Willing to Become Brothers

Shi Tianwu and Lu Bian watched Edward Newgate's first practice session.

No one provided Edward Newgate with explanations or guidance, yet he was able to quickly grasp the essence of the fist techniques and the essentials of the moves.

Old Man Whitebeard finished a set of Ultimate Arhat Fist at a slow, leisurely pace; his movements were not perfectly standard, but there were no major errors.

Edward Newgate was a man who truly understood combat, possessing an incomparably rich wealth of battle experience.

Cultivating the Ultimate Boundless Qigong to perfection not only granted one power comparable to 500,000 horsepower in Magnetic Rotation, but it also provided formidable combat prowess.

"My body feels all warm and fuzzy," Old Man Whitebeard said.

"It's a truly miraculous martial art."

Though he claimed his body felt warm, in the eyes of Shi Tianwu and Lu Bian, a white mist was already rising from Edward Newgate's bare upper body.

"Old Man Whitebeard is a genius," Shi Tianwu remarked.

"A genius? A martial arts genius?" Lu Bian asked.

"Indeed."

"Old Man Whitebeard, you have already mastered the basics of the Ultimate Boundless Qigong," Shi Tianwu said.

"What? I've already mastered the basics just like that?" Edward Newgate was somewhat surprised.

"I only felt my body gradually heating up while I was practicing."

"Hmm, now I can feel a warm, hot current flowing everywhere inside my body."

"That is exactly what Qigong is," Shi Tianwu said.

"Now that you have entered the basics of Qigong, if you persist in the practice of Ultimate Boundless Qigong, this energy will transform into another form and will no longer wander aimlessly," Shi Tianwu explained.

"This must be something very precious, right?"

"My apologies, it accidentally downloaded into my head," Old Man Whitebeard said.

He realized that the value of Ultimate Boundless Qigong far surpassed that of many Devil Fruits.

"It doesn't matter. I still have many things better than Ultimate Boundless Qigong that I haven't shared yet," Shi Tianwu said.

"Old Man Whitebeard, your physical condition isn't very good, is it?"

"Hmm, that is correct."

"Then practicing Ultimate Boundless Qigong is a good thing. I believe that in a few months, your physical condition will see a tremendous improvement," Shi Tianwu said.

"Then I must thank you even more."

"I just don't know how to thank you."

"Do you need treasure? I can send you a red envelope."

"I have absolutely no need for that," Shi Tianwu declined.

"I don't need thanks either; I am just happy to be able to help you all."

He was the Ultimate Shi Tianwu, who possessed everything.

But, did he truly possess "everything"?

Possessing loneliness is also a form of "possession."

A sentence Old Man Whitebeard had said to them earlier left a deep impression on him.

--As long as there is a world where people exist, it will be a cruel world.

Here, for now, only one "person" existed: him.

A world where only he existed was a cruel world for him, the "only person."

After possessing absolute power, Shi Tianwu wanted to do something with it.

He pondered. He had been pondering all along.

The appearance of the chat group made Shi Tianwu feel that he didn't have to sit and think in solitude anymore.

"Hey, Lu Bian, I know you've studied the Book of Supreme World Ordering, right?" Shi Tianwu asked.

"Eh, how did you know?"

"I happen to know a little bit about it myself."

"Actually, the Book of Supreme World Ordering is not just about the ability to calculate fate and deduce the future; it can also be practiced just like Ultimate Boundless Qigong," Shi Tianwu said.

"What!!" Lu Bian was greatly shocked.

[Shi Tianwu uploaded Supreme World Shocking Era]

With the change of just one character, the Book of Supreme World Ordering transformed into a divine Magnetic Rotation martial art.

"Now, our chat group has two martial arts," Shi Tianwu said with a faint smile.

"And this Supreme World Shocking Era places even greater emphasis on a person's martial talent and intellectual insight; only a genius among geniuses can master it."

"Then I suppose I won't be able to learn it myself," Lu Bian said.

"I'll give it a try."

As he spoke, Pops Whitebeard tapped [Download] once more.

"..."

Confused and bewildered.

Although he could understand every single character in the Supreme World Shocking Era, he couldn't make sense of them when strung together.

Unlike the Ultimate Boundless Qigong, which contained numerous illustrations and guides for moves and fist techniques, the Supreme World Shocking Era was entirely text-based, with no fixed series of moves for one to learn.

"Fine then."

"The parts about observing celestial phenomena are actually quite useful."

As a man of the sea who had lived on the ocean for many years, Edward Newgate also possessed some knowledge of reading the stars. He quickly began to study this somewhat metaphysical knowledge of astrology.

"Gurararara~!!"

"I have a proposal. How about we become brothers?"

Edward Newgate said.

"Huh? Why the sudden desire to become brothers?"

"Group Leader Lu Bian and I already address each other as brothers," Shi Tianwu added.

"Brother Tianwu, the 'brother' he means isn't the same as the one you and I use; he means becoming family. Pops Whitebeard has always taken in adopted sons, not sworn brothers," Lu Bian explained to Shi Tianwu.

"Pops Whitebeard is a great pirate. Someone once asked him what he wanted most in this ocean, and his answer wasn't treasure, power, or fame, but [family]."

Shi Tianwu: "Family..."

"Alright, let's become brothers."

Sworn brothers, was it?

He once had two older brothers as well.

And they had both died to save the world...

"Then, Pops Whitebeard, you shall be the eldest brother, Shi Tianwu will be the second, and I will be the third," Lu Bian said.

"Good, I'll go get the wine~!!" Edward Newgate went personally into the hold of the Mozambique to retrieve his prized stash of liquor.

On the deck, Edward Newgate sat cross-legged, poured three saucers of wine with a solemn expression, and spoke to the "air."

"I shall drink on your behalf!!"

Whitebeard boldly downed all three saucers of wine in one go.

"Ha~~!!"

Edward Newgate let out a long sigh of relief.

His heart felt incredibly light and content.

"My sons, let's hold a banquet~!!!"

Whitebeard stood up and shouted to his adopted sons on the ship.

"What's gotten into Pops? Why the sudden banquet?"

"Who knows? As long as Pops is happy, that's all that matters! Let's join in the fun!"

"Don't overthink it!! Just enjoy the party!!"

"Yeah~! Pops, we love you!!"

The Moby Dick docked at a nearby island, where they held a grand banquet.

From the mountainside in another world, Lu Bian and Shi Tianwu watched the lively party on Whitebeard's side together. Whitebeard had his adopted sons come out one by one to perform their specialties for his two brothers, Shi Tianwu and Lu Bian, while also introducing their names and identities.

Edward Newgate didn't understand "emotional value," but this was all he had to offer for Shi Tianwu and Lu Bian to experience.

He hoped they would be happy and joyful as well.