Sea Circle Calendar 1505, Grand Line, New World, in an uncharted sea.
A massive three-masted ship with a bow shaped like a whale sailed steadily through the turbulent sea. Despite the occasional battering of enormous waves against its hull, the ship maintained its course unwaveringly, much like its master—[Whitebeard[ Edward Newgate, the world's strongest man, standing resolute amidst the tumultuous tide of the new era.
Aboard Moby Dick.
A young man of 28 with tousled blond hair, a dagger strapped to his waist, and an open shirt revealing a distinctive Whitebeard Pirates tattoo, ascended from the ship's deck. The deck bore signs of the previous night's festivities, with lingering warmth in the aftermath of the banquet. Marco, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' first division and the ship's doctor, sported drooping eyelids that suggested he had not fully awakened, wearing a sleepy expression on his face.
Marco had joined Whitebeard's crew at a young age, and, similar to Whitebeard himself, he didn't harbor grand ambitions. His simple desire was to lead a peaceful life at sea with his "family" aboard the ship. To Marco, Whitebeard was more than just a captain; he was a true father figure.
"Huh? Is there a new newspaper today?"
Marco waved at the news bird flying overhead, retrieved a few crumpled banknotes from his pocket, and reluctantly purchased the newspaper, despite the bird's disdainful gaze.
"Seriously, all the money was spent on throwing a party for Pops!"
It's not that Marco is strapped for cash, but the Moby Dick frequently hosts feasts, and Whitebeard sends money back to his hometown in secret. Most of their funds are used to purchase alcohol.
"Shichibukai? Marine Nova? Canos Atlas?"
Marco couldn't help but smirk when he saw the bold headline in the newspaper. As he continued reading, he furrowed his brow. Naturally, he didn't consider Crocodile a serious threat. The so-called Shichibukai was just a joke to him. What caught his attention was the rising star in Marine, someone so formidable at such a young age. Marine's influence had been growing stronger in recent years.
"Hahaha... Captain Marco, what's got you so engrossed? You seem pretty focused!"
Suddenly, a man with dark skin and fluffy black hair poked his head out from beside Marco, asking curiously.
Looking closely, this man looks quite funny. His clothes are open, revealing thick body hair, and even a few teeth are missing. A green turban is tied to his forehead, and his neck and wrists are empty without any accessories.
On the left side of his waist, he has a claw-shaped iron weapon, and there is a simple and honest smile on his face. However, his eyes hide a bottomless ambition.
"Ah, it's Teach. No, it's a Marine who defeated that Sand Crocodile guy."
Marco saw that Teach seemed interested, so he handed the newspaper to his hand.
Blackbeard was stunned when he heard this. He took the newspaper and glanced at it casually, pretending not to care, and then laughed. "What an awesome Marine brat, but I have a father to protect me. I just want to eat Cherry pie every day on the ship. That's it, hahahaha…"
"Really..." Seeing Blackbeard's lack of ambition, Marco shook his head helplessly. He then took the newspaper and headed to Whitebeard's bedroom.
The moment Marco turned around, nobody noticed Blackbeard's face suddenly darkening, with a hint of jealousy in his eyes.
"Gaining fame on the sea... what a blessing... just wait..."
"What are you waiting for, Teach?" Thatch, who had just woken up from his sleep nearby, asked with a hint of confusion.
"Hahahaha! Well, I'm not really waiting for anything... ah, just waiting for you to wake up and bake me a cherry pie!" Blackbeard's face once again displayed that sincere and innocent smile. His acting skills could even win an Oscar.
"You, I'll make it for you later," Thatch said affectionately to Blackbeard. Due to Blackbeard's fondness for cherry pie, the two of them often interact, making their relationship naturally better than that with other crew members.
"Dad! Dad! Look, that Crocodile guy was defeated by a young Marine!"
On the other side, Marco ran to the door of Whitebeard's room and yelled. Whitebeard also heard the sound and walked out of the bedroom, and a huge shadow instantly enveloped Marco.
"Oh? Is that the kid playing in the sand? Gu-ra-ra-ra-ra!"
At this time, Whitebeard is not as old as he will be more than ten years later. His bright golden hair hangs down naturally, and Whitebeard's iconic crescent moon shakes up and down with laughter.
"Ah? That's right, it's the Crocodile who tried to challenge dad before. I heard that he was invited by the World Government to be a Shichibukai. Unexpectedly, he was defeated by a young Marine. Marine is really getting stronger and stronger!"
Marco suddenly became worried as he spoke.
"Gura-ra-ra-ra! He's just a kid,I am Whitebeard!"
Whitebeard laughed and comforted Marco.
Marco seemed to have taken reassurance, and a smile appeared on his face again: "Dad is the strongest man in the world!"
...
Wanokuni, Onigashima.
A tall and burly figure with a pair of horns was sitting on a chair. He held a wine gourd with the word "天" printed on it in his left hand and poured wine into his mouth. With his right hand, he looked at the newspaper he had just received. His whole face was hidden in the darkness, and his specific expression couldn't be seen clearly.
"Marine's kid? Too bad he's not a Zoan fruit user... worororo!"
...
New World, Totto Land, Sweet City.
A middle-aged woman with a large belly, whether from obesity or pregnancy, sat in the hall wearing a pink suspender skirt. With her enormous palms, she greedily stuffed the food in front of her into her mouth, occasionally letting bits fall out. The saliva that dropped to the ground sizzled, and its strong corrosiveness instantly caused holes to appear in the ground.
"Mom, here's today's newspaper," Perospero, standing next to her, held a newspaper and reported to Big Mom.
However, it didn't elicit any response, and Big Mom remained focused on devouring the food in front of her.
"Mom, there's news about a young Marine star defeating that Sand Crocodile," Perospero reported, accustomed to updating Big Mom on current events.
"Marine? Is that Garp?"
Suddenly, while engrossed in her food, Charlotte Linlin turned her attention to Perospero. With eyes painted in crude purple eyeshadow, her gaze widened like bells, startling Perospero, who instinctively took a step back.
...
Sabaody Archipelago, Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
An old man with long, curly white hair, a thick beard on his chin, and round glasses was sipping wine from his glass while reading the newspaper on the table. His expression seemed somewhat inexplicable, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Is this the wave of a new era? Roger... is this the era you desired? Is this the new star of Marine... Shanks is in trouble."
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