"So, what business does the head of the 'Red Gulls' have with me?" Whitebeard rumbled, his voice vibrating through the deck planks. "If you came for my head, I'll at least praise your courage for bringing only one ship."
"Who in their right mind would want to pull the trigger on a war?" I replied, crossing my arms. "Meeting your ship here was pure coincidence.
But since luck brought us together, there are two or three things I'd like to ask, if you're willing."
Whitebeard didn't seem particularly agitated, so I figured I'd push my luck with the questions I'd been sitting on.
"Gurarara... Fine. Speak your mind."
"First, Fish-Man Island. It's your territory now."
"What about it? If you're asking me to take my flag down, the answer is no."
"I'm not asking for the spot. What I'm saying is: if you're going to claim it as yours, at least station some men there.
It's true that kidnappings dropped after you declared it your territory, but they haven't hit zero. I was there recently on business—apparently, they still lose two or three people a year to slavers. The attempted kidnappings are even higher."
"…That stings a bit," Whitebeard admitted, his eyes narrowing. "But fair point. I'll station a few sons there to keep watch. Happy?"
"Yeah. If you handle that, it saves me the headache. Also, I had my men put up Marine warning signs in the high-risk areas. Don't go tearing them down, alright?"
"Hmph. Fine. What else?"
"You're called the man closest to the One Piece now that Roger is gone... but tell me, do you have any intention of going to Laugh Tale to find the treasure?"
"None at all. I have no interest in it. I'll live my life the way I please. There are plenty of others out there chasing ghosts; let them have it."
"I figured as much, but..." I trailed off. If Whitebeard had claimed the throne, this Great Pirate Era might have ended years ago. "Anyway, here's the real reason I'm here."
"There's a man in your crew named Teach. I'd like to speak with him."
Whitebeard's expression soured instantly. A Marine asking for a specific crewman by name is enough to put any captain on high alert.
"That depends on why. What business does the Navy have with my son, Teach?"
"The reason? Surely you can guess." I reached into my coat and pulled out a four-folded bounty poster, smoothing it out for him to see.
SKULL-MASKED "TEACH"Bounty: 390,000,000 BerriesWanted for: Attacking World Government officials in Ohara, arson at a Celestial Dragon's estate in Mary Geoise, and direct assault on World Nobles.
"…I see. But that masked man isn't my Teach," Whitebeard stated flatly.
"The name is the only lead we have, so he's on the list of persons of interest. I just want to talk to him. A few questions, that's all. I'm not here to make an arrest."
Whitebeard looked at me with a skeptical, "Are you for real?" expression. Eventually, he nodded to a nearby crewman, who went sprinting toward the lower decks.
A few minutes later, heavy footsteps thudded against the stairs. The door swung open to reveal a massive man, roughly three meters tall—about my height. He looked to be in his late twenties, wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers, with several flintlock pistols tucked into his belt.
"Pops! I heard I got a guest... Huh? A Marine?"
"Teach," Whitebeard rumbled. "This man has questions for you. Answer them. And Krieg—if you have something to ask, do it here. I won't let you take him anywhere else."
"Understood, understood. Nice to meet you, Teach... I assume? I'm Krieg, a Rear Admiral at Headquarters."
"Zehahahaha! That's right, I'm Teach. I know your name—the boss of the guys with the red flags. 'Blunt Bear' Krieg, right? What does a Marine hero—the man who took down Shiki—want with a low-level pirate like me?"
Teach's gaze was sharp, almost mocking. He talks like a common thug, I thought, but there's something else there.
"I'm sure you've seen this," I said, showing him the poster.
"Zehahahaha! I guess I've finally become famous!"
"Alright, he confessed. Whitebeard, he confessed, so can I take him in now?"
"Teach... I trusted you..." Whitebeard said, suddenly playing along. He wiped a mock tear from his eye. "But if you've confessed, there's nothing I can do. I'll wait for the day you've paid for your crimes and walk free again..."
"Hey! Wait! I'm joking! It was a joke!" Teach shouted, waving his hands. "That masked guy isn't me! So what are your actual questions?!"
Whitebeard has a better sense of humor than I expected, I thought.
"The only clue we had was the name 'Teach' used by the masked man. You came up in the search, so I'm just doing a routine inquiry."
"What a pain. That guy is causing me nothing but trouble by using my name," Teach grumbled.
"Let's start simple. Name? Full name, if you have a surname."
"…Marshall D. Teach."
"Huh. You have the initial 'D' too?"
"…' Too'?" Teach's eyes flickered with intense interest.
Oops. Slip of the tongue. Luffy and Ace were still nobodies at this point.
"Never mind. Blood type?"
"Type F. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing. I'm just spitballing. Hobbies?"
"Gambling and historical research. Are you sure you came here to interrogate me?"
"I did, but seeing the person is more important than the answers sometimes. Favorite food?"
"Cherry pie and kebabs. Are we done yet?"
"Yeah, that's plenty. Sorry for wasting your time, Teach. And you too, Whitebeard. I'll be heading back to my ship now."
I turned to leave, but a massive voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Gurararara... Hold on a minute, Krieg. You get your business done and then just say 'farewell'? That's a bit cold, isn't it?"
I froze. I had a very bad feeling about this.
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