A Newcomer to the Whitebeard Pirates

Moby Dick.

Azure flames flared, and after a fierce clash, the handsome Rune was sent flying straight to the edge of the deck.

Rune panted, clearly running low on strength. He tried to get up, but he no longer had the strength to stand.

"Man, you're working way too hard, aren't you?"

Hearing that, Rune looked up and saw Marco, with his pineapple-like hair, walking toward him. Marco reached out and pulled Rune up from the ground.

"I want to be able to help everyone more. For that, I can only keep training..."

Rune smiled and sat down to one side with Marco's support. Marco could only shake his head helplessly.

"Training Haki isn't something that happens overnight. You need to rest sometimes too, relax a little."

Rune nodded. He agreed with that. But he might not have that much time left.

Because before long, something major would happen to the Whitebeard Pirates.

Blackbeard Teach would kill Commander Thatch and steal Thatch's Dark-Dark Fruit.

Rune knew this because he was not originally from this world.

By some incredible stroke of luck, Rune had crossed over into the world of One Piece. But it was neither soul transmigration nor reincarnation—it was the most troublesome and absurd kind: physical transmigration.

Still, perhaps because of the change in worlds, Rune's constitution had become far better than before. On top of that, he was one of the rare few with the potential for Conqueror's Haki.

But since he had no connection to this world and no legal identity, Rune joined the Whitebeard Pirates after living alone for a while.

He became a member of the First Division.

Because he possessed the rare potential for Conqueror's Haki, Marco thought highly of Rune. In the months since he came aboard, Marco had constantly helped Rune train, teaching him all kinds of combat and training techniques.

Over those months, Rune had also met Ace, the commander of the Second Division, and Thatch, the commander of the Fourth Division. Becoming friends with characters he had once seen in an anime was quite a novel experience for Rune.

And having watched the anime, Rune also knew why the Whitebeard Pirates would fall apart in the future.

Over the past few months, everyone in the Whitebeard Pirates had cared for Rune, who had only recently come aboard, like they were one big family. Under everyone's guidance, Rune's strength had improved by leaps and bounds.

Although he had only initially grasped all three types of Haki, if that strength were placed in the first half of the Grand Line, he could still count as a minor boss.

But within one of the Four Emperors' crews, the Whitebeard Pirates, that level of strength was far from enough.

Although he knew what Teach would do in the future, the only rule aboard the Whitebeard Pirates was that no one was allowed to harm a crewmate. Rune could not simply use his knowledge of the future to convince everyone to kill Teach.

They would only think he had gone crazy.

As for secretly making a move and killing Teach himself...

Honestly, Rune was not confident.

He did not think he currently had the strength to defeat Teach for certain. Although Blackbeard Teach had always acted ridiculously, screaming in pain whenever he fought anyone.

Rune did not think Teach was some weakling he could simply toy with.

As the son of Rocks, a legendary figure from the previous generation, if Teach were really worthless, he could never have risen to the position of a Four Emperor in the original future.

Moreover, Rune did not think he could pull something like that off right under Whitebeard's nose. If he was discovered attacking Teach, Rune himself would be expelled from the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Yo, Thatch, what good stuff did you bring back this time?"

After Marco handed Rune a bottle of water, he went to greet Thatch, who had just returned. Thatch smiled and pulled a fruit from his pocket.

Rune, who had been resting, froze instantly.

It was here...

The key to the Whitebeard Pirates falling apart!

The Dark-Dark Fruit!

Rune stood and walked toward Thatch.

"Brother Thatch, what is that? A Devil Fruit?"

"Yeah, a Devil Fruit."

Thatch smiled, seeming quite happy. "If you eat one of these, you gain incredible powers. I just don't know what ability this fruit has..."

Several other commanders also came over to congratulate Thatch. As the cook of the Whitebeard Pirates, Thatch got along well with most of the crew.

He had been especially caring toward Rune, who had not been aboard for long.

Just as he had once cared for the lonely Ace.

Looking at Thatch, Rune secretly resolved that no matter what, he would save him. After all, Thatch's care over the past several days had been genuine.

He could not let that bastard Teach get his way!

At the very least... he had to keep Thatch alive. Even if the Dark-Dark Fruit was stolen, it would not be a huge problem. As long as Thatch did not die, Ace would have no reason to hunt Teach down.

Then the Whitebeard Pirates would have no reason to go to war with the Marines. At the very least, many people in the Whitebeard Pirates would be able to live a little longer.

After greeting Thatch, Rune secretly followed nearby.

He did not know exactly when Teach would make his move, so he could only use such a clumsy method.

Rune did not intend to kill Teach. After all, Rune might not have that kind of strength yet.

It was too risky.

As long as he made a big enough commotion and let everyone know that Teach had harmed a crewmate, Rune's goal would be achieved!

After doing something like that, the Whitebeard Pirates would no longer tolerate Teach's presence. At worst, they would expel Teach from the crew.

"Rune, what are you doing here?"

Just as Rune was following Thatch, a somewhat puzzled voice reached his ears. Rune turned around and saw that it was Flower Sword Vista.

He was a famed great swordsman of the seas, and his strength ranked among the best in the Whitebeard Pirates.

"I..."

Rune was a little nervous, since what he was doing was hardly honorable. He scratched his head and put on a foolish look.

"I wanted to check Brother Thatch's room to see if there was anything good to eat..."

"You really are something..."

Vista was somewhat helpless. Although this newcomer Rune had decent talent, he was a bit simple-minded. Every day, aside from training and sparring, he wandered everywhere looking for food.

Like a starving ghost.

"Go on, go on. Thatch always has good stuff. But you'd better tell him first. Though even if you steal some food, he probably won't get mad."

Vista treated Rune entirely like a little brother. As members of the Whitebeard Pirates' big family, they were all Father's children.

A little brother liking to sneak food was obviously nothing worth criticizing.

"Brother Flower Sword, Brother Thatch said last time that I eat way too much. Please don't tell him I came here to steal food..."

Vista shook his head. He could not be bothered with such matters. He had things of his own to do; as for Rune and Thatch, they could do whatever they wanted.

Just as Rune was thinking that he had finally fooled Vista into leaving, a bloodstained scene suddenly flashed before his eyes.

It was a scene of him and Thatch lying together in a pool of blood!

"Brother Flower Sword! Don't leave yet!"