"Whitebeard" Edward Newgate, "Red-Haired" Shanks, "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin, and "Kaido of the Beasts"—these four great pirates are the Emperors of the Sea who dominate the latter half of the Grand Line.
Here, they possess vast territories and numerous subordinates, wielding influence even greater than that of the Navy. Among them, the Whitebeard Pirates alone boast 1,600 members divided into 16 divisions, with 43 affiliated pirate groups in the New World under their banner.
For Aomori, becoming the ruler of the One Piece world meant not only taking action against the World Government but also dealing with these powerful pirate crews that stood in his way like immovable nails.
Thus, he had arrived.
The ship Aomori traveled on followed the Red-Haired Pirates' massive vessel. While Red-Haired's ship was granted passage, Aomori's was intercepted.
"As expected of the user of the 'Face-Face Fruit,' everyone gives him a bit of face," Aomori quipped. He glanced at Ace. "Your face should be useful too, right? Why don't you speak up so our ship can pass? It feels rude to start a commotion before we've even met."
'Is it not rude to kidnap me first?' Ace cursed inwardly. Though he didn't want to help Aomori, he knew that with Aomori's strength, the man could easily reach Whitebeard's presence, and no one else could stop him.
"Fine, I get it," Ace muttered reluctantly. He jumped onto the bow, waving at Whitebeard's men and shouting, "It's me! I'm back!"
"Wait, isn't that the Second Division Commander, Ace?!" An unknown crew member recognized him and laughed. "Ace is back so soon? Did you get that guy's head already?"
Ace, who had been caught back in Alabasta, had no time to hunt Blackbeard. His face turned as dark as a coal pot, and he snapped, "Shut up and let us through!"
"Oh! Right!"
…
"Red-Haired is coming."
"Brothers, if you don't want to make fools of yourselves, leave this place quickly," Whitebeard's right-hand man, "Phoenix" Marco, said to the onlookers. "Ah, looks like it's too late."
As soon as he spoke, a heavy footstep echoed in everyone's ears, as if treading directly on their hearts, causing immense discomfort. Several men suddenly rolled their eyes and fell to the deck, foaming at the mouth and losing consciousness.
Under the shocked and reverent gazes of the crew, Red-Haired walked slowly through the crowd carrying a large gourd. He stood before the gargantuan Whitebeard and said, "Sorry. Since I'm on an enemy ship, I used a bit of Haki. You don't mind, do you? I'm not here to start a war today, but to talk."
Whitebeard, despite being hooked up to IV drips and oxygen, still radiated an aura that commanded worship. He looked at Red-Haired and said, "Hmph. To think the apprentice from Roger's ship has grown into this. Seeing you makes my old wounds ache again."
"It's fine. I brought you some healing water to dull the pain." Red-Haired shook the gourd, which was filled with fine sake.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed and waved the crowd away. "Leave us to talk alone."
After taking a swig of the liquor Red-Haired brought, Whitebeard nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. So, what do you want to discuss?"
"Whitebeard, I've fought for decades and experienced countless battles. Even the pain of losing my arm back then doesn't compare to this scar that still throbs today." Red-Haired touched the three claw marks over his left eye. "The one who left this scar was your former subordinate, Blackbeard Teach!"
"He has been biding his time until now; he must have grand schemes. That's why I want you to stop Ace. Don't let him pursue Blackbeard anymore."
"Brat, are you teaching me how to do things?" Whitebeard's face hardened with effortless majesty. "Teach murdered a comrade, an unforgivable sin, the ultimate crime for a pirate. If I let that go, my dead children will never find peace."
"Without benevolence and righteousness, one cannot survive on the sea. It is my inescapable responsibility to make that fool Teach understand this!"
"I understand all that, but... let me be blunt: Ace is no match for Blackbeard. If you want him dead, at least send more people!" Red-Haired shouted. "You're sending Ace to his death!"
"..." Whitebeard drank a bowl of sake, catching his breath before saying, "Ace took this responsibility upon himself, and I believe in him. He won't lose to Teach."
"It's exactly that trust that will get him killed."
"Shut up! You're a hundred years too early to be ordering me around!"
"The whole world will fall into chaos because of this."
"So what? I am Whitebeard!"
'This stubborn old geezer!' Red-Haired was so frustrated his liver ached. He drew his sword immediately.
Whitebeard, not to be outdone, hoisted his massive blade. The two faced off, eyes blazing with fury. Just as they were about to clash with full force, Izo, the 16th Division Commander, burst in.
"This is bad! Pops, Ace is back, but as a prisoner!"
"?"
"???"
…
"Hey, you! Why did you tie me up like this?"
"Didn't I tell you earlier? You're a gift. Naturally, you have to be wrapped up properly. Life needs a sense of ceremony."
Ace had been tied up like a chimaki by Aomori using "tortoise shell" binding techniques. To keep him from talking too much, Aomori had torn a piece of fabric from Ace's clothes and stuffed it in his mouth.
Aomori boarded Whitebeard's ship carrying Ace like a piece of luggage. Robin and the others followed behind. Whitebeard's men didn't dare block the way.
"Ace?!" Seeing him bound so tightly, Marco was stunned. He signaled Izo with a glance while sizing up Aomori and his group.
The more he looked, the more alarmed he became. Setting aside the Warlord Crocodile for a moment, the "Devil Child" Nico Robin was a world-famous criminal. But the presence of Aokiji, a Marine Admiral, sent Marco's thoughts racing.
'Is the World Government behind this? Did they capture Ace to keep us from making contact with Red-Haired, making us wary of taking action? Then who is that guy in the center? A hidden powerhouse of the World Government?'
While thinking, Marco held back his agitated subordinates and addressed Aomori: "Who are you? What do you want with Ace?"
"My name is Aomori. I simply want to deliver this generous gift to Whitebeard and have a chat with him," Aomori said, shaking the bound Ace in his hand.
"We have nothing to talk about with the World Government. Don't think catching Ace will make us do your bidding."
"?" Aomori was confused. "How did I become a World Government man?"
Just as he was about to explain, Whitebeard and Red-Haired walked over together. They first glanced at Ace, then swept their gazes over Robin and Crocodile, lingered slightly on Aokiji, and finally fixed their eyes on Aomori.
"When did the Navy become so fearless as to run onto my ship and act wild?!" Whitebeard lifted his great blade and slammed the pommel heavily onto the deck.
A transparent shockwave shattered the deck, sending wood splinters flying as it surged toward Aomori's group.
Aokiji looked up, leaned down, and pressed both hands to the deck. A thick layer of ice formed a rectangular shield in front of Aomori, blocking Whitebeard's attack.
'Pops, we're on our own ship, take it easy.' Marco winced at the half-destroyed deck.
"Aokiji, are you looking for a fight?" Whitebeard asked coldly.
"No, I'm just accompanying him. You can temporarily ignore my status as a Marine Admiral." Aokiji stood behind Aomori, looking like a mere follower.
"Oh?" Red-Haired's eyes widened. He looked at Aomori and released his Conqueror's Haki once more. The crew members who had just woken up collapsed again without a sound.
Aomori smiled with interest. He channeled his own mental energy, condensing it into a semi-circular arc, and pushed back.
The true and false Conqueror's Haki collided, reaching a stalemate and generating a fierce gale that swept in all directions. This time, there were even more victims. However, Robin and the others were shielded by Aomori and remained unaffected.
"Damn it, Red-Haired! Don't run wild on my ship!" Whitebeard bellowed.
'Hah, weren't you the one who started it?' Red-Haired chuckled and said, "My apologies. Hearing a Marine Admiral hold a young man in such high regard made me want to test him. Not bad at all. What's your name?"
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself first before asking someone else's name?" Aomori shook his head. "Forget it, I know who you are. I'm the one suffering from a lack of fame here. Listen up: My name is Aomori. I am a Hero, and I am here to save this sick world."
"A Hero?"
"Saving the world?"
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard erupted into laughter, his booming voice making ears ring. He looked down at Aomori. "It's been years since I've heard such talk. Wanting to be a world-saving hero is a hundred times harder than becoming the Pirate King. Are you mentally prepared?"
"Of course," Aomori replied with a smile.
"Good. I'm starting to like you. However..." Whitebeard's smile vanished, replaced by sudden rage. "Did you catch Ace because you want me to help you save the world? Wishful thinking! I, Whitebeard, am not someone you can boss around!"
As Whitebeard's anger flared, his subordinates immediately entered combat stances. The atmosphere became tense and explosive.
Crocodile's expression darkened. Facing Whitebeard again, he realized his chances of victory were still zero. Even though the man was old and suffering from a serious illness, he was still the "Strongest Man in the World," not someone he could simply challenge.
'Does it really have to rely on outside force?' Crocodile looked at the unfazed Aomori, feeling utterly lost.
"Calm down, Whitebeard. Give me some face and hear what he has to say." After using his "Face-Face Fruit" powers to restrain Whitebeard, Red-Haired turned to Aomori. "What is your purpose here?"
"My purpose? I'm here to negotiate a deal with Whitebeard." Aomori ignored Whitebeard's fury and tossed Ace forward. "But first, here is your gift."
Marco leaped into the air, caught Ace, and untied all his restraints.
Once free, Ace thanked Marco and bowed his head toward Whitebeard. "I'm sorry, Pops. I was useless. Not only did I fail to catch Teach, but I also got captured."
"Gurararara, as long as you're okay." Whitebeard patted his head. "With your potential, you'll surpass me sooner or later and become a new Emperor of the Sea. Part of the blame for not making you stronger lies with me."
"Pops!" Feeling the affection in Whitebeard's words, Ace's nose wrinkled, and he couldn't stop the hot tears from falling.
"What a wonderful scene of father-son reunion," Aomori said, clapping his hands. "It seems you're quite satisfied with my gift."
"Ace belongs to us; it's only right that he be returned!" Marco interjected.
"Hah. If I hadn't taken him down, Ace would have likely fallen into Blackbeard's hands. Right, Shanks?" Aomori asked.
"Yes. I just told Whitebeard to call Ace back. Teach is much more dangerous than you imagine," Red-Haired agreed, his gaze toward Aomori softening.
A single look confirmed it, they were like-minded souls. Compared to the stubborn Whitebeard, Aomori was ten thousand times better.
"Teach is strong, but I'm not weak either. I wouldn't necessarily lose," Ace wiped his tears and said defiantly.
"Do you know what powers that Devil Fruit Blackbeard stole and ate possesses?" Aomori asked. "Don't answer; I know you don't."
"Uh..." Ace was momentarily speechless.
Aomori continued, "That fruit is called the 'Dark-Dark Fruit.' A Logia-type that possesses the ability to make other fruit users temporarily lose their powers. If you want to defeat Blackbeard, you'd better start training that pathetic Haki of yours."
"Make me lose my powers?" Ace broke into a cold sweat. If Aomori wasn't lying, things really were bad.
"Alright, I admit I am satisfied with your gift. So, what transaction do you want to propose?" Whitebeard asked.
Under the watchful eyes of Red-Haired and the others, Aomori held up a finger and said slowly, "In exchange for healing your old injuries, I want a deal where the Whitebeard Pirates agree to a single full-crew deployment at a designated time."
"Is that true? Can you really treat Pops' body?" Marco blurted out. As the ship's doctor, he knew exactly how poor Whitebeard's health was. It wasn't just the wounds from decades of battle with the likes of Pirate King Roger; there were also the side effects of long-term use of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Currently, Whitebeard's body was riddled with holes; he didn't have much time left.
"I haven't examined his body, so I can't guarantee a 100% cure, but I have 80% confidence," Aomori said, not overpromising.
"Eighty percent is enough." Marco looked at Whitebeard and pleaded, "Pops, accept it. Fighting is second nature to us, this deal isn't a loss."
The others shared the same expression of hope.
"Gurararara! Fine, I agree." Feeling the deep concern of his "children," Whitebeard laughed and nodded. "I can't let the intentions of these good children go to waste. But if you dare to lie to me, your end will be very miserable."
"Don't worry. I always do as I say." Aomori smiled.
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NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]