"I'll go there as soon as possible, Oyaji,"
Tesla said to himself.
Even though Tesla wished to leave with Whitebeard at that moment, he felt that he shouldn't be so impulsive.
He believed it was crucial to properly organize Step Island and implement some defensive measures before considering leaving.
Yet, Whitebeard had tremendous trust in him, which also surprised Tesla.
After all, there's uncertainty about whether, once Whitebeard leaves, he might immediately abandon the agreement and leave Step Island without honoring the commitment to join Whitebeard pirates.
At that time, Whitebeard had learned the method of capturing a Devil Fruit from Blackbeard, and the fruit on his body is also a formidable one.
While not extremely powerful, it is certainly a rare fruit with huge potential.
Yet, Whitebeard had such confidence in him that he granted him the freedom to manage his own things.
All of this made Tesla even more immersed in the charm of Whitebeard.
The Whitebeard Pirates displayed a lively atmosphere on the way back, considering they had just eliminated a Four Emperors' pirate group.
The battle was remarkably easy for them, and the regular crew members didn't even get a chance to participate.
Of course, this is all because Blackbeard lacked the determination to face Whitebeard head-on and instead chose to confront the main force directly.
If the Blackbeard Pirates had exerted their full effort from the beginning to gather all their forces, the battle would have been much more fierce.
But Blackbeard didn't take that approach. Even if, of course, he had been desperate and fought till the end, the outcome wouldn't have changed.
However, the Whitebeard Pirates would certainly have suffered a lot of losses, but for now, they didn't expend much to defeat a Four Emperors Pirate.
This is undoubtedly a great success, and there's no denying a bit of luck in it.
Therefore, the crew were very happy and excited, and they also had a party on the sea.
Whitebeard truly enjoyed the festive atmosphere as he observed his sons enjoying themselves without restraint on the sea.
Whitebeard also felt great joy in his heart, seeing his sons free and content under their own strength.
"Puru-puru-puru!."
"Puru-puru-puru!."
The Den-den Mushi suddenly rang.
As Whitebeard was right next to it and didn't join the party, he promptly answered the call.
"Hey, is it Shanks?"
Whitebeard asked. Typically, Shanks was the most likely to call at this time.
This guy is quite curious, and Whitebeard's guess was spot on.
"Whitebeard, how's the situation? Have you defeated the Blackbeard Pirates?"
Shanks' voice came through the den-den mushi.
"Yes, he is dead," Whitebeard replied calmly.
"What!"
On the other end of the call, Shanks was visibly surprised, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Then what about the Blackbeard Pirates' crew, what did you do?" Shanks asked again.
"Why? Are you interested in this?" Whitebeard was curious about Shanks' thoughts.
"I believe you should hand them over to the Marines," Shanks suggested.
Hearing that, Whitebeard was also slightly surprised, realizing that Shanks didn't share the same perspective as he had anticipated.
"Why?" Whitebeard asked deliberately.
"You just eliminated a Four Emperors. Although it seems like a gain for the Marines, they perceive internal conflict among the Four Emperors as the best scenario"
"But the key point is that your current strength has aroused the jealousy of the high-level government. Now that you have eliminated a Four Emperors group so quickly, this will definitely shock the higher-ups of the World Government"
Shanks's tone is very serious, and he seems to have a thorough understanding of the World government's thoughts.
However, this was within Whitebeard's expectation. He knew that the world government would definitely be very cautious and wary of him now.
This fear existed before, but now, by defeating the Blackbeard Pirates, he undoubtedly intensified this fear.
"So what? If the World Government has any comments, they can come directly to me"
Whitebeard said confidently.
"They won't come to you now, but they will definitely try to prevent you from acquiring the power of Blackbeard pirates. Because once you absorb all of Blackbeard's power"
"Then you will be the most difficult pirate to deal with in the entire sea."
While Shanks was still speaking, Whitebeard interrupted him.
"You mean, to avoid being an immediate target for the Marines, I should hand over all the remaining Blackbeard Pirates to them. At least, on the surface, maintain some cooperative relations"
"That's it," Shanks replied.
Hearing that, Whitebeard couldn't help but shake his head. Because It represented a compromise with the Marines, and although Whitebeard and Shanks shared similar actions, their ideas were different.
"Shanks, I don't agree with your idea. You should know, some people now call me the Pirate King"
"But this is just what the World Government deliberately propagated to paralyze me. They have their own goals. I am not the true Pirate King"
"This vast sea can't accommodate more than one King. Sooner or later, I will eliminate all the pirate groups. Shanks, you should be prepared for this as well"
"In order to become the Pirate King, how can I be afraid of the Marines and the World Government? If I don't have the strength to resist, then I don't deserve to be the Pirate King"
After Whitebeard's words, Shanks couldn't find a response and fell silent immediately.
"Yes, you are right. If you can't stand against the Marines and the World Government halfway, you don't have the qualifications to become the Pirate King"
Shanks replied after a moment, and he couldn't help but think of Gol D. Roger.
However, Roger eventually surrendered and was killed by the Marines, and Shanks didn't want Whitebeard to meet the same fate.
"So, what's your plan?" Shanks asked again
"Well, I will also hand them over to Marine Headquarters," Whitebeard responded.
"What?"
"However, I have a different approach than yours. I'm not seeking to compromise with the Marines. Instead, I aim to negotiate certain conditions with them in exchange for this temporary cooperation"
Whitebeard explained.
"It turned out to be like this."
Shanks suddenly relaxed a little. Although Whitebeard had different ideas from him, it was reassuring that his final actions aligned with what he had hoped for.
"Shanks, you really worry about me, don't you? Why not show more concern for the straw hat boy who you are betting with?" Whitebeard teased.
"That straw hat kid has someone looking out for him. I don't need to keep a constant eye on him"
Shanks replied with some nostalgic smile
"All right, let's stop here." Whitebeard hung up.
"Oyaji, is it Shanks?" Marco walked over and asked.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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