In the New World, aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick.
After Thatch was killed and the Devil Fruit was stolen, Ace and Teach wasted no time. That very night, they boarded a fast ship and rushed back ahead of the others, bringing Thatch's body to reunite with the Whitebeard Pirates aboard the Moby Dick.
After several days of travel, they had finally arrived today.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard—Edward Newgate, known as the strongest man in the world—stood beneath the mast, his expression grim as he looked at Thatch's body laid before him.
Several days had already passed, and with the effects of the sea climate and other factors, even though Ace and Teach had done their best to preserve him, Thatch's corpse was still a dreadful sight.
Yet there was not the slightest hint of disgust on Newgate's face. His massive body trembled faintly as he crouched down and reached out to stroke Thatch's stiff corpse. After a moment, he looked darkly at Teach, who was kneeling beside Thatch's body, and asked, "Who was it? Who killed my son?"
Teach said with a grim, resentful expression, "Pops, I saw that guy's face clearly. I didn't recognize him. I'd never seen him before. He suddenly appeared in the cabin."
In truth, Ace and the others had already explained the details to Newgate several times on their way back.
But Newgate still listened intently to the account, his eyes fixed firmly on Teach.
However, after several days, Teach had long since prepared himself mentally. His story was organized and clear, without any obvious loopholes or flaws. As for Ace, he had never doubted Teach in the first place, so naturally he had nothing more to add.
After hearing Teach's account, the intense pressure around Newgate gradually faded. He had only asked Teach to tell it again in person to confirm things further. In truth, Newgate himself had never seriously suspected Teach.
As he had said, Teach had been aboard the ship for over twenty years. During those two decades, he had gotten along wonderfully with every member of the Whitebeard Pirates. They were as close as brothers, living and dying together through countless crises and hardships.
If someone had suddenly told Newgate that Teach had killed Thatch, Newgate would never have believed it. Much less under the current circumstances.
After standing up, Newgate let out a soft sigh and forced down his grief. Then he said, "Marco, see Thatch off on his final journey. Let him return to the embrace of Mother Sea."
Marco, who stood behind Newgate with grief written across his face, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Yes, Pops."
Pirates lived with their heads hanging from their belts. Everyone was used to life and death, and funerals were simple affairs.
After arranging Thatch's funeral, Newgate took the portrait from Ace and studied it carefully for a while before saying, "He really is an unfamiliar face."
The artist aboard the Whitebeard Pirates' ship was truly skilled. Based only on Teach's hurried glimpse and description, he had managed to draw Bane's likeness with remarkable accuracy.
"Pops, that bastard killed Thatch. We have to avenge him!" Ace said passionately.
Newgate nodded and said coldly, "No one on this sea can hurt Whitebeard's family without paying the price!"
Before Ace could say anything else, Newgate swiftly ordered, "Jozu, send word to all our people. Pass this portrait to every captain and tell them to search for him thoroughly!"
The Whitebeard Pirates were not just this single crew. Beyond their own members, they had dozens of independent captains operating throughout the seas. As the strongest pirate force at present, their influence was naturally not to be underestimated.
Then, without waiting for Jozu to respond, Newgate continued, "Spread the news through the Underworld too. Paste this portrait all over the world. Put a bounty of five hundred million Belly on him. Find that bastard for me, dead or alive!"
Bounties were naturally not exclusive to the Marines. In the Underworld, all kinds of strange bounties could be found everywhere. Some, like Newgate's, sought lives; others sought Devil Fruits, rare treasures, contraband, or intelligence.
The Marines' bounties could simply be published in newspapers and distributed openly around the world, so they carried the greatest influence and credibility.
After Newgate finished making those arrangements, Ace stepped forward again. "Pops, I went out with Thatch this time, but I was the only one who came back. Thatch was killed because of me. Let me go find that bastard too, please? If I don't kill him, I'll never forgive myself for the rest of my life!"
As soon as Ace spoke, Teach followed closely behind. "Pops, it's all my fault. If I hadn't insisted on making Thatch drink so much, he wouldn't have been ambushed so easily. I have to avenge him with my own hands!"
To Teach, Thatch was completely unimportant. How could he not know what had really happened? He was the one who had killed him!
But the Dark-Dark Fruit was precious to him. In Teach's eyes, that bastard had to be a Devil Fruit user. Otherwise, how could he open a door out of thin air?
And if the other party was a Devil Fruit user, then there was still a chance that the Dark-Dark Fruit had not been eaten. That meant Teach still had hope.
So, by borrowing the Whitebeard Pirates' strength to find that person, reclaim the Dark-Dark Fruit, and slice him into a thousand pieces, this matter would be settled. As long as he got the Dark-Dark Fruit back, everything else could be dealt with later.
Newgate considered it briefly and did not object, agreeing to both their requests.
It had to be said that the Whitebeard Pirates moved quickly. As Whitebeard's orders spread, the more powerful forces across the sea soon learned of the situation.
That afternoon, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
At the very top of the enormous Fortress of Justice, in the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku, the current Fleet Admiral of the Marines, received the relevant report from the Marine Intelligence Department.
Looking at the document in his hand, Fleet Admiral Sengoku said in surprise, "The captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' 4th Division was killed?"
On the sofa across from his desk, Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Grand Staff Officer of the Intelligence Department, held a teacup and replied steadily, "I was surprised at first as well, but the news came from the Whitebeard Pirates themselves. They're searching the world for the killer, so it should be true."
Sengoku nodded first, then picked up Bane's portrait from the desk. After examining it for a moment, he asked, "Who is this guy?"
"I don't know." Grand Staff Officer Tsuru shook her head. "His name, age, past experiences, and all other relevant intelligence are blank. But based on the information released by the Whitebeard Pirates, he may be a Devil Fruit user with abilities related to space."
"Our intelligence can't uncover anything on this person?" Sengoku was somewhat surprised.
The Marines were backed by the World Government, with forces spread across the entire sea. In terms of intelligence, they had always exchanged information with Cipher Pol. The Whitebeard Pirates could not compare to that intelligence network!
Grand Staff Officer Tsuru explained, "It happened too suddenly. No matter how capable we are, we can't uncover everything in such a short time. I've already sent investigators to follow up. I believe we'll have results soon."
After thinking it over, Sengoku felt that made sense. He added, "Then search carefully. If nothing else, this guy certainly has guts. If his past isn't too questionable and his record is fairly clean, see if we can recruit him into the Marines."
"Then we'd become bitter enemies with the Whitebeard Pirates," Grand Staff Officer Tsuru said with a smile.
"We're the Marines. Others may fear Whitebeard, but should we?" Sengoku laughed, unconcerned.
In recent years, Sengoku had increasingly felt his age catching up to him. His energy could no longer compare to what it had been in the past, so he occasionally wondered whether it was time to make room for the younger generation.
But before stepping down from the position of Fleet Admiral, he felt he had to pave the way for the Marines one more time.
For example, by wiping out the Whitebeard Pirates?
Though he had not yet formed any mature plans, Sengoku keenly sensed that this incident might become an opportunity to pry loose the Whitebeard Pirates.
However... it still required careful planning.
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