Buggy spent the next few days diligently practicing his new Devil Fruit abilities, eager to master this newfound power that could potentially save his life.
Shirakawa, meanwhile, dedicated himself to relentless training. He seemed to never sleep, only stopping to eat or train.
"If you keep pushing yourself like this, you'll collapse. You won't achieve your goals if you break down," a concerned crewmate warned him.
"Don't worry, I know my limits," Shirakawa replied confidently.
The crewmate shook his head, seeing Shirakawa's determination as stubbornness. He was sure Shirakawa would regret it later.
But to his surprise, Shirakawa's training continued without any signs of fatigue or injury.
"What kind of Devil Fruit did he eat? It's amazing," the crewmates whispered amongst themselves, envious of Shirakawa's seemingly limitless stamina.
"What's gotten into that kid? Is he going crazy?" Roger asked, watching Shirakawa train while sipping his beer.
"He's probably motivated by the recent battles. He hasn't had a chance to fight any of the major players from other crews, only some small fries."
"So he's trying to break through his limits?"
"Yeah. He's been learning from Gaban lately. I wonder how it's going."
"We'll find out soon enough." Roger finished his beer and playfully tossed the empty bottle at Shirakawa.
Shirakawa dodged it effortlessly.
"Not bad. You're getting better at using Observation Haki," Roger praised him.
"Captain, you made it too obvious. Even without Observation Haki, I could have dodged that," Shirakawa said, taking a break from his training.
"Really?" Roger chuckled. He had just tossed it casually, without any extra force or speed.
"By the way, Rayleigh, I want to learn Armament Haki," Shirakawa said, turning to the First Mate.
"You can learn from Gaban. He's proficient in it too."
"But your Armament Haki seems stronger than his."
"Is that so?" Rayleigh laughed. Even within the Roger Pirates, there was a bit of friendly rivalry.
"If you think so, I can't argue with you. But why did you ask Gaban to teach you Observation Haki? Don't you think I'm good enough?" Rayleigh teased.
"You said it yourself, not me," Shirakawa replied with a shrug.
"You little rascal." Rayleigh grinned.
Suddenly, a crewmate rushed towards them, panic in his eyes.
"Captain! It's bad!"
"What's wrong?" Roger asked, his expression turning serious. Few things could make his crew members react this way.
"Captain, we've spotted the Whitebeard Pirates ahead!"
"Newgate?" A smile spread across Roger's face. It had been a while since their last encounter.
He walked to the bow of the ship. There, in the distance, was the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's flagship.
Shirakawa followed Roger, eager to witness the Strongest Man in the World.
Whitebeard stood at the bow of his ship, holding his massive bisento, Murakumogiri, one of the twelve Supreme Grade swords. Behind him stood the commanders of his divisions, looking much as Shirakawa remembered, except for the second division commander, who was a samurai.
"Long time no see, Whitebeard!" Roger called out.
"I've been waiting for you, Roger," Whitebeard replied.
'So this is Whitebeard, the Strongest Man in the World,' Shirakawa thought, feeling the immense power emanating from him. Even his voice carried a weight that shook the air.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you too," Shirakawa said to himself.
As Roger spoke, the atmosphere grew tense. A battle was imminent.
'Are they going to fight?' Shirakawa wondered.
Rayleigh patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. We're old friends with Whitebeard. But when it's time to fight, we won't hold back."
"I understand."
The Oro Jackson continued forward until it was almost touching the Moby Dick. Both crews disembarked and gathered on a nearby island. They couldn't risk fighting on their ships; the damage would be catastrophic.
"Long time no see, Oden," Roger greeted a pirate standing beside Whitebeard. It was Kozuki Oden, the daimyo of Kuri in Wano Country and the current second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Roger had always admired Oden and had tried to recruit him several times.
"Hey, Roger! I'm still here, you know!" Whitebeard grumbled. He didn't appreciate Roger trying to poach his crew members right in front of him.
"Newgate, you wouldn't be waiting here for no reason. What's on your mind?" Roger asked.
"You already know, don't you?"
Whitebeard raised his bisento and swung it at Roger, who blocked the blow with his own sword.
A powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from the clash, darkening the sky as if a storm was brewing.
The battle between the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had begun. Each member chose their opponent: Rayleigh faced Oden, Gaban faced Marco, and the other officers clashed with their counterparts.
Meanwhile, the Marines received a report from the scouts monitoring Whitebeard.
"Roger and Whitebeard are fighting again? Sengoku, Garp, you two head there immediately. And take those three monsters with you," Fleet Admiral Kong ordered.
Garp had already set off as soon as he heard about Roger.
The "three monsters" were, of course, the future admirals: Kuzan (Aokiji), Sakazuki (Akainu), and Borsalino (Kizaru).