Whitebeard's bold declaration sent Kaido into a state of absolute fury. The massive blue dragon lunged forward, swinging his spiked mace with enough force to shatter the sky. He met Whitebeard head-on, aiming a thunderous Eight Trigrams directly at the old man's head.
Whitebeard, however, was not one to be intimidated by a direct challenge. He didn't hesitate for a second. Gathering a massive orb of white light around his fist—the power of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit—he punched forward with earth-shattering power. The collision was deafening. Kaido's mace was knocked aside by the sheer force of the vibration, and in the next heartbeat, Whitebeard's fist slammed into Kaido's face.
The atmosphere itself seemed to crack under the impact. Kaido was sent plummeting from the sky, crashing into the ocean with a gargantuan splash. He disappeared beneath the waves, and for a long moment, there was no sign of him.
"Gurararara! Kaido, you b*****d, just get ready to be a father-in-law!" Whitebeard laughed, his mood improving instantly as he sat back down in his captain's chair.
Ace, meanwhile, was struggling to keep up with the conversation. "Pops, why were you saying all that? I told you, I think of Yamato as a younger sister. Why did you suddenly tell him I'm going to marry her?".
Whitebeard's expression became serious. "Ace, do you truly want to rescue Yamato?".
"Of course I do!" Ace replied firmly. "Yamato has always dreamed of the open sea. As a friend, I have to help her achieve that dream, even if I have to fight Kaido to make it happen".
"I see. And I have no objection to you joining your brother to save her," Whitebeard said. "But have you considered what happens after she's free?".
Ace paused, realizing he hadn't thought that far ahead. "Well... once she's rescued, she'll be free to sail wherever she wants, right?".
Whitebeard let out a hearty laugh. "My silly son, you're far too naive. Kaido is one of the Four Emperors. Even if Yamato escapes Wano, do you think it would be hard for him to track her down and drag her back? Until she is strong enough to defend herself, she needs a protector. And there is no better protection than the Whitebeard Pirates".
"Then why not just let her join the crew as your daughter, Pops?" Ace suggested.
"Nonsense! Her biological father is still alive. I won't step in and claim to be her father like that," Whitebeard countered.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Ace asked, his anxiety rising.
"That's exactly why you should marry her," Whitebeard said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "If she is my daughter-in-law, she can still call me Pops, and I'll have every right to protect her. Besides, Kaido and your brother already believe it's true. If you don't take responsibility now, it will damage her reputation. It's better to just make it official".
It was clear that Whitebeard was using some questionable logic to influence Ace, but his words carried weight. Ace stood there, his mind racing. Then, a new idea struck him.
"Pops, wouldn't it be better if she joined Luffy's crew? The Straw Hats are considered an Emperor-level force now. Luffy and Carl have already forced Kaido to retreat several times. They could keep her safe".
"That's a terrible idea!" Whitebeard scolded. "Luffy already views her as his sister-in-law. He's not going to want her on his ship under any other title. Furthermore, Yamato admires Oden, and Oden was the commander of our second division. It makes much more sense for her to be here with us! Ace, don't tell me you're actually trying to run away from your responsibility?".
Ace felt like he was losing a battle he hadn't even meant to start. Before he could argue further, Marco and the other commanders began to join in the teasing.
"Pops is right," Marco said with a grin. "If we have a daughter-in-law, it won't be long before we have grandchildren running around. You're going to be a grandfather soon!".
Whitebeard blinked, then let out a thunderous laugh. "Gurararara! You're right! I've been a father for decades; it's about time I became a grandfather! Ace, my time in this world is growing short. Before I go, won't you let me enjoy being a grandfather for a little while?".
The mood on the deck shifted instantly. Ace felt a heavy weight in his chest. Ever since the Summit War, Whitebeard's health had been steadily declining. Even with the best medical care from Chopper and Law, everyone knew the legendary pirate only had a few years left. Recently, Whitebeard had been focused on training his commanders to reach the level of Marine Admirals, ensuring they could survive without him.
In Ace's heart, he still felt a lingering guilt, believing his own past actions had contributed to the toll on Whitebeard's life. He wanted to do anything to make the old man happy. If Whitebeard's wish was to see him married and have a family, how could he refuse?
Besides, he had to admit that Yamato was beautiful and they did have a strong connection. He just had to find a way to turn that friendship into something more. As for his freedom, Ace didn't mind. He would gladly trade his own choices to repay the kindness Whitebeard had shown him.
"I understand, Pops," Ace said, his voice serious and determined. "I'll bring your daughter-in-law back, and I'll make sure you have plenty of grandchildren to keep you busy!".
"Gurararara! That's my boy! I'll be waiting!" Whitebeard shouted, his joy returning as he called for more sake. The crew laughed and cheered, the atmosphere on the Moby Dick turning warm and celebratory.
Meanwhile, over on the Thousand Sunny, Luffy was huffing with annoyance as he put down the Den Den Mushi.
"What's wrong with Ace?" Luffy grumbled. "He's a man, but he won't even take responsibility for the girl he likes. Next time I see him, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. I don't care if he's my brother!".
Luffy had already decided that Yamato was his sister-in-law, and in his mind, there was no changing that fact.
Law looked at Carl with a suspicious squint. "Is it just me, or does this whole situation feel a bit strange?".
"It's fine," Carl said quickly, trying to keep a straight face. "Ace is just being shy. You know how big guys get when they're embarrassed—they say the opposite of what they actually feel".
Carl knew he was digging himself deeper into a lie, but watching the chaos unfold was becoming far too entertaining to stop. He figured if it led to Ace finding happiness, he'd eventually be thanked for the "help." As for Yamato, he hoped this would finally get her to drop the Oden act and just be herself as part of the family.
"Shy?" the rest of the crew asked in unison, looking skeptical.
"Of course," Carl insisted. "Even the toughest pirates get bashful sometimes!".
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