"Father, this guy is way too arrogant. Should we teach him a lesson and show him who really controls this sea?"
The Whitebeard Pirates' members were furious, and even the captains bristled with frustration. Since the Rocks Pirates disbanded and throughout decades of Whitebeard Pirates' dominance, when had anyone dared to treat them with such disrespect?
If the ones slighting them were Roger, Golden Lion, or Patrick Redfield—men of Whitebeard's generation—Marco and the others might have swallowed their pride. But this insult came from a younger upstart, which was a humiliating blow to the Whitebeard Pirates.
Everyone wanted their "Old Man" to declare war on Cross Kahn.
"Gu ra ra ra… If a young man isn't arrogant, he isn't a young man."
Whitebeard, however, was unbothered. He let out his signature laugh, ruffling Marco's hair beside him, and said with a smile, "Since that kid promised to treat Neptune's daughter well, we'll supervise him! After all, Neptune has no objection. If that kid breaks his word, we'll go to Wano Country and help Neptune get his daughter back."
He chose to stand down—the world's strongest man chose peace once again.
Teach, sitting in the corner of the Moby Dick, couldn't hide his disappointment. As Whitebeard aged, the once-invincible old man seemed increasingly powerless.
If he were ten years younger, would he have even sent an invitation to Cross Kahn? No way. He'd have demanded that Cross Kahn return Neptune's daughter to Fish-Man Island immediately. And if he refused, Cross's "world's best entertainment city" and the Kingdom of Dressrosa would face endless tsunamis from the power of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit. They could survive the first wave, maybe, but the second or third would be relentless.
In his prime, Whitebeard could summon a tsunami with just a roar, matching even the Pirate King, Roger. But now?
He was conceding left and right.
Though Whitebeard still held his "sons" dear and had avenged Kozuki Oden's death in his own way, these ongoing compromises didn't sit well with some of the crew.
But, in the end, Whitebeard knew these choices were for his son's safety. Teach knew, too—that his "Old Man" was backing down not out of fear but because he didn't want to put his family in unnecessary danger.
This Whitebeard isn't the same one I once admired.
If it weren't for missing out on the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit and having to put his ambitions on hold, Teach might have already left the Whitebeard Pirates. However, since Whitebeard chose to step back, Teach was content with it.
In his mind, the Whitebeard Pirates might still be the strongest among the Five Emperors. However, the most mysterious and influential crew isn't the Whitebeard Pirates, the powerful Big Mom Pirates, or even the Red-Hair Pirates with their impenetrable defences.
Every time there's news about them, it shakes the world: the Cross Family.
As for the Beasts Pirates, they're the only crew among the Five Emperors who have been defeated by a crew of similar strength. If Kaido, the fearsome mythical Zoan, weren't their captain, they wouldn't even be among the Five Emperors.
Starting from nothing, the current Beasts Pirates, even with control over Onigashima, are a shadow of the former crew's power and influence.
The former Beasts Pirates? They were at their peak. The finest weapons on the market came from them. The supply of seastone, capable of nullifying Devil Fruit's powers, was also largely under their control. But now, these highly profitable assets are in the hands of the Cross Family.
With years of growth, the Cross Family has built an empire around these resources and, with the support of a mysterious scientist, has become the leading force in weapon manufacturing, both cold and hot arms. Alongside the Joker—the world's top broker—the Cross Family supplies weapons to factions across the Grand Line, the Four Seas, the underworld, the pirate world, and even to the Marines.
More than half of advanced medical care and medicines come from Cross Family factories. The arms and pharmaceutical industries are incredibly profitable. And that's not all; the largest entertainment hubs in each sea zone? They're all run by the Cross Family on massive island ships.
These three industries alone bring astronomical wealth to the Cross Family.
But it's not just about money. Stationed in the waters of Wano Country, a windless sea that's almost impenetrable, they also have a terrifying scientist with the technology to create clones and cyborgs.
When the Cross Family revealed this asset, countless people began to recognize the power of these clones, each valued at around 80 million berries—a force fully capable of standing alongside the Five Emperors.
These clone warriors can be mass-produced as long as there's enough money. Teach suspects that after all these years, the Cross Family's army is far beyond 20,000 or 30,000 clones. In those hidden waters, there's likely an enormous force of clones—perhaps even upgraded ones.
This is why Teach stayed with the Whitebeard Pirates, ultimately slipping into Wano to see if the Cross Family had acquired the Dark-Dark Fruit.
While Marco and others thought Cross Kahn's refusal showed disrespect toward Whitebeard, Teach believed it was because Kahn didn't consider the Whitebeard Pirates worth his attention.
The Cross Family, after all, has amassed enough power to overwhelm the Whitebeard Pirates. In a confrontation, Whitebeard's lower-ranking fighters would be completely outmatched. The Cross Family's low-profile, secretive style suggests that beyond their notable leaders—the Pirate Queen and the vampire—their servants likely hide extraordinary abilities.
If the Cross Family does have the Dark-Dark Fruit, it could very well have already been consumed by one of Kahn's maids.
Thinking of this, a pang of sorrow hit Teach. If that's true, then his only hope lies in getting the Paramecia Tremor-Tremor Fruit from Whitebeard himself—his last chance to achieve his dream.
But Kahn doesn't know: Whitebeard chose to back down... because of him.
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