Whitebeard

"Gurararara! Brother Lind, are you hanging around here all alone? Why not join everyone for a drink? I'm sure they'd all love to get to know you!"

A hearty voice interrupted Lind's thoughts. He turned and saw a figure over six meters tall walking toward him.

Whitebeard came up beside Lind, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "First time being a pirate? Still finding your feet? A few more drinks will sort that out!"

Whitebeard had noticed Lind standing alone by the window and thought he might be uncomfortable with the atmosphere at the banquet, so he had come over to reassure him.

"Hahahaha! Not at all, Captain Newgate. This is just my first time attending a banquet on this scale, so I wanted to soak up the atmosphere!"

"Look outside the window. Quite a lively scene, isn't it?" Lind explained to Whitebeard as he gazed at the bustling crowd outside.

"Gurararara! It certainly is. Of all the pirates out there, only Captain Rocks could put together a banquet this enormous!"

"Brother Lind, you wouldn't mind some company while you admire this lively scene, would you?"

Lind's answer struck a chord with Whitebeard, and he expressed his wish to enjoy the view alongside him.

"Hahahaha! It would be an honor, Captain Newgate!" Naturally, Lind had no reason to refuse Whitebeard.

It just felt a little awkward looking at Whitebeard, who was more than three times his height.

And so, Lind and Whitebeard admired the view outside the window, chatting idly as they did.

As they talked, Whitebeard brought up one of his main reasons for approaching Lind.

"Well, Brother Lind, there's something I'd like to ask you to help me with."

The moment Lind heard that, he knew what it was about. He had expected it, too. Fortunately, given his current strength, only the senior members of the Rocks Pirates needed his help.

As for the other pirates, Lind might have been a man of letters, but he knew how to throw a punch, too. He wasn't about to waste his energy on them.

"Hahahaha! Just tell me what you need, Captain Newgate. No need to stand on ceremony!" Lind agreed to Whitebeard's request without much hesitation.

"Gurararara! In that case, I won't!"

"Shiki told me you wrote that speech he gave outside Hachinosu earlier. Could you write something for me, too?"

For some reason, Lind thought he heard a hint of embarrassment in the voice of the six-meter-tall Newgate when he said that. He chalked it up to his imagination and gave it no further thought.

"Hahahaha! Don't worry, Captain Newgate. I'll have it written in seven days and bring it over. Just tell me where you live!" After a moment's consideration, Lind told Whitebeard when he would finish his poem of praise.

"Gurararara! Sorry for all the trouble, Brother Lind. I'll come visit you instead. We're brothers—how could I make you deliver it yourself?" Whitebeard waved his hand, insisting that Lind shouldn't bring it over in person.

"Of course, you're always welcome to come over for a drink. I happen to have a few bottles of fine liquor I've been saving. We can share them!" Perhaps worried that Lind might misunderstand what he had said, Whitebeard added an explanation.

"Hahahaha! In that case, I won't hold back, brother. And just so you know, I can really drink!" Lind raised an eyebrow and said with a smile.

"Gurararara! No need to hold back. We're brothers, after all, and you're doing me a huge favor this time!" Whitebeard laughed heartily.

"Well, I won't take up any more of your time, Brother Lind. If we keep chatting, the others won't be able to wait any longer!" As though he had noticed something, Whitebeard suddenly changed the subject.

"Gurararara! You're quite popular, Brother Lind!"

Clearly, the other Division Commanders wanted to strike up conversations with Lind, too, hoping he would write something for them.

"Oh, right. Shiki must have told you about Linlin, hasn't he? Be careful with that woman. Don't let that face of hers fool you!" Just before leaving, Whitebeard suddenly brought up Charlotte Linlin, intending to give Lind a warning.

"Of course, with your strength, you shouldn't have any trouble if you want to give it a try!"

"Gurararara! I'm off, Brother Lind!"

Before Lind could say anything else, Whitebeard strode away, his steps carrying a trace of haste.

Neither of them had made any effort to keep their voices down, and everyone present was an expert in Observation Haki, so the powerful pirates there had heard every word of their conversation from the very beginning.

At first, it had been fine. No one showed much of a reaction, though a flicker of interest in their eyes betrayed their desire to strike up a conversation with Lind.

But when Whitebeard uttered those last two remarks, something shifted in everyone's eyes, and they glanced at Lind and Charlotte Linlin with peculiar expressions.

Fortunately, although everyone had heard it, it was still only a private conversation between Whitebeard and Lind.

The atmosphere grew a little awkward, but apart from Charlotte Linlin glaring at Whitebeard, no further conflict broke out.

Soon, the senior members of the Rocks Pirates came over to speak to Lind one after another, discussing whether he could write introductory verses for them.

Although Lind had expected this, he still felt a headache coming on. Fortunately, his strength was respectable, so there was no need to rush. He could take his time.

Besides, in the spirit of returning favors, Lind should be able to get quite a few good things from them this time.

Before long, Lind finished dealing with the few Division Commanders, along with near-senior members such as Flame Flower and Shakky.

Seeing the remaining officers itching to approach him, Lind no longer dared to stay on his own.

He hurried off to drink with Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and the other Division Commanders.

This time, Lind swept the field. Unlike the last time, when Golden Lion had easily drunk him under the table, his miraculous sobering aid multiplied his drinking prowess dozens of times over.

He faced the seasoned drinkers of the Rocks Pirates without a shred of fear and kept drinking until the banquet ended without passing out.

Over the days following the banquet, Lind settled comfortably into life on Hachinosu.

Every day, he sparred and drank with senior members of the Rocks Pirates such as Whitebeard and Golden Lion. He gained systematic knowledge of both swordsmanship and the three types of Haki, making tremendous improvements.

Every day, Lind could feel his strength growing rapidly. More than once, he marveled that this might be all his accumulated effort finally paying off!

Also, to give credit where it was due, the fine liquor Whitebeard had been saving really did taste good.

And so, in the pirate stronghold of Hachinosu, Lind enjoyed a rare stretch of peaceful leisure, eating and drinking without a care-something he had seldom experienced in the two and a half years since arriving in this world.

Until Whitebeard came to visit Lind again.