The Whitebeard Pirates had suffered a crushing defeat.
Faced with the Nightfall Pirates' offensive, their forces had collapsed on nearly every battlefield. While the scale of the losses varied from island to island, the overall mood throughout the crew was bleak.
The division commanders and senior members quickly gathered to discuss their next move.
After witnessing the Nightfall Pirates' true strength, they all understood one thing:
The Whitebeard Pirates alone could no longer stop them.
Marco had believed he already held the Nightfall Pirates in high regard, yet the reality had still exceeded his expectations.
What made the situation even harder to accept was how quickly the Nightfall Pirates had grown.
Years ago, the gap between the two crews had not been nearly so severe. Now, however, the Nightfall Pirates' executives and core fighters had improved at an astonishing rate, leaving many Whitebeard commanders struggling to keep up.
The distance between them had widened.
That realization was more painful than the defeat itself.
As representatives of the Whitebeard Pirates, losing once again to the Nightfall Pirates felt deeply humiliating.
The relationship between the two crews had always been complicated.
After all, Marshall D. Teach had once been one of Whitebeard's sons.
That fact could never be erased.
Teach had spent nearly four years aboard Whitebeard's ship. It was neither a particularly long period nor a short one.
When he eventually left and founded the Nightfall Pirates, many within the Whitebeard Pirates initially viewed it as normal.
After all, members leaving to establish their own crews was nothing unusual. Many former Whitebeard Pirates had done exactly that, later becoming affiliated crews while maintaining close ties to their former family.
Some sought freedom.
Others did not wish to remain beneath the sixteen division commanders forever.
Yet regardless of where they sailed, they still considered themselves Whitebeard's children.
Teach was different.
He completely severed those ties.
As the Nightfall Pirates rose to prominence, many members of the Whitebeard Pirates had once felt a degree of pride. Teach had come from their ranks. His success reflected well on them.
Only a handful of people who truly understood Teach, or who had been especially close to him, viewed things differently.
Those individuals knew that Teach had always possessed extraordinary ambition.
He had the qualities of a king.
Even before the Great Pirate Era truly began, there had been signs.
Especially during the two years before Roger's execution, Teach spent more and more time away from the crew. Some members gradually realized he was preparing for a different path.
They had already begun emotionally separating themselves from him.
Teach himself believed that remaining within the Whitebeard Pirates would limit his growth.
In hindsight, he had been right.
Once he broke free of those restraints, his strength exploded at a speed that shocked even Whitebeard's crew.
It was difficult to comprehend.
Whitebeard understood.
Marco understood.
That was why neither of them had ever openly criticized Teach's departure.
The others were different.
As time passed, more and more members began to feel uncomfortable with Teach's existence.
That discomfort eventually turned into resentment.
Especially after war broke out between the two crews.
In their eyes, Teach had voluntarily joined the Whitebeard Pirates, benefited from everything they offered, and then discarded them once they were no longer useful.
It felt as though he had used the Whitebeard Pirates as a stepping stone. And now, that same former crewmate was defeating them.
The fact that they had been surpassed by Teach and his Nightfall Pirates was difficult to accept.
Many felt they had failed Whitebeard.
Failed their father.
Jozu lowered his head.
His fists clenched so tightly that cracking sounds echoed through the room.
The guilt weighing on him was suffocating. If he had ordered a retreat earlier, perhaps so many people would not have died.
Many of the fallen had been comrades he saw every day.
Friends.
Brothers.
Members of the Third Division.
Naturally, much of his anger was directed toward Slada.
The man responsible for turning that battlefield into a slaughterhouse. But even more than that, Jozu hated his own weakness.
He had lost.
He had been overpowered.
Pinned to the ground and rendered helpless while his comrades died around him.
In the end, he had needed Marco to rescue him.
Several crew members had tried to comfort him, but the losses were too severe.
Whether anyone said it aloud or not, Jozu knew he bore responsibility.
Eventually, he would have to overcome that burden himself.
"I have to admit it," Marco said quietly, breaking the silence. "We're not strong enough."
A heavy atmosphere filled the room.
To counter the Nightfall Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates had already deployed four of their five strongest division commanders.
Diamond Jozu.
Phoenix Marco.
"Griffin" Shi.
Thatch.
As commander of the Fourth Division, Thatch was far stronger than outsiders realized.
Most people knew him as Whitebeard's cook. Few knew he was also an accomplished swordsman and martial artist. Because he spent most of his time aboard the Moby Dick rather than conquering territory, many underestimated him.
That assumption was a mistake.
Within the Whitebeard Pirates, division numbers were not assigned randomly.
Even though the commanders rarely discussed it openly, competition had always existed among them.
Nobody wanted their position to feel like charity.
Everyone earned their place.
The sole exception had been Kozuki Oden.
As Whitebeard's sworn brother, Oden occupied a unique position within the crew.
Despite his overwhelming strength, many members would have found it difficult to accept him taking the highest-ranked divisions immediately.
Making him commander of the Second Division had been a compromise that maintained balance.
As for the fifth strongest commander, "Flower Sword" Vista, he had already been dispatched to confront the Beast Pirates.
This highlighted the Whitebeard Pirates' current dilemma.
Whitebeard himself remained the pillar supporting everything. Without him, their manpower was stretched dangerously thin.
Although the internal crisis that once threatened the crew had been suppressed through Whitebeard's prestige and authority, the pressure they now faced was equally severe.
Among the division commanders, Marco, Jozu, Shi, and Thatch could still compete with the Nightfall Pirates' executives.
Jozu's disastrous battle against Slada was largely due to a bad matchup. Had he faced someone else, things might have looked very different.
Despite being suppressed, Slada had not truly been capable of defeating him outright.
Given another chance, the battle would likely unfold differently.
The real problem lay elsewhere.
The remaining division commanders simply could not match the Nightfall Pirates' executives.
The gap was too large.
Had they reacted any slower during the retreats, some might not have escaped at all.
Beyond the seven core executives, the Nightfall Pirates possessed monsters like Laffitte and Van Augur.
Then there were rising talents such as Enel, Clemons, and Kaguya.
Even their affiliated crews were remarkably strong.
Any pirate crew permitted to retain its independence under the Nightfall Pirates had already proven itself through strength and reputation.
Combined with superior numbers and overwhelming firepower, the difference became impossible to ignore.
Marco felt increasingly helpless.
The war's live broadcasts had shown the entire world exactly what the Nightfall Pirates had deployed.
The scale of their strength was staggering.
Even Marco, with the abilities of the Phoenix Fruit, could realistically hold back only two powerful enemies at once.
Yet the Nightfall Pirates were not foolish.
They would never create such an opportunity.
Sending Laffitte alone was enough to occupy Marco completely.
And Marco could not ignore him.
If he did, Laffitte would simply massacre weaker Whitebeard Pirates. His killing efficiency was terrifying. His mobility was even worse.
Flight.
Extreme speed.
Precision.
Marco could choose to pursue larger strategic victories. But unlike many pirates, he valued his comrades' lives above all else.
To fight the Nightfall Pirates, they needed greater strength.
More manpower.
More powerful allies.
Unfortunately, they all understood the reality of their situation.
There was very little additional strength left to draw upon. Unless they abandoned large portions of their territory.
That, however, was impossible.
Whitebeard remained inactive.
Teach remained inactive.
So did Ares and Redyat.
This was an unspoken understanding between the two crews.
In truth, the Whitebeard Pirates were the ones benefiting from it. Because Teach himself represented the true core of the Nightfall Pirates.
Many people present were already thinking the same thing.
They simply did not want to admit it. The Whitebeard Pirates had been surpassed.
A younger crew had overtaken them. A pirate crew that had existed for less than half as long as theirs.
When the Whitebeard Pirates ruled the seas, the Nightfall Pirates had not even existed.
The contrast was painful.
Most of Whitebeard's commanders had not yet reached their physical peaks, yet they already felt as though they were being overtaken by a new generation.
Their combat power was insufficient.
And no obvious solution existed.
"Our forces are spread too thin," Marco said. "The Nightfall Pirates still haven't committed all their strength. The Beast Pirates haven't either. If it's just us, it won't be enough."
The implication was obvious.
They needed outside help.
Without it, even if they somehow endured, the losses would be unbearable.
Silence fell once again.
Seeking assistance was not shameful. Not under these circumstances. They were facing threats from multiple directions.
The Nightfall Pirates.
The Beast Pirates.
The growing instability throughout the New World.
And those threats would only continue to grow.
"The Beasts aren't the biggest problem," someone muttered. "The Nightfall Pirates are."
Nobody disagreed.
The Beast Pirates possessed powerful officers, but their organization had not yet reached its future peak.
Many future elites were still children.
The Nightfall Pirates were different.
Their executive lineup was frightening.
In only a few years, their overall military strength had already approached, and perhaps surpassed, that of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The question was simple.
Who would help them?
One answer immediately surfaced in everyone's mind.
Wano Country.
Kozuki Oden.
If they asked, Oden would almost certainly come. Even if doing so created political problems within Wano.
Wano's location alone could force the Nightfall Pirates to divert tremendous resources.
It remained one of the strongest powers in the New World.
Yet that solution carried its own complications.
Teach owed Wano a considerable debt. Oden would inevitably choose the Whitebeard Pirates.
Doing so would place him in opposition to Teach.
Even if the relationship never became openly hostile, it would undoubtedly damage the friendship and cooperation between Wano and the Nightfall Pirates.
Teach understood that possibility.
That was precisely why he had quietly worked to eliminate it.
Maintaining positive relations with Wano was simply too valuable.
As for other allies?
None seemed realistic.
The Whitebeard Pirates had few powerful friends among the major forces of the New World.
Most pirates were either rivals or enemies.
Even their relationship with the Roger Pirates had always existed somewhere between friendship and competition.
Beyond Wano, there were no obvious candidates. And trying to rally enemies of the Nightfall Pirates could easily backfire.
Compared to the Nightfall Pirates, the Whitebeard Pirates currently appeared weaker and more vulnerable.
Many opportunists would choose to prey on them instead.
It was a dead end.
And even Wano required Whitebeard's approval.
That alone presented a major obstacle.
The pride of the Whitebeard Pirates ran deep.
Whitebeard's pride ran deeper still.
"The Nightfall Pirates only want the Nodding Sea, right?"
The sudden question drew everyone's attention.
A crew member sat with his head lowered.
"Then give it to them."
The room froze.
"Sacrificing more brothers for a handful of islands isn't worth it."
Several members immediately reacted.
"How can you say that?"
"Why can't I?" the man shot back.
His fists tightened. His voice trembled.
"Give me one reason."
His best friend had died in the battle.
Everyone present knew it.
"What's wrong with admitting defeat?" he demanded. "Is pride really more important than our brothers' lives?"
No one answered.
Not because they disagreed. Because they couldn't.
The room split along invisible lines.
One side believed they should concede territory and reduce casualties.
The other believed the honor of the Whitebeard Pirates demanded resistance.
Both positions carried merit.
Both were rooted in genuine concern for the crew.
Yet the two paths led in completely different directions.
The ideal solution was outside assistance.
But convincing Whitebeard would not be easy.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
"Enough."
Marco finally spoke. The argument immediately quieted. He looked around the room.
Then made his decision.
"We'll ask Oden for help."
Several eyes widened.
"If Pops wants someone to blame, I'll take responsibility."
His voice remained calm.
Steady.
"For the sake of the Whitebeard Pirates, we need to stand together."
For perhaps the first time, Marco was prepared to act against Whitebeard's wishes.
Not out of defiance. But out of necessity.
Most members felt the same.
Oden's involvement would dramatically ease their situation.
After all, Oden had not even spent four full years aboard Whitebeard's ship.
Some had spent longer.
And unlike Teach, Oden eventually left to sail with the Roger Pirates.
Among certain Whitebeard Pirates, that decision still carried traces of resentment.
To them, Whitebeard should have been the Pirate King.
Yet despite those feelings, they all knew Oden would help.
That certainty only made them feel guiltier.
Still, for the sake of the Whitebeard Pirates, they believed there was no alternative.
"Heh. They're arguing."
Mostima chuckled.
Far away, aboard a Nightfall Pirates vessel, the discussion within the Whitebeard Pirates echoed through a machine sitting on the table before him.
Every word.
Every disagreement.
Every plan.
All of it had been recorded.
At Teach's request, the Science Division had developed sophisticated listening devices capable of transmitting conversations in real time.
Observation Haki could not detect them.
The Nightfall Pirates had operatives hidden within Whitebeard territory.
Not many.
Certainly not deep enough to reach the crew's true core.
But enough.
"Seeking help from Wano?" Mostima smiled. "The timing couldn't be better."
Reports had already arrived from the intelligence network.
The Beast Pirates were making unusual movements.
Their agents were investigating both Wano Country and Zou.
Kaido was preparing something.
And soon.
Even if the Whitebeard Pirates chose to seek Oden's aid, the opportunity might vanish before they could act.
The Beast Pirates were about to force Wano into dealing with its own crisis.
By then, whether the Whitebeard Pirates still possessed the face to ask for help was another matter entirely.
Seven islands had already fallen.
Yet the Nightfall Pirates had no intention of slowing down.
This campaign had only begun.
They would not give the Whitebeard Pirates time to recover.
That was Teach's will.
And it was the will of the Nightfall Pirates as a whole.