In the New World.
An unknown sea area.
A pirate ship with a skull emblem on its mast and sail sped swiftly through the waters.
At the prow stood a woman in a short blue dress, revealing her white fleshy thighs.
Wearing black stockings, the woman was trembling as she looked ahead. With a crisp snap, she actually cracked the ship's railing in front of her. This woman was Whitey Bay, known as the Ice Witch.
"Damn it, who betrayed Dad!?" Whitey Bay suppressed her voice, growling quietly like an angry lioness.
She scanned her mind through the faces of the Whitebeard Pirates' seasoned members, trying to discern who would betray Whitebeard and kill Ace. But, despite her efforts, she couldn't pinpoint anyone.
This was no surprise.
Whitey Bay had always seen the members of the Whitebeard Pirates as her family, believing in the genuine bonds between them, especially those who joined early on.
Under such circumstances, identifying someone who might betray Whitebeard in the future was nearly impossible.
If it weren't for the mysterious power of Arton's diary, and the repeated confirmations of Arton's knowledge of the past and future, Whitey Bay would never believe in the possibility of someone betraying Whitebeard.
"Should I go to Dad?" she pondered. "No, I can't speak of the diary to others, nor can I openly mention much of its content." And even if she did tell Whitebeard, he wouldn't believe in a betrayal.
"Damn it, how can I find out who the traitor is!" Frustrated, Whitey Bay clenched her teeth and slammed her palm against the ship's railing. "Wait, there's still a way. If Uta managed to make Arton inadvertently reveal the cause of her death by meeting him, I can do the same. By finding Arton, he might unintentionally reveal who betrayed Dad."
Determined, Whitey Bay turned to her crew. "Everyone, change course. We're heading to the East Blue at full speed!"
Although the crew was puzzled by their captain's sudden urgency to go to the East Blue, they quickly got to work.
"Arton, wait for me," Whitey Bay murmured to herself, touching the Den Den Mushi in her pocket. After a moment of hesitation, she dialed the number for Whitebeard. Soon, a robust voice came through. "Gurararara, what is it, Whitey Bay?"
Hearing Whitebeard's ever-vigorous voice, Whitey Bay slightly relaxed. "Dad, um... have you noticed anything unusual lately?"
"An anomaly? No, why do you ask?"
"Actually, um!"
Just as Whitey Bay was about to cautiously bring up the diary, a familiar sense of death enveloped her, causing her to sigh and abandon the idea of telling Whitebeard about Arton's diary.
"What's wrong, Whitey Bay? You sound a bit off?"
"Nothing, Dad. I just wanted to tell you I need to make a trip to the East Blue."
"The East Blue? That's quite far from you. What for?"
"To meet a man."
"To meet a man?"
"Yes!"
On the Moby Dick, Whitebeard was taken aback. He had never expected the Ice Witch of his crew to speak of meeting a man. The other members around Whitebeard were also surprised, and curiosity filled the air. After all, Whitey Bay had earned her title of the Ice Witch not just for her combat style and attire but also for her lack of interest towards men over the years.
Now, the notion of the Ice Witch herself seeking out a man, crossing vast distances to the East Blue, was astonishing to Whitebeard and the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Whitey Bay, are you planning to bring back a son-in-law for Dad?" Ace stepped forward, intrigued, and spoke into the Den Den Mushi.
On the other end, hearing Ace's voice, Whitey Bay fell silent, unsure of what to say.
"Wouldn't it be something if you really did intend to marry?" Initially jesting, Ace's surprise was evident in his disbelief.
As Marco, Vista, Jozu, Teach, and others began to ask, Whitey Bay finally responded, "… It may not be impossible."
If finding Arton could help identify the traitor in advance, preventing Ace's death and sparing Whitebeard from the consequences, even if it meant marrying him, Whitey Bay was willing.
"No, really!?" Disbelief marked Ace's voice as he couldn't fathom Whitey Bay considering marriage.
Marco, Jozu, Vista, and even Whitebeard shared in the astonishment.
"Guuuuurararara, wonder which lad has caught your eye," Whitebeard laughed joyfully, welcoming the notion of marriage within the crew as a grand celebration.
Whitebeard was reminded of Oden, who had once married and had children aboard his ship, and the prospect of witnessing another birth in the Whitebeard Pirates filled him with immense joy.
However, Whitey Bay couldn't share in the happiness, not due to any contempt for Arton but because of the bleak future that loomed, preventing her from genuinely smiling.
***
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