Whitebeard's Bounty on Bane, Sengoku's Keen Sense.

In the New World, the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates, the Moby Dick.

After Thatch was murdered and the Devil Fruit stolen, Ace and Teach did not delay. They boarded a fast ship that very night, rushing back with Thatch's body to rendezvous with the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates.

After several days of hard travel, they finally arrived today.

On the deck of the Moby Dick, Edward Newgate—the man known as the Strongest in the World—stood beneath the mast, his expression grim as he gazed down at Thatch's body laid out before him.

Because several days had passed, compounded by the harsh maritime climate, Thatch's body had become a harrowing sight despite the protective measures Ace and Teach had attempted to take.

Yet, there was not a hint of revulsion on Newgate's face. He lowered his massive frame with a slight tremor, reaching out to stroke Thatch's stiffened remains. A moment later, he looked toward Teach, who was kneeling beside the body, and asked in a low, somber voice, "Who was it? Who killed my son?"

Teach wore a look of shadowed resentment. "Pops, I saw his face clearly. It was someone I didn't recognize, someone I'd never seen before. He just suddenly appeared in the cabin."

In truth, Ace and the others had already recounted the details to Newgate multiple times during the journey back.

But even now, Newgate listened to the description with grave focus, his eyes locked onto Teach.

Days had passed, and Teach had long since prepared himself. His account was clear and logical, devoid of any obvious holes or flaws. As for Ace, he had never doubted Teach to begin with, so he naturally had nothing to add.

Once Newgate finished listening to Teach's account, the heavy, oppressive aura surrounding him gradually dissipated. He had only insisted on hearing it from Teach one more time to be absolutely certain; in reality, Newgate had not truly suspected Teach.

It was as he had always said: Teach had been on the ship for over twenty years. In those two decades, he had gotten along famously with every member of the Whitebeard Pirates. They were as close as brothers, having lived and died together through countless crises and hardships.

If someone had suddenly told Newgate that Teach had killed Thatch, he wouldn't have believed it—let alone under the current circumstances.

Standing up, Newgate let out a soft sigh, suppressing his grief before saying, "Marco, take him to his final rest. Let Thatch return to the embrace of Mother Sea."

Marco, who had been standing behind Newgate with a pained expression, wiped the tears from his eyes. "Understood, Pops."

Pirates lived with their heads on the chopping block, and everyone was accustomed to life and death; the funeral rites were, in truth, quite simple.

After arranging for Thatch's final rites, Newgate took the portrait from Ace's hand. He studied it carefully for a long moment before remarking, "A fresh face, indeed."

It must be said that the artist aboard the Whitebeard Pirates was quite skilled; based on the hasty glimpse Teach had described, he had managed to capture Bane's likeness with remarkable accuracy.

"Pops, that bastard killed Thatch. We have to avenge him!" Ace said, his voice trembling with agitation.

Newgate nodded, his voice cold. "On these seas, no one harms a member of my family and goes unpunished!"

Before Ace could say more, Newgate issued swift orders: "Jozu, get the word out to our people. Send this portrait to every captain and have them search high and low!"

The Whitebeard Pirates were more than just the crew on this ship. Beyond the main crew, they had dozens of independent captains operating across the seas. As the most powerful pirate force currently in existence, their influence was not to be underestimated.

Newgate continued before Jozu could even respond: "Spread the word through the Underworld as well. Plaster this portrait across the entire world. Put a bounty of five hundred million Belly on his head—find this bastard, dead or alive!"

Bounties were not the exclusive domain of the Marine Headquarters. In the Underworld, all sorts of strange bounties existed—some, like Newgate's, for a person's life, while others sought Devil Fruits, rare treasures, contraband, or intelligence.

It was simply that the Marine Headquarters could openly distribute their bounties via newspapers to the entire world, which gave them the greatest influence and credibility.

After Newgate finished his arrangements, Ace stepped forward again. "Pops, I was the one who went out with Thatch, but I'm the only one who returned. Thatch's death is my fault. Let me go find that bastard. If I don't take him down, I'll never forgive myself!"

As soon as Ace spoke, Teach followed suit. "Pops, it's my fault. If I hadn't insisted on dragging Thatch out to drink so much, he wouldn't have been ambushed so easily. I must be the one to avenge him with my own hands!"

For Teach, Thatch meant nothing. He knew exactly what had happened—he was the one who had killed him!

But the Dark-Dark Fruit was his heart's desire. In Teach's view, that bastard must have been a Devil Fruit user; otherwise, how could he have opened a door in thin air?

Since the opponent was a user, it meant there was still a chance the Dark-Dark Fruit hadn't been consumed yet, and thus, there was still hope.

Therefore, by leveraging the power of the Whitebeard Pirates to find that man, retrieve the Dark-Dark Fruit, and then tear the man to pieces, the matter would be settled. As long as he got the fruit back, everything else could be dealt with in time.

Newgate pondered for a moment, then agreed to both of their requests without objection.

It must be said that the Whitebeard Pirates moved with impressive speed. As soon as Whitebeard's orders were issued, the most powerful factions on the sea were the first to receive the news.

That afternoon, at the Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

On the top floor of the massive Fortress of Justice, in the office of the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku received the relevant intelligence from the Marine Intelligence Department.

Looking at the document in his hand, Fleet Admiral Sengoku said with surprise, "The Fourth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates has been killed?"

On the sofa across from the desk, the Great Staff Officer, Vice Admiral Tsuru, held a teacup and spoke in a steady tone, "I was surprised at first, too, but the news was released by the Whitebeard Pirates themselves. They're searching the whole world for the killer, so it should be true."

Sengoku nodded, then picked up the portrait of Bane from the table. After glancing at it twice, he asked, "Who is this?"

"Unknown," Tsuru replied, shaking her head. "Name, age, past history—all intelligence is zero. However, based on the information released by the Whitebeard Pirates, he may be a user with space-related abilities."

"Our intelligence network can't find anything on this person?" Sengoku was taken aback.

One had to remember that the Marines were backed by the World Government, with forces spread across the entire ocean. In terms of intelligence, they had always exchanged information with the Cipher Pol, a level of reach that the Whitebeard Pirates could not compare to!

Tsuru explained, "The incident was sudden. Even with our resources, it's impossible to dig up intelligence in such a short time. I've already ordered the investigators to follow up; I believe there will be results soon."

Sengoku thought about it and realized she was right. He then gave his instructions: "Then search thoroughly. If nothing else, this guy has real guts. If his past is clean and his background is clear, see if we can recruit him into the Marines."

"That would mean making a bitter enemy of the Whitebeard Pirates," Tsuru said with a smile.

"We are the Marines. If others fear Whitebeard, does that mean we must fear him too?" Sengoku laughed, unconcerned.

In recent years, Sengoku felt his age more and more; his energy was not what it used to be. Occasionally, he considered 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.

Perhaps by taking down the Whitebeard Pirates?

Although he had no mature plan yet, Sengoku keenly sensed that this incident might become the catalyst to shake the foundation of the Whitebeard Pirates.

However, it would require careful deliberation.