The Straw Hat Pirates boarded their ship
They prepared to follow Hancock's ship toward Wano to join the upcoming war.
Whitebeard and his crew, after more than a day of sailing, also arrived in the seas not far from Wanokuni.
There were no defenses around Wanokuni, allowing those who climbed the waterfall to reach the top without any obstacles.
The Kaido alliance didn't seem to be aware of their arrival.
"Do they want us to embark on the island?"
Jozu questioned.
The Whitebeard Pirates arrived at Wanokuni without attempting to conceal their presence. Let alone Kaido alliance, even other New World forces were easily keeping a close eye on their movements.
Currently, there are no defense forces patrolling the seas around Wanokuni.
There is only one explanation for this.
That means Kaido has likely concentrated his forces on Onigashima Island.
"Yoyoi~"
"They are not idiots, they know that the sea is Pop's territory!"
Marco sneered.
Kaido and Big Mom's crews are filled with capable individuals.
If they dare to engage in a sea battle with the Whitebeard Pirates, Whitebeard only needs to create tsunamis to neutralize most of their forces.
Understanding this, Kaido and his allies naturally avoided sea battles.
"Old man Whitebeard, shall we go to the island like this?"
Crocodile said solemnly with a cigar in his mouth.
Whitebeard didn't answer immediately.
Entering the island recklessly doesn't seem like a rational move, considering that Kaido and his alliance have likely stationed a significant number of troops there.
"Oyaji, let me scout Wanokuni's situation first."
"And I also want to take this opportunity to meet some acquaintances and fulfill a promise."
At that moment, Ace stood up, his eyes filled with memories.
"Is this too risky?"
Vista furrowed his brows.
With a large number of troops deployed in Wanokuni, Ace going alone could easily make him a target.
"Ace, I'll go with you!"
Luffy exclaimed with excitement.
"You better stay here!"
Ace directly rejected Luffy's request, and then looked at Whitebeard: Oyaji, I'm familiar with this place. I can ensure that my whereabouts won't be exposed."
"Guurarara~"
"Wanokuni is not a place you can go just anywhere you want"
Whitebeard directly refused.
"But Oyaji…"
Ace opened his mouth.
But before he could finish speaking, Whitebeard interrupted him and said: "If you're determined to gather information, then I, as the captain, will go myself."
"Oyaji, no!"
Marco hurriedly objected.
Pops is the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, the heart and soul of the crew. If Kaido discovers his presence, it could lead to trouble
"Guurarara~"
"Don't worry, even if someone finds out, no one can stop me if I decide to leave!"
Whitebeard laughed.
He might not be able to fight Kaido's alliance head-on.
However, if he wants to leave, even if Kaido, Big Mom, and Golden Lion combine all their forces together, they can't stop him. Except the three alliance captain is there, there's probably a chance to corner Whitebeard
"That's settled!"
"It's been a while since I've been here".
Whitebeard looked at the island in front of him, and his eyes filled with emotion, remembering the past he have on the island
After reminiscing about the past, he leaped from the Moby Dick onto a small boat.
Seeing this, Ace quickly followed suit, grabbing a paddle and rowing the small boat away with Whitebeard.
"Oyaji!"
Marco couldn't help but feel a headache.
Unexpectedly, aside from Ace, his Oyaji was just as stubborn.
"Whitebeard gramps, Ace, take me too!"
Luffy pleaded, worried about being left behind.
"You better stay here, you idiots!"
Crocodile snorted.
He knew how impulsive Luffy was. If he also took Luffy, the result would definitely be that the three of them were discovered by Kaido.
"Damn it"
Luffy grumbled, clearly frustrated that he can't go on another adventure
"Now we can only wait here, wait until Pops and Ace bring back the news, and then go to the island!"
Jozu said seriously.
The fleet captains and crew members withdrew their gazes upon hearing this and waited quietly on the ship.
Ace rowed a small boat to land on the island.
Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar beach in front of him, Ace couldn't help but sigh: "I'm finally back here."
He finished speaking and glanced at Whitebeard: "Oyaji, I know someone in Wanokuni, so let's head there first."
"Sure!"
Whitebeard did not object.
"Oyaji, come with me."
Ace hid the boat, then jumped up and rushed towards the bamboo forest.
Whitebeard followed Ace as they ventured into the bamboo forest.
The two quickly passed through the bamboo forest and came to a village that had been turned into ruins. There was a giant tree in the middle of the village.
Beneath the enormous tree, there stood a decrepit house.
As Ace gazed upon the house, memories of a familiar and beloved face flooded his mind.
With those memories in mind, he quickly sprinted towards the house.
He cautiously climbed to the roof of the house, looking inside through a hole in the rooftop.
However, to Ace's disappointment, the house appeared to be deserted, as if it had been abandoned for a long time.
"No one here?"
Ace's frown deepened as he thought, wondering if she had gone to another location:"Did she go there?"
Ace hurriedly rushed once more, arriving at a stream within the bamboo forest.
Ace rushed forward and approached the girl with purple hair who was squatting by the stream. She seemed to be in pain as she drank water.
"Tama!"
Ace couldn't contain his excitement upon seeing the girl as he shouted
"Um?"
Tama, who was drinking from the stream, was startled. Her cute little face turned toward the sound with a hint of panic on her face
Then she saw the person she had always wanted to meet.
"Ace?!"
Tama froze in place, her cute little face full of disbelief as she wiped her eyes at the same time.
When she realized that Ace was truly standing behind her.
Her body started trembling, and tears streaming from her eyes
"Ace, you are finally back!"
She ran toward him, tears streaming down her face as she threw herself into Ace's arms. Her voice was choked with emotion as she spoke: "I've been waiting here for so long, and I've been a good girl, I haven't left because I believed that Ace would come back!"
"I'm here!"
Ace replied with a warm smile, and lifted Tama up high in his arm: "This time, my Oyaji will change this country for good, so that no one here will have to suffer like they used to!"
"Oyaji?"
Tama raised her head, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Then she noticed a tall man standing behind Ace.
The man was dressed in a white shirt and cloak, had a crescent-shaped mustache, and held a large naginata in his hand.
Whitebeard didn't pay any attention to Tama.
But he's looking at the stream in front of him, which was filled with toxins from a factory not far away, dry land that no animal can survive, and the air polluted by the weapon factory, seeing this, his tone became extremely low.
"Kaido, is this what you've done to Oden's country?"
Whitebeard's eyes filled with sadness and burning fury as he looked at the state of the country.
.
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TO BE CONTINUE