Half a day later.
Beside a desolate island, scarred and ravaged.
A whale-shaped ship, several times larger than the pirate ship piloted by Water Buffalo Atmos, was anchored on the shore.
The crescent-shaped Whitebeard skull flag hanging above fluttered in the wind.
Anyone with a keen eye would immediately recognize that this colossal pirate ship is none other than the Whitebeard Pirates ' flagship, the Moby Dick!
It is also the flagship where Whitebeard is currently stationed.
" Whitebeard, prepare to die!"
A sharp cry suddenly rang out from inside the cabin.
Soon, Ace, wielding a dagger and wrapped in bandages, rushed out.
He raised his knife and stabbed directly at the Whitebeard sitting upright in the chair.
However, as soon as they got close, Whitebeard seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and seized Ace first.
Covered in Armament Haki, it slammed heavily onto the deck with immense force.
Bang!
A dull thud resounded, like thunder.
Ace felt as if his internal organs were being turned upside down.
A mouthful of blood spurted out, staining the ship's deck red.
Seeing this pathetic scene, the team captains present shook their heads with helpless smiles.
Beside him, Knight of the Sea Jinbe body was also wrapped in bandages, spoke with a stern face.
"Brother Ace, this is your ninety-eighth challenge against Pops in recent days."
"Have you not yet made up your mind to become your Pops's son?"
Not long ago, after learning of the Spade Pirates ' whereabouts, Jinbe rushed to the Arans Sea and engaged in a duel with Ace.
The two fought for three days and three nights.
Whitebeard then led his men to the destination.
Ace abandoned Jinbe, whom he had been unable to defeat for a long time, and directly challenged Whitebeard.
They were ultimately defeated in an instant.
The entire pirate crew fell into Whitebeard's hands.
Over the course of those six or seven days, Ace launched at least six or seven sneak attacks each day, attempting to assassinate Whitebeard, but each attempt ended in failure.
If this happened to an ordinary person...
They dared to attempt such a sneak attack and assassination on Whitebeard.
It's likely that Whitebeard wouldn't even need to lift a finger; Marco and the other captains would have already sprung up and killed him.
All of this was because Whitebeard, Marco, and the others saw Ace's immense potential.
An opportunity that could make the Whitebeard Pirates even stronger.
Most importantly, they saw Oden's shadow in Ace.
As long as Ace is willing to join.
Their Whitebeard Pirates might be able to achieve even greater glory.
Ace fell silent.
During this time, everything Whitebeard did and everything Marco said was etched in his memory.
In particular, he has been defeated by Whitebeard time and time again these past few days.
Ace knew perfectly well how vast the gap was between himself and Whitebeard.
Having backbone is one thing, but whether it's pursuing a breakthrough in strength or ensuring the safety of his subordinates, it's all important.
Even Whitebeard lowered himself to accept hundreds of sneak attacks from him, completely disregarding his physical injuries.
She was also willing to train with him.
All of this, even Ace's heart was somewhat melted by.
The most important thing is that Ace still has someone he desperately wants to defeat.
In particular, during this period, Bai Yu's incredible achievements at sea were heard repeatedly.
Even Ace couldn't help but feel an urgent desire to become stronger.
"Alright, I can agree to join the Whitebeard Pirates, but I have one request: can you really make me stronger? I have an opponent I need to defeat."
Ace sighed softly, then suddenly spoke.
The vast deck fell into a deathly silence.
Soon, a huge cheer erupted in the stadium.
"Congratulations, Pops, on adding another Admiral to your roster!"
"Wrong! This is Pops's new son, our new brother!"
"Brother Ace, don't worry. Not only do we have Pops, but we also have sixteen captains, each of whom possesses top-tier strength. They are all formidable figures in the New World, capable of standing on their own. Guiding you to become stronger is not impossible for us."
"But the person you said you're going to defeat, it's not Pops again, is it?"
"If you can beat Pops, we'll call you Captain, so what?"
The scene erupted into chaos.
Faced with this long-awaited reply, even the Whitebeard couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Haha, my men are right. If you can defeat me, I'll hand over this position to you."
" Ace, as my son, strive towards defeating me!"
" Ace joining our Whitebeard Pirates today is a big deal."
"Quickly inform Atmos to temporarily suspend maritime patrols. We'll have a banquet when we return!"
Loud laughter echoed throughout the heavens and earth, like thunderclaps that never ceased.
Seeing the scene suddenly erupt in excitement, Ace opened his mouth, about to explain who he was going to challenge.
" Pops, I'll go tell Atmos to come back right now."
Marco spoke first.
"However, intelligence just came back that Atmos seems to have encountered a naval fleet."
"The person leading that ship is probably none other than the infamous Marine Fourth Admiral, War Demon Bai Yu, who has been causing quite a stir on the high seas lately."
"According to the latest intelligence, Atmos has decided to confront War Demon Bai Yu, intending to use force to drive him away and prevent him from attracting those lunatics from the Beasts Pirates here."
As he spoke, Marco handed the intelligence documents he had obtained to Whitebeard.
" Bai Yu?"
Ace paused for a moment, then couldn't help but move closer.
If it were anyone else, Whitebeard would have slapped them flying long ago for such behavior.
But now Ace is his new son.
Especially during their first encounter, the fearless fighting to protect his comrades deeply moved Whitebeard.
This fully aligns with the moral code of this ship.
That's why Whitebeard tolerated Ace's challenge so much.
You could say that, looking at this new son in front of me...
I like Whitebeard more and more the more I look at him.
"Old... Pops, why does the intelligence report only go as far as Atmos plans to use force to drive out the War Demon Bai Yu, and then it stops there?"
Ace hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help pressing for an answer.
He vividly remembered the battle at the sea restaurant.
Since arriving in the New World, Ace has been eager to find Bai Yu.
Let him see the power he has newly acquired.
I thought that this idea would be ruined after I encountered Whitebeard.
Bai Yu's sudden visit undoubtedly made Ace feel a strange sense of urgency.
He's now eager to make his presence felt by associating with Bai Yu.
Let Bai Yu know how strong he has become during this time.