Whitebeard Pirates – Aboard the Moby Dick
Edward Newgate, known as Whitebeard, sat in a massive chair on the deck of his ship. Before him was a large bowl filled with sake, which he drank from with loud gulps.
"Dad, is that Reid guy with Roger really as strong as the paper says?"
Marco the Phoenix frowned slightly as he asked. Whenever the Roger Pirates were brought up, his mood soured. After all, if Roger hadn't taken Kozuki Oden, the samurai would have remained with the Whitebeard Pirates—and perhaps avoided the danger he now faced in Wano.
"I find it hard to believe. A person with the same power as Sengoku? That sounds impossible."
Blenheim, one of Whitebeard's veteran commanders, voiced his doubt, his expression serious.
"Yeah, I agree. We've been sailing for decades and never seen or heard of anyone like that."
Jozu, the diamond-bodied powerhouse, usually quiet, now couldn't help but chime in. Too many things were happening at once—Roger's capture and escape, the battle on Batelira Island, news of Oden's crisis, and now Reid's sudden rise.
Whitebeard leaned back and looked toward the sunset, his massive hands resting on his knees.
"In this world, anything is possible. I believe it."
"Could it be that old man Vegapunk secretly cloned Sengoku's Devil Fruit?" Marco speculated.
"That's not a bad theory," replied a burly, chain-wielding man with shaggy brown hair—another of Whitebeard's long-standing crewmates.
"After all, it's a rare Mythical Zoan: The Human-Human Fruit, Model Buddha. There's no way the World Government would allow it to just float around. Maybe Reid is a runaway from the government, and they're luring pirates to capture him."
Whitebeard didn't entertain that line of thought for long.
"Enough. What matters now is preparing to go to Wano in six months to rescue Oden. He's my brother—our family. The rest is irrelevant."
At that moment, in a quiet corner of the ship, a boy around 14 years old, wearing an orange hat and sporting short, curly black hair, was quietly listening in.
His eyes sparkled with obsession and excitement.
"Four years… I've been on this ship for four years and still haven't gotten a Devil Fruit. But he—Reid—has the same fruit as Sengoku? The same fruit! The Buddha Fruit…"
His mind spiraled, dark thoughts taking root.
"If I could steal that power… I'd be unstoppable. Even if I can't have that exact fruit, any Mythical Zoan is enough. But the one I want most is still the Dark-Dark Fruit. Hehehe…"
Just then, a man with neatly combed hair and twin swords at his waist walked over with a plate of food.
It was Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, and the one responsible for meals.
"Dad, should we contact Roger? If something happens to him, it could ruin our plans for Wano."
"Hmph. If necessary, we'll go to Wano without him. I've been there before. When Roger said we didn't know the territory well, I should've spoken up. We're wasting time. I say we set sail tomorrow!"
That came from Vista, the Fifth Division Commander and a renowned swordsman known as the "Foil Swordsman."
"No. What Roger said made sense."
Vista was about to argue more, but Whitebeard waved a hand.
"Enough. Marco, contact Roger."
Marco nodded and pulled out a den-den mushi.
Meanwhile, on a small island near Batelira, Rayleigh and his group were gathered around a fire, roasting meat.
"That was close… I thought that tiger would eat me today," Shanks said, holding roasted meat in both hands, devouring it hungrily.
"There's progress, but it's not quite there yet." Rayleigh gave a calm assessment.
"Ah, Mr. Rayleigh, wasn't that enough? I almost died out there!"
Shanks scratched his head. He couldn't even remember how he escaped. He vaguely recalled blacking out, then waking up to see Rayleigh and Reid standing nearby.
"Koutarou, each experience is a chance to strengthen your will and spirit."
Rayleigh's words carried a deeper meaning, though he said little.
Reid, observing silently, understood. He was a transmigrator, after all, so he could read the signs behind Rayleigh's teaching style.
"Mr. Rayleigh, I haven't been caught by those monkeys even once!"
Bucky, clearly eager to impress, chimed in.
"Very good, Bucky. Observation Haki isn't just about sensing—it's also about speed and reaction. From now on, your training will intensify."
Just then, the den-den mushi on Rayleigh's side began to ring.
"Bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, bah, blah, blah,"
Rayleigh answered it.
"Rayleigh speaking."
The den-den mushi transformed its features to resemble Whitebeard's face.
"Hey, Rayleigh! Took you long enough. Don't tell me you're ignoring me now?"
"Sorry, must be the signal. What can I do for you?"
"Is it true that someone named Reid joined Roger's crew?"
Reid's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't expect Whitebeard himself to take an interest in him.
Shanks and Bucky both glanced at him curiously.
"Yes, he's with us."
"And does he really have the same Devil Fruit ability as Sengoku?"
Everyone, especially the boy from earlier, leaned in to listen.
"It's true," Rayleigh confirmed. "What's this about?"
"Thief hahaha… It's true. We must learn his secret. If that power really exists, we can't let it go."
The young boy's pupils shrank. A crooked grin stretched across his face, consumed by greed.
"Seems like you're not with Roger right now," Whitebeard noted.
"Just don't let this affect your plans for Wano."
"Don't worry. We'll coordinate later."
Rayleigh's tone was firm. Despite their history, Whitebeard was still a rival pirate.
"You'd better. My patience isn't endless."
With that, Whitebeard hung up the call.