But now, Whitebeard's displayed momentum showed that he's no longer just an old man seeking comfort and stable life.
"If Captain Roger saw Whitebeard now, he'd be surprised,"
Rayleigh remarked, taking a sip of his wine as memories flooded his mind.
"Hey, Rayleigh, who's stronger, You or Whitebeard?"
Luffy asked casually.
Rayleigh was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and replied: "Of course it is Whitebeard."
"I may be old, but Whitebeard's heart seems to have grown younger" Rayleigh mused.
"Whitebeard's ossan is really powerfull. I can't wait to meet him,"
Luffy said eagerly. He also looked forward to standing on equal ground with Whitebeard in the future.
Rayleigh suddenly laughed: "Haha, you better focus on your training. You're still far from mastering Haki. At your level, even in the New World, you won't get far."
Hearing this, Luffy's confidence surged. He clenched his fists and stood up, declaring, "Just you wait, I'll make it!"
After his declaration, Luffy resumed his intense training, much to Rayleigh's relief, who nodded approvingly.
......…
A week passed since the battle between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Big Mom Pirate Group. During this time, Whitebeard returned to his base camp, Noah, and began the gradual process of claiming territory from the Big Mom Pirate Group.
Before the Marine executives convened their meeting, Akainu first went to see the Five Elders.
The major clash between Whitebeard and Big Mom was enough to shock the Five Elders. As a result, Marine's top brass began to treat Whitebeard's threat with even greater seriousness and solemnity.
"After this incident, Whitebeard's power will grow even more, he'll likely claim a large portion of the New World.. Removing him won't be easy"
One of the Five Elders with white long hair remarked.
"The main issue is the Marine's current lack of combat power. Ever since the battle between Akainu and Aokiji, Aokiji's whereabouts remain unknown. The plan for world conscription must be accelerated. Only by expanding Marine's high-level combat power can we take action,"
One of the Five Elders with a katana in his hand declared.
"When Whitebeard heads this way, he's essentially revealing his ambitions. The Four Emperors, especially Kaido, must be feeling very uneasy right now,"
Another of the Five Elders with yellow hair remarked.
"So before the completion of the world conscription, will we not launch an action against Whitebeard?"
Akainu asked unwillingly.
"Akainu, perhaps you need some support. Your temper is too impulsive, Just like Garp back then. But Garp had Sengoku's cooperation. This time, Marine needs to remain calm"
One of the Five Elders who's holding a cane said
"Whitebeard has disrupted the balance among the Four Emperors, making the others more nervous than Marine. We must wait for the right opportunity. Otherwise, like this time, we risk losing without gaining anything"
Despite the criticism from the Five Elders, Akainu remained unfazed. His mind was solely focused on strategizing how to handle Whitebeard. Only by eliminating Whitebeard's constant threat could he find peace of mind.
However, after these events, Akainu also understood that the Five Elders were not in a rush to confront Whitebeard. They recognized that Whitebeard's actions could indirectly benefit Marine by dealing with the other Four Emperors, thus saving Marine a lot of effort.
Yet, in the process, Whitebeard needed to be kept in check constantly. The ease with which Whitebeard annexed the Big Mom Pirates raised concerns for the Five Elders as it seemed to come at little cost.
"I understand. I'll bring up renegotiating Whitebeard's bounty at the Marine meeting,"
Akainu said before departing.
......…
At the subsequent Marine meeting, everyone appeared gloomy, which was to be expected. Despite deploying a large force and new weapons, Marine found themselves defeated by the Whitebeard Pirates, even after the fierce battle with the Big Mom Pirates.
This is definitely a setback for Marine, and Whitebeard proves to be more cunning than anyone can imagine.
"The Five Elders believe that once the World Conscription is completed and Marine's combat power is expanded, we can then devise a plan to deal with Whitebeard. However, for now, Whitebeard's bounty must be updated,"
Akainu declared, breaking the silence.
Vice Admiral Tsuru also began to talk: "Whitebeard's bounty used to rival Roger's, but now his threat surpasses even that of Roger. With his lot of power, his bounty must be increased."
"Hey, I didn't expect that this guy, Whitebeard, would become more audacious as he grow old. I thought he was just making a fuss last time, but now it seems he might be serious,"
Former Fleet Admiral Sengoku said while sighed .
At seventy-two years old, Whitebeard still displays the vigor of his prime. Some, like Sengoku, speculate that Whitebeard might be seeking to leave a lasting impression, considering his advanced age.
Therefore, previously, Sengoku approached Whitebeard with a more relaxed mindset. After all, at his age, Whitebeard couldn't be expected to cause much trouble. Perhaps he could even assist Marine in dealing with the other Four Emperors.
This way, Marine could reshape the seas effortlessly, potentially overturning the era of great pirates established by Roger.
However, this time things took a turn for the worse. Whitebeard summoned a tsunami that engulfed dozens of Marine battleships. With this display of strength and determination, Whitebeard proved he's not just merely causing a lot of noise; he's also shown his ambitions and the manner in which he intends to pursue them.
He may even surpass Roger's legacy.
In the current situation, every Marine high-ranking official is closely monitoring Whitebeard. Given Whitebeard's current strength, another war could potentially lead to the collapse of Marine Headquarters.
No Marine senior can afford to overlook this threat. Failure to handle it effectively could result in them being seen as disgraced by the World government.
"Whitebeard's strategy and strength make him formidable. Stopping him won't be easy,"
Kizaru remarked with a sigh.
"You were fortunate to retreat when all the Marine battleships were lost this time!"
Akainu remarked with a hint of dissatisfaction towards Kizaru.
"I'm not pleased about it either. I did my best to contain Whitebeard this time, but his defense has reached a terrifying level,"
Kizaru retorted quickly.
But the truth remains. Kizaru did his best to confront Whitebeard. However, one factor to consider is that this time, only one Admiral faced Whitebeard, without even the assistance of a Vice Admiral.
That's why Kizaru exerted himself so much; it was also for his own sake. Otherwise, he feared the outcome wouldn't have been favorable.
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
________________________
you can read FINISHED chapters at P@treon ahead of everyone.
Link : patreon.com/MoonEater18