Several days later.
A medium-sized whale-shaped pirate ship slowly glided into the harbor of Hachinosu Island. The moment the sub-commanders of the Souta Kiryuu Pirates spotted the flag bearing Whitebeard's symbol, grins spread across their faces.
So what if they were the remnants of Whitebeard's crew? In the end, they'd bowed to Souta's banner like everyone else.
"Wahahaha! I heard Diamond Jozu's strength is something to behold! Let's see just how strong that guy really is!"
Burgess, the Fighting Champion, burst out laughing. During the raid on Mary Geoise, he had slaughtered a Celestial Dragon and brought the head himself to Souta Kiryuu, requesting the power of the Power-Power Fruit that once belonged to Amuro Rei under Wang Zhi's command. Souta granted his wish, letting the puppet version of Blackbeard strip the ability and bestow it upon Burgess.
Since then, Burgess had fought fiercely in the Hive Island War, the G-14 Fortress battle, the G-1 Fortress siege, and the invasion of Mary Geoise. He even took down another Celestial Dragon. His bounty now soared past 320 million berries.
Empowered by his new fruit, Burgess had his sights set on challenging Diamond Jozu himself. He and Bartolomeo—both reckless troublemakers—were itching for glory, eager to raise their bounties and earn a spot among Souta's elite ranks.
With a flicker of light, Van Augur appeared atop the incoming ship's mast. The sniper, now gifted with the Teleport-Teleport Fruit, surveyed the Whitebeard Pirates from above. Souta had taken a liking to him, turning him into an unpredictable phantom sniper feared across the seas.
Poison Q, however, wasn't so lucky. He lacked the achievements to earn the Mythical Zoan Pegasus Fruit for his beloved horse, Stronger. Instead, it was Aisa—the Shandian girl born with extraordinary Observation Haki—who, with Bonney's help, managed to secure it. Now she was a true sky-dweller, sprouting white wings and taking to the skies as the "Heavenly Sniper."
Unlike typical bird-type fruits, the Pegasus fruit allowed her to keep her hands free while a radiant pair of wings unfolded from her back. Combined with her innate Haki, Aisa's precision rivaled Van Augur's own marksmanship.
Trafalgar Law, meanwhile, was searching for suitable Devil Fruits for Pekin and Shachi, his two loyal brothers-in-arms. But both men—excellent swimmers from the North Blue—refused to become "land ducks," unwilling to give up their submarine lives for a Devil Fruit curse.
"Good thing Barrett and Enel already left for their campaigns," said Capone Bege, puffing his cigar and smirking. "Otherwise, today would've turned into a full-blown brawl."
Right now, Barrett, Enel, and Shiryu had all sailed out to assist Drought Jack and the Beasts Pirates in confronting Red-Haired Shanks, while also quelling rebellions within their own territories.
Despite their conflicting paths, the Red-Haired Pirates had so far avoided open war with Souta's crew or the Beasts Pirates, choosing instead to wander freely through the New World.
Aboard the Little Moby Dick, Marco the Phoenix and the other division commanders felt the suffocating presence emanating from the island long before docking. Power gathered in waves across Hachinosu—everywhere they looked, monsters lurked.
Still, they were here to negotiate, not to fight. They didn't flinch.
As a thin man wearing a top hat descended gracefully from the sky, Marco relaxed slightly. He recognized the devilish negotiator immediately—Lafitte, the "Demon Sheriff."
"Hehe... Welcome, Captain Marco," Lafitte greeted them politely, bowing with professional courtesy. He deliberately addressed Marco as captain, acknowledging his position as the new head of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Thank you, Mr. Lafitte," Marco replied warmly. He knew this man would be their main contact moving forward. Becoming an allied crew under Souta Kiryuu meant future missions and coordination were inevitable.
Led by Lafitte, the Phoenix and his men stepped onto the black stone docks of Hachinosu and entered the towering Dragon's Citadel.
Inside its vast, echoing palace hall, Marco and Whitey Bay finally faced the one they had come to see—the "God-Slayer," the "Dragon Emperor," Souta Kiryuu himself.
"Leader Souta," Marco began respectfully, bowing his head along with the division commanders and allied captains.
Souta gave a faint smile. "The fact that you dared to come here already tells me your decision. There's no need to be so stiff. From today, we may be comrades—brothers-in-arms against the World Government."
He showed no hostility. Between them, no deep grudge remained.
As for the whole Ace abduction incident, Souta had already given them an explanation. Those present on Hachinosu had accepted his reasoning—and his offer.
The 16th Division Captain, Izo, had already left, unable to forgive Kaido for the destruction of Wano. He was now searching for Zunesha to reunite with Nekomamushi and Inuarashi.
Unexpectedly, even Squard—the Great Whirlpool Spider who had once betrayed Whitebeard—returned, asking to join the mission to retrieve their captain's body.
"If the conditions we discussed with Mr. Lafitte still stand," Marco said plainly, "then we'd like to recover our old man's remains. Once we've held the funeral, we'll await your orders and carry them out as agreed."
Despite Moria's death, they couldn't shake their worry. The Shadow-Shadow Fruit had resurfaced among Souta's forces, now wielded by one of his Seraphim creations.
They feared Whitebeard's body had been turned into a puppet. If so, it would mean open war. In that case, they'd abandon negotiations and ally with Shanks instead.
Souta waved a hand lightly. "Relax. Whitebeard's body is safe, preserved in ice. We're not in the business of desecrating legends."
They had foreseen this moment long ago. With Moria gone, the Whitebeard corpse remained untouched—its value as a symbol of loyalty far exceeded its value as an undead weapon.
And Souta wasn't worried they'd break their word. Should they defy their agreement, he could erase them all—drag Sphinx Island into the sea and make sure even Ace's grave was never found again.
"Thank you, Leader Souta," Marco said solemnly.
At Souta's gesture, Lafitte took over the formalities. Together, they completed the final handover and the details of Whitebeard's Pirates becoming an affiliated crew.
One by one, the Whitebeard-aligned pirate bands—such as the Thunder Knight Makugai, Cavalier Doma, and the Decalban Brothers—hoisted new banners bearing Souta's crest. Their allegiance had changed, but their pride as warriors of the sea remained.
For those who had deserted earlier, however, the situation was awkward. They'd hoped to serve under a new emperor, only to find Whitebeard's remnants had beaten them to the punch.
...
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