Chapter 346: The Transition of Legends
The square fell silent instantly. Almost everyone was shocked, staring at the tall old man in disbelief. Even Brook, who was trying to chat up Nami, was so surprised his eyes would have popped out if he had them, and his jaw hit the ground.
"P-Pops?!" Jozu accidentally knocked over the table in front of him, spilling wine everywhere, but he ignored it and yelled, "Why retire? You're joking, right?"
"Yeah, Pops!"
"Gurararara! Would I joke about something like this, you foolish sons?!" Whitebeard laughed heartily. "After all these years of running around and fighting, these old bones are tired! It's the perfect time. While I can still move, I'll find a quiet island, bask in the sun, drink, and fish every day. It'll be great!"
"As for you," Whitebeard grinned, "you're still young, and the road is long. Even I can't protect you forever. If you want to continue exploring the seas and achieving great things in the future, you brats have to get used to life without me."
"Pops!" Izo couldn't help but shout. "We don't care about that! We just want to follow you!"
"Yeah, Pops!"
"We don't want to disband!"
The other commanders also stood up excitedly.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Whitebeard slammed his hand on the table, shaking the entire square. He looked at each of his sons' faces and snorted. "Don't be so naive, you foolish sons! Do you think I'm asking for your opinion? This is an order! My final order as your captain!"
The sentence had a magical effect, making all the Whitebeard commanders tear up. They knew that once Pops used that word, there was no room for negotiation.
"Enough! Don't act like I'm dead! I'm still alive and kicking! You'll have plenty of time to visit me in the coming years. We'll have plenty of chances to reunite, won't we?"
"As for now, hey! All of you, open your eyes and look closely!!!" Whitebeard raised his voice and pointed at Shane across the table. "The man sitting opposite me is the kind of guy who will be written in history, shining brightly even thousands of years from now! And his character goes without saying. He's trustworthy. Follow him, and your future will be bright. It won't be bad!"
"So starting this year, join the Curtain Call! Consider this man your captain, stand behind him, and create a brand new era!"
This was what Whitebeard cared about most! He was truly worried about these foolish sons of his, worried that they would lose their way in this changing era, worried that they would meet with misfortune without his protection. And he didn't have many years left to live… So, he had to find them a strong enough support, someone he could trust. And Shane, the man destined to suppress an era and create a new one, was undoubtedly the best choice!
"Shane!" Whitebeard looked at Shane again, raised his glass, and grinned. "I said I wanted to repay you, but I ended up dumping a bunch of trouble on you. It's a bit embarrassing. Anyway, I'm entrusting my sons to you!"
"Newgate," Shane looked at the heroic old man and sighed inwardly. He knew exactly what Whitebeard meant, and how heavy this entrustment was. The territories, shipping routes, trade, and other assets Whitebeard mentioned earlier were all just paving the way for these words.
"You really know how to give me a hard time," Shane stood up as well, clinking glasses with Whitebeard, and spoke solemnly. "But since you put it that way, I won't be pretentious."
"From today on, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates are members of my Curtain Call! I, Shane, promise here and now that I will never betray Newgate's trust, and I will never mistreat any of you! As long as you follow the Curtain Call's rules, from now on, there will be no distinction between new and old members. Everyone will be treated equally!"
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed and patted Shane on the shoulder. "Did you hear that? What are you waiting for? Brats, come pay your respects to your new captain!"
"Pops…" Jozu and the others had red eyes, but they finally wiped away their tears and responded in unison, "Yes! We understand!"
"Captain!"
"Lord Shane!"
Led by Marco, the commanders raised their glasses to Shane and swore their allegiance. Even a stubborn guy like Jozu, though still tearful and reluctant, did so after struggling for a long time. As Pops's sons, they understood! This was Pops's last wish, and the best arrangement Pops had for them in his heart. If they missed Pops, they could visit him often in the future. But if they resisted now, crying like unweaned children and insisting on following Pops forever… it would only make Pops sad and worried.
"Alright! Don't just stand there!" Seeing this, Whitebeard finally felt at ease. He chuckled, waved his hand, and shouted, "Brats! Tonight isn't just a victory celebration, it's also the Whitebeard Pirates' last farewell party! Cheer up and keep drinking!"
"That's right!" Marco laughed heartily. "Keep drinking! No one goes home sober!"
The atmosphere of the banquet heated up again. Everyone toasted and laughed. Many guests watched this scene with mixed emotions. Whitebeard's retirement would undoubtedly shake the entire sea in the coming days. The curtain call of this legend symbolized the end of an era and heralded the even more turbulent waves of the new era.
Speaking of which, after the two Emperors teamed up for that battle, the outside world had been speculating whether the Whitebeard Pirates and the Curtain Call would eventually go to war. After all, there couldn't be two suns in the sky. Since the New World was trending towards unification, there couldn't be two hegemons. But no one had expected… Whitebeard would choose to exit in this way, entrusting the entire pirate crew and everything else to Shane.
"What an unexpected ending…" Brook sat on the ground, hugging his knees, watching cheerfully. "But this is good. The members of the Whitebeard Pirates will have a good home." Six months ago, before he was famous, he had performed on Whitebeard's ship to earn some living expenses. Those guys weren't as violent as other pirates. They were polite to him, paid him, and treated him to a lot of drinks. Brook liked these juniors very much.
Anyway, following the amazing Lord Shane was better than wandering alone without a backer, unable to find his things when they were stolen. Sob sob sob…
Under the moonlight, the grand banquet lasted until one or two in the morning. When the last guest fell asleep on the table, snoring, the two men who had been toasted the most and should have passed out long ago appeared almost simultaneously on the emptiest beach south of the castle.
The sea breeze blew quietly across the sand. Whitebeard stood with his hands behind his back under the moonlight. He looked up at the starry sky, all traces of drunkenness gone from his face, his gaze deep. He heard the footsteps behind him.
Sure enough, we had the same idea? Whitebeard grinned, turned around, and said, "Hey, Shane, since you're here, how about sparring with this old man?"
Shane stood with his hands in his pockets, his black hair slightly lifted by the night wind. He looked up and chuckled. "I was thinking the same thing. But let's go somewhere else. If people see you fighting me right after announcing your retirement, they might get the wrong idea."
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed and patted his chest. "Who cares! It's precisely because I retired that I have to fight this battle! I don't want to be lying on my deathbed, watching my life flash before my eyes, and suddenly realize that I never fought the strongest man of this era!" That would be such a regret!
"Still have to change places," Shane said grumpily. Can't this old man tell good from bad? "I'm afraid you'll dismantle my island."
Uh, that's true… Whitebeard scratched his head. His Tremor-Tremor Fruit was famous for its widespread destructive power. If they really fought here, the island would be split into pieces.
Ten minutes later, over a group of deserted islands.
"Here will do." Shane deactivated his Flight Technique and landed on the largest deserted island below. Behind him, the even larger figure of Whitebeard landed using Moonwalk. This place wasn't far from Dawn Island. It was the island Shiki had dropped from ten thousand meters in the air. It had later broken apart during his battle with Big Mom, gradually becoming several deserted islands that had not yet been developed. It was perfect for their battlefield.
"Gurararara, good choice!" Whitebeard laughed, sticking Murakumogiri into the sand and stretching his muscles. "Speaking of which, this is the first time we've fought, right?"
"Yeah," Shane nodded slightly, scanning the surroundings. "But it should also be the last."
"Yes, the last time…" A hint of emotion flashed in Whitebeard's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a burning fighting spirit. He first stuck Murakumogiri to the side, then clenched his fists tightly. A translucent white halo gathered between his knuckles. "What are you waiting for? Come on, Shane! Let me see how strong you really are now!"
Before his voice had faded, Whitebeard threw a punch!
CRACK!
The atmosphere shattered like a mirror, and a terrifying tremor wave swept towards Shane with the force of a tsunami! Sand and rocks flew, waves rolled back, and the entire island trembled under the power.
"So serious right from the start?" Shane grinned. This tremor power was indeed terrifying. Whitebeard was really going all out, so he couldn't be too polite! His right fist was wrapped in black-and-red lightning as he punched the tremor wave!
"Galaxy… Impact!"
BOOM!
Two terrifying forces collided in mid-air, creating a deafening explosion. A massive shockwave spread out layer by layer, uprooting all the trees within a radius of several hundred meters and scraping away a layer of sand.
"Gurararara! Satisfying!" Whitebeard laughed and pulled out Murakumogiri, the blade also wrapped in black-and-red lightning. "Again!"
"Just what I wanted." Shane laughed heartily, his figure suddenly disappearing from where he stood. In the next instant, he appeared above Whitebeard's head, his right leg chopping down like a battle-axe!
CLANG!
Murakumogiri blocked horizontally. Amidst the clash of metal, sparks flew. The sand beneath Whitebeard's feet collapsed, but he didn't move an inch. Instead, he grinned. "Scary strength, kid!"
He could clearly feel that in terms of pure strength, the opponent had already surpassed his peak level in his youth. As for juniors like Kaido, Linlin, and Red-Hair, they weren't even in the same league as this man in terms of physical strength! Although on the surface it looked like he blocked it easily, his face was actually flushed red, and he was gritting his teeth so hard they might break. I can't hold on much longer, I have to counterattack to break the deadlock!
"Over here!" Whitebeard pulled out his left hand, clenched it into a fist, and punched Shane's ear from the side. This punch seemed simple, but it compressed the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to the limit, containing terrifying power enough to shatter mountains.
Shane also grinned and met it with his other fist!
"Galaxy Stardust Breaker!"
THUD!
The moment their fists collided, the ground beneath their feet collapsed again! Cracks spread like a spiderweb to the entire island, centered on them. Massive amounts of seawater gushed out of the cracks like fountains.
RUMBLE!
The shockwave pushed the surrounding seawater away, exposing the bare seabed below. A few Sea Kings living at the bottom were finally awakened. After looking up, they fled in terror. But it was too late. Crushed by the aftershock, they exploded on the spot, turning into mists of blood.
Whitebeard was also knocked back dozens of steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. But he had withstood it! Now he could continue!
"Not done yet!" Whitebeard roared, Murakumogiri sweeping out horizontally. Shane leaned back to dodge. The blade sliced past the tip of his nose, the wind pressure splitting the sea behind him in two. Then he steadied himself and punched Whitebeard in the stomach.
One punch! followed by another!
In the constant exchange of moves and collisions, their fight lasted from late night until dawn. When the sun rose again, the several deserted islands were no more, leaving only scattered reefs floating on the sea.
"Cough cough…" Whitebeard knelt on one knee on a reef, Murakumogiri supporting his body. He was gasping for breath, covered in wounds, but his face wore a satisfied smile that hadn't been seen in a long time. "As expected, there's still a big gap."
"Not bad," Shane stood on the opposite reef, looking up at the sky. "There's no one else on this sea who can fight me for a whole night now."
"Gurararara, save the comforting words!" Whitebeard laughed and stood up, patting his chest. "You didn't even use your real killer moves, did you? I know my own limits! But…" He also looked up, staring directly at the dazzling sun. "In any case, to be able to fight a man like you at the end, I have no regrets in this life."
Really none. The Sphinx he was born in was a country abandoned by the World Government because of poverty and inability to pay the Heavenly Tribute. It had long been a lawless paradise where pirates and human traffickers ran rampant. Generation after generation, more and more children became unfortunate orphans. He was one of them, but luckily, he had made it out on his own strength. He had met Rocks and many like-minded partners, making a name for himself on the sea. Later, he had his own pirate crew, so many sons willing to follow him, and a place he could call "home." His hometown had also been protected by him, and in just a few decades, it had become a different place.
As for what happened after that… although he wouldn't live for many more years and might not be able to see what the new era would eventually become with his own eyes, at least before he closed his eyes, he had finally waited for the man who could end the old era and lead the new era forward. And he had had a good drink and a good fight with him. Even if he went underground to see Roger, that guy would be envious of him, right?
"Come visit me when you have time. I'll treat you next time, and we'll drink until we drop again!"
"Definitely." Shane smiled and agreed.
The two smiled at each other, everything understood without words. The sea breeze blew gently, and the morning sun fell on them, plating both the old and the young man with a dazzling golden edge.
[The End]