" Kazu, Navia's last wish has been fulfilled, you..."
"Are you willing to acknowledge me as your father?"
Whitebeard's voice was full of anticipation, and his eyes were fixed on Kazu, never looking away.
Kazu looked at the proud man in front of him, surprised that he would speak in such a tone; it must be hard for him.
"Of course."
" Pops."
Upon hearing Kazu's approval, Kazu and Whitebeard exchanged a smile, after which Whitebeard took two steps forward and hugged Kazu tightly.
Kazu has never denied the fact that he is Whitebeard's son, after all, he is his biological father.
Furthermore, he genuinely had no idea about it all these years, so it can't be considered that he intentionally abandoned Kazu.
To be frank, his mother's actions were partly driven by spite.
She discovered she was pregnant with Whitebeard's child, and she could easily go back to Whitebeard; Whitebeard would never push her away again.
Whitebeard sent Navia back to the Marines because he knew that being a pirate was dangerous, with the constant possibility of losing one's life, while being a Marine was much safer.
However, if Navia has a child, the Navy will absolutely not tolerate her existence.
However, after discovering that she was pregnant with Whitebeard's child, Navia chose to go into seclusion in the East Blue. It is very likely that she was angry that Whitebeard had rejected her and wanted to raise Kazu herself so that she could slap Whitebeard in the face.
But no one expected that Navia, in her forties, would be diagnosed with a terminal illness, something beyond human control.
Even someone as powerful as Pirate King Gol D. Roger, couldn't fight off a terminal illness.
"Good child, good child."
Whitebeard was choked up at this moment. With the appearance of Kazu, he felt that the answer he had been searching for all his life had been found.
While Marco and the others were indeed filial, when Kazu actually appeared, he realized that this feeling was something no one else could give him.
That feeling of being connected by blood was quite mysterious, giving him an indescribable sense of happiness.
"All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, listen to my command!"
"Bring out all our treasured food and wine! I'm going to throw a three-day, three-night feast!"
"Aww!!"
Everyone was thrilled. This time they could eat and drink to their hearts' content. Such top-notch food and wine were not something they could enjoy often. This time, they were determined to drink to their hearts' content.
Seeing his sons busy at work, the atmosphere cheerful and pleasant, Whitebeard's face was filled with nothing but joy.
"Let's hold the banquet on the Divine Dragon."
Kazu chose his ship as the location, which was unavoidable, as Crushed Stone Island had truly become a collection of sea rocks, and there was nowhere to land to stand.
The Divine Dragon is much more comfortable than the Moby Dick. After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they can go to the recreation room to play. How pleasant!
"Gulalalalala, okay, whatever you say, it's settled then."
An hour later, the preparations for the banquet were complete, and the joyful banquet time was about to begin.
Those who go out to sea to be pirates all love to hold banquets. There's no problem that a banquet can't solve; if there is, then have two.
Kazu didn't understand when he watched the anime, but after experiencing such a seafaring adventure firsthand, he realized that banquets are indeed the most enjoyable moments.
There are no video games or similar entertainment options here.
Moreover, the sea is fraught with danger, and life is uncertain. So, chatting and drinking with their companions is their most enjoyable pastime.
Converting your limited wealth into happiness in a timely manner is more important than anything else.
The Divine Dragon was bustling with activity, and Kazu was clearly the target of the Whitebeard Pirates commanders' collective attempt to get him drunk.
Kazu accepted all offers without hesitation, downing more than a dozen jars of liquor without batting an eye.
"No way, the Kazu brothers' drinking capacity is even greater than his strength, I'm impressed."
"You coward, get out of my way right now, let me fight him for a jar."
A few hours later, Kazu had already drunk seven or eight squad leaders under the table, enjoying unparalleled fame and his drinking capacity was truly admirable.
However, when Drew counted the empty jars, he was surprised to find that dozens of wine jars that should have been empty had miraculously become full again.
"Gulp gulp gulp, as expected of my son, even his drinking capacity comes from me."
Whitebeard lifted the large bowl and happily downed it in one gulp, while Kazu was not to be outdone, lifting the jar and pouring it into his mouth.
" Pops, drink less alcohol. You haven't fully recovered yet."
"In addition to those old ailments, it could very well harm your health."
Marco never forgot his duty as the ship's doctor, and kept advising Whitebeard to drink less.
"Enough talk, Marco. On such a joyous day, how can I not drink to my heart's content?"
Whitebeard remained unmoved. He had always been craving alcohol, and now that he had such a good opportunity and so much fine wine, he would feel guilty if he didn't get drunk.
" Marco, is the old man's body even beyond the reach of your Phoenix Flames?"
Kazu knew that a few years later, the old man would need daily IV drips.
While we haven't reached that point yet, things haven't improved much either, and we're probably not far from the state depicted in the original story.