Whitebeard Pirates in Freefall

"Tap, tap, tap!!!"

Lin Yan stepped forward, boarding the Moby Dick one step at a time.

With the empty corridor and the sound of his boots striking the wooden boards,

the echoes lingered like orchids in a secluded valley.

Those able to join the Whitebeard Pirates and become members of the crew

were naturally not to be underestimated in strength.

They were the first to notice the movement in the corridor.

At once,

all sixteen hundred people aboard the ship held their breaths.

The entire scene instantly fell silent.

Not a sound could be heard.

There was not the slightest bit of noise!

"The newcomer is here!"

Everyone's eyes

turned toward the corridor entrance!

The next second,

Lin Yan stepped onto the deck!

Sunlight reflected across his face.

At once,

Lin Yan was exposed to everyone's sight aboard the Moby Dick.

At that instant,

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Like a black sheep standing out among a flock of white ones, he was striking and eye-catching, drawing countless gazes.

Everyone stared directly at him.

An invisible pressure

crashed down upon Lin Yan like an overwhelming tide!

As for Lin Yan,

having boarded the Moby Dick for the first time,

he looked around.

The Moby Dick was enormous; from the corridor entrance, he could take in the entire ship at a glance.

Just like when Red-Hair boarded the Whitebeard Pirates' ship,

the Whitebeard Pirates' crew stood lined up on either side.

There were crowds upon crowds of them, stretching as far as the eye could see.

These were all elites of the Whitebeard Pirates.

The very group that would participate in the Marineford War in the future!

Faced with everyone's stares,

the corner of Lin Yan's lips lifted slightly.

He could not help but sigh.

What a damn grand entrance!

At the very center of the Moby Dick,

a towering figure stood firmly in place.

He was as steady as an ancient boulder that had endured through the ages.

Dressed in a gold-trimmed coat, wearing a pirate captain's hat, with his signature crescent-shaped mustache and bulging veins on his arms,

he was clearly sitting there receiving an IV drip, yet he constantly radiated the aura of a king.

Though already advanced in years, his edge could not be concealed.

Every gesture carried solemnity and majesty.

Even though Lin Yan stood some distance away from Whitebeard,

he was still affected by the man's presence and could not help but feel reverence.

So this was Whitebeard? The strongest man in the world?

Lin Yan nodded to himself.

Then,

he shifted his gaze and looked toward the Whitebeard Pirates' crew around him.

However,

in that very second,

he realized something the moment he looked.

All around Lin Yan,

every member of the Whitebeard Pirates had a fierce glint in their eyes.

One after another, they gritted their teeth.

The sounds of teeth grinding came endlessly from all around the deck.

They looked

as if Lin Yan owed them several million.

Lin Yan was initially stunned.

Then a flash of confusion crossed his mind.

What was going on here?

To be honest,

Lin Yan had been rather looking forward to joining the Whitebeard Pirates!

And he understood as well

that, as a newcomer,

being noticed upon first boarding the Moby Dick was perfectly normal.

But

what was with all of you looking like you wanted to swallow me alive?

This was our first time meeting, wasn't it?!

No prior ties, no provocation, no offense.

Did you really have to glare at me so viciously?

Damn it.

Was something wrong with these people?

"You're Lin, right?!"

At that moment,

Whitebeard rose from the center, looking at Lin Yan with admiration as he asked.

From the moment Lin Yan came aboard,

Whitebeard had been observing him.

He had thought Lin Yan would be like Jozu, the muscular type!

Yet when he saw such a refined and easygoing young man board the ship,

a hint of surprise appeared in Whitebeard's eyes.

"I am!"

Lin Yan answered.

Hearing Whitebeard's question,

waves stirred in his heart as well!

"Gurararara, I never expected you to be such a young talent!"

"Before you came here, Izo should have already explained everything to you, right?"

Whitebeard looked at the valiant and handsome Lin Yan, then nodded in satisfaction.

With looks like these,

even his younger self

would have had to avoid the comparison!

Hmm...

Not bad.

Very good!

"He did!"

Lin Yan continued answering.

"Then what do you think of our Whitebeard Pirates?"

Whitebeard also wanted to see how Lin Yan viewed the Whitebeard Pirates.

"I don't have any particular opinion. You're pretty good!"

Lin Yan gave a middle-of-the-road answer.

Whitebeard paused slightly.

Clearly,

that was not the answer he wanted.

"I've heard about what happened between you and Izo. He once invited you, but never received a definite answer from you!"

"Since that's the case, let's be direct. Lin, what do you think about joining our Whitebeard Pirates?"

Whitebeard laughed with another "Gurararara," then asked in a steady voice.

The moment those words came out,

the gazes of the Whitebeard Pirates' crew around them instantly sharpened!

They practically gave off the feeling of, "Go ahead and fly, rookie. You'll bear the consequences yourself."

Lin Yan did not answer directly.

He first glanced around.

Invisible pressure surrounded him.

It made him somewhat uncomfortable.

"May I say a few words first?"

After pondering for a while, Lin Yan wanted to take the initiative and say something.

"Speak freely!"

Whitebeard said boldly to Lin Yan.

"May I ask whether I'm familiar with the members of your Whitebeard Pirates?"

Lin Yan pointed at the surrounding crew as he asked.

"It's our first meeting. We're not familiar!"

Whitebeard thought for a moment before answering.

"May I ask whether I have any grudges with the members of your Whitebeard Pirates?"

"No grudges!"

"Then may I ask, have I met anyone from the Whitebeard Pirates before?"

"Probably... not!"

After hearing this,

Whitebeard did not understand why Lin Yan was asking such questions.

But the next second,

Lin Yan's words

made Whitebeard laugh aloud.

"Then I have to ask: since there's nothing between us, why are your crew members all looking at me like they want to eat me alive?"

"Did these guys get water in their brains?"