Next Bonus, 100!!
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Cavendish of the Beautiful Pirates was leading his crew toward the territory of the Red Hair Pirates.
Without warning, a massive wave, over a dozen meters high, surged toward them.
The crew was terrified.
CRASH!
The wave slammed into the ship.
Cavendish gripped the railing as the ship pitched violently. His crew clung to the masts or ropes for dear life.
"What's happening?"
"I don't know!"
"Hey, Navigator! Didn't you say the sea would be calm today?"
"Huh?" the navigator stammered. "Who can predict the weather in the New World? It's just a light breeze... how could it cause such a huge wave? It's strange!"
"Look out! There's a bigger one coming!"
The crew stared in horror as a wall of water, a hundred meters high, bore down on them, threatening to capsize the ship completely.
Seeing this, Cavendish leaped onto the prow and drew his jewel-encrusted rapier.
"Beautiful Sword: Wave Breaker!"
He gathered his strength and, just as the wave was about to crash down, unleashed a flying slash...
SHING!
The slash cut through the wave, splitting it in two and allowing the water to rush harmlessly past the ship.
A hundred nautical miles away.
RUMBLE...
Under the force of Whitebeard's sea quake, most of the pirate ships were annihilated. Only a few lucky ones managed to flee in panic.
"Kill them!"
"Wipe them out!"
Squard brandished his longsword, ready to give chase.
"Don't chase them. Let them go," Marco said, flying over in his phoenix form to stop him.
"Eh?" Squard paused. "Why, Commander Marco?"
"Let them be witnesses," Marco replied. "Let them tell the world that Pops isn't dead. He's back!"
Squard understood. Then, his face filled with concern. "And Pops's health..."
"Thanks to that... doctor, he's recovering well," Marco said.
It had taken over a year for Whitebeard to recover from his injuries. It wasn't just the destructive power of Jin's lightning; it was the accumulation of old wounds over a lifetime of fighting.
Law, adhering to his duty as a doctor, had not only kept Whitebeard alive but had also performed "organ transplant" surgery on him.
The organs came from Germa 66's cloning technology.
Cloning and cultivating organs for a powerhouse like Whitebeard was no easy feat. It required a massive investment of resources.
And even after the transplant, Whitebeard needed a long recovery period for his body to accept the new organs.
Especially the heart. A fresh, fragile heart couldn't withstand the strain of Whitebeard's immense power.
He had needed to recuperate slowly, bit by bit, and had only recently recovered to about seventy or eighty percent.
According to Law, as long as Whitebeard didn't overexert himself, the new organs would allow him to live for several more years.
And the blood and tissue samples taken from Whitebeard had become valuable research material for Judge's study of Lineage Factors.
"Pops!"
Squard and Marco arrived on the deck and bowed.
"Gurararara... Squard. You did a good job protecting our territory while I was away," Whitebeard said, sitting in his chair. There were visible stitch marks on his chest, but his spirit seemed much better than before.
"You praise me too much, Pops!" Squard said humbly, but he couldn't hide his smile. It was the joy of a child receiving approval from his father.
Ace looked at him.
Squard looked to be about forty, with long hair, a spider mark on his forehead, sharp teeth, and a habit of sticking out his tongue. He carried two swords, one large and one small. He looked treacherous and cruel, but surprisingly, he had a simple heart.
"Commander Ace," Teach whispered to him. "That's Squard, one of the captains of Pops's allied pirate crews. Bounty: 210 million Berries. He's been with Pops for a long time."
Because he had braved Big Mom's territory to bring back the doctor who saved Pops, and had fought against powerful enemies everywhere, Ace had earned everyone's respect. After a discussion between Pops and the commanders, it was unanimously decided that he would become the commander of the Second Division.
Ace didn't yet know the significance of this position.
In other Yonko crews, the First Division Commander was the "Vice Captain."
But in the Whitebeard Pirates, it was the Second Division Commander.
Given his age, the fact that Pops and the commanders had chosen him was equivalent to choosing the heir to the crew's will.
Teach, as a veteran of the crew, knew the weight of the Second Division Commander position. And he knew that he hadn't been chosen.
"Squard had a grudge against the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger," Teach continued. "For some reason, the Roger Pirates wiped out his entire crew. Later, Pops recruited him, and he joined Pops's fleet, though he still maintains his independence."
A grudge against Roger?
Ace froze for a moment, then instinctively pulled his hat down low. His identity as "Roger's" son worried him. He didn't want his past to affect the Whitebeard Pirates.
Squard had actually already noticed Ace.
After all, he was the new Second Division Commander. That position had been vacant for years.
He thought Ace looked familiar, like someone...
Roger!
But then he dismissed the thought. Impossible. To prevent Roger from leaving any bloodline, the Marines and the World Government had turned the South Blue upside down, searching for nearly two years...
This sea was full of strange things. It wasn't unusual for people to look alike.
After a short chat...
"Pops..." Izo walked out. "We just received intel. King Jin is heading for Red Hair's territory."
"Eh??" The commanders were surprised.
"Not only that," Izo continued. "The Beasts Pirates, Marine Admiral Kuzan, and others have also been spotted passing by our territory. Their course is also set for Red Hair's place."
Whitebeard was surprised. "Jin, that brat... wasn't he just at Fish-Man Island not too long ago? Jinbe told me about it."
He pondered for a moment. "I don't know what's going on, but honor demands that we don't sit idly by. Squard, you go back first. And take two doctors and some nurses with you to treat your crew. We'll talk more when we get back."
Squard waved his hands frantically. "No, no, that's not necessary, Pops! We have a ship's doctor..."
"Squard, don't be so polite with me. It's settled."
At Whitebeard's insistence, Squard gratefully took the doctors and nurses back with him.
Whitebeard knew the reality. Most pirate doctors just knew a bit of first aid, or they just winged it. If you were hurt, they'd bandage it. If it was too serious, they'd just amputate. Calling them quacks was being generous.
After all, doctors were a respected profession anywhere. Unless they had committed a crime or were forced into piracy, most doctors lived comfortable, happy lives.
There were a few who were just bored and wanted a different kind of life. Like Deuce, whose parents were wealthy doctors, but he had run away to avoid inheriting the family business.
The Whitebeard Pirates' medical team was more professional.
Of course, compared to the doctors of Drum Island, they were still far behind.
Not to mention compared to Law and his Op-Op Fruit.
After obtaining Hogback's medical notes and journals, Law's medical theory had improved by leaps and bounds. While treating Whitebeard, the entire medical team had been impressed by him, and the leopard-print nurses were practically swooning. If Law's will hadn't been so firm, they might have used a honey trap to keep him on the ship.
The Moby Dick changed course.
From high above, one pirate ship after another could be seen sailing toward the same area.
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