"Pops!"
"Flower Country in the West Blue is just ahead. Are we sure we're going to stock up there?"
Seven-year-old Marco could be considered one of the earliest crew members to follow Whitebeard.
But at present, he was still only an Apprentice Crew Member.
When the war at God Valley had broken out earlier,
some of Whitebeard's crew had stayed on an island in the West Blue.
They were mostly teenagers, and Marco was among the younger ones.
Newgate had taken them in from various places over his years of adventuring at sea.
Back on Hachinosu, some people had mocked him behind his back.
They thought Linlin went around having children, while Newgate was always taking children in.
Both were unambitious fools with nothing but strength to their names.
Yet those two had been the quickest to gather their first batch of crew members after the war ended.
After them came Wang Zhi and Golden Lion.
Between them, they had taken in the vast majority of the Rocks Pirates' combat crew.
Other pirates had chosen differently.
Some followed Captain John on treasure-hunting adventures, while others followed Silver Axe into battles everywhere.
Flame Flower had joined Shakky and the others in rebuilding the Kuja Pirates.
Stussy, who had previously considered Whitebeard, had instead left alone to search for a laboratory where she could realize her grand ambitions.
The Kurozumi Siblings had quietly left and returned to Wano Country, deciding to wait for an opportunity.
The seas had entered an age of expansion dominated by former members of the Rocks Pirates!
Roger's elite pirate crew could not stop their rise, nor would they meddle in outsiders' affairs.
Meanwhile,
pirates such as Chinjao, leader of the Happo Navy, Red the Aloof, and Byrnndi World, the More-More Fruit user, were also great pirates who