"Just like when Empress Boa Hancock first appeared in the New World."
"Maybe we'll never understand what makes Chris so extraordinary until we meet him ourselves."
Whitebeard ignored the tubes attached to his body and kept gulping down wine.
He threw back his head and laughed. "That youngster Chris has made the New World lively again."
"Empress Boa Hancock and Gecko Moria entering the New World, the Shichibukai joining forces..."
"All of it is closely tied to Chris."
Whitebeard glanced at Ace and the others, then said solemnly, "This era is about to change, my sons!"
"Chris's appearance will surely usher in a new era."
"And that era will bring forth even more powerful people."
"Anyone without enough strength won't survive in the new age to come!"
There was a deeper meaning to Whitebeard's words.
He knew full well that his own era might not last much longer.
He was delighted to see someone as different as Chris emerge.
But he had his worries, too.
When the new era truly arrived, would his sons be able to find a place in it?
A shadow passed through Ace's eyes, though his face still bore its usual easy smile.
"Pops, you keep raising your opinion of Chris," Ace said with a laugh.
"Is he really the one who'll usher in a new era?"
"I wouldn't be so sure!"
An odd smile crept across his face.
He snorted. "As long as you're here with us, Pops, this era will always belong to you!"
"Chris may be extraordinarily gifted. He may have reached the very pinnacle of the world."
"But before you, he'll always be a junior!"
In Ace's eyes, no one could surpass Whitebeard.
He had always believed Whitebeard ruled this era.
If this era had a Pirate King, then to Ace, Whitebeard