"You really are a battle maniac."
Thatch laughed as he punched Ace in the chest. "Forget it—this time I'll give you a cut of the spoils. Call it payment for running errands."
"Tch, I don't need that junk."
Ace waved it off indifferently, his gaze sweeping over the pirates' corpses on the deck, their eyes still wide open in death. A hint of confusion crossed his face.
"Seriously, where did these guys get the nerve to provoke the Whitebeard Pirates?"
They looked like hotheaded rookies who'd only just made it over from the first half of the Grand Line—not even proficient with Haki yet.
The men Thatch led had wiped them out almost without a scratch.
"We pried out a bit of information during the interrogation earlier," Thatch said, also looking over the devastated battlefield, his tone turning heavier.
"Apparently they intercepted a shipment from some underground dark force midway, then deliberately ran to our territory, planning to hide the stolen goods under Whitebeard's name—right under the lamp where no one would look."
"Too bad these idiots overestimated themselves. Fine, steal and hide if you want, but they even dared to cause trouble on islands under our protection. That's just asking to die."
"A shipment from some dark force?"
Ace raised an eyebrow. "Those guys had bounties over three hundred million Berries, right? And they were still afraid of sewer rats hiding in the shadows?"
Ace had heard of the so-called underground forces, but he'd always treated them with nothing but disdain.
"Ordinary dark forces aren't worth worrying about," Thatch lowered his voice, "but the problem is, this shipment seems to be connected to the Sky Kingdom. That changes things…"
"Connected to the Sky Kingdom?!"
Ace was mildly startled.
When he'd first gone to sea, he'd harbored ambitions of challenging them. But after becoming Whitebeard's son, those thoughts had gradually faded.
Partly because he didn't want to drag his new family into unnecessary trouble—
And partly because after witnessing Pops' abyssal, terrifying strength, and then thinking of the Flying Admiral Tenma, who stood shoulder to shoulder with Pops, Ace knew that man's depth was likely unfathomable.
"Probably. And if you count the days, the famous 'Fire Festival' is coming up soon," Thatch shrugged with a grin.
"But it has nothing to do with us anyway. Those unlucky bastards were still a hundred thousand miles away from the Sky Kingdom."
"So in the end, all the good stuff still fell into the Whitebeard Pirates' hands."
The moment he heard there was good stuff, Ace immediately rubbed his palms together, eyes lighting up.
"I've heard every year at the Fire Festival they offer tribute that's rich beyond belief. Hurry up and let me see what treasures there are."
"Don't rush, Ace."
Thatch hooked an arm around Ace's shoulders and laughed. "Good things are more fun when everyone shares them. We're one big family, after all."
Soon, all the valuables from the wrecked pirate ship's hold were transferred onto Thatch's ship.
Then, the Fourth Division joined up with the Second Division that had come as backup, and the combined force headed back in grand fashion toward Whitebeard's main ship, the Moby Dick.
By the time they returned, the horizon was already dyed in brilliant sunset hues.
Bathed in the gentle red glow, Thatch directed his men to carry crate after crate of spoils onto the wide deck of the flagship.
Although Pops was always generous and allowed them to dispose of their loot as they pleased, as captains stationed on the Moby Dick, everyone preferred to place the goods on the main ship and truly live by the principle of sharing fortune together.
So when Ace loudly announced that this haul was connected to the "Fire Festival,"
Quite a few captains and pirates were immediately piqued with curiosity. They flocked over, eyes scanning back and forth over the pile of spoils Thatch had laid out.
Gold and silver treasures, pearls and jade were the most common items. There were also plenty of rare overseas specialties and exquisite ornaments.
But at this moment, what drew the most attention was the small, exquisitely crafted wooden box cradled in Thatch's hands.
Having secretly checked it during transport, Thatch now put on a deliberately mysterious expression as he showed it to everyone.
"Brothers, there's a truly incredible treasure inside this box. Care to guess what it is?"
That single line completely whetted the appetites of the surrounding captains.
"Could it be a top-grade ruby?"
"Or a famous blade of the Twenty-One Great Grade?"
"Idiot, did you grow your eyes on the back of your head? That box is tiny—how could a sword fit inside?"
"Then… could it be a Devil Fruit?"
Once someone guessed correctly, Thatch stopped teasing them and reached out to flick open the clasp.
The lid slowly lifted.
Resting quietly on a velvet cushion lay a strange fruit—shaped much like a pineapple, yet an eerie deep purple all over, its skin covered in spiral patterns.
"Damn! It really is a Devil Fruit!"
"Captain Thatch, your luck is just insane!"
"Looks like those underground forces really went all out to curry favor with whoever's above them. No wonder those pirates risked their lives to hide out in our territory."
"The question is—what kind of ability does this one have?"
The Whitebeard Pirates around them erupted in chatter upon seeing the Devil Fruit.
Yet in their eyes there was more shock and envy than any disgusting greed or jealousy.
No one could truly know what lay in another's heart.
But there was no denying that the Whitebeard Pirates' family-like atmosphere was an absolute rarity—a breath of fresh air in the treacherous pirate world.
A Devil Fruit was priceless, yes.
But since it was loot seized by Fourth Division Commander Thatch, by the crew's rules, no one would harbor improper thoughts—
Unless Thatch himself chose to share it.
"Morons. There are thousands upon thousands of Devil Fruits in the sea," Marco said lazily, hands in his pockets as he glanced at the crowd.
"Other than what's recorded in the encyclopedia, who could possibly know what every single one does? Just check it against the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia."
Compared to rare Devil Fruits, encyclopedias weren't that hard to come by. Any half-decent auction house sold them.
And with the Whitebeard Pirates' foundation, this kind of information was second nature.
"Who cares what it is? Eating a Devil Fruit without knowing the ability—doesn't that feel like opening a blind box? Sounds fun to me," Ace grinned as he fanned the flames.
Thatch immediately rolled his eyes. "Don't mess with me. I don't feel like turning into a landlubber for some random ability."
"Found it! The Devil Fruit Encyclopedia!"
A pirate holding a thick, heavy book suddenly shouted excitedly.
Then he looked up at Thatch—
And the expression on his face turned strange and shocked, his words coming out in a stammer.
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