After Whitebeard's departure, the atmosphere on the ship became somewhat awkward. Everyone was unfamiliar with the new leader, who appeared out of nowhere and assumed control. Consequently, they needed time to adjust to this unexpected change.
"Captains, as the acting captain appointed by father, I want to discuss my expectations for all of you. Going forward, every captain needs to focus on training their Haki and enhancing their individual strength. We must prepare ourselves for the upcoming battle!"
"I understand that we haven't had a chance to get to know each other but we needed to focus on improving our strength as quickly as possible. Making friends could come later, after the upcoming war." The mention of a war left everyone shocked and speechless.
"Hey, hey, hey, Brother Majima, don't be so serious. To celebrate your appointment as the acting captain, let's have a banquet first." Atmos, the leader of the 13th division, approached Majima with a grin and placed his arm around his shoulder.
"Indeed, let's have a feast to celebrate! If we don't throw a party, the old man will be furious when he returns and might punish us severely!" The captains of all divisions speak in unison.
The idea of having a banquet to celebrate Majima's appointment as acting captain was met with enthusiasm from the other captains, who joked about the consequences of not doing so when Whitebeard returns.
Despite their seemingly disloyal behavior towards their father, the captains had genuine smiles on their faces.
Majima did not hold it against them, considering they were not time travelers and unaware of the Marine's sinister plot against the Whitebeard Pirates.
It's common for those who have stayed with the Whitebeard Pirates for a while to adopt an optimistic outlook on life.
Marco, who was considered the elder brother among the captains, noticed that Majima seemed tense and serious. He walked over to him, placed his hands on his hips, and spoke in a calm and friendly manner. "Majima relax and dont worry too much", assuring him that he will soon get along with everyone as they spend more time together.
"Everyone, I don't mean to joke around. The war is approaching and there's a possibility that our old man might not survive …" Majima spoke with a serious tone.
The noise on the deck suddenly stopped when Majima mentioned a crucial topic that touched everyone's nerves - the possibility of their father's death.
"What!? Majima, you must be joking…" Marco was initially skeptical, but upon seeing Majima's serious expression, he realized that he might not be joking.
"He is the leader of the Zero Division and the only one who pops trusted to be the acting captain, so he must have access to more intelligence information than the rest of us. If he says there's a possibility of our father's death, he wouldn't be joking." One of the captains spoke.
"Majima have you received any information?" Marco asked.
"What's happening Majima?, what kind of battle is it? How could our father's life be at risk?" Vista, the captain of the fifth division, also came forward to inquire.
The remaining captains were silent, but their eyes expressed a sense of urgency to know the answer.
"Ace has been captured by the Marines and is scheduled for public execution in the near future. Regardless of the reason, the Whitebeard Pirates will engage in a full-scale war with the Marines."
'The plot to execute Ace publicly is a vicious and calculated scheme, as it aims to exploit Ace's status as the son of Roger and provoke the Whitebeard Pirates to declare war on Marine. The public execution and broadcast of the event would be a direct insult and affront to the Whitebeard Pirates, and ignoring it would be a show of weakness and submission to Marine's authority. It would damage the reputation and morale of the Whitebeard Pirates, causing them to be viewed as inferior in the eyes of the entire pirate world.' Majima pondered
"Goodness!"
"Brother Ace has been captured!?"
"Ah! Damn the Marines! They're going to publicly execute Brother Ace!"
"We have to save him!!!"
"Yes, we can't just sit idly by!!!"
"Damn it! The Marines, this group of betrayers, are targeting us, the Whitebeard Pirates!"
The captains were immediately filled with anger.
"That's correct. It seems that the target of Marine's operation is indeed our Whitebeard Pirates."
Majima nodded, his gaze swept over the face of every captain, and he said solemnly: "Furthermore, they plan to hold Ace's execution in Marineford,"
"Marine is trying to use the execution of Ace as a trap to lure us into a full-scale battle on their own territory, where they will have the advantage of preparation and familiarity with the terrain." Marco said.
"These damn bastards!"
"It must be that evil old guy Sengoku!"
"Screw them and their stupid plans!"
Upon learning about Ace's execution and its location, the mood of the captains immediately shifted from happy to serious.
"Brother Majima, did our father leave because of the impending war?" The captain of the 16th Division asked
"I cannot disclose the specific details, but I can confirm that when our old man returns, the war will be on the verge of breaking out." Majima replied.
"So, if you don't want to witness Ace's execution and Dad's downfall at the Naval Headquarters, then use all your time to improve your Haki, Devil Fruit powers, and enhance your combat skills and those of your subordinates." Observing the stunned reactions of the captains, Majima felt content with the impact of his words.
"Alright, I'm going to continue practicing. If you have any questions about your skills, feel free to ask me, and don't worry about anything else for now."
Even though Majima mentioned that the captains can ask him about their skills, he didn't actually expect them to do so. This was simply a show of authority on his part, as he was the acting captain, and it was his duty to present himself as such. He knew that he had to do everything he could to maintain his image as a captain, especially since his old man had entrusted him with this role.
Majima planned to spend the next six months solely focused on drawing comics in order to improve his strength. However, he was surprised when the captain of the third division, Diamond Jozu, came to speak with him not long after he began.