"Pops!"
Whitebeard's order brought every pirate in the Whitebeard Pirates to tears. These hot-blooded men sobbed openly, looking anything but dignified, but their grief was heartfelt. They withdrew toward Bay Head with tears in their eyes, though many volunteered to stay behind.
Lafitte shot Whitebeard a smug look and sneered. "What's wrong, Whitebeard? Giving your last instructions?"
The words had barely left Lafitte's mouth when a sharp shout rang out behind him.
"Fire Fist!"
Lafitte spun around, only to see a huge pillar of flame bearing down on him. The raging fire swallowed him whole. He leaped and thrashed as smoke rose from his body, then scrambled away without a thought for how pathetic he looked.
Bang!
Supersonic Van Augur fired without hesitation. Barely taking aim, he struck Ace square between the eyes. His shot was precise, but it did Ace no real harm.
A great ring of fire temporarily shielded Whitebeard. At the sight of the huge, terrible hole in his chest, Ace's heart twisted. He dropped to his knees without thinking, tears spilling down his cheeks. "Pops!"
Whitebeard looked back at him. His own eyes grew wet, but he forced the tears down.
He would never let his sons see him cry. He was Whitebeard, a man who stood tall against the world. Even in death, he would not show weakness.
Whitebeard caught his breath and asked gently, "Ace, was I a good father?"
Memories of the past flashed through Ace's mind like scenes from a film. Roger may be my father by blood, but you're the family I'm closest to.
Because of Ye Chen, Ace no longer resented Roger so deeply. After talking with Ye Chen, he had long since accepted Roger as his father.
"Live well, Marco!"
Seeing Marco fly over, Whitebeard gave him a warm