Chapter 238: I, Doflamingo, Send Money
The Moby Dick.
It was a massive ship shaped like a white whale.
Several masts rose from its upper deck, supporting vast sails that gave the enormous hull the power to move across the sea. On each side, eighteen cannons were arranged in rows, enough to deliver a devastating blow to anyone foolish enough to attack.
Yet compared to the shock brought by the ship itself, the one who truly made people tremble was its captain.
Whitebeard.
Edward Newgate.
The Strongest Man in the World.
"Gurararara!"
Hearty laughter rang out from the Moby Dick, drifting across the azure sea.
The one laughing was a giant of a man sitting in a reclining chair.
He had a crescent-shaped white mustache, and aside from the cloak draped over his shoulders, his upper body was bare, revealing robust muscles across his chest. Every line of his body seemed forged by battle, and every slight movement carried an inexplicable Haki that drew the attention of everyone around him.
This man was none other than Whitebeard.
"Pops! Now isn't the time to laugh."
Marco spoke seriously, his brow twitching slightly as he looked with hostility at the paper Whitebeard had casually tossed onto the deck.
"We're being looked down on!"
The paper had been sewn into the newspapers delivered by the news coos.
Almost every newspaper contained the same letter.
And without a doubt, the content of that letter was filled with slander, provocation, and mockery toward Whitebeard.
At the bottom, it even bore the signature of Donquixote Doflamingo.
If Axel had summarized the entire thing, he would have described it in one simple sentence.
[I, Doflamingo, Send Money.]
As Whitebeard's subordinate and the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco placed great importance on the crew's reputation.
How could he tolerate something like this?
Such blatant provocation caused anger to surge within him.
The same was true for the other crew members on the ship.
The entire Moby Dick immediately fell into a combat-ready atmosphere.
If the outside world knew about this, it would surely cause an uproar.
No matter what, this ship represented the movements of one of the Four Emperors.
Whitebeard.
One had to know that under normal circumstances, even if this ship merely sailed between islands, it would attract the attention of the World Government and the Marines.
The Marines would move about frantically, but they would only dare to watch from a distance, never acting rashly.
Whenever Whitebeard's ship headed toward an island, if there happened to be a Marine base on that island, the Marines there would immediately choose to evacuate.
That was the weight carried by the name Whitebeard.
A weight capable of shaking the world.
In this world, no one could afford to underestimate him.
Whitebeard suddenly raised the giant sake cup beside him and took several deep gulps of wine.
Then he smiled and said, "Marco. Do you really think that brat named Do... whatever has the guts to do something like this?"
The brat Whitebeard referred to was naturally Doflamingo.
Hearing this, Marco carefully thought back.
Doflamingo had indeed chosen to retreat when competing for territory with them before.
Someone like that did not seem like the type who would dare take the initiative to provoke them directly.
If this really had been done by Doflamingo, it would be far too reckless.
Marco understood what his Pops meant.
"Pops, are you saying someone is impersonating Doflamingo to provoke us?"
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard laughed, his powerful body trembling along with it.
"What a bold fellow, to actually dare do something like this. I really want to see what kind of person they are."
Although Whitebeard did not answer directly, that was already the best answer.
Marco frowned.
He understood his father's meaning.
Someone was indeed impersonating Doflamingo to provoke them.
But no matter who that person was, Marco would not forgive anyone who dared provoke the Whitebeard Pirates.
In his eyes, that was an unforgivable crime.
To Marco, the Whitebeard Pirates were his home.
Anyone who slandered or mocked that home was his enemy.
"Pops, should I go find that guy?"
Marco stated his position directly.
"I'll bring him back to you, and you can deal with him however you like."
Whitebeard did not agree.
He shook his head.
"No. Even if we know someone is plotting behind this, there are other things to do before finding them."
Marco was a little puzzled.
Shouldn't they catch the mastermind first?
"Pops, what do you mean?"
"This news has probably already spread."
Whitebeard's voice was calm, yet it carried an immense weight.
"If I don't take a stance now, wouldn't that be saying I'm afraid of that brat who hasn't been on the sea for very long?"
At this moment, Doflamingo was not only the king of Dressrosa.
He was also involved in various underground transactions, dealing with nobles all over the world.
On top of that, he held the legal status of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Only Whitebeard would dare call Doflamingo a brat.
To outsiders, Doflamingo was likely already an evil overlord, a man whose mere glance could inspire fear.
But in Whitebeard's eyes, he was merely a junior among pirates.
Because when Whitebeard had already been active in the pirate world, Doflamingo had not even stepped onto the stage yet.
In terms of seniority, there was probably no pirate today who could compare with Whitebeard.
"And more importantly," Whitebeard continued, "that guy's title."
"Seven Warlord."
"That is a title representing the World Government."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"If I choose to avoid him at a time like this and go looking for some mastermind instead, wouldn't that mean I, Whitebeard, fear the World Government?"
Whitebeard's voice rose.
"I am Whitebeard!"
On the surface, the Seven Warlords were an organization directly under the jurisdiction of the World Government and an institution created to maintain peace in the New World.
But the Seven Warlords system was merely an opportunity to maintain balance.
It was not the true reason peace existed.
The true reason was the stalemate between the Four Emperors, and Whitebeard's lack of desire to wage pointless war.
But even if Whitebeard had no intention of fighting right now, he had never bowed his head to the World Government in his life.
And he was not about to start now.
He was the Strongest Man in the World.
He feared no one.
After that powerful declaration, "I am Whitebeard," almost every crew member turned their gaze toward the incomparably overbearing man before them.
At this moment, Whitebeard's stance was no different from telling Doflamingo one thing.
Regardless of whether you are being framed or not, I will not choose silence.
Either you take a stance and lower your head to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Or I will destroy you.
This overbearing and absolute statement caused no opposition from anyone on the ship.
In their eyes, this was perfectly natural.
Only such an overbearing man could be their Pops.
And it was precisely because of this that everyone chose to follow him.
Marco nodded.
"Then I'll set out immediately and find Doflamingo."
"Take Jozu with you. He's calmer than you."
Whitebeard raised his cup again.
"Also, if there's a chance, look for that mastermind too."
His laughter rang out once more.
"I want to know exactly which fellow dared to scheme against me."
"Gurarararara!"
As if he had found something amusing, Whitebeard took several more gulps of wine.
.....
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