.
Forget about retrieving the body, we can't even protect Whitebeard's hometown.
At dawn, the Whitebeard Pirates' small fleet returned after a night's journey.
Fire Fist Ace and Marco and the others rushed to the cemetery.
Whitey Bay and Elwan never gave Izo and Ace a kind look, not even glancing at them properly.
The oppressive atmosphere made Ranger Doma and Raider McGuy extremely uncomfortable.
They also discovered that the Decalvan Brothers had disappeared.
The Den Den Mushi says that the Decalvan Brothers did not die, but escaped from Edward Weevil's clutches.
Neither of the Decalvan Brothers have returned.
A terrible thought popped into my head.
The Decalvan Brothers may have already left the Whitebeard Pirates.
"I'm sorry, boss!"
"I'm sorry, everyone!"
Izo knelt before these new graves, pressed his head to the ground, and wept bitterly.
It was all because of him that this tragedy occurred.
Whitey Bay did not respond; his face remained cold and expressionless.
"I'm so sorry everyone, I couldn't protect you all!"
Fire Fist Ace also knelt down, tears streaming down his face.
He's become a jinx once again!
Perhaps he shouldn't have become the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
His conviction wavered once again!
"I will avenge everyone and kill Edward Weevil!"
Fire Fist Ace solemnly swore, his eyes blazing with fury, eager to strike immediately and hunt down Edward Weevil.
The other division commanders remained silent, believing that there might still be a sliver of a chance against Edward Weevil, a powerless Shichibukai.
But how can they avenge their Pops and Jozu?
Neither the Goa Empire nor the Cross Guild are entities they can afford to offend.
Furthermore, how will the World Government and Marine Headquarters seek revenge for killing the other division commanders and subordinate captains?
In fact, they can't do anything at all.
Even Gecko Moria, who controls the corpses of numerous squad leaders as zombies, is now finding it difficult to make a move.
Even if Gecko Moria and Doflamingo, both Shichibukai, joined forces, they would be in serious trouble.
They are now even less able to leave their territory.
Otherwise, Sphinx Island would be in the same predicament.
···
"Where are the Decalvan Brothers?"
Seeing that the atmosphere remained heavy and oppressive, Captain Ace asked a question.
"We've completely lost contact!"
"Residents saw them steal a fishing boat and go out to sea."
"Also, if you want revenge on Edward Weevil, it'll probably be very difficult."
"Because some residents saw two airships appear, the people from the Goa Empire came to Sphinx Island. They fought with Edward Weevil, and then they all left together."
"Perhaps Edward Weevil, Shichibukai, has already infiltrated the Goa Empire."
"Perhaps you could go to Wano Country again; you might see them there."
Elwan spoke coldly, his tone extremely irritated.
Edward Weevil destroyed buildings on a large scale and fought against the Goa warriors, destroying even more areas.
Even Miss Bakkin's pirate ship, which carried the wealth of two islands, was seen by residents being taken away by the Goa Empire.
"What! People from the Goa Empire have come too?"
"And my Pops's remains..."
Ace was shocked; he had thought that their communication with Jinbe and the Goa Empire had yielded some results.
"The Goa Empire is World Government Member States, our enemy. Can't you stop overthinking this?!"
Elwan looked at Ace, the brat captain, with impatience.
"Brother Elwan, calm down."
Marco sensed Elwan's anger and dissatisfaction and quickly spoke up to stop him.
He had clearly sensed something was off about Sister Whitey Bay and Brother Elwan; their resentment and dissatisfaction were already overflowing.
"Sorry..."
Fire Fist Ace lowered his head, feeling increasingly guilty.
"Ace, I've decided to step down as captain of the First Division. I'll be staying on Sphinx Island from now on!"
At this moment, Whitey Bay, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.
Her decision completely stunned Ace and Marco, along with the other squad leaders.
"Me too!"
"I'm resigning from this position as the Third Division Captain. I will dedicate my life to protecting Sphinx Island, ensuring that my Pops's hometown is never destroyed again, and I will live and die with Sphinx Island."
Elwan continued speaking, completely ignoring the intense reactions from the crowd.
"Big Sister Whitey Bay! Big Brother Elwan!"
Marco shouted immediately, his expression one of extreme pain, while Ace also seemed stunned and blank, his expression turning bitter.
The Decalvan Brothers have gone missing and may have already defected. Karma and Andre have been killed in action, and now Whitey Bay and Elwan are also withdrawing.
This plunged the Whitebeard Pirates, who had just begun to show signs of improvement, back into the Abyss.
"No need for further explanation!"
"From now on Whitebeard Pirates are in your hands!"
"We've always been Pops's family."
Whitey Bay waved his hand gently, his tone resolute.
This time, she and Elwan escaped.
But if there were a next time, she would never run away; she would die in the battle to protect Sphinx Island.
The departure of Whitey Bay and Elwan left Ranger Doma and Rachel McGuy looking at each other in bewilderment.
They only became squad leaders at the request of Sister Whitey Bay.
As a result, Whitey Bay, the leader who spearheaded the charge, was removed from the ranks of squad leaders even faster than they were.
What's going on here?!
Izo remained kneeling on the ground, his whole body trembling with sobs. Ace's mouth was slightly open, but he didn't know how to ask him to stay.
At that moment, a light drizzle began to fall from the dim sky, soaking everyone.
But the chill of the drizzle seeped deep into their hearts, seeping into the depths of their souls through the cracks in their emotions.
The group stood silently, frozen in the rain.
But in the end, no one spoke up.
As Whitey Bay turned and left, with Elwan close behind, the Whitebeard Pirates split into two again.
Fire Fist Ace and Marco the Phoenix had rain and tears streaming down their faces.
Is there still hope for the Whitebeard Pirates?
Can we go back to the way things were?